News: Further free parking for Forge Island as Rotherham Council faces difficulties with flagship site

A council briefing has laid bare the difficulties that the authority is facing with its Forge Island regeneration scheme.

Forge Island is Rotherham town centre's new landmark leisure destination delivered by the 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.

Since the first openings in 2024, footfall across Rotherham town centre was 10% higher than the previous year but a report regarding the parking charges at the transformed site of the former Tesco supermarket shows that Rotherham Council is having difficulty attracting businesses and facing complaints from the current tenants.

In February 2025, Rothbiz reported on a free concessionary parking offer for users of the businesses on Forge Island but the tariff for the 340 space car park has never been implemented due to "operational issues."

In October, Parking Services staff were drafted in to ensure the site is used appropriately after the council received a number of complaints about parking availability at Forge Island.

Now a decision has been made regarding a hybrid, ticketless system that will introduce new concessionary free parking and new parking charges.

The hotel and cinema have parking concessions written into their leases, the other businesses do not. A 3.5 hours concession for customers of the cinema is already in place, as is free parking for hotel guests between 16:00 and 10:00. The report states that: "[Restaurant unit tenant] Vetro Lounge are now requesting a concession for their customers on a regular basis and are worried the introduction of parking charges will impact their trading."

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The authority has had to weigh up issues such as potential higher parking fees that could deter visitors and impact the trading of the businesses, with the problem of "heavy usage by non-genuine customers," given the proximity to Riverside House, the police station and the AESSEAL New York Stadium.

The report states: "The purpose of the car park, whilst it is there to support wider parking within the town centre, its "main" purpose is to support the footfall and the generation of trade / customers for the tenants located on Forge Island."

Continuing the current free parking situation has been ruled out due to "genuine customers complaining to the cinema and hotel that they were unable to find a parking space, which jeopardised rental income from these businesses."

Also ruled out was an option to keep concessions for cinema and hotel users, but not offer any to users of other businesses. Instead, charges would be brought in to try to maintain sufficient parking capacity for genuine customers of Forge Island.

However, the report adds: "Adjacent destinations such as Parkgate and Meadowhall offers free parking to its visitors / customers and therefore parking charges at Forge Island are likely to influence customer choice.

"Giving concessions to all customers of Forge Island will impact the income received from the car park and the business plan for the site, but charging all customers to use the site will potentially put customers off visiting the site and using the food outlets.

"Given the difficulty we are having in attracting businesses to site, letting the units and the current volume of complaints from the tenants in respect of the car park and management of the car park it is recommended that the other outlets are given a concession equal to that of the cinema."

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.

This was expected to match the same concession of 3.5 hours, which the council says "would allow visitors to visit both the cinema and other outlets without the need to pay for parking. If they exceeded the allotted concession they would need to pay the balance of the parking charge, which would be their choice."

Fees would also be introduced for people wishing to park in Forge Island but not use any Forge Island businesses.

A 30 minute drop off period has been in operation. Free parking is already offered in the town centre at all Council Off-Street car parks on Saturdays and Sundays, but that is not mentioned in the Forge Island report.

The Council is justifying the fees as it expects that the higher rates would send "significant numbers" of employees of the Council back to New York Stadium car park as they are willing to pay the day rate of £5 there. Charging on weekends has been suggested to deter use of the car park by people attending football matches at the stadium.

A decision dated December 24 2025 states that the authority will implement 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 will be extended to customers of all businesses located within the Forge Island development and that those concessions provide for 4 hours of free parking.

The council will review the charges after 12 months.

To facilitate the new system, ANPR cameras would be used and tablets will be installed within the businesses in order for users to enter their car registration number and validate their parking. Validated free parking will be offered to vehicles displaying a valid blue badge.

Forge Island website

Images: Muse

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News: Rotherham Gateway Station included in Northern Powerhouse Rail announcement

There's strong signals of support for efforts to return mainline train services to Rotherham as part of a £300m regeneration project as the Rotherham Gateway Station is included in the first phase of the Northern Powerhouse Rail vision announced by the Government.

With more reliable and more frequent trains across major cities in the North, the NPR plans will drastically improve how people travel for work, education and leisure with the government adding that growing the productivity of the five largest cities to the national average would add up to £40 billion a year to UK economy.

The first phase will prioritise upgrades and electrification between Leeds-Sheffield, Leeds-York and Leeds-Bradford to transform commutes, set to be delivered in the 2030s. In the North East, work on the business case for the Leamside Line will be taken forward, as part of ensuring NPR services reach Newcastle.

With £1.1 billion to progress planning and development work as soon as possible, plans include improvements for Leeds, Sheffield and York stations – supporting significant regeneration plans to unlock tens of thousands of homes and jobs. The plan also includes pressing forward with work on Bradford Station, putting a young, dynamic city of 500,000 people at the heart of the northern network.

Over £11m of local transport funding has now been agreed for South Yorkshire to develop a new Rotherham Gateway station at Parkgate, which the announcement says "spells an end to slow journeys to Leeds and support the ambitious regeneration plans for the town."

When the previous government published its Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands (IRP) in 2021, it scaled back ambitions for NPR with Rotherham and Sheffield missed off the new network.

The new NPR plan has been given an overall funding cap of £45 billion.

South Yorkshire's mayor has previously expressed that improving the Sheffield-Leeds connection through NPR supports the Rotherham Gateway Station proposal. The pausing of plans for the electrification of the Midland Main Line to Sheffield last year means that it remains the largest city in the UK without electrified railways.

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Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said: “For too long, the North has been held back by underinvestment and years of dither and delay – but that ends now.

“This new era of investment will not just speed up journeys, it will mean new jobs and homes for people, making a real difference to millions of lives.

“The exciting improved stations across Leeds, Sheffield, York and Bradford will reflect the prestigious place rail holds in the northern economy, and regenerate vibrant, bustling districts in these cities.

“The first phase of Northern Powerhouse Rail will prioritise upgrading rail connections across Yorkshire and progressing work on the business case for the Leamside Line as part of ensuring services reach Newcastle, improving opportunities across the region.”

A future phase for NPR will focus on improved connections between Manchester and Sheffield given that it can take up to one hour 23 minutes to get to Manchester airport from Leeds or Sheffield, even though they are around 40 miles away.

This landmark upgrade to rail travel is one of the central building blocks of a plan for the North – to be published in the Spring. This will include plans for a northern growth corridor from Liverpool to York via West and South Yorkshire and bespoke plans for the North-East to make the most of opportunities in clean energy, AI, innovation and city centre regeneration.

Not only will plans improve travel connections, the redevelopment of stations and surrounding neighbourhoods will bring in new homes, jobs and local businesses. Rotherham's station masterplan shows how a transport improvement scheme can act as the catalyst for a much wider regeneration project supporting thousands of new jobs.

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. Future phases involve the creation of an innovation campus of around 180,000 sq ft of commercial space, further industrial zones and introducing new housing in the area.

Rotherham Gateway website

Images: RMBC

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News: Plans approved for conversion of listed building in Rotherham town centre

An empty former townhouse in Rotherham town centre can be brought back to life following the approval of a change of use application.

12 Wellgate, close to Rotherham's heritage High Street, was granted grade II listed building status for its traditional Georgian façade with symmetrical proportions, sash windows, and stone detailing exemplifying the restrained elegance of the late-18th to early-19th century period.

In recent years the ground floor and first floor has been in commercial use - most recently as Bluebell Wood's retail operation, and before that, Eton menswear.

Rothbiz reported last year on the application from Mr Ashraf and Goldnest Property Solutions that showed that the ground floor would stay in commercial use and introduces four residential flats on the upper floors.

Two 1-bed studio flats would be on the first floor, with a 2-bed apartment on the second floor and a 1-bed apartment on the third floor.

Council planners approved the proposals without the need to go before the authority's planning board as they involved no significant external alterations and access to the residential part of the building would be seperate to the access to the remaining commercial unit fronting Wellgate.

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Planners concluded that: "The proposed conversion of the retail use (Use Class E) of the first and second floors of the building to a residential use of 3 no. apartments (Use Class C3) is acceptable in this Retail Area, due to the fact that the retail unit at ground floor level would be completely unaffected by the proposals. The proposed apartments would provide an acceptable degree of amenity to future occupiers and would not harm the amenity of neighbouring residents in terms of overlooking."

Regarding conservation, planners added that "the development would not harm the special character and appearance of the Grade II listed building and would not impact on the Rotherham Conservation Area."

Further detail was included in the listed building consent application which showed that proposals for the conversion of the roof space and construction of the dormer window were removed from the plans.

A planning report said: "The first and second floor storage areas have been greatly altered over the years with original walls having been removed and the historic room layout having been changed, in particular at first floor level.

"The applicant has confirmed that existing structural walls would remain in situ with new partition walls constructed to allow for the conversion of the building. However, due to extensive internal changes much of the original room layout is no longer legible.

"There is little historic fabric of interest remaining inside the building and it is considered that the proposed conversion works, would not harm the special character and appearance of the Grade II listed building."

Having previously been up for sale at £185,000, the three-storey property with a loft provides 2,501 sq ft of space.

Images: CPR / Google Maps

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News: Castings Technology creates 20 jobs as aerospace demand drives growth

Castings Technology, a leading UK manufacturer of complex high-integrity titanium and steel castings, is creating 20 new jobs in South Yorkshire as part of its ambitious growth plans.

The company, currently based at the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, is recruiting roles from factory floor to leadership team to meet soaring demand from the global aerospace industry.

Castings Technology has grown from 65 employees in 2024 to 103 at the end of 2025, with the new jobs set to take the workforce to 123 by end of 2026.

The roles span production, quality, technical, and commercial functions, with recruitment planned throughout the year as production capacity increases to serve OEM customers in the UK, Europe and United States.

Titanium's strength, light weight and resistance to corrosion and heat make it essential for aerospace applications. Demand for titanium castings continues to exceed global capacity. Castings Technology is the UK's only commercial titanium investment casting facility.

The recruitment forms part of an £18 million investment in expanded manufacturing capabilities, including a move to a fully refurbished 200,000 sq ft Sheffield facility with state-of-the-art equipment in late 2026.

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The expansion comes when 97% of UK manufacturers cite hiring and retaining skilled workers as a barrier to growth. Castings Technology appointed Curtis Oxborough as Training and Development Manager in the autumn, achieving zero dropout rate among new starters through comprehensive induction and tailored support. The company partners with UTC Sheffield for apprenticeships and training.

The company currently has ten apprentices and will offer at least two further apprenticeships in 2026. Of the existing workforce, 13 employees progressed through apprenticeship programmes, as well as three directors. Castings Technology uses apprenticeships both for entry-level recruitment and leadership development, with staff completing programmes ranging from technical skills to level 3 leadership qualifications.

Richard Cook, Managing Director, said: "This investment in our workforce reflects the confidence our global customers have in our capabilities. We're building a team that can deliver the precision and quality aerospace manufacturers demand, while creating meaningful careers in advanced manufacturing at a time when the sector faces real skills challenges."

Shaun Smith, Chief Commercial Officer, said: "Demand for titanium castings continues to exceed capacity, and these new roles allow us to serve growing aerospace markets across three continents. We're particularly proud that many of our senior team, including myself, our Managing Director Richard Cook and our Chief Operating Officer Ryan Longden, started our careers as apprentices. We're creating genuine career pathways in a critical UK industry."

Rothbiz reported in July that an £18m investment package is enabling Castings Technology to accelerate its steep growth trajectory by moving into new premises in Sheffield.

Castings Technology wesbite

Images: Castings Technology

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News: Rotherham Council continues to snap up land for development

Rotherham Council looks to have acquired a key piece of land that will enable the development of a Riverside Residential Quarter in the town centre to continue.

With £3m coming from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA), Rotherham Council set up a Strategic Acquisition Fund and a £600,000 Feasibility Fund in 2024 to help bring forward sites in ways that meet the authority’s longstanding aims for regeneration of the town centre as a vibrant and successful place.

The funding enables the Council to acquire land and property to unlock development opportunities, tackle derelict sites, and accelerate key ambitions to deliver housing, commercial space, and transport infrastructure.

First identified in the 2017 Town Centre Masterplan, the Riverside Residential Quarter (RRQ) is situated along Sheffield Road, adjacent to the River Don. The vision for this area focuses on revitalising the town centre by creating a vibrant, mixed-use residential community.

Acquisition of under used and derelict land and property along Sheffield Road has been ongoing since 2021 with multimllion pound developments such as Westgate Riverside and Millfold Rise bringing new housing to the area.

Property interests, such as the large car park and two pub buildings have already been acquired by the council from Satnam Regeneration and now terms have been agreed on another significant land holding.

Council papers regarding the latest acquisition refer to the warehouse and yard on Sheffield Road that is currently home to SIG Roofing Rotherham. The riverside site is adjacent to the completed housing projects.

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Having previously approved the acquisition, approval was granted in December to exercise the delegation to complete the purchase of the site using the allocated Strategic Acquisition Fund. A sum for the purchase of the land has not been disclosed but it was expected to be completed by the end of Quarter 3, December 2025.

Masterplanning in the area has been undertaken by AHR Architects showing up to 200 high quality residential units, to include a mix of apartments and houses. The site to the west of Westgate has an indicative capacity of 143 dwellings.

The report states: "Rotherham Council’s long-term objective for the town centre sees the continued diversification of its offer. Attracting new uses, services, residential and leisure opportunities and moving away from the traditional retail market.

"The Council’s success in securing public funds and its own investment in the town has attracted private sector interest in investing in the town’s future. This is increasingly resulting in Rotherham being seen as a place to do business. The Council continues to drive forward investment in the town centre and acquisition of this property at Sheffield Road, Rotherham, to further contribute to the Council's wider plans to diversify the town centre offer."

The acquisition will bring about an initial income stream for the council until redevelopment takes place.

Rothbiz reported in 2024 that a cluster approach was considered necessary by the authority "to create a sufficient quantum of development potential to tackle viability."

A previous tender exercise for a £6m scheme on Corporation Street received no interest, likely due to the smaller size of the scheme.

Sites such as Sheffield Road, Corporation Street, the site of the former Magistrate's Court, and the High Street site previously home to Primark, are likely to be brought to market as a redevelopment opportunity together.

A recent update to the council's cabinet 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 shows that the project was delayed to enable the addition of another site. A tender exercise was due to close in December 2025 and after this stage, "there will be a clearer indication of plans and timeline."

Images: Google Maps / Atollie Property

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