News: Council confirms support for Rotherham's high street businesses

A new team of advisers will be deployed on Rotherham’s high streets in a bid to give local businesses more hands on support and help town centres thrive.

Rotherham Council’s Cabinet is set to approve the recruitment of three new High Street Business Advisers, who will work directly with traders in Rotherham town centre and the borough’s principal town centres – Wath, Swinton, Dinnington and Maltby.

As reported by Rothbiz, the investment was agreed as part of the council budget in March and forms part of a wider push to strengthen Rotherham’s high streets. A £304,000 figure was included in the council's budget for Supporting the High Street.

Each of the five locations will also benefit from a £25,000 activity fund, designed to back local promotions, events and campaigns to bring more people through the doors of independent shops and services.

Under the plans, the advisers will act as a familiar face for traders, working with them on a range of issues from street safety and cleanliness to promotion, footfall and access to grants.

Rather than focusing on a single issue, the advisers will have oversight of what is happening in each area, coordinating activity around events, crime prevention and wider business support.

The advisers will also play a key role in delivering the popular Shopfront Grants scheme, which has secured a further year of funding for 2026/27 through the Local Growth Fund, worth around £600,000. The oversubscribed scheme has already helped businesses improve the appearance of their premises.

In addition, the team will work with ward councillors, residents and traders to decide how the £25,000 activity budgets in each area are spent, ensuring local priorities shape the projects on the ground. This could include marketing campaigns, seasonal events or joint promotions aimed at increasing footfall.

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A council paper explains that various indicators will be used to measure the impact and success of the activities, and will include the number of businesses supported, the amount of vacant building floorspace brought back into use, and the take up of business support and grants by Rotherham businesses.



Recruitment to the new adviser posts is expected to begin shortly, with the team due to be in place to start work with traders later this year.

Cllr John Williams, Cabinet Member for Transport, Jobs and the Local Economy, said: “Our high streets are the heart of our communities, and this new team of High Street Business Advisers is about giving traders the direct, practical support they’ve told us they need.

“The advisers will be a visible, familiar presence, helping businesses tackle everyday issues, make the most of funding opportunities and work together to attract more people into our town and township centres. Alongside the £25,000 activity fund in each location, this investment will help strengthen Rotherham’s high streets, part of our wider commitment to ensuring our places are thriving, safe and clean.”

RiDO website

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News: New 100-seat studio space for Rotherham town centre

Rotherham's civic theatre has been successful in securing funds from a £130m government pot that aims to protect cultural venues, museums, and libraries for present and future generations.

Visit Rotherham reports that Rotherham Council says that it will use the funding to make the theatre a more welcoming space for audiences and performers.

The creation of a studio space is also on the cards.

The theatre accommodates a range of touring and local musical, comedy and theatrical performances. The building on Catherine Street in the town centre is a converted church and was purchased by the Council prior to being converted into a theatre in 1960.

£540,000 was allocated by the authority in 2012 to carry out much-needed repairs and refurbishment of both the interior and exterior of the building. The works were expected to bring the theatre up to a condition which would give a further ten years life. Further government funding was secured during the COVID lockdown when the theatre was closed and the decision was taken to carry out a refurbishment of the front of house and bar areas at the Civic.

A list of 130 organisations has recently been announced marking the first projects receiving cash from the government’s Arts Everywhere Fund.

Earlier this year, the Culture Secretary committed up to £1.5 billion to the cultural sector over this parliament, with the Arts Everywhere Fund aiming to save more than 1,000 cherished arts venues, museums, libraries and heritage buildings across England.

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Through the Creative Foundations Fund (CFF), Rotherham Civic Theatre has been awarded £200,000.

An update from operators, Rotherham Council explained: "We are thrilled to have been awarded funding from the government’s Arts Everywhere Fund along with 15 other cultural venues, museums, and libraries across Yorkshire and the Humber.

"The funding, will help to provide welcoming, affordable spaces for communities to visit, come together and celebrate what makes their local area special. We are set to receive £200,000 to help us make Rotherham Civic Theatre a more welcoming space for our audiences, and performers. It will enable us to create a studio space and provide better accessibility for everybody.

"We have been part of the cultural activity in Rotherham for over 65 years, and we hope this funding will enable us to continue providing performances in a welcoming space that all generations can enjoy."

At the start of 2026, Rotherham Theatres began recruitment for and Performing Arts Programme Manager and made mention of an "exciting new 100-seat studio space launching in Autumn 2026."

The previous Rotherham Arts Centre Studio Theatre closed in 2011 as the authority relocated the library to Riverside House in order to sell its land to developers who brought forward the large Tesco store on Drummond Street. A new library is being built within the new markets development nearby after the number of visitors reduced following the Riverside move.

Arts Council England Chair Sir Nicholas Serota said: "Arts organisations, museums and libraries are the beating heart of our communities.

"After significant financial pressures in recent years, this vital investment will help organisations to secure futures where they thrive and not just survive.

"We look forward to seeing these cultural spaces flourish as they continue to provide access to excellent art and culture for everyone, everywhere, for many years to come."

Rothbiz revealed in 2023 that a new theatre was included in Rotherham's place-based investment strategy, and was given an investment figure of c.£28m.

Rotherham Civic Theatre website

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News: Rotherham markets revamp goes over budget again - reaches £46m

With the first phase due to open in a matter of months, the cost of completing a long-awaited revamp of the markets in Rotherham town centre has risen again and is now at £46.84m, more than double original estimates.

An increase in demolition costs, inflationary increases linked to delays with extended periods of clarifications and amendments, and "an overestimation of project readiness" when the contract was awarded are being highlighted in a series of challenges in the delivery of the project.

The council's chief executive is commissioning an investigation into the project, which, for town centre schemes, is second only to the £47m Forge Island development in terms of total investment.

The redevelopment of the Drummond Street site also includes a modern central library, a new community hub, improved public spaces, and links to the town centre and college. The renovations will build upon the existing mix of shops and services with the addition of a new food hub and dining area on the first floor. Flexible space is also being created which can be used for exhibitions and events when required.

Henry Boot began works at the end of 2023 and have since made progress on the construction which has a total contract price of £36m.

Second only to the £47m Forge Island development in terms of town centre investment, the revamp was originally scheduled to finish in December 2025 but this was pushed back to 2027. When government funding was originally confirmed, the estimated cost of the project was £22m.

Having secured a further £6.5m from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) last year, Rotherham Council's cabinet is being asked to approve an allocation from various council funding pots to fill a funding gap following an increase in the total budget from £40.894m to £46.844m.

£200,000 is set to come from the Local Regeneration Fund (LRF) surplus, £1.66m from the council's Town Centre Investment Fund and £4m from the authority's Capital Contingency Fund.

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A cabinet paper states: "Over the course of the project’s development, a number of challenges have arisen which has rendered the achievement of this scope undeliverable for the current agreed budget. Further, the delivery of the Outdoor Covered Market and Library has continued, in line with the agreed contract, resulting in insufficient budget to complete the project to the agreed scope.

"The Chief Executive of the Council will commission an investigation into how these challenges have arisen and what lessons can be learnt."

On delivery, the council admits that it tendered and entered into a contract before key assumptions had been confirmed, "resulting in an overestimation of project readiness. At contract award, the design and specification were insufficiently developed to be construction-ready, with undue reliance on value engineering assumptions and provisional sums. Contingency was underestimated, and an excessive level of risk was transferred to the Council."

A lack of detail on the council's specifications required further definition following the award of the tender, with the paper stating that: "This was in part due to a lack of stakeholder engagement early in the scheme." Extended periods of clarifications and amendments to layouts and servicing caused delays and increased contractor costs.

Outstanding design work required the appointment of additional design expertise, leading to significant delays and rising costs. "The volume of design work, clarification and consolidation between numerous design teams led to further delay and cost," the paper added.

When the design was completed, value engineering opportunities were anticipated to bring down costs but these assumptions did not happen.

The project also included unconfirmed budgets against which actual costs would be attributed as the project progressed. The risk of any cost increase in these provisional sums was accepted by the Council and contingency was insufficient.

Costs were also increased by Health & Safety and Compliance, as the council was unable to carry out invasive surveys before the contract was awarded. A "significant presence of RAAC and of asbestos" in the building, which opened in 1971, was previously blamed for cost rises.

The paper also sets out that, on governance and resourcing: "Fundamental aspects were lacking at crucial stages of the project, which led to uncertainty in decision-making and meant the scheme was not prioritised for oversight, management and resource in a way that properly reflects its multi-faceted nature and scale."

Also included in the report is the latest contractor programme which indicates the completion of various parts of the scheme:

• New Market Hall: June 2026
• Library: Autumn 2026
• Public Realm: Spring 2027
• Market Gardens: June 2026
• Library: December 2026
• Market Square: Spring 2027
• Indoor Market: Autumn 2027

Images of how the new Rotherham markets might look inside when complete, were published last year.

Images: Henry Boot Construction / LinkedIn

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News: Keepmoat submits plans for Rotherham housing development

A planning application has been submitted to build houses on another green field site in Rotherham.

Rothbiz reported last year that Keepmoat Homes was targeting a site known as Aston Common that was allocated for residential use in the council's local plan, adopted in 2018 and taking it out of the green belt.

The Mansfield Road site is located within Swallownest which is designated as a Principal Settlement in the Rotherham Settlement Hierarchy contained within the local plan, which indicated that the 6.5 hectare site could be used for 175 houses.

The full application is for the erection of 189 dwellings, public open space, sustainable drainage solutions, pumping station and associated infrastructure.

Due to the sloping topography of the site, the design proposals have therefore been completed alongside specialist engineers to ensure that the development can be achieved successfully using a series of retaining walls.

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A variety of property types are established within the scheme in terms of form and size with a mix of 1 (10), 2 (65), 3 (69) and 4 (45) bedroom properties. Detached, semi detached and terraced forms are proposed as well as quarter houses.

Rotherham Council's policy for schemes of this size is for 25% of the houses to be classed as affordable. Keepmoat has raised concerns over viability and has not included an Affordable Housing Statement with the application.

All vehicle access will be taken from Mansfield Road.

Consultants for Keepmoat, JRP, state in the application: "This statement has identified a range of important benefits associated with the proposals. Chief among these, is the delivery of new homes. Very significant weight should be afforded to the delivery of new market and affordable housing.

"The proposed development brings significant social, economic and environmental benefits and very much falls within the definition of sustainable development, on which the NPPF [national planning policies] encourages planning authorities to take a positive approach. It has been demonstrated that the scheme will not result in any significant adverse impacts and there are no policies within the NPPF which indicates that the development should be restricted."

Earlier this year the planning board at Rotherham Council voted to approve plans for an application for over 100 houses also on Mansfield Road from developer, Gleeson.

Keepmoat website

Images: Keepmoat / JRP

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News: New developers take on large Rotherham housing scheme

A controversial 450 house development in Rotherham could be moving ahead again, nearly two years after previous developers walked away.

Rothbiz reported in 2024 on a detailed planning application submitted by Avant and the landowner for arable fields that sit between existing housing and Sitwell golf course near to Whiston.

Landowners had worked together to submit an application having previously secured a residential allocation for the nearly 50 acre greenbelt site off Lathe Road / Worry Goose Lane through the development of the borough's Local Plan.

Applicants, AE Waddington, R Parkes & V Foers, worked with JVH Town Planning and agents, WYG, to secure outline planning approval despite over 300 letters of representation being received when it went before the planning board at Rotherham Council.

The 2023 reserved matters planning application from Avant Homes Central for the site remains undetermined but Whiston Residents Action Group (WRAG) and the local MP, Jake Richards found out in 2024 that Avant Homes no longer held an interest in the land.

Now Miller Homes Ltd has engaged with the local planning authority regarding the phasing of the development and the Section 106 legal agreement. Further planning updates are expected to reflect the incoming housebuilders’ product ranges.

Contact has been made with local councilllors and the MP about the updated scheme.

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An update states that since the reserved matters application was submitted "two well-established and highly regarded regional housebuilders have come together to collaboratively deliver the development. This partnership will support the efficient delivery of much-needed, high-quality new homes across a range of house types, alongside a shared commitment to creating a sustainable and well-designed new community."

WRAG states that the housebuilders involved are Miller Homes and St. Modwen Homes.

Miller Homes reported record results for the year ending December 2025, with a 34% increase in turnover to £1.4 billion, driven by the acquisition of St Modwen Homes. The acquisition was part of Miller Homes’ growth strategy, helping it meet its medium-term ambition of reaching 6,000 homes a year. It continues to operate the business under the St. Modwen Homes brand. Miller currently has a strong land pipeline with 91 sites and 16,329 plots in its consented landbank.

The reserved matters application detailed where the houses would go, the types of houses, and the location of things like attenuation basins and play areas.

With outline approval, the scheme comes with a number of conditions, such as contributing to £225,000 for transport improvements plus a financial contribution to the proposed works at Worrygoose roundabout, £100k per annum for a period of three years for bus services, and 25% on site affordable housing provision.

Miller Homes website
St. Modwen Homes website

Images: Miller Homes / Google Maps

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News: Firm applies for environmental permit at Rotherham site following complaints

The Environment Agency is due to decide whether to grant a permit regarding glass recycling at a site in Rotherham.

The process takes place after operators where served with a statutory abatement order following complaints from nearby residents.

Universal Glass Ltd operates from Rotherham Road in Dinnington. The permit application for non-hazardous waste recycling states that the site includes nine buildings, only two of which would be used for the storage and processing of waste. The others are used as an office, site maintenance and weighbridge etc.

Aplicants say that the throughput of the site is proposed to be less than 75,000 tonnes a year, targeting "wastes consisting predominantly of glass, with smaller fractions of packaging materials."

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Delivered by HGVs, waste would be crushed and screened outside with a second screening inside. Once treated, the materials will be considered a specified, saleable product, and would no longer constitute a waste. Different products would be separately stockpiled and bagged before being loaded to HGVs for onward delivery.

Permitted work would be carried out 8:00 to 17:00 Monday to Friday and 8:00 to 16:00 on Saturdays.

Consultants for Universal Glass, MPG say that: "All activities will be conducted in accordance with Environment Agency Guidance.

"There are no emissions arising from the proposed activities. However, the storage, handling and treatment of waste hasthe potential to generate dust and noise emissions" adding that with high concrete block walls, no adverse impact is predicted. Installing hoods on feed hoppers, misting systems or water sprays could also minimise dust.

Responding to the consultation for the permit, Jake Richards, MP for the area, is raising the concerns of constituents. The Rother Valley MP said: "Over the past 14 months, residents living near the site have repeatedly contacted me as their local Member of Parliament to raise concerns about a persistent and often very strong odour affecting the surrounding area.

"It has also been reported to me that Environmental Health officers have attended the area and have experienced the odour themselves. In addition, residents have submitted more than 100 impact statements describing the severity of the issue and the effect it has had on their daily lives. The volume of reports clearly demonstrates the level of concern within the community.

"There remains a lack of confidence locally that the issues will be adequately addressed without further scrutiny."

Respondents also raise issues regarding dust and glass particles from the operations, with some reporting breathing difficulties.

Rotherham councillors have previously discussed motions of no confidence in the Environment Agency on issues such as flooding in Catcliffe and Treeton and Droppingwell Tip in Kimberworth.

Images: Google Maps

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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

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News: Rotherham sorting office still standing nine years post-masterplan

There are no signs that a key regeneration site in Rotherham town centre will be redeveloped anytime soon, nine years after the council's own masterplan said it was a high priority that the authority should help Royal Mail to relocate.

Details of a land swap between Rotherham Council and Royal Mail show that the postal service will continue to use the site on Main Street and Westgate and are carrying out new infrastructure works.

Progress has been made on the Riverside Residential Quarter, with the council leading on housing schemes on land it owns, as well as carriyng out further land acquisitions and enabling works to open up areas for redevelopment.

However, the large plot currently home to the Royal Mail sorting office remains out of reach despite being ripe for redevelopment and earmarked for a mix of uses, predominately housing, a decade ago.

On the site of the former Westgate station, the sorting office and wider area has a long planning history with previous owners, Satnam Urban Regeneration putting forward plans for a food store to rival those being put forward for Tesco. A long running legal battle with the council came to an end in 2009.

Rotherham Council went on to buy significant landholdings from Satnam in 2023.

The town centre masterplan of 2017 stated that after the redevelopment of the former Sheffield Road baths site, "the Council shall work positively to facilitate the relocation of the Royal Mail Depot elsewhere in the Borough to deliver up the second phase of the waterside project.

"The relocation of the Royal Mail Depot is a high priority. This site, with the former baths site, will prove the market and enable future phased deliver of land along the riverside to be secured.

"The present [sorting office] building is underutilised and large parts of the building are not used. The hard standing parking area is though wellused. The Council will take a pro-active approach by assisting in the site search for replacement facilities for this Royal Mail depot function and are aware of Royal Mail’s requirement. This site will then be redeveloped to deliver the second phase of the Residential Riverside. The future use and value of the site should be explored through a development capacity study alongside any site search, building on the masterplan."

Any relocation would need to be on a commercial basis and the delivery programme in the masterplan had construction starting on new developments on the sorting office in 2020.

With little sign of a relocation, the council and Royal Mail has now agreed on a land swap for two parcels of land around the site. The authority is acquiring a strip of land between the sorting office and the river so that enabling works can be completed. In exchange, Royal Mail will acquire a piece of land to the south, behind the former MOT centre and the remains of the Alma Tavern.

A council report reads: "The agreed swap will enable continuation of works to the river wall and the creation of public access along the river and into the town centre. It will also allow the Royal Mail to accept delivery of a fleet of electric vehicles once infrastructure works are completed within their new yard layout.

"The exchange of land parcels allows the River Walk to be developed as planned and Royal Mail to continue to operate from the Main Street site whilst meeting the same operational requirements as prior to the exchange of land."

Having secured £6.59m from the Government's Pathfinder grant to deliver infrastructure improvements in preparation for future residential redevelopment within the town centre, a £4.4m scheme delivered by Esh Construction on behalf of Rotherham Council completed last year. It included the construction of a new access road and a riverside footpath linking Water Lane to the town centre, alongside extensive landscaping and infrastructure upgrades.

Images: Esh / Google Maps

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News: Rotherham Council set to acquire more town centre properties

Rotherham Council is set to acquire further property in the town centre - in the area designated for the new Leisure and Cultural Quarter.

With the council leading on the £47m development of Forge Island as a vital catalyst project for the town centre, the authority has been snapping up properties in the Corporation Street area.

The Rotherham Town Investment Plan of 2021 picked out "a cluster of underused buildings which will provide leisure and residential uses on a smaller scale catering for independent providers and contributing to a 24-hour presence in the town centre."

Acquisitions include the Riverside Precinct, the former Mecca Bingo building, the building vacated by Wilko, and the burnt-out buildings on the opposite side of Corporation Street. All but the grade II listed Mecca building have been demolished.

Now, with work underway on the new Riverside Gardens and street scene improvements, the council has published a decision approving the acquisition of property interests at Corporation Street.

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The properties have not been named but minutes from Rotherham's Town Deal board from 2025 show that the council had an offer accepted on the Ring Shop and make reference to 22 Corporation Street.

Rothbiz reported in 2023 that The Ring Shop on Corporation Street, also known as Smith Brothers, was closing after 127 years at the centre of Rotherham.

The council's negotiations to acquire The Ring Shop property at 26 - 28 Corporation Street were slowed by it going through probate due to the sad death of the owner, Anthony Swann in 2022.

Vacant buildings on Corporation Street have long been a target for investment after Rotherham was named on the list of successful "town deals" which saw £31.6m from the Government used to revamp areas of Rotherham town centre as well as Templeborough and Eastwood.

The vacant bank buildings stick out whilst the improvements go on around them. Rotherham Council acquired Lloyds at 32-34 Corporation Street back in 2006 under previous regeneration plans and in the case of the former NatWest Bank next door, private sector owners have not brought forward a suitable scheme and turned down a bid from the council to buy the building.

The Council had hoped the private sector owner would lead on the scheme and was prepared to sell the former Lloyds bank for just £1 in 2022.

A council report states: "The preferred option is to acquire all properties by agreement.

"Consideration has been given to entering into partnership arrangements with landowners rather than taking full control of the land. In progressing negotiations this approach will be considered on a project-by-project basis, however in many cases, and as understood through early consultation, landowners do not always wish to bring forward schemes fitting with masterplan ambitions, or development is not in the core business of the landowners.

"Do nothing is not a recommended option, considering the Council’s ambitious plans for economic growth and regeneration in the Borough.

"Acquisition of each property could be brought forward on an individual basis, however, considering the quantity of land and property for acquisition and the timeframe it is considered that seeking approvals on a site-by-site basis would introduce a significant risk to the programme, in terms of readiness for timely acquisitions and delivery of the programme."

The cost of acquiring the properties has not been disclosed.

Images: Google Maps / RMBC

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News: Forging ahead: a million more visits in Rotherham town centre

Rotherham town centre has attracted a million more visits since 2024, according to the leader of the council.

Following the opening of Forge Island in summer 2024, Muse reported that footfall across Rotherham town centre during 2024 was 10% higher than the previous year.

Forge Island is the town centre's new landmark leisure destination delivered by Rotherham Council in partnership with Muse. The £47m development includes an 8-screen boutique cinema operated by The Arc Cinema, a 69-roomed Travelodge Hotel as well as food outlets, Heavenly Desserts, Sygnature Dish and Vetro Lounge.

2024 also included the massive homecoming gig for The Reytons which drew a crowd of approximately 20,000 fans to Clifton Park on the edge of the town centre.

With an apparent continued increase in footfall, the council leader has also pointed to the impact of local authority initiatives.

Rothbiz reported last month that free parking in council-run car parks in Rotherham town centre would continue aiming to "support local businesses, boost footfall, and encourage residents to shop locally."

The council's budget also includes over £500,000 to continue to put on a range of events where audiences for town centre events have increased by 13% year-on-year from 2021 to 2025.

In addition, December saw the launch of a dedicated council team designed to make Rotherham’s high streets safer and more welcoming. The £570,000 investment provides extra eyes and ears on the ground, tackling anti-social behaviour and supporting residents, businesses and visitors on the town centre and other towns in the borough.

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Speaking at a recent meeting of the full council, Cllr. Chris Read, leader of Rotherham Council, said: "None of these things are separate elements. If you look at the town centre, what people perhaps don't realise, is that over the last two years, footfall in the town centre is up by a million visits - a million more visits over the course of those years.

"That's in part of course because of the regeneration activity that has taken place. That's in part because of the council events. That's in part because we have put the resources in place in to the Street Safe team to make it a better and safer environment."

Revitalising the town centre is a central part of the council's 2025 - 2030 plan, called "Forging Ahead." Long term measures of success include an increase in footfall in the town centre, a decrease in the percentage of vacant units in the town centre and an increase in the proportion of people optimistic about the future of Rotherham town centre.

Although the progress of the plan is monitored, and updates provided to councillors, the data behind these measures has yet to be published.

When data was made public, it showed that yearly footfall figures for Rotherham town centre have been in decline since 2012. From just over 26 million in that year, reducing by ten million to 16 million in 2019, even before the pandemic.

The way footfall is measured varies. Commercial property agents at nearby Parkgate Shopping promote that the popular retail destination attracts eight million visitors per year. Agents for Meadowhall say that the Sheffield shopping centre has 24 million visitors a year.

The authority's efforts to boost footfall are set to continue with new budgets including £304,000 to introduce three new Business Support Officers "to engage with businesses in the town centre areas, helping them to flourish" and a further £666,655 for the Shop Unit Business Grant Project that has been oversubscribed. £60,000 has been allocated for Rotherham Town Centre Markets, which is currently undergoing a revamp as part of a £40m regeneration scheme.

Another regeneration initiative designed to boost footfall is Rotherham Council's role in bringing more housing into the town centre.

Private sector developers and investors have also progressed housing plans with the conversion of a number of buildings. Privately funded regeneration schemes have also taken place in the lesiure sector - another key target for generating footfall. The opening of the Empire Theatre following a £1.8m restoration scheme being a prime example.

Images: RMBC / Muse

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News: Rotherham Council hails "visible difference" made by Street Safe team

Over 1,620 hours of high-profile patrols in Rotherham town centre are part of Rotherham Council's investment aimed at reducing both actual, and perceived crime and Anti-social Behaviour (ASB), and increasing feelings of safety.

Recruited thanks to a £570,000 investment in last year’s budget - the Street Safe Team has been patrolling Rotherham’s town centres daily, providing reassurance to residents, tackling antisocial behaviour, and supporting partner organisations.

The team aims to improve feelings of safety and security in the town centres of Rotherham, Wath, Swinton, Dinnington and Maltby. The team provide a visible, uniformed Council presence, with a particular focus on hot spot areas.

The team has provided dedicated resources utilising their ability to deploy various powers to bolster enforcement and alongside existing uniformed presence, provide a welcoming and reassuring presence in the town centres. By being a highly visible presence, the team has acted as the "eyes and ears" of the Council and are identifying and reporting issues where they are unable to intervene directly.

With Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) in place, the council say that the Street Safe Team has increased its capacity for both preventative and responsive interventions such as building and coordinating local intelligence, dealing with street drinking, anti-social behaviour, as well as enforcement for issues such as littering and wider environmental issues (commercial waste etc). The team will be undertaking parking enforcement once training is complete.

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A report to the council's cabinet sets out that, since going live in November 2025, the team has delivered:

· 1,620 hours of high-profile patrols in Rotherham town centre · 112 hours of patrols across other town centres · 12 Community Protection Warnings · 9 Fixed Penalty Notices relating to PSPO breaches · 17 environmental waste cases raised · 17 intelligence reports, leading directly to arrests in four cases

The team has also provided vital support to vulnerable people, with six referrals for vulnerable adults and four emergency first-aid interventions, including one that uncovered a domestic violence incident.

The authority has also invested in created a Roadside Cleansing team, working with other teams to form a coordinated effort to improve the look, feel and safety of Rotherham’s public spaces.

Cllr. Lynda Marshall, Cabinet Member for Street Scene and Green Spaces, said: “Residents have told us that clean streets and safe neighbourhoods are their top priorities, and these teams are delivering exactly that. You can already see and feel the difference their work is making across our communities.

Cllr. Saghir Alam, Cabinet Member for Finance and Community Safety, added: “This isn’t something the Council is doing alone – it’s all of us together looking after our neighbourhoods, reporting issues, supporting one another and taking pride in where we live.

“With continued investment and the dedication of these new teams, we’re building on this positive progress and creating the cleaner, safer Rotherham that residents expect and deserve.”

A refreshed communications and perception-management plan has been developed focusing on "rebalancing the narrative" around town centre safety, promoting positive developments and encouraging public reporting and the use of support services.

Images: RMBC

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News: Private sector developer brought in for next phase of Rotherham town centre housing

Rotherham Council is appointing a private sector developer for the next phase of large scale house-building in the town centre.

The Rotherham town centre masterplan of 2017 confirmed the need for more housing and leisure uses as a way to develop economic vitality, bringing more life, activity and spending back into the town centre and moving away from the traditional retail market. It also highlighted the need for derelict and long-term vacant sites to be brought into public ownership.

The aim is "to bring forward new development, diversify the town centre offer and establish a new residential community" with the latest plans leading "to the development of a pipeline of detailed and deliverable schemes which align with market demand and secure the Council’s ambitions for high quality, legacy developments."

Having acquired a number of strategic sites, the authority has been assessing ways to progress the regeneration projects.

When the Council acquired the warehouse and yard on Sheffield Road that is currently home to SIG Roofing Rotherham, Rothbiz reported on efforts to complete the development of plans to RIBA Stage 1 (the preparation and brief stage) for the next phase of major housing in the town centre.

Now a decision has been made to appoint a preferred developer using a closed tender process.

The company securing the contract has not yet been named, neither have the key sites, the quantum of development or total value, but the tender for feasibility works is valued at £397,442.

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A council update reads: "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.

"The Council has made significant progress in acquiring, demolishing and preparing a portfolio of stalled, underused and derelict brownfield sites for redevelopment. The intention is to create new communities that increase activity in the town centre and support its long term sustainability through additional housing, improved public realm, enhanced leisure opportunities and new commercial space delivered through public and private investment.

"To achieve the Council’s aims and establish clear viability and deliverability from the outset, an experienced private sector developer is required to prepare Strategic Regeneration Plans for each core site, with potential to progress into delivery subject to defined gateways.

"The Council has completed a compliant closed tender process following approval under the Sub Scheme of Delegation to allocate the required funding. The tender evaluation has identified the preferred contractor, and awarding the contract is now necessary to enable the works to proceed."

Rothbiz reported in 2024 on the potential sites and funding for redevelopment. Council-owned sites include the cleared site of burnt out buildings on Corporation Street, sites on Sheffield Road for Riverside Residential Quarter Phase 2, the site of the former magistrates court at The Statutes and the site of the former Primark on High Street.

Last week the Government announced a £2.3bn City Investment Fund that 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. Documents show that it is expected to be used in "developing projects in the Don Valley Corridor, Sheffield city centre Innovation Spine, and Rotherham Town Centre."

The Council's most recent major housing development was the £30m+ "Trilogy Collection" - Westgate Riverside, Wellgate Place and Millfold Rise - that has seen 171 new homes built in partnership with Willmott Dixon. However, a previous tender exercise for the £6m scheme on Corporation Street received no interest, likely due to the smaller size of the scheme.

Images: RMBC / AHR

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News: Board approves housing plans for safeguarded Rotherham greenbelt site

Rotherham Council has approved plans for 228 new houses on farming land.

It is one of the first instances of "safeguarded land" being approved for development rather than land specifically allocated for residential use in the borough's local plan.

A number of applications have been submitted for safeguarded land across the borough. The 2018 local plan set out that they may be needed in the future and taken out of the greenbelt after the end of the plan period in 2028.

Planning consultants are hoping to convince the local planning authority that the land should be used now to address the borough's housing needs. The council agrees in policy terms, admitting that it is no longer able to demonstrate a Five-Year Land Supply given the changes at a national level that have increased housing targets. The target for new house building per annum in Rotherham has increased from circa 560 dpa (Dwellings Per Annum) to 1,111 dpa.

This means that the council will need to support windfall planning applications on land allocated or designated for other uses within urban areas.

The most recently approved plans are for 12.12 hectares of land currently in agricultural use located to the north of Rawmarsh, off Priestley Avenue.

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Led by Taylor Wimpey, 228 houses are sought to be delivered in conjunction with Vico Homes (previously Wakefield District Housing), a Registered Provider. The development proposes a range of dwelling types and sizes, from two to two and a half storey scale in height and a mix of 2 bed (25%) 3 bed (70%) and 4 bed (5%) properties.

The main access to the proposed development will be via an extension of the existing stub off Priestley Avenue between properties 71 and 73.

44 representations were received, raising concerns regarding the use of the land, access and local infrastructure.

The plans were approved unanimously by the planning board at Rotherham Council and come with a number of conditions.

A Section 106 agreement (a mechanism which makes a development proposal acceptable in planning terms, that would not otherwise be acceptable) includes financial contributions for things like Primary School places, greenspaces, bus stops and traffic measures. For example work between the developer and council will address the junction of the A633 and Haugh Road.

The whole scheme is scheduled to be developed in conjunction with Vico Homes who are a Registered Social Landlord. However, a policy compliant scheme with formally allocated Affordable Housing is being proposed.

Vico argued that rigidly sticking to the policy was not viable in the current market and asked for a reduced proportion of 4- bedroom homes, with increased provision of 2- and 3- bedroom family housing, and a higher proportion of rented tenure in place of intermediate tenures, reflecting affordability barriers in the current mortgage market.

Vico and Taylor Wimpey worked together on the £28m housing development at nearby Kilnhurst Road which includes 135 homes, available for a mix of affordable rent, rent to buy and shared ownership. "St Mary's Field" was backed by grant funding from Homes England, the Government’s housing and regeneration agency.

Vico Homes website
Taylor Wimpey website

Images: Taylor Wimpey / Google Maps

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News: Rotherham Council highlights impact of events as it finds funds for more

Rotherham Council has set aside over £500,000 to continue to put on a range of events that boost footfall, support the local economy and help foster pride in place.

In recent years the focus has been on supporting events of different scales that have boosted participation as well as visitor numbers.

Supporting the hosting of national events such as the Women's Euros at the AESSEAL New York Stadium in 2022, The Reytons’ homecoming gig at Clifton Park in 2024 and the Children’s Capital of Culture Festival Year in 2025, have added to a programme of annual civic events and the Rotherham Show.

An update from Rotherham Council shows how the authority uses events to increase civic pride, improve the profile and reputation of Rotherham and promote community cohesion.

It adds that participation in the borough tracked at 10% below the national average in 2019, and Children’s Capital of Culture say that they have achieved 83,743 "active participations" in activities during the 2025 festival year.

For borough events last year, poor weather for the Christmas Lights saw a drop in audience, but better weather for Rotherham Show saw a significant increase in attendees. The region's biggest free cultural festival reached its largest audience to date in 2025 with 95,500. It meant that the Rotherham Show generated a return of £13.06 for every £1 invested by the council.

Linked to the Children’s Capital of Culture, a number of town centre events have been held with the aim of attracting specific demographics back to the town centre, increasing footfall, improving perceptions of safety, reconnecting communities and the town centre, and supporting local businesses.

Roots: Rotherham Street Carnival, WOW Rotherham and the UPLIFT Festival had a combined attendance of around 30,000. Audiences for town centre events have increased by 13% year-on-year from 2021 to 2025 with organisers stating that in terms of economic impact, the events generate an average of £3.64 for every £1 the council invests.

The impact of these events is set to continue with Rotherham Council recently approving £119,000 to support the council's events team, increasing capacity to focus on compliance, safety, security and risk management of events. Rothbiz reported earlier this month that the council was setting aside £424,219 for a further programme of events delivered throughout the next financial year.

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Cllr. Lynda Marshall, Cabinet Member for Street Scene and Green Spaces at Rotherham Council, said: "Both local and national events support increased footfall across the borough, boost community engagement and strengthen Rotherham's cultural identity. Over the past five years, the events team has successfully expanded the programme by securing external funding and grants, however, the demand associated with securing and managing this level of funding, combined with the evolving safety legislation, is increasing pressure on staff capacity - the team can no longer sustain both the fundraising workload and the high safety standards required for delivering our events.

"To protect the continued growth and the success of our events, we urgently need additional staffing. Without this investment, we risk having to scale back local events for residents and may be unable to host national events in the future."

Visit Rotherham recently reported on which Children’s Capital of Culture events could continue in 2026.

A Rotherham Council report shows that Signals Music Festival and the Festival of Stories will continue, with UPLIFT Urban Sports Festival continuing on a Friday evening and one day (reduced down from the original three days). Otherham is set to be refocused, possibly in the guise of the recent Winter Lights Festival, but its game over for Plug In & Play as it is not set to continue.

The council's own events that are set to continue include the Rotherham Show, Bonfire Night at Clifton Park and the Christmas Lights Switch On in the town centre. A new event planned for April will celebrate St George's Day. The programme is also set to include WoW Rotherham, the Mayor's Parade, Armed Forces Day Armistice & Remembrance Day Parade, Reclaim the Night and Holocaust Memorial Day.

The Council's target for 2026/7 shows an uplift in visitor numbers of 3% (a target of 140,284) which acknowledges growth but also accounts for no major events planned this financial year.

Images: Children’s Capital of Culture

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News: Free parking in Rotherham town centre to continue

Rotherham Council is set to continue to offer one hour’s free parking in council-run car parks in Rotherham town centre.

Charges have also been frozen for another year.

Rothbiz reported last year on the authority introducing a scheme aiming to "support local businesses, boost footfall, and encourage residents to shop locally."

£50,000 was outlined in the 2024/25 council budget for the scheme and that appears to have been carried over into the 2025/26 financial year.

The latest budget was agreed by the council last week and documents show that a price freeze is proposed "to encourage visitors to the town centre at Drummond Street, Wellgate North, Wellgate Multi Storey, Douglas Street, Unity Place, Westgate, Clifton Hall, and Scala, ahead of the major developments planned in future years."

Also mentioned in the budget documents, the first hour free initiative is designed to encourage visitors to the town centre by using the same car parks Monday to Friday inclusive.

Free parking is already offered in the town centre at all Council Off-Street car parks all day on Saturdays and Sundays, and on street after 6pm, and there is no indication that this will end.

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Last month, a new parking system came into effect at the Forge Island leisure development in Rotherham town centre. Parking concessions have been extended to customers of all businesses located within Forge Island providing four hours of free parking.

The first hour free is also in operation for people parking on Forge Island but not using the businesses, however, longer free parking is not available on Forge Island on Saturdays and Sundays.

At the popular Clifton Park, on the edge of Rotherham town centre, parking charges remain, with some set to increase. Council budget documents show that parking for up to 1 hour at Clifton Park is going up 10p to £1.70 all year round.

In the summer (July 15 to September 8), up to 2 hours will be £3, up to 3 hours will be £4, up to 4 hours will rise 20p to £5.70, up to 5 hours will be £7, and all day parking at Clifton Park will be £8.50, up 30p on last summer's prices.

Out of season, parking at Clifton Park will cost £2.90 for up to 2 hours (up 10p), £3.90 for up to 3 hours (up 10p), £4.90 for up to 4 hours (up 20p), £6 for up to 5 hours and £7 to park all day.

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News: Updated plans submitted for £12m Rotherham regeneration scheme

A new planning application has been submitted for a multimillion pound regeneration scheme in a Rotherham town where demolition recently got underway.

The revamp of Dinnington market, approved in 2024, includes clearing derelict buildings, creating a new town square, and developing purpose-built commercial units to diversify the local offer.

The project, backed by £11m in Government funding, aims to improve the outdoor market, pedestrian routes, and public spaces - creating a healthier, safer, and more sustainable environment for residents, visitors, and businesses.

Revised plans are now being prepared for units on Laughton Road.

The Council now intends to fully demolish and rebuild the buildings rather than refurbish them to "deliver a safer, higher‑quality and future‑proofed space for businesses that will also better meet the needs of the community."

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The scheme has also been designed to include an outdoor market presence in an improved location and environment, one with demountable stalls which is designed to limit the prevalence of anti-social behaviour and provide dedicated welfare and storage facilities.

In the original plans, commercial units, the indoor market, a burnt-out building, the Dinnington Colliery Band building, and the fixed outdoor market stalls were proposed for demolition.

New plans are for the demolition of the existing retail units at 46-56 Laughton Road and the proposed replacement being a two storey building consisting of six retail units.

The design mirrors the existing approved scheme and will now provide two, two storey pitched roof buildings fronting Laughton Road on either side of a new public square where the market will take place, surrounded by commercial units.

If approved, it would mean that 4,300 sq ft of ageing commercial space would be replaced by new build commercial space totalling 4,900 sq ft. This has the potential to take employment numbers from 8 to 12 full time equivalent jobs in this area of the scheme.

Cllr. John Williams, Cabinet Member for Transport, Jobs and the Local Economy, said: "As part of the plans, we've now revised some of our original plans. So rather than refurbishing the existing buildings on Laughton Road, we are now actually going to be demolishing these. We've done some further survey works and realised they are in a worse condition than we thought. So rather than trying to refurbish them, we are now going to demolish and replace them with some brnad new, purpose built buildings to support the wider regeneration of Dinnington High Street."

Last month, appointed contractors, Ron Hull Demolition, demolished the former florists and dance studio on Laughton Road, which were destroyed by fire.

The Government has confirmed that the spending on the project can be extended from 2026 to 2028. A tender process to appoint a main contractor will begin shortly, with work expected to begin on site in the summer.

There are proposals to temporarily relocate the market while redevelopment works take place.

Rotherham Council website

Images: RMBC

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News: Plans progress for takeaway expansion after Rotherham Council loses appeal

Operators of a doughnut shop in Rotherham are progressing plans to convert it into a hot food takeaway after it successfully secured planning permission on appeal. Rotherham Council planners earlier concluded that it would "fail to promote a healthier community."

Rothbiz reported last year on proposed changes to a wider regeneration scheme close to Mushroom Roundabout at Aldwarke, where the seperate drive thru unit has been occupied by Dunkin’ Donuts on Sycamore Road.

Sheffield-based franchise specialists, QFM Group, applied in 2024 to make changes at the unit, admitting that Dunkin' had not traded optimally since moving in.

However, Rotherham Council refused the change of use application that would enable a hot food takeaway to operate in the unit instead.

Refusing the application, planners pointed to the proximity of High Greave Junior School, 500 metres away on foot, and the Hutton Park campus of Rotherham Aspire Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) at 650 metres.

Rotherham Council has a supplementary planning document that restricts hot food takeaways within 800 metres of a school or college, unless it is in within a defined town or district centre. Planners acknowledged that there is already a Taco Bell on the site but concluded that the proposal was in direct conflict with its adopted planning policies.

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An appeal followed and last year an inspector overturned the decision, stating that the site "is not an unacceptable location for the proposal with regards to promoting a healthier community."

The inspector's decision explains that the national planning framework "states that local planning authorities should refuse applications for hot food takeaways and fast food outlets within walking distance of schools and other places where children and young people congregate, unless the location is within a designated town centre; or in locations where there is evidence that a concentration of such uses is having an adverse impact on local health, pollution or anti-social-behaviour."

The inspector recognised that the policies of both nearby schools prohibit pupils from leaving the school premises during the school day without express permission and that there is already easy access to a number of existing fast-food takeaways in the immediate area.

The inspector added: "Whilst I note that there are already a number of hot food takeaways in the local area the Council has not provided any substantive evidence that there is an over concentration of such uses or that they are having an adverse impact on health, pollution or anti-social behaviour in this locality.

"Although it does not provide hot food, the existing restaurant currently provides goods which are high in sugar and therefore do not provide a significantly more healthy alternative to the proposal. Moreover, as there are already a range of fast-food takeaways in the immediate area, the anticipated occupation of one additional unit would not, in my view undermine the overarching aims of the SPD [the council's planning framework] with regards to the creation of a healthier community."

Plans have now been submitted for new Taco Bell signage at the current Dunkin Donuts unit.

Images: Taco Bell / Google Maps

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News: How Rotherham Council wants to spend £2.95m on local growth, backing business support, High Streets and more events

The cabinet at Rotherham Council is set to approve the use of £2.95m of local growth funding, continuing to fund business and employment support services, high profile events and dedicated financial support for High Street units and market traders.

The allocation for 2026/27 is from the Local Growth Fund (LGF), the government funding pot designed to replace the Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF - itself a successor to the European Structural Funds) and equip mayors in the North and Midlands to boost regional productivity.

Rotherham's allocation represents a reduction of around 10% compared to the previous year so the focus is on the priorities of supporting local business, people and skills, and communities and place. Funding is set to maintain delivery of priority projects, matching council priorities.

Most of the projects are continuations from the current programme.

For example, a further £666,655 is for the Shop Unit Business Grant Project that has been oversubscribed. It means that more businesses could recieve a 100% grant of up to £10,000. The allocation has been increased to reflect the high demand in 2025/26, with the target areas also expanded.

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£60,000 has been allocated for Rotherham Town Centre Markets, which is currently undergoing a revamp as part of a £40m regeneration scheme. The funding is to "support market traders, raise awareness of the markets and increase footfall, particularly during the construction of the new markets and central library. Specific initiatives are being developed, but could include micro grants for traders (new and existing) and themed events."

Funding is also earmarked for sub-regional projects such as Launchpad business support (£263,257) and business grants related to productivity (£483,588) and low carbon (£200,000).

People and skills projects that support young people who are not in employment, education or training; provide community-based core skills (maths, English and digital) courses and: support working people who want to reach their career potential, are set to share a further £450,000.

Building on the success of the Children’s Capital of Culture traineeships and skills programme, a £300,781 project extension will offer alumni roles in local organisations for previous trainees.

Addressing communities and place, £424,219 is being allocated for a further programme of events delivered throughout the year.

The report adds: "As well as established events such as the Rotherham Show, UPLIFT and Christmas lights switch on, the programme will include school holiday events across the borough, new activities piloted in the town centre, and a St George’s Day event in April."

Images: RMBC

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News: More consultation on Rotherham £24m active travel schemes

More public consultation is required as Rotherham Council is set to spend a further £24m on active travel schemes where new cycle lanes are set to be a key component.

Rothbiz has previously reported on a £16.3m scheme that includes bike lanes, bus lanes and a built up roundabout at Eastwood, on the edge of Rotherham town centre. A similar £8m 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.

Earlier consultation backed the authority's idea for St Anns roundabout, where the council is proposing to bring the crossings up to ground level and fill in the subways to make the space feel more welcoming. Consultation results also showed a clear preference for keeping all arms of the roundabout open, discounting an idea to close St Ann's Road to motor traffic and install bus gates.

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

Funding has also been set aside for neighbourhood improvements.

Recent decisions by Rotherham Council have been made to undertake further stakeholder engagement on both schemes.

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A council report states: "Approval is granted for RMBC to engage with stakeholders, including residents, business owners and Ward Members on the updated designs for the active travel corridor, as well as allocated neighbourhood streets investment," with the report adding that the consultation is to "comply with required engagement process involving stakeholders as per funding requirements."

The report adds: "No significant consultation and engagement has taken place with the public since the end of July 2025. In addition, although previous consultation and engagement included reference to the Eastwood & Herringthorpe Active Travel Neighbourhood element, no designs of actual interventions have previously been shared with the public.

"In developing the scheme designs, consideration has been given to aligning with the Council’s objectives to listen, inform and work in partnership with its residents. With this in mind, further public engagement and consultation will now be undertaken."

Rothbiz reported last year that the Council had confirmed that if it wants to use government money to make multimillion pound investments in strategic transport routes in the borough, they will need to include cycle lanes.

For Fitzwilliam Road between St Ann’s Roundabout and Mushroom Roundabout the plan is to provide bus priority and separate cycleways.

A bus lane in the Rotherham-bound direction would make bus services faster and more reliable and the bus lane at Mushroom roundabout would be extended to Chesterton Road. Painted cycle lanes are set to be replaced with dedicated cycle tracks to separate cyclists from motor traffic and improve safety and new designated parking spaces are also included.

On the other scheme, bilateral unidirectional cycleways and bus priority measures are expected from the new Broom Road layout to Brecks Roundabout, as well as associated improvements to crossings and junctions.

Rotherham Council website

Images: RMBC

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News: New parking system at Forge Island includes four hours free

Users of the Forge Island leisure development in Rotherham town centre will now be able to park for free for up to four hours.

Forge Island is Rotherham town centre's landmark leisure destination delivered by Rotherham Council in partnership with Muse. The £47m development includes an 8-screen boutique cinema operated by The Arc Cinema and a 69-roomed Travelodge Hotel and food outlets - Vetro Lounge, Sygnature Dish and Heavenly Desserts.

Rothbiz reported last month on a council decision regarding a hybrid, ticketless parking system to introduce new concessionary free parking and new parking charges. An original tariff for the 340 space car park has never been implemented due to "operational issues."

The chosen option introduces concessions for all other businesses as part of the Forge Island development alongside the current free parking for cinema and hotel users.

From this week, the authority is implementing parking fees of up to 1 hour for free with up to 2 hours costing £2.50, up to 4 hours would be £5, and up to 24 hours would be £8.

Additionally, parking concessions have been extended to customers of all businesses located within the Forge Island development providing four hours of free parking.

Guests at the Travelodge are still entitled to free overnight parking between 4pm and 10am.

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An update from the Council states: "Enter your registration number on the devices in the business you're visiting. Our automated number plate recognition system will take care of the rest!

"You can of course park for longer than four hours - but just the first four hours are free. If you stay longer, you'll need to pay for the remainder of your visit.

"If you’re not visiting Forge Island businesses, you can still park for up to an hour for free, but longer stays will incur a charge. You will need to pay at a pay station before returning to your vehicle."

In making the decision, the authority explained that it had experienced difficulties in attracting businesses to Forge Island and in letting the units, and had received complaints from the tenants in respect of the car park.

In October 2025, the council's Parking Services staff were drafted in to ensure the site was used appropriately following "heavy usage by non-genuine customers," given the proximity to Riverside House, the police station and the AESSEAL New York Stadium.

Forge Island website

Images: Muse / Google Maps

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