Tuesday, September 29, 2020

News: Council outlines more ideas for regenerating Rotherham town centre

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Packing up the current Sorting Office and moving it to the former bus depot at Masbrough could give Rotherham Council the chance to lead on the regeneration of the Sheffield Road and Westgate areas of the town centre.

The idea is in a new Town Investment Plan (TIP) which focuses on the economic growth corridor which stretches from Templeborough through the town centre and out to Eastwood.

The plan will be put forward in a bid to secure money from the Town Deal, a £3.6bn Government programme seeking to "unleash the economic potential" of 100 places across the country. Rotherham has been given the opportunity to access £25 - 50m and the Council has contracted consultants, ARUP and WYG, to work on the plan.

In the town centre, the plan looks at the Riverside area which is currently home to the Royal Mail sorting office, BT's telephone exchange and land used for car parking.

The Council's housing team has already identified the area as a target for more residential development following on from the project currently underway on the site of the former swimming baths.

Royal Mail have previously made it known that "the re-provision / relocation of Royal Mail's operations will be required prior to redevelopment."

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The £13m site Westgate Riverside development on Sheffield Road consists of two apartment blocks containing 44 homes and 28 two and three-storey semi-detached and terraced houses. The Millfold House development over the road, which is valued at £10m, will feature one apartment block consisting of 31 apartments and 14 back-to-back houses.

The new plan adds: "This is phase one of a longer term plan which could included (sic) a number of other residential sites along Sheffield Road and also the Guest & Chrimes site across the river.

"The full development of this area will take many years but ideas at present formed through Town Deal include supporting the delivery of 350 new homes, community facilities which could also include local shopping and also a bridge over the River Don linking Sheffield Road to Guest & Chrimes."

The rest of the plan focuses on the key routes into and through the town centre and improvements would come in the form of "greening," "screening," "revealing," "wayfinding" and active travel. Interventions include wildflower planting, new trees, green walls, lighting, artwork, signage and cycle routes.

Consultants are carrying out a virtual exhibition before final plans are submitted to the Government in October.

Images: Google Maps

15 comments:

Anonymous,  September 29, 2020 at 12:55 PM  

The old bus depot should be turned into a park and ride for a re-opened Masbrough station

Rod September 29, 2020 at 1:43 PM  

Agreed... and it’s time people stopped spelling Masbrough incorrectly as “Masborough”...

Steve,  September 29, 2020 at 4:58 PM  

1) Has the council actually got Royal Mail 'on board' yet? The last comment from Royal Mail was 'they hadn't even been approached about this'.
2) RMBC can't afford to move the telephone exchange! It would cost millions and would still require a new site close by or broadband speeds on the exchange would change up/down. BT are not a charity and the majority of the costs would be on RMBC.

Anonymous,  September 29, 2020 at 11:57 PM  

Can't believe it's the 21st century and Rotherham plans terraced town centre houses!Suggest they go take a look at Barnsley, indeed any other large town,quality High rise apartments are the way in town centres, not terraced house,just building ghettos!

djs September 30, 2020 at 1:40 PM  

You make a good point about terraced housing the housing down at Eastwood is not a particular success.

Anonymous,  September 30, 2020 at 1:58 PM  

The only people who will end up living in terraced housing in the town centre are the same people living in the terraced housing at Eastwood.

Anonymous,  September 30, 2020 at 5:19 PM  

The old bus depot site is huge, I doubt Masbrough station will open anytime soon, despite recent announcements!

Anonymous,  September 30, 2020 at 5:20 PM  

I think the aim is to attract young professionals with the idea that a new townhouse close to transport links in Rotherham would be the same price as a studio flat in Sheffield.

Anonymous,  October 1, 2020 at 1:31 AM  

Young professionals want flats and leisure amenities, not terraced houses and a ghetto😊

Anonymous,  October 1, 2020 at 1:32 AM  

👍Correct

Anonymous,  October 1, 2020 at 9:35 AM  

I'm a young professional and I wouldn't live there if it was free

Anonymous,  October 1, 2020 at 12:35 PM  

Too little too late, Rotherham town centre has fell way behind the rest of South Yorkshire. I wouldn't live in or around the centre if I was paid to, its an embarrassment!

Mr me October 1, 2020 at 7:55 PM  

Me neither, its a cess pit of humanity

Anonymous,  October 2, 2020 at 9:27 PM  

Rotherham is just a suburb of Sheffield now. Says a lot when even Hillsborough is busier and has more shops than Rotherham town centre.

Anonymous,  October 4, 2020 at 6:05 PM  

I go to Hillsborough regular, no busier than Rotherham, just full of pigs😊

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