Rotherham The Unofficial Website An unofficial website about the Town and Borough of Rotherham

Rotherham's Future

Now I know that looking into the future is an uncertain science best left to clairvoyants and fortune-tellers. However for the purposes of government, both central and local, it is necessary to do a bit of forward planning and believe me Rotherham have done more than their bit in this field. I recently began reading the Rotherham Local Development Framework. I began reading it: after the first 50 or 60 pages, I started yawning and by the time I got to page 150 I was fast asleep.

You can't blame the council for this, as the production of this document with the promise of many more to follow, are required by central government. Since all councils will have to write and publish their own strategies it seems that a fair few forests will disappear in the process.

Basically the Rotherham Local Development Framework looks at what Rotherham council plan to do with Rotherham over the coming years. What they will do, what they intend to do, what they may do, what they hope to do and what they would like to do; all of course depending on available funds. I found two major omissions both of which bothered me greatly. The first of these was my hoary old hobby horse; the lack of parking provision; and the second the lack of public toilet provision which gets more pressing as the years advance. The three 'Core Strategy Options' all of which involve massive house building are based on this.

Rotherham have signed up to the Government's Growth Point Status which requires them to build massive numbers of houses in the next 20 years. In order to do this Rotherham Council need to to remove the 'Green Belt' designation from large areas all across the borough. The purpose of this is to use the various parcels of land to develop housing estates, and in some places business parks and manufacturing units. The council obviously hoped to pass things on the nod as the inhabitants of most of Rotherham were none the wiser. However in July 2009 the proposal to develop a great swathe of land from Thornhill to Greasbrough and Rawmarsh called Bassingthorpe Farm has been the subject of a series of public meetings. Other public meetings took place in July 2009 about development in other areas.

The people I've spoken to from Rawmarsh, Parkgate and Greasbrough are really, really annoyed. I'm sure other areas will be when they realise Rotherham Council's intentions.

Figures indicate that there are about 3000 unoccupied homes in the borough. There would appear to be about 19000 people on the council house waiting list in Rotherham: I would love to know the demographics that make up this figure. The town is already stuffed to the gills with 'our foreign friends' and if rumours are to be believed we shall all have to make room for another 20,000 very soon.

The new Conservative/Liberal Democrat government in 2010 have said that they intend to scrap all such developments countrywide. We shall see!

There are various plans and initiatives, sometimes working together and sometimes not, for the future of Rotherham. Rotherham Renaissance is a 25 year plan to refurbish, redevelop and improve much of Rotherham Town Centre. The Rotherham Partnership is an organisation of various partners including Rotherham District Council which has various aims. The 'Better Together for Rotherham' standard is to promote business involvement in the work of the partnership and to recognise the valuable contribution that the Rotherham Business Community makes when supporting others. Links to these are available on the Business Organisations & Links page.

I can only say that I hope some or all of these work, but realistically I doubt it. At the rate shops are shutting down in Rotherham centre we'll be lucky if there are any left in a few years. Coalmining will be finished by about 2015 and my forecast is that the Iron and Steel will be gone by then as well. Whilst there may well be new, interesting technological and industrial developments within the borough I see Rotherham as a sad, tired old town full of sad, tired, poor people. Those with money and transport will go to the various out of town developments where they can park for free and have a choice of shops and goods.

Rotherham Renaissance

The current downturn in 2009 has hit Rotherham Renaissance. Although it looks as if the Old Markets complex of shops and apartments is complete, tenants are proving rather elusive for the shops and so far only one of the 44 flats has a completed sale, though offers are in in another 25. The Old Baths redevelopment now called Keppel Wharf is completed too. Renaissance have been in talks with the owners of Rotherham Interchange (Bus Station) but plans for a big redevelopment here but so far failure to attract interested parties means the scheme is not viable at present.

Rotherham - Sheffield Tram Trains

In September 2009 the Department for Transport has announced revised plans for a tram-train in South Yorkshire. A trial of the electric vehicles is planned on a new service linking Rotherham and Sheffield. Once a feasibility study has been completed, the project will take three years and £24m to get up and running. Five tram-trains will run on existing freight track from Parkgate, Rotherham and then join the Sheffield Supertram network.

Moorgate Road

Moorgate House which has been empty and boarded up for some time. A large part of the building has been demolished and the remaining parts are to be incorporated into a new housing development. This was the British Wagon offices when I first remember it but was used as offices by Beatson Clark. I worked there for a while about 1969/70 but I don't know who came after (Unison at some time). Our offices used to overlook the gardens of the rectory next door and we had some fine nebbing at the garden parties held there. Speaking of the rectory this has now been done up and yes, you've guessed, it's housing.

The row of old terrace houses on the opposite corner to Moorgate House has now been demolished. There was a fire a while back which destroyed two or three of them and smoke damaged the rest. April 2009 Looks as if work has commenced here as new boarding has gone up around the site, there is a portacabin and signs for a housing trust (must write the name down next time I pass by).

All Saints Building

All Saints Building was closed about 2007 as part of the Rotherham Renaissance Scheme. Demolition began early in 2009 and has now been completed. The original plan was to build shops and offices but this will not now take place. It will be paved and seating put in at a fraction of the rebuilding costs. Some think it will become the afternoon haunt of the winos and druggies who infest the town in the afternoons. Some have suggested that the outdoor market should be moved there. We shall see.

Racquet Sports Centre, Rosehill Park, Rawmarsh

In 2009 campaigners in Rotherham are putting forward plans for a £6 million tennis and badminton academy. If these ever get off the ground, the intention is to demolish the old pavilion, tennis courts and other buildings in Rosehill Park, some of which which have been allowed to go to rack and ruin through lack of maintenance, and build something called a "semi-rigid bubble". This is a futuristic idea which would allow up to four courts where racquet games could be played all year round. A new pavilion is also planned for the park.

These plans have been spearheaded by Rawmarsh and Parkgate Partnership, who propose to set up a charitable organisation to set up, fund and run the project. If they are unable to get funding for the site in the park they are also looking at other proposed areas in Rawmarsh.

Rotherham College of Art & Technology

Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council were hoping that RCAT would move to the new development on the old Guest & Chrimes site. However the College governors have decided to stay put on their current site but demolish the Eastwood and Clifton Buildings. A shiny new college complex is planned which it is expected will be open by 2013/4. The Howard Building will remain open in the centre of town and the college will use its community venues and the Rother Valley campus whilst the rebuilding is taking place. In 2009 I'm sure I've heard rumours that the finances for all this are on dodgy ground but these may just be Chinese whispers. No they are true. The college rebuild will not take place as planned: it has been shelved until better times.

The Redevelopment of the East Side of the Town Centre

The plans for the redevelopment of Rotherham grow more and more grandiose and more and more impracticable. Although Tesco do not seem to be onside yet another development strategy has been put forward in which their store is moved from Forge Island to the east side of town. The plan is to demolish all the council buildings off Walker Place and redevelop this as a retail area. All I can say is, that if I was Tesco, the council would have to make it very worth my while to move after the messing about over the Guest & Chrimes site. Forge Island will then be redeveloped as a 'Cultural Quarter' with a new library, arts centre, theatre and cafés. Included in these daydreams is the demolition of the present bus station, messing around with the road system around St Anns including road closures, the demolition of the flyover, downgrading Centenary Way from a dual carriageway between College Road and St Anns roundabout amongst other bright ideas. So let's just bu!!er up the busiest road around town.

Disregarding the mess and the timescale, just think about the money involved; multi-millions. All this from a council who can't even access enough funds to get the roads up to a decent standard. Yes I know Denis MacShane said they were in good repair but he doesn't live in Rotherham does he; doesn't visit much by the sound of it either, except to claim large office expenses for his garage. Besides all the other repairs needed there is just the little problem of the expanding steel slag affecting various main roads about town. In August 2009 work has started on removing this from the dual carriageway at Canklow.

Here I am on my high 4x4 again, but nothing that I've read seems to make anything like adequate provision for the motorist: no new or extended car parks mentioned in anything I've read. Still never mind, in twenty years time fuel seems likely to so scarce and so expensive us ordinary mortals won't be able to afford our own vehicles anyway. In which case whatever is done in the town centre is a total waste of brass!

At the beginning of April 2010, TCN UK (actually a Dutch company), one of the companies set to make a lot of money out of the Rotherham Renaissance scheme, has announced it has signed a legal agreement to buy 5.5 acres at Walker Place so that the new Tesco store can be built there. Just what Tesco thought of this was not mentioned.

Turnpike Wharf

The area between the new Keppel Wharf apartments down the River Don towards Riverside Precinct is to be developed under the name of Turnpike Wharf. When completed by a projected date of 2013 it should consist of an extension to the riverside walk, public realm works and possibly a café and parking.

Minster Yard

By Christmas 2009 there should be a Lumière light show illuminating the Minster. It is intended that the area around Rotherham Minster will be redeveloped with seating, planting and paving; improvements to be completed by 2013.

Westgate Chambers

These are to be renovated to provide more town centre apartments.

New Incinerator

Barnsley Doncaster Rotherham Waste Partnership intend to build a new waste-burning incinerator in a position that is appropriate to all three towns. It is popularly supposed that this will be a site at Bolton Road, Manvers and people who live close to this area are not best pleased. Plans have not yet been finalised.

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