News: £4.4m Rotherham riverside improvement works complete

A transformative £4.4m improvement scheme along the Rotherham riverside is now complete, opening up more land for housing developments in the town centre.

Delivered by Esh Construction on behalf of Rotherham Council, the project 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.

Works involved cut and fill operations, deep drainage, invasive weed removal, pavement construction, and the installation of gabion baskets to form a retaining wall feature. The project also included cosmetic repairs to the existing masonry river wall, carried out by rope access-trained personnel.

A key component of the scheme saw complex piling works used to futureproof the riverbank and support the Riverside walkway. Over 250 sheet piles – 127 pairs weighing up to six tonnes each and measuring between 14-18 metres in length – were installed over a five-week period.

These piles formed a new foundation to support the new riverside route behind the existing river wall, designed with a 100-year lifespan to ensure long-term stability and resilience while a capping beams and balustrade were also installed to complete the new riverside route.

Michael Sherrard, Construction Manager at Esh Construction, said: “This project has been a fantastic opportunity to showcase our expertise in complex civil engineering. We’re proud to have successfully completed this transformative scheme, which plays an important part in the wider regeneration of Rotherham town centre.

“The project is a great example of the collaborative partnership we’ve built with Rotherham Council, and we look forward to continuing that relationship through future projects that help shape the town’s future.”

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Cllr John Williams, Rotherham Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport, Jobs and the Local Economy, added: “We’re delighted to see this infrastructure project completed, opening up a new footpath along the river and wider site that pave the way for future development in Rotherham town centre.

“The scheme has also delivered a brand-new access road alongside significant landscaping and infrastructure improvements.

“As we continue to invest in the future of our town centre, and bring brownfield housing sites forward, works like these are an essential part of the redevelopment. It’s all part of the work we need to build a smarter environment, supporting a brighter future for this corner of town.”

As part of the £31.6m Town Deal programme, government funding is being used to continue the development of a Riverside Residential Quarter. The authority has continued to acquire land in the Sheffield Road area and are set to use a cluster approach "to create a sufficient quantum of development potential to tackle viability."

The project was procured through YORhub’s YORcivil2 framework. Through its Constructing Local strategy, which sees Esh maximise social and economic value for the local area, the social value team has delivered 66 apprentice weeks, 19 weeks of work experience, 392 hours of support into work through our Constructing Careers programme and 67% of operatives on the project were South Yorkshire residents.

Additionally, a community garden at Lighthouse Homes was redeveloped thanks to £8,200 of funding which was unlocked through the YOR4Good Fund community grant initiative. The garden’s makeover was part of plans to enhance the quality of life for the Lighthouse Homes residents, and saw Esh’s team, alongside agricultural students from RNN Group revamp the garden area and create a space for residents to grow fruit and vegetables for the facility.

The Rotherham Riverside scheme completion builds on Esh Construction’s delivery of public realm and active travel projects in the region, including Wellgate and Broom Road, Sheffield Road Cycleways, and Maltby Bus Corridor.

ESH Group website

Images: ESH

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News: Options for Rotherham riverside redevelopment

Two options are being discussed for the riverside sites along Corporation Street in Rotherham town centre, both including the demolition of some of the current commercial properties.

Corporation Street is set to play an important role in the redevelopment of Rotherham town centre, linking as it does, the proposed leisure hub on Forge Island, and the revamped bus station, with the Minster and the rest of the town.

Launched last month, the town centre masterplan set out key sites and catalyst projects that will bring more people to live, visit and work in the town. From now until 2020, it is envisaged that anything between £130m and 160m will be invested in the area.

Corporation Street has suffered a decline in footfall since Tesco relocated to a new £40m store in 2014. In addition, two burnt out buildings, a former restaurant and adjacent night club, create a very poor impression of the town and undermine confidence in the town centre.

The masterplan sets out a number of proposals for this area to complement the plans for Forge Island.

The Council has already acquired, and cleared, the site of the former Tesco store, and is progressing plans to acquire the remaining leasehold interests at the Riverside Precinct.

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A key objective of the masterplan, developed by Design Company WYG Group and Lambert Smith Hampton, is to integrate the waterside back into the heart of the town.

On the eastern riverbank, the masterplan discusses two options - a mixed use development incorporating new and current buildings or clearing the buildings to create a larger riverside park.

The mixed use development outlines:

- Redeveloping Riverside Precinct where uses include in excess of 60 apartments, retail, food and drink and where the development "frames views of Rotherham Minster"
- Retained businesses on Corporation Street (such as Costa and the Ring Shop) with improved routes through from Minster Gardens to riverside. New apartments here address the riverside
- Refurbishment and extension of existing vacant NatWest building to create new restaurant and bar overlooking the River Don and the Forge Island
- Residential apartment development in excess of 60 apartments on the Council's Riverside Car Park site

Regarding the Eastern riverbank and Corporation Street area, the masterplan states: "The Council will use its land ownership to work with existing landowners in a positive fashion to deliver the desired development. The existing private land owners will need to play a role in realising the vision for this area.

"Preliminary discussions with [commercial property consultancy] LSH have been encouraging and now detailed discussions are necessary.

"Meetings with existing landowners are a priority to gauge their appetite to help deliver the development vision in this area. Also their capacity for the same and how public sector support and land may assist. The aim will be to quickly ascertain the capacity and interest of existing land owners to invest and develop. Initial consultations suggest an interest to develop."

The intention is to promote development together using council land and private land to realise the masterplan vision. Some form of joint venture is envisaged, but if this does not prove possible CPO may be necessary to assemble the site for development.

The more transformational development opportunity involves relocating the proposed residential, retail and food and drink uses into the main development at Forge Island. This would lead to the demolition of many of the buildings on Corporation Street and the Riverside in order to create a larger riverside park linking with Minster Gardens.

The masterplan states: "This option has been drawn-up and illustrated and one benefit is the striking vista this would create of Rotherham Minster from Forge Island. This would involve the demolition of buildings within the Town Centre Conservation Area and Historic England have expressed their reservations about this option.

"This bolder option would only work if it was agreeable to the existing landowners and there are no plans for compulsory purchase in this area to facilitate this approach. Given the delivery risk associated with this option it has not been embedded within the draft masterplan. However, as dialogue takes place with existing landowners as envisaged for this area it will be appropriate to share with them the more radical plans to ascertain their feedback.

"If landowners are not amenable then the plans which retain them in-situ will be progressed. Meetings to ascertain the route to delivery in this area should be progressed as a next step. Following this the Council will refine its approach to the Eastern Riverbank (for the final draft masterplan) and progress work accordingly to deliver the vision."

Images: RMBC / WYG

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News: Steel firm cleans up for salmon

The installation of a new £1m water treatment plant to reduce pollution from the Corus steel plant at Aldwarke, Rotherham has led to praise from anglers. Only the second salmon caught by rod and line in the last 50 years was caught further down the River Don recently, a sign of excellent water quality. The steelworks use huge amounts of water, extracted from rivers, to help cool machinery exposed to temperatures of up to 1,700 degrees.

The Star article

Yorkshire Post article

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