News: More government cash for Rotherham Gateway Station

Further funding is set to come down the line to support the multimillion pound Rotherham Gateway Station regeneration scheme.

Housing schemes around the Parkgate site, and the wider Bassingthorpe development nearby, are set to benfit.

The board at the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) has signed off on its priorities for new government funding to support housing, regeneration and employment growth in priority urban locations.

South Yorkshire has been allocated £85m from the City Densification Fund, an £800m government funding programme launched in Spring 2026 to help regional mayors unlock stalled urban housing and commercial developments.

Sheffield Moorfoot, Sheffield Station Campus and Rotherham Gateway have been identified as the initial priorities for the cash.

Integrated with a new tram-train stop, the Rotherham Gateway Station at Parkgate would bring faster rail connections. A new mainline rail station at Forge Way would deliver faster links to Birmingham, Sheffield, Leeds, and Doncaster, unlocking wider regional and national connectivity. The aim is for journey times to Leeds to be cut from 60 minutes to 30 minutes and to be 75 minutes to Birmingham.

With opening pencilled in for "late 2030," the four-phase masterplan for the £300m scheme sets out that it could bring 1,000 highly-skilled jobs and support more than £1bn of private investment.

A paper to the SYMCA board states: "Following engagement with local authorities, Homes England and other delivery partners, a programme of work has been undertaken to identify eligible investment opportunities. In line with Government guidance, the City Densification Fund is intended to support development within city centres and locations associated with Northern Powerhouse Rail investment where viability barriers are preventing delivery. Candidate schemes were assessed against an agreed framework covering strategic fit, deliverability, additionality, leverage and phasing.

"Further development, due diligence and business case work is required before individual funding commitments can be considered through SYMCA's assurance framework."

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The report also seeks board approval on utilising the £118m for the region from the National Housing Delivery Fund (NHDF), a £21 billion fund that provides capital funding for infrastructure and land to support the government’s ambition to build 1.5 million new homes.

A pipeline initially identified 184 sites with potential for 32,000 new homes but this has been refined to 15 proposed "mini programmes."

Rotherham schemes making the list include "Rotherham Gateway," "Rotherham Town Centre Sites & Bassingthorpe Farm" and an "Affordable Housing Programme" for the borough.

With the programme already starting in April 2026, Strategic Business Cases (SBCs) will now been drawn up before individual schemes in these areas can come forward for funding.

Rothbiz reported last year that two "catalyst sites" in Rotherham were identified to spearhead the government's historic £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme - Bassingthorpe Farm and Rotherham town centre. For South Yorkshire, an indicative spend, subject to suitable bids, was set out at £700m.

The Government recently updated national planning rules so that there is a default "yes" for homes within reasonable walking distance of well-connected stations, alongside new minimum expectations for how much housing should be built in these areas.

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News: Coppard on the charge as South Yorkshire mayor greenlights £2m for hundreds of e-bikes

People in South Yorkshire will be able to hire e-bikes and take them home as part of a first-of-its-kind scheme being launched by Mayor Oliver Coppard.

It comes at the same time as Rotherham Council scraps multimillion pound active travel schemes.

Other city-based schemes around the country generally see users booking bikes for short trips and needing to find suitable spots to drop them off. In South Yorkshire, the scheme, part of The People’s Network, involves e-bikes being made available as a long-term loan, for an affordable monthly price.

A £2m tender for e-bikes plus accessories (helmets, locks etc) is underway with a planned launch next spring.

South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard said: “The idea at the heart of the South Yorkshire People’s Network is that transport should work for everyone in South Yorkshire, giving us all freedom and choice about how we travel and move.

“That’s why we’ve designed this pioneering new e-bike subscription service; because it’s not enough to simply build bike lanes and cycle networks, we need to give everyone the chance to use them.

“So, from next spring, people across South Yorkshire will be able to hire a new e-bike on a long-term loan, for an affordable monthly price. That’s potentially game changing for anyone who wants to make different travel choices but has been priced out up to now.

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“I’m proud to say we’re the first place in the country to develop this type of scheme, but I know we won’t be the last. South Yorkshire is leading the way again, putting the public back in public transport.”

Backed by initial investment of £1.3m from SYMCA, the £2m tender allows further procurement should the project succeed. 275 e-bikes are now out for procurement,

The scheme has been shaped by research showing how e-bikes can help people travel further and make everyday journeys easier, and data from the short-term loan schemes operating in Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield.

With transport costs continuing to put pressure on households, the scheme’s flexible, first-of-its-kind tiered pricing model will help make sure cost does not put the brakes on opportunity.

It forms a key part of South Yorkshire’s Walking, Wheeling and Cycling Strategy, supporting plans to make walking, wheeling and cycling more realistic, accessible options for more people.

In Rotherham, the Journey Matters project already loan out both pedal bikes and electric bikes for free to the people of Rotherham for between one and three months. SYMCA rejected allocating capital to local authorities to deliver local e-cycle subscription services stating that "it would impact our ability to brand as a SYMCA proposition."

Following Rotherham Council carrying out a number of high profile, multimillion pound cycle lane schemes, Rothbiz reported recently that a £10.7m cycle lane and roundabout scheme proposed for Stag Roundabout and Wickersley / Broom Road would not go ahead. A £7.6m scheme to support active travel for pedestrians and cyclists and improve traffic flows at a Templeborough roundabout has also been stopped in its tracks.

This issue of cycle lanes was discussed at a recent full council meeting with a petition presented by opposition councillors, and backed by 3,600 signatures, calling for a review of CRSTS Active Travel schemes, a reallocation of funding to focus on road safety, and a review of the council's Active Travel Strategy.

Journey Matter website

Images: A Different Gear / Journey Matters

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News: Dutch idea falls flat as Rotherham Council scraps another cycle scheme

A multimillion pound scheme to support active travel for pedestrians and cyclists and improve traffic flows at a busy Rotherham roundabout has been scrapped by the local council.

Rothbiz reported in 2024 that Rotherham Council was working up an improvement scheme at Ickles roundabout at Templeborough.

£7.5m was identified through the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), a government funding stream administered by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA).

£1.05m of development funding was released and Rotherham Council began a tender proccess for a specialist transport consultant to determine whether a Dutch style signalised crossroads with at-grade pedestrian and cycle crossings could be accommodated at the Ickles roundabout with an acceptable impact on traffic.

Dutch-style junctions, or protected junctions, separate people travelling on foot, by cycle, and in vehicles. This approach reduces the likelihood of conflicts and simplifies the operation of the junction into fewer stages, resulting in a more efficient traffic flow.

The roundabout, which currently utilises underpasses for pedestrians and cyclists, is on the route of the Sheffield Road Cycleways project which has delivered over 2km of new cycle routes on the A6178 Sheffield Road and Westgate between the town centre and the borough boundary at Tinsley. The route provides a near seamless connection for cycling from beyond Meadowhall through to the Broom area.

Now an update to the council's cabinet confirms that a Dutch style scheme is not going ahead.

The cabinet paper states: "There is no beneficial scheme at Ickles Roundabout at this time on which the development funding could be usefully spent."

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The authority wants to reallocate a proportion of the funding "as this is no longer required to develop this project on account of its reduced scope."

The council's cabinet is being asked to approve a reallocation of £490,000 to the Rotherham Gateway Station project.

Rothbiz revealed last year that discussions were taking place over the pause of a number of proposed transport schemes in Rotherham in order to redeploy funding to the Mainline Station scheme,

The paper adds: "The Station at Rotherham Gateway is now a key priority for the Council. The mainline and tram-train station will be a catalyst for growth, improving local, regional, and national rail connectivity for all communities and businesses across the Borough, creating employment, and supporting the development of high-quality new homes. Therefore, it is recommended that the funding is transferred to support this scheme."

The move follows on from proposals being scrapped for a £10.7m cycle lane and roundabout scheme for Stag Roundabout and Wickersley / Broom Road.

This issue of cycle lanes was discussed at a full council meeting this week with a petition presented by opposition councillors, and backed by 3,600 signatures, called for a review of CRSTS Active Travel schemes, a reallocation of funding to focus on road safety, and a review of the council's Active Travel Strategy.

The vote was carried and the ruling Labour councillors agreed to accept the calls from the petition and talked of greater flexibilities now afforded the CRSTS.

The CRSTS programme requires that all current schemes be in contract before the end of this financial year, with SYMCA recently identifying a risk that schemes that are currently in development will not meet this timeline. Programme spend to date is £254m and SYMCA say that "available mitigations mean that the programme is forecast to be fully committed." The final year of CRSTS is set to be included in SYMCA's new £1.3 billion Integrated Settlement.

Images: Google Maps / RMBC

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News: Equans acquires Mway Communications

Equans UK & Ireland has announced the strategic acquisition of Mway Communications (Mway), a leading specialist in highways technology and communications infrastructure based in Rotherham.

In the UK & Ireland, Equans is a provider of sustainable facilities management and regeneration, and cutting-edge energy and digital services

Based on Meadowbank Industrial Estate, Mway serves National Highways and Tier 1 contractors throughout the UK's Strategic Road Network (SRN), delivering critical technology and engineering solutions that underpin National Highways three key imperatives - safety, customer & delivery. The company employs 100 people and generates an annual turnover of £26m.

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This acquisition enhances Equans’ UK offering, advancing its growth strategy by expanding expertise in connected infrastructure, operational technology, and communications networks. Mway’s comprehensive portfolio – including technology deployment, electrical engineering, street lighting, traffic signals, inductive loop installation, and highways civil works – complements Equans’ end-to-end capabilities across digital infrastructure, energy systems, engineering, and asset management.

Equans welcomes the Mway leadership team, led by Stephen Crawford, Managing Director, and Lee Day, Relationship Director as part of the acquisition.

James Graham, Divisional CEO, Equans UK & Ireland, commented: " Mway Communications has built an excellent reputation as a trusted delivery partner across the UK's Strategic Road Network. Their deep sector knowledge and proven customer partnerships make them excellent in their operation. We are delighted to welcome Stephen, Lee and the wider Mway team to Equans."

Stephen Crawford, Managing Director, Mway Communications, added: "Our focus has always been on delivering high-quality, dependable solutions, while building long-term relationships with our customers. Joining Equans unlocks new scale, capabilities, and growth opportunities while preserving the expertise and values that define Mway. We are excited about the future and look forward to working with our new colleagues across the Equans group.”

Equans website
Mway website

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News: £3m contract sees consultants get on board for Rotherham Gateway regeneration scheme

Rotherham Council has appointed industry-leading consultants for a £300m regeneration project that centres on bringing mainline rail services back to the borough.

Rothbiz has previously reported on the 20-year masterplan for Rotherham Gateway which showed how a transport improvement scheme can act as the catalyst for a much wider project supporting thousands of new jobs.

Integrated with a new tram-train stop, the station at Parkgate would bring faster rail connections. A new mainline rail station at Forge Way would deliver faster links to Birmingham, Sheffield, Leeds, and Doncaster, unlocking wider regional and national connectivity. The aim is for journey times to Leeds to be cut from 60 minutes to 30 minutes and to be 75 minutes to Birmingham.

Station opening has been pencilled in for "late 2030" with the four-phase masterplan showing two platforms, with passive provision for four, to support future growth.

Perfect Circle JV Ltd has now been appointed as the lead consultant on a contract that covers a wide range of programme management, masterplanning and cost consultancy.

The Rotherham contract is worth up to a maximum of £3.1m.

Formed as an incorporated joint venture company in 2016, Perfect Circle combines innovation with governance, collaboration and excellence to deliver the broadest range services to the public sector. Principal partners - Pick Everard, Gleeds and AECOM - brought in a number of preferred partners to expand the framework solutions, with more than 35,000 professionals across multiple disciplines, offering a depth of technical resource to meet every need.

The appointment combines with the recruitment for the project team, including a Land Acquisition Project Manager, a Rail Project Manager and a Station & Public Realm Project Manager.

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Rothbiz reported in July that a phased approach starts with the Station Quarter, on land which is currently Northfields Business Park, which features the mainline station, tram-train station, public realm, car parking, northern access via new bridges, and the station anchor building - essentially covering the development of the station core area.

Outside the core area, an active travel route along Effingham Street will connect the town centre to the station as Phase 1a.

Project design work on the early phases will continue to December 2027.

The work is to support and compliment the development of a Full Business Case which has already secured £11.38m via South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) for its development. £10m was previously secured for land acquisition.

Stage 2 of the contract will form the main body of the commission and will see Perfect Circle operate a multi-disciplinary team for just over three years.

Further phases of the masterplan involve the creation of an innovation campus on plots of land near the station, and the introduction of new housing in the area.

The contract documents explain: "The Rotherham Gateway project is a multi-phased scheme to bring mainline rail services back to the Borough. Alongside the transport elements which also includes a new tram/train stop the scheme also delivers 300 new homes and an industry ecosystem, similar to the Advanced Manufacturing Park, associated car parking and public realm.

"Consultants are expected to provide the following services: Lead Consultant; Programme Director; Programme Management Office; Project Management; Architectural, Design and Masterplanning.

"The Multi-Disciplinary consultancy will also provide: Cost Consultancy; Construction Design & Management role; Technical and Site Investigation."

Perfect Circle website

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News: Council u-turn as Rotherham cycle lane scheme scrapped

A multimillion pound active travel scheme in Rotherham will not now go ahead, the leader of the council has confirmed.

Rothbiz has previously reported on a £16.5m scheme that includes bike lanes, bus lanes and a built up roundabout at Eastwood, on the edge of Rotherham town centre. A similar £10.7m cycle lane and roundabout scheme is proposed for Stag Roundabout and Wickersley / Broom Road.

The schemes follow on from the £6.4m Sheffield Road Cycleways and Maltby Bus Corridor schemes and the £3.6m Broom Road Cycleways scheme.

After another period of consultation, Rotherham Labour Councillors have now said that the scheme designed for the Broom Road / Wickersley Road proposed Extension Corridor has been scrapped.

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Cllr. Chris Read, leader of Rotherham Council, said: "We said at the last council elections that we would only proceed with those schemes where they had the support of the communities most affected and that's why those consultations are really important and we really appreciate your feedback.

"And we've had two different sets of feedback. So for the Broom Road / Moorgate scheme ... residents told us that they didn't support any of the proposals that we were putting forward. The cycle lane, the road crossings or any of the road safety measures.

"So I want to be really clear that when the council brings forward proposals for that we will not be taking forward any of those proposals.

"On the other scheme on Fitzwilliam Road we got broad support from the community for those proposals and when we looked at that more closely there were particular parts of that in some of those side streets, some of the measures to deal with parking, some of the things to do with helping people to cross the road that got more support.

"So we've tasked council staff with looking at that feedback to look at the look at what could be the best scheme that we could take forward in the Fitzwilliam Road area where we keep the benefits of those things for pedestrians in particular but also for parking, and where we might take out those cycle lanes if we don't need to take that forward."

The Eastwood scheme centres on St Ann's Roundabout and replacing the subways with signalised crossings. New street level pedestrian and cycle routes would then be created with new traffic lights with cyclist and pedestrian crossings.

On Fitzwilliam Road, new cycle lanes would be created all the way from St Ann's Roundabout to the fire station. A new bus lane would also be created on the approach to the roundabout.

The scheme is also expected to link to the Rotherham Gateway mainline station at Parkgate.

At Stag Roundabout, segregated cycle routes and controlled crossing facilities would have been introduced on each arm of the roundabout, replacing the current zebra crossings.

The council was considering a number of options for the roads such as a cycle lane to be shared by bikes and buses which would split on the approach to Stag Roundabout. A second option was for a separate bus lane and a separate cycle lane along Wickersley Road, from the junction with Middle Lane South to Stag Roundabout. The third proposal would only introduce a cycle lane, with no bus lane.

For the second option, some trees would need to be removed.

Neighbourhood streets were set for investment in this area too, including Broom Lane where a zebra crossing close to Sitwell school was proposed to be replaced by a controlled traffic signal crossing.

The majority of funding for the latest schemes is coming from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) through the City Regional Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), a government funding stream.

Rotherham Council website

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News: OnDemand bus service aims to reconnect Rotherham

Residents of parts of Rotherham with limited access to scheduled bus services are being targeted by a new flexible public transport service to connect them to employment, education, healthcare, and retail.

Rothbiz reported last year that South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) was looking to launch a pilot project around demand responsive transport as part of its work to address connectivity issues across the region following the Mayor’s decision to take control of the buses.

Using £0.95m from the government's Transport Innovation Fund (TIF), SYMCA has appointed technology partner Via for the pilot that will begin operating from 3 August for 12 months across parts of Doncaster and Rotherham. 

The service introduces a new way of travelling, allowing passengers to book shared bus journeys through the OnDemand app up to one week in advance or by phone, with no fixed routes or timetables. 

Designed to improve connections in areas where traditional services are limited, OnDemand will help people access jobs, education, healthcare and key destinations across the region. Unlike conventional bus routes, OnDemand uses intelligent technology to group passengers travelling in the same direction, offering a flexible, efficient and affordable service. 

Fares will start from £3 per journey, with concessions and discounts available, and the service will run Monday to Saturday between 5am and 6pm.  Importantly, the new service has been designed to complement not replace the existing public transport network, helping more people connect to buses, trams and trains across South Yorkshire.  

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South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard said: “The People’s Network will put people first, making sure everyone in South Yorkshire can get where they need to go, when they need to get there. OnDemand in Doncaster and Rotherham brings that idea to life, with a flexible, modern service built around our everyday lives, not fixed routes or timetables. 

“Whether it’s getting to work, visiting loved ones, making an appointment or accessing education, communities in Doncaster and Rotherham will have more choice and greater control over how to travel. OnDemand is another important step towards building a public transport system that truly works for everyone – the People’s Network.” 

The Rotherham areas included in the OnDemand area are Waverley, Ulley, Morthern, Thurcroft, Brookhouse, Dinnington, Firbeck, Letwell, Todwick, Woodsetts, Thorpe Salvin and Harthill.

Users can travel within the designated operating zone. but for those travelling beyond the zone, OnDemand can connect passengers to designated interchange hubs (Dinnington, Rotherham Hospital, Rotherham town centre, Crystal Peaks) for onward travel using buses, trams or rail services.

Cllr Chris Read, Leader of Rotherham Council, said:  “It’s great to see this pilot becoming a reality. We know that as bus services have reduced in recent decades, the impact of that has been particularly felt in more rural areas. The way that public transport operates had got to change. That’s why we wanted to prioritise this opportunity for communities to the south of our borough, complementing and enhancing existing public transport, but also offering a flexibility that traditional bus services just can’t provide. 

“So if you’re at home in Todwick or Brookhouse, for example, and you need to get to the Tanyard, Rotherham Hospital or Meadowhall and back, this service provides a new convenient way to do that. I hope that people will give it a go, and their experiences will certainly help us to shape the future of public transport in the borough.” 

OnDemand South Yorkshire website

Images: Via

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News: Priority projects for Rotherham Gateway regeneration scheme

Rotherham Council is using a twin track approach to progress key projects in the first phase of the masterplan for the proposed new mainline station in Rotherham.

Rothbiz reported on the 20-year masterplan for Rotherham Gateway last year which showed how a transport improvement scheme can act as the catalyst for a much wider £300m regeneration project supporting thousands of new jobs.

Integrated with a new tram-train stop, the station would bring faster rail connections. A new mainline rail station at Forge Way would deliver faster links to Birmingham, Sheffield, Leeds, and Doncaster, unlocking wider regional and national connectivity. The aim is for journey times to Leeds to be cut from 60 minutes to 30 minutes and to be 75 minutes to Birmingham.

Station opening has been pencilled in for "late 2030" with the four-phase masterplan showing two platforms, with passive provision for four, to support future growth.

A phased approach starts with the Station Quarter, on land which is currently Northfields Business Park, which features the mainline station, tram-train station, public realm, car parking, northern access via new bridges, and the station anchor building - essentially covering the development of the station core area.

Outside the core area, an active travel route along Effingham Street will connect the town centre to the station as Phase 1a.

A Rotherham Council report states: "To maintain momentum and ensure the alignment of phase 1 schemes, the Council proposed utilising Gainshare funding. This will fund the three priority workstreams, plus resource capacity."

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Gainshare funding refers to the money committed to South Yorkshire through the Devolution Deal agreed by the Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA), South Yorkshire local authorities and government.

The development of the three priority projects will cost over £2m.

£400,000 is being used to develop the outline designs for the space surrounding the station. The plans "will ensure the Station area is a welcoming transit interchange with good design and high-quality public realm that will create a ‘sense of place’ and act as a gateway into Rotherham."

£624,000 is set aside for work on the Innovation Gateway Anchor Building. A council report states: "This should be a high-quality, flagship building of architectural merit with an anchor tenant to act as a gateway into Rotherham. It would also be an anchor building for the Innovation Campus and incorporate the required station facilities into the ground floor."

£1.03m is for the full design of an Effingham Street Masterplan and Active Travel Route. A comprehensive scheme has been proposed that would incorporate a new cycle / footbridge, landscape improvements, Active Travel provision, and improved pedestrian crossings. A 20 minute walk from the town centre, the plan is to complement the tram-train stop at the new station site and enable commuters to connect quickly and easily into the town centre.

Recruitment recently got underway for the project team including a Land Acquisition Project Manager, a Rail Project Manager and a Station & Public Realm Project Manager. Further consultants are set to be appointed with timetables showing that project design work on the early phases will continue to December 2027.

The work is to support and compliment the Full Business Case which has already secured £11.38m via SYMCA for its development. £10m was previously secured for land acquisition.

Further phases of the masterplan involve the creation of an innovation campus on plots of land near the station, and the introduction of new housing in the area.

Rotherham Gateway station website

Images: RMBC

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News: New Rotherham depot for Warrior Link

A nationwide specialist haulage provider has expanded into a new depot in Rotherham, with the help of Wake Smith Solicitors.

Warrior Link, founded in 2021 by industry veteran Lee Hollingworth and previously headquartered in Sheffield, provides transport solutions including palletised freight, contract logistics, and time-sensitive deliveries to sectors including manufacturing, food, packaging and construction.

The company, which offers nationwide coverage through its reliable 28-vehicle fleet, has relocated into a 9,994 sq ft detached premises on Lowton Way on Hellaby Industrial Estate in Rotherham, marking the firm’s biggest facility lease to date.

The former parcel hub site offers Warrior Link warehousing and offices on a large plot of 1.25 acres and allows growth for the sustainable, smart logistics operation.

Christie Smith from Sheffield’s Wake Smith Solicitors’ commercial property team acted for Warrior Link on the lease with Kitty Hendrick, senior surveyor from the Sheffield office of Knight Frank representing landlord Ravensworth Properties.

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Lee Hollingworth, managing director, at Warrior Link, which has added 7 roles to its 49-strong employee count following the move, said: “With over 24 years of logistics experience behind our team, Warrior Link has built a reputation for being a solid partner for smart, flexible haulage solutions.

“Warrior Link has been built on real-world logistics experience, and a passion for delivering exceptional service. We combine decades of transport knowledge with a growing vehicle fleet and team of experienced, forces-friendly drivers.

“Lowton provided the ideal location with excellent transport links to M1 and M18 and is central to the nationwide areas which we service. We have created additional roles with the move to accommodate our growing business.

“Both Knight Frank and Wake Smith Solicitors were excellent and helped the move go smoothly.”

Lowton Way on Hellaby Industrial Estate, already occupied by Pyronix Ltd, Northern Powergrid, Parseq, KP Nuts and Reflex Systems Ltd, benefits from access to the motorway being situated immediately adjacent to Junction 1 of the M18. The M1 and A1(M) are within close proximity.

Warrior Link, which also has depots in Nottingham, Milton Keynes and Doncaster, is driven by military heritage and veteran values, employing many ex-forces personnel as well as supporting the Armed Forces Covenant and prides itself on its professional, uniformed drivers trained in customer interaction.

Services include nationwide palletised freight; contract logistics; time-sensitive and ad-hoc loads; return load/backhaul solutions to reduce empty miles; and ambient, non-refrigerated loads.

The firm quickly grew into a trusted transport partner for manufacturers, construction firms, facilities management providers and more and achieved 20% electrification by the end of 2025, driving change in the logistics sector.

Warrior Link website

Images: Knight Frank

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News: Big changes made to Waverley scheme

Waverley in Rotherham, often cited as being Yorkshire's largest ever mixed-use development, may not be as big as originally envisioned, with master developers confirming that over 1,000 less homes will be built at its flagship site.

The changes are in response to "evolving site circumstances, changes in surrounding highway infrastructure, and updated development forecasts."

Harworth Group submitted a planning application for the new community on the site of the former Orgreave Colliery & Coking Works in 2007 and consent was granted in 2011 for 3,890 new homes, alongside over two million sq ft of advanced manufacturing space at the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP). Following the adoption of the overall masterplan, Harworth has since continued to develop design codes for each area of Waverley along side its housebuilding partners and made changes to aspects of the scheme.

A new updated masterplan submitted to Rotherham Council by Harworth explains that the overall number of homes at Waverley will not reach the original maximum capacity of 3,890 homes.

This then has implications for "trigger points" and other commitments secured through the original planning approval using a Section 106 agreement (a mechanism which makes a development proposal acceptable in planning terms, that would not otherwise be acceptable). A proposed second school, for example, now looks unlikely to be built.

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The documents, drawn up by planning consultants, Stantec, state: "The original outline consent was based upon the provision of up to 3,890 homes, however due to market changes, design standards and housing needs, the overall homes at Waverley will not reach the modelled maximum capacity (3,890 homes).

"By the completion year of 2036, it is assumed that the residential development at Waverley will be fully completed with a total of 2,783 new homes under the outline consent, along with 254 additional homes at Highfield Commercial, development at the Advanced Manufacturing Park, Highfield Commercial comprising 32,515 sq.m [350,000 sq ft] of additional employment floorspaces and a mix of local centre uses at Olive Lane being open and constructed."

Harworth has already sold 2,727 plots to housebuilders. The AMP is almost full, 1.9m sq ft of commercial space has been built or sold from the 2.1m sq ft consented.

The scheme for Highfield Commercial replaced the original 645,000 sq ft office scheme designed to house government departments relocating out of London. Plans for Olive Lane were scaled back in 2021 after "a contraction in investment in new retail developments following a recession, Brexit and the COVID pandemic."

Developers are now asking to amend transport obligations, where work has already been carried out to J33 of the M1 nearby and relating to a link road that was scrapped after Rotherham and Sheffield Councils could not agree on a route.

The original scheme and legal agreement also included two, two-form entry primary schools. Waverley Primary Academy opened in 2020 and was extended last year.

The latest plans remove reference to a second school.

In its Full Year Results for the year ended 31 December 2025, Harworth Group saw its total revenue drop 29% to £129.8m, down from £181.6m in the previous year, while pretax profit reduced 75% to £14.7m from £69.4m.

Harworth Group website

Images: Harworth

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News: Capital&Centric timetabled to talk up Rotherham regeneration

The managing director of social impact developer Capital&Centric is set to share a stage with officials from Rotherham next week at the UK’s leading forum for real estate, investment and infrastructure.

Although it has not been announced why, the appearance suggests that the Manchester company is in line to take forward more development opportunities in the region.

Capital&Centric specialises in unlocking and transforming "unloved" brownfield sites into vibrant, design-led neighborhoods. It is currently working on £2bn of development across commercial, residential, hotel and leisure sectors. In neighbouring Sheffield it has secured millions to progress plans at the Cannon Brewery site.

John Moffat, joint managing director of Capital&Centric is due to take part in a panel at UKREiiF – The UK’s Real Estate Investment & Infrastructure Forum, which is entitled: "Next Stop Rotherham - The Gateway To The Future."

Moffat is set to join John Edwards, chief executive at Rotherham Council, Katharine Hammond, chief executive of South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) and Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership (NPP), to discuss how Rotherham is delivering an ambitious growth agenda, uniting major regeneration with world-leading innovation at the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP).

Property professionals, investors, developers and senior decision-makers are set to discover "how Rotherham is helping shape Northern Powerhouse Rail and South Yorkshire’s future - creating a national transport hub, accelerating housing delivery, and unlocking prime opportunities for investment."

A 20-year masterplan for Rotherham Gateway Station at Parkgate shows how a transport improvement scheme can act as the catalyst for a much wider regeneration project supporting thousands of new jobs.

Rotherham Gateway will reconnect the town to the mainline rail network for the first time since the 1980s, delivering faster connections to major cities including Sheffield, Leeds and Birmingham, while unlocking new regional and national routes.

Representing a long-term investment in Rotherham’s future, the £300m project is expected to create up to 1,000 jobs locally, with a further 8,000 across the wider South Yorkshire Investment Zone - delivering an economic uplift of over £100m through new employment opportunities.

The project is a key part of SYMCA's portfolio for UKREiiF. The mayoral authority describes it as having "the potential to offer the most significant growth and regeneration opportunity across the North of England.

"A new main line rail station with tram-train stop situated within the heart of a new advanced manufacturing innovation campus, and in an area of housing growth, will ensure rapid and reliable connectivity to regional and national economies, providing ease of access outside the Borough."

Investors and developer interest is being sought to deliver the necessary infrastructure for a new Station Anchor Building and Innovation Campus.

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Investors and developers are also being courted to take on the opportunity for around 400 new homes adjacent to a new mainline station. Rotherham Council offers the opportunity to acquire land and de-risk investment while seeking developer and investor interest in the creation of a new residential led community.

The station is also being positioned as the scheme that unlocks the wider Bassingthorpe development nearby - a proposed 2,000 home development on former greenbelt land. Rotherham Council recently approved the appointment of a specialist consultant to provide commercial advice for the scheme in order to "progress the delivery of a residential development scheme on the strategic allocation site of Bassingthorpe Farm jointly with the majority landowner."

Rothbiz reported last month that following the announcement on Rotherham Gateway being in the first phase of Nothern Powerhouse Rail, a developer signed an agreement to start investment.

Homes England, the government’s housing and regeneration agency, has also been active in relation to Rotherham Gateway, entering into a £70,000 contract for a feasibility study.

Homes England has also been looking to appoint a solicitor to act on its behalf on "entering into an Investments Loan Agreement with a borrower where providing finance for residential development in Rotherham."

Homes England recently entered a strategic joint venture with Swiss Life Asset Managers and Capital&Centric to deliver more than 2,250 homes in underinvested areas in England.

In March, Rothbiz reported that Rotherham Council was appointing a private sector developer for the next phase of large scale house-building in the town centre.

The "Strategic Sites" programme "aims to bring forward high-quality mixed-use development across the Council’s strategic town centre sites, creating a new community supported by integrated services, leisure uses and commercial opportunities. Its objectives include securing a long term positive legacy for the town centre, accelerating progress on complex brownfield sites, attracting credible private sector partners, and addressing viability challenges in a low value market through targeted public sector intervention."

Rotherham Gateway Station website
Capital&Centric website

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News: Consultation continues on £27m active travel schemes in Rotherham

More public consultation has been launched as Rotherham Council is set to spend a further £27.2m on active travel schemes where new cycle lanes are set to be a key component.

Rothbiz has previously reported on a £16.5m scheme that includes bike lanes, bus lanes and a built up roundabout at Eastwood, on the edge of Rotherham town centre. A similar £10.7m cycle lane and roundabout scheme is proposed for Stag Roundabout and Wickersley / Broom Road.

The schemes follow on from the the £6.4m Sheffield Road Cycleways and Maltby Bus Corridor schemes and the £3.6m Broom Road Cycleways scheme.

The majority of funding for the latest schemes is coming from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) through the City Regional Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), a government funding stream.

As Rothbiz has previously reported, the funding is conditional on increasing active travel (hence the new cycle lanes) and increasing bus patronage and reducing bus journey times (hence the new bus lanes).

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The most significant change is at St Ann's Roundabout. The consultation explains: "We propose to retain all arms of St Ann's Roundabout, replacing the subways with signalised crossings, with cycleways incorporated along with increased greenery and improved street lighting. The existing roundabout would be filled in."

New street level pedestrian and cycle routes would then be created with new traffic lights with cyclist and pedestrian crossings.

On Fitzwilliam Road, new cycle lanes would be created all the way from St Ann's Roundabout to the fire station. A new bus lane would also be created on the approach to the roundabout.

Neighbourhood streets are also set for investment, including new cycle lanes and speed humps on Doncaster Road and Badsley Moor Lane and new raised crossings on Middle Lane.

At Stag Roundabout, segregated cycle routes and controlled crossing facilities would be introduced on each arm of the roundabout, replacing the current zebra crossings.

For the main roads, cycle lanes and bus lanes are planned, with the council still considering a number of options for Broom Road and Wickersley Road.

The consultation states: "The first of these proposals would create a combined bus and cycle lane to be shared by bikes and buses which would split on the approach to Stag Roundabout.

"The second proposal would introduce a separate bus lane and a separate cycle lane along Wickersley Road, from the junction with Middle Lane South to Stag Roundabout.

"The third proposal would only introduce a cycle lane, with no bus lane."

For the second option, some trees would need to be removed.

Neighbourhood streets are also set for investment in this area too, including Broom Lane where a zebra crossing close to Sitwell school is proposed to be replaced by a controlled traffic signal crossing.

Consultation on the Rotherham East proposed network improvements closes on June 5, and consultation on Broom Road / Wickersley Road proposed Extension Corridor closes on June 22.

A consultation event is being held at Broom Methodist Church on May 26 from 2pm to 6pm.

Rotherham Council consultation website

Images: RMBC

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News: Developers get on board following Rotherham mainline station announcement

Developers are showing an interest in Rotherham on the back of the government's commitment to support plans for a new mainline station in the borough.

Tom Riordan CBE, Northern Growth Envoy, told MPs that an unnamed developer had signed an agreement to start investment in the Rotherham.

Although full funding is "not a done deal" Rotherham Gateway Station and the electrification of the Sheffield - Leeds line were included in the first phase of Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) announced in January.

Over £11m of local transport funding has been agreed to develop a full business case for a new station at Parkgate. A 20-year programme of transformation includes more than 355,000 sq ft of advanced manufacturing and commercial space, around 250 new homes, and up to 132,000 sq ft of green spaces and public realm. It is a £300m regeneration project with proponents aiming to have the station open by late 2030.

The idea is to use a mainline station integrated with a tram-train stop to further develop the advanced manufacturing cluster within South Yorkshire as part of the UK’s first Investment Zone and the Don Valley Corridor.

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At a recent Westminster meeting of the Public Accounts Committee on Northern Powerhouse Rail, Tom Riordan CBE was asked if the partnerships between government and regional mayors and local councils was going to deliver NPR. Asking the question, Clive Betts, MP for Sheffield South East raised concerns over a situation where "no one is responsible and everyone blames everybody else."

Riordan, a former Chief Executive of regional development agency, Yorkshire Forward, said: "I am really confident about this because we have tested it already. We could be sat here talking about what we are going to do to try to come to an agreement about Northern Powerhouse Rail in the future, but what we actually did in practice last November was say, “We’re going to do this, but we’re going to do it with the mayors.”

"The Secretary of State, working with officials, myself, Jo [Shanmugalingam - Permanent Secretary at the Department for Transport] and others, worked to try to come to an agreement about the sequencing and the overall approach for this with the mayors. That has got to the point where joint compacts have been signed with Ministers where mayors have committed to put their own resources in to the agreement. It gives me confidence that we have done that once.

"It is really hard to agree stuff across the north of England, as we all know. It is not a single place; it is a group of different places. But we did that and it stuck. People have stuck with it. We have got further agreements about how we are going to move forward. We have a good partnership emerging around growth as well and the private sector is really interested in it.

"The week after the announcement, I went to Rotherham and met the council there. The fact that the Rotherham announcement had been made had led a developer to sign an agreement to start investment. That gives me confidence. A lot of times in the past, those of us in the north of England have maybe not had the confidence that things would happen. I really do think they are going to, and I think this is an innovative and different approach and it is working to date."

Images: RMBC

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News: Sheffield and Rotherham Councils set to commit £800,000 to Don Valley Corridor

Sheffield and Rotherham Councils are both committing £400,000 each towards the development of a flagship place-based regeneration programme for South Yorkshire based around the Don Valley Corridor.

Rothbiz reported first last month that the region's first Mayoral Development Zone (MDZ) is proposed for a unified corridor for innovation, industry and neighbourhood renewal stretching from Sheffield city centre to the site of the proposed Rotherham Gateway Station.

Bringing together the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) with Rotherham Council and Sheffield Council "creates a single front door for Government, agencies and private markets."

Cabinet approval has been secured in Rotherham for the council to commit £400,000 of its Gainshare revenue allocation for the scheme and Sheffield Council is expected to match Rotherham's £400,000.

Gainshare funding refers to the money committed to South Yorkshire through the Devolution Deal agreed by the MCA, South Yorkshire local authorities and government.

The money will go "toward programme resourcing and feasibility work for priority projects for the first three years of the programme."

Linked to the South Yorkshire Investment Zone, the programme will address transport issues (including the proposed new mainline and tram train stop at Parkgate), flood resilience and brownfield land which has been held back by contamination, low land values and viability constraints.

Investment Zone status provides South Yorkshire with up to £160m over ten years which can be used to offer investors, developers and start-ups a combination of targeted support and financial interventions to start, scale up and relocate their businesses.

Rotherham Council has already begun recruiting for a Don Valley Corridor Service Manager, who is expected to head up a new team delivering both the Don Valley Corridor partnership and Rotherham Gateway.

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Rothbiz has previously set out the Rotherham schemes that will fall under the Don Valley Corridor, including the new mainline station, further industrial space at Templeborough and new housing at Bassingthorpe and in the town centre.

Headline figures are that, through coordinated development, the 30 year transformation will enable over 18,000 jobs and 10,500 new homes with a £1.3bn uplift in GVA.

SYMCA papers set out that the authorities will use its existing statutory powers, "in particular, its strategic economic development powers and regeneration powers, its own resources and relationships with government, infrastructure providers and the private sector, as part of an integrated place-based programme. This will provide confidence both to the market, government and the wider public sector."

The paper adds that "there is shared commitment between SYMCA, RMBC and SCC to resource the programme collectively as a shared endeavour, including programme development capacity."

A Rotherham Council paper calls it "a nationally significant regeneration programme with a dedicated governance structure, programme leadership, and a coordinated approach to funding, delivery, and investment. Without coordination, opportunities scatter across isolated projects. With it, investors see credibility, residents see genuine opportunity, and places see sustained improvement rather than episodic development."

External funding is set to come from gainshare and other devolved funding pots, including funds that support renewal, housing and infrastructure. Nationally, the programme will be positioned to engage with institutions such as Homes England and the National Wealth Fund.

The Government has already committed to providing the South Yorkshire Mayor with access to "£85m new money to support jobs and development, including in the Don Valley Corridor and Sheffield Innovation spine."

The Government's recently announced £2.3bn City Investment Fund will bring together different types of finance, deployed flexibly to accelerate projects, expand city-centre housing and office markets, and support major regeneration schemes across the North. It is expected to be used in "developing projects in the Don Valley Corridor, Sheffield city centre Innovation Spine, and Rotherham Town Centre."

A Rotherham Council paper adds: "SYMCA are currently identifying potential funding partners and exploring potential co-investment models. This approach is intended to raise the profile of Don Valley Corridor onto a national stage to leverage both public and private funding, maximising the impact and reach of the regional investment through Gainshare funding."

Don Valley Corridor website

Images: RMBC / SYMCA

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News: South Yorkshire set to receive £1.3 billion

The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) has agreed a set of outcomes with Government to be delivered using £1.3 billion in devolved funding.

Called the integrated settlement, the funding backs a government strategy that provides local areas with a mandate "to act strategically to drive growth as well as support the shaping of public services, where strategic level coordination adds value."

The funding covers key themes such as economic development and regeneration, skills, transport and local infrastructure, and housing and strategic planning. It provides the combined authority with a much greater degree of certainty over medium term financial planning. SYMCA will also receive unprecedented powers of funding flexibility, which means that it will be able to move money between pillars as required to help achieve outcomes.

Developed alongside the new South Yorkshire Strategy and a Local Growth Plan, officials in the region have also developed an Integrated Settlement Outcomes Framework (ISOF) - a list of outcomes, indicators and targets that align with the wider ambitions set out in the strategy and growth plan.

The framework states: "SYMCA exists to deliver inclusive, sustainable growth that improves the lives of people across Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield. Our vision is to build a bigger and better economy, ensuring that all communities can share in our prosperity.

"Our ambitions are set out in the emerging South Yorkshire Strategy, which provides the overarching direction for our work. Everything we do is intended to help deliver its three ambitions:
1. Every resident can stay near and go far
2. South Yorkshire is the healthiest region in the country
3. Every community is connected and proud of its place."

With the £1.3 billion budgeted for the next four years, SYMCA has headline aims to support hundreds more businesses and create hundreds more jobs.

For example, the funding will be used on initiatives that help 400 businesses to increase productivity with 400 jobs created in local priority sectors. SYMCA interventions within the Investment Zone are also targeted to unlock further commercial floorspace.

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On transport, where SYMCA is leading on multimillion pound bus franchising plans, targets have been agreed for two million more bus passengers and one million more tram passengers per year, as well as increases in passenger satisfaction levels.

Increasing the number of government-subsidised EV charging devices and the number of miles on the region's active travel network are also included.

Adult skills is another key area for investment, with SYMCA backed schemes targeting more than 27,000 achievements at a level 1 qualification and 29,000 at level 2. The target for level 3 is 2,700 by March 2029.

Supporting people into employment will also continue to be funded. Here, 9,632 is the target for the number of starts on supported employment programmes.

For housing, where previous schemes have supported new housing on brownfield land, the target is 800 new homes starting on site over the next four years.

A SYMCA report explains: "The Integrated Settlement represents the most significant change in SYMCA’s funding environment since its inception in 2014, moving us away from a fragmented funding structure to a more consolidated and flexible one.

"The process of agreeing outcomes, indicators and targets required us to balance local and central government ambitions and ensure that the targets are achievable with the funds available through Integrated Settlement.

"The outcomes, indicators and targets agreed in the ISOF do not represent everything we care about in South Yorkshire. The activity represented in the ISOF reflects the funding streams included in Integrated Settlement. The South Yorkshire Strategy will provide the opportunity to represent the region’s broader ambitions."

SYMCA is set to be held to account through six-monthly programme boards with Government but there is provision for renegotiating targets, by exception, in the event that delivery against targets is not on track.

The integrated settlement brings together large funding pots, such as Transport for City Regions, Adult Skills Fund, National Housing Delivery Fund, Local Growth Fund, and Investment Zone funding.

SYMCA website

Images: SYMCA

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News: Rotherham Council to spend over a million pounds on upgrades to one town centre car park

Rotherham Council has confirmed the contract details for a multimillion pound capital project at a car park in Rotherham town centre.

Backed by a government grant, the scheme will see a solar canopy and electric vehicle (EV) charging station installed at Drummond Street Car Park.

The 240-space pay-and-display surface car park is well used by commuters and shoppers and is close to the new £40m markets and library development and the town's major taxi rank.

Rothbiz first reported in 2023 that Rotherham Council was looking to hook up with a private sector firm who could install and run the station.

A concessionary contract was devised that would enable the specialist company to build the instrastructure and operate the charging station for 15 years.

New documents from the council show that Wenea Services UK Ltd has been awarded the contract.

Wenea is an EV service provider based in Spain and works with a number of local authorities across the UK. So far, the Wenea roll out features a mix of fast and rapid charging solutions and the chargers are supported by the Wenea App, which has over 100,000 users across Europe and offers a fully-integrated charging experience to both B2B and B2C customers.

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Tender documents showed that the contract could be worth up to £6m. The fixed budget for the design & build of the Solar PV canopy is £1,050,000 excluding VAT and the private sector firm are expected to make a minimum contribution for EV infrastructure of £330,000 excluding VAT.

The contract holder would then run the concession with council figures estimating that revenue for the proposed 15 year period would be £4.158m excluding VAT.

Rotherham Council is utilising £1.2m of funding from the government's Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Grant scheme.

Since March 2022, £381m in LEVI funding has been issued to help local authorities to accelerate public EV infrastructure development, leverage significant private investment and deliver over 100,000 new public chargepoints.

A council decision on the scheme states: "The implementation of the Solar Canopy and EV Charging will enable reducing carbon emissions emitted and supporting a local transition to electric vehicles through the provision of destination and residential charging in the town centre."

Wenea website

Images: Wenea

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News: Public sector puts £100m towards depots and buses in South Yorkshire

Private sector operators that run South Yorkshire bus services described by the local mayor as being in a "spiral of decline," look set for a multimillion pound windfall as the public sector acquires depots and vehicles as part of bus franchising.

Last year South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard, took a once in a generation decision to bring buses back under public control in South Yorkshire in the biggest shake up of the bus network since the 1980s.

Under bus franchising, the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) will take control of the bus network including depots, bus fleets, routes, timetables, service standards, tickets and fares.

The authority announced this month that it had secured the purchase of five depots from private bus operators.

The depots at Olive Grove, Ecclesfield and Holbrook in Sheffield, Rawmarsh in Rotherham, Wakefield Road in Barnsley, along with the already publicly owned Leger Way depot in Doncaster, form the operational backbone of South Yorkshire’s bus network.

Under the agreement, First Bus and Stagecoach will lease the depots back from SYMCA.

No figures were included in the announcement but earlier this month the authority published that a delegated decision had been made: "to grant award of £100m towards Bus Franchising Works for acquisition of depots and purchase of vehicles."

SYMCA had previously appointed commercial property firm, Sanderson Weatherall, to value the depots.

The funding is set to come from government funding pots given to devolved areas such as the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement and Transport for City Regions.

With £1.5 billion confirmed for South Yorkshire in 2025, £350m will be set aside to reform South Yorkshire’s buses, with franchised buses begining in 2027 with Doncaster and most of Sheffield, followed by Barnsley and Rotherham in 2028 (pushed back from an original target of 2027), with the remaining areas of Sheffield completing the move to public control in 2029.

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South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard said: “This is a significant moment for South Yorkshire. Bringing every depot into public ownership well in advance of bus franchising means we’re putting real foundations in place for a network that is reliable, affordable and works for all of us. It’s exactly what taking back control of our public transport looks like. As we roll out the South Yorkshire People’s Network, we’re creating one clearer, simpler and more connected transport system, and these depots will be right at the heart of making that happen.”

Matt Kitchin, Managing Director of Stagecoach Yorkshire, which operates the Rawmnarsh depot in Rotherham, said: “We are very pleased to be working with Mayor Coppard to complete the transition of depots to public ownership, in a way that best avoids disruption for our loyal customers and colleagues across the region.

“As the operator of the largest zero-emission electric bus fleet in the UK, we are looking forward to contributing our extensive expertise in electrifying depots and introducing new electric fleets to the South Yorkshire bus network.

“Our experience has shown that our customers and colleagues hugely appreciate electric vehicles as they're quieter, smoother and more reliable, helping local people to get to work, access services, and to meet friends and family, and so we are excited to work in partnership to provide the best services for South Yorkshire.”

The mayor has previously described local bus services as a "failed experiment of the privatisation of our bus network that was started in the 1980s." The bus market in South Yorkshire has been experiencing a continuous cycle of decline while its reliance on public funding to sustain bus service levels has been increasing. Over the past decade, bus mileage declined by 42%.

Just last week, SYMCA released details that a "significant number" of commercial bus services have been registered for reduction or withdrawal by operators in May. A £1,278,100 funding package has been signed off to ensure all services indicated are retained for a period until July 25 2026. SYMCA said that the withdrawals and reductions would "have an impact on users and also creates a threat to the ability for SYMCA to transition to a franchised network based on the current level of service."

As part of the deal, the Rawmarsh depot formerly owned by Stagecoach will get a new office building to replace temporary structures. The other bus depot in Rotherham was in public sector ownership but SYMCA decided to sell it in 2022. The Midland Road depot has been demolished and the site is being transformed into a housing estate.

Images: Google Maps

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News: Magna tram train stop given opening date

South Yorkshire’s newest tram train station is scheduled to open at Magna in Rotherham next month.

The £10m station and Park & Ride at Templeborough will serve the route between Sheffield and Rotherham - improving access for residents, businesses and the Magna Science Adventure Centre, reducing congestion and pollution within the Lower Don Valley, and supporting wider regeneration in the area.

Now SYMCA has confirmed that the new stop will be open on April 9.

Oliver Coppard, the Mayor of South Yorkshire, said: "So here we are at the almost ready Magna tram-train station. I'm really pleased to say it'll be open to passengers to use from Thursday the 9th of April.

"This new station is all part of our plan to build a fully-integrated transport network across South Yorkshire—the South Yorkshire People's Network.

"We can't wait to welcome you onto the platform when the first tram-train services start picking up passengers here next month."

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AmcoGiffen is the principal contractor of the station, which features fully accessible platforms, step-free access via lifts, and a pedestrian overbridge connecting both sides of the tracks.

Cllr Chris Read, Leader of Rotherham Council, said: “It’s great that the new Tram Train stop is now in sight. Rotherham residents and people across the region will benefit from better, greener transport, improving access to jobs in the Templeborough area and beyond.

“And of course it fits into the bigger plan for the Don Valley Corridor between Rotherham and Sheffield; more jobs, more investment, and a transport system that supports it all. The proposed Templeborough Business Zone, which will be within a short walk of this stop, will be an early beneficiary.

Magna is also two short stops from Rotherham’s proposed Gateway station, which will connect businesses and residents in the Templeborough area to mainline rail services in the next few years. It’s a welcome boost, and we’re glad to have worked with partners to get it over the line."

The project is being delivered by SYMCA in partnership with Network Rail and Supertram, with £8.1m in funding from the UK Government’s Transforming Cities Fund.

When South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) signed a funding agreement for the project, it forecasted a completion and entry into service of Autumn/Winter 2024.

Rothbiz reported last year that legal issues and delays associated with obtaining the necessary railway consents had pushed the completion date to November 2025. This was then pushed back to "early 2026."

The £100m+ tram train project launched in 2018 with innovative vehicles running on both rail and tram networks, using the freight route from Rotherham and then joining the Sheffield Supertram network at Meadowhall South. The service runs between Parkgate and Sheffield Cathedral.

A further tram train stop is in the proposals for the new Rotherham Gateway Station.

Supertram website

Images: Sheffield City Council

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News: Rotherham in line for massive jobs boost as part of Don Valley Corridor regeneration scheme

Key areas in Rotherham and Sheffield are at the heart of a flagship place-based regeneration programme for South Yorkshire that will enable over 18,000 jobs and 10,500 new homes through coordinated development.

The Don Valley Corridor will create a unified corridor for innovation, industry and neighbourhood renewal stretching from Sheffield city centre to the site of the proposed Rotherham Gateway Station.

It brings together the UK’s largest concentration of industrial research and production capability outside the South East, anchored by The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), Translational Energy Research Centre, Olympic Legacy Park and major firms including Rolls-Royce, Boeing, McLaren and ITM Power.

Proponents say that: "By unlocking brownfield sites and investing in transport, energy and flood resilience infrastructure, the Don Valley Corridor will drive inclusive, sustainable, long-term regional growth."

The corridor between Sheffield and Rotherham has always been recognised as operating as one economy but the new programme will place the Don Valley as one of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority's (SYMCA's) regional growth areas for investment.

That priority is set to be increased with the proposed designation of the region's first Mayoral Development Zone (MDZ) for the Don Valley Corridor.

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A SYMCA paper explains: "Under these arrangements the MCA will use its existing statutory powers, in particular, its strategic economic development powers and regeneration powers, its own resources and relationships with government, infrastructure providers and the private sector, as part of an integrated place-based programme. This will provide confidence both to the market, government and the wider public sector.

"Mayoral Development Zone is a designation signalling to Government, investors, and partners that an area is a strategic priority for coordinated long-term regeneration. It maintains strategic focus and partnership commitment, strengthens Government engagement, signals readiness to explore enhanced delivery powers if required, and preserves optionality on future statutory mechanisms. This designation responds to specific challenges within the Don Valley Corridor by bringing spatial coherence across a large and complex geography."

Partners have discounted the creation of a Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC), which would have planning authority powers to acquire land, cut red tape, and accelerate high-quality housing and business. The report warns that a MDC would need a costly and rigid structure, potentially slowing progress.

Instead, a MDZ and the programme "adds strategic capacity, investment readiness and cross-boundary alignment so that separate initiatives can be sequenced and leveraged for greater impact."

Bringing together SYMCA with Rotherham Council and Sheffield Council "creates a single front door for Government, agencies and private markets" with governance and the authority's assurance framework in place. The paper adds that "there is shared commitment between SYMCA, RMBC and SCC to resource the programme collectively as a shared endeavour, including programme development capacity."

External funding is set to come from gainshare and other devolved funding pots, including funds that support renewal, housing and infrastructure. Nationally, the programme will be positioned to engage with institutions such as Homes England and the National Wealth Fund.

The Government has this week committed to providing the South Yorkshire Mayor with access to "£85m new money to support jobs and development, including in the Don Valley Corridor and Sheffield Innovation spine."

The Government's recently announced £2.3bn City Investment Fund will bring together different types of finance, deployed flexibly to accelerate projects, expand city-centre housing and office markets, and support major regeneration schemes across the North. It is expected to be used in "developing projects in the Don Valley Corridor, Sheffield city centre Innovation Spine, and Rotherham Town Centre."

Oliver Coppard, Mayor of South Yorkshire said: "We’re building a bigger and better economy across all of South Yorkshire, creating the opportunities that allow people to stay near and go far.

"For too long, South Yorkshire and the wider North have been failed, not only a by a lack of investment in our people, our businesses, our ideas and our infrastructure, but by a lack of ambition itself.

"But slowly, surely we’re beginning to see the South Yorkshire of the future taking shape - with world leading companies in industries of the future investing here, real income growth, and huge plans for the future, we’re starting to see the full potential of every part of Barnsley, Rotherham, Doncaster and Sheffield.

"The UK cannot realise its own economic renewal without places like South Yorkshire playing our full part, but together with this Government we are now making that happen."

Don Valley Corridor aligns with the South Yorkshire Investment Zone which includes Rotherham sites such as the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) at Waverley, parts of Brinsworth and Canklow, the remaining regeneration sites at Templeborough, the Meadowbank Road area along with Holmes and Masbrough, the whole of Rotherham town centre, the Greasbrough Road area, Eastwood, Barbot Hall Industrial Estate, areas of Parkgate (but not the existing retail parks or adjacent land), and land at Aldwarke (but not the existing steel works).

The Mayoral Combined Authority Board is set to discuss the Don Valley Corridor next week.

SYMCA website

Images: Harworth Group / SYMCA

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