Rotherham Town Centre Initiative
In Spring 2009 is yet another initiative to try and get the centre of Rotherham up and running again. Within the last year several major stores have closed in Rotherham - Woolworths, Rosebys, Fads, Burger King - as well as some minor ones. In mid-2009 Bay Trading company and Evans have gone as well, Jonathan James ditto. The buildings these shops inhabited now join a long list of empty properties in Rotherham. RMBC have realised, at long last, that they have a real problem here though business organisations and Joe Public have been telling them so for quite some time.
This is two-year scheme and from about 16 March 2009 new traders in units with rents of £25,000pa or less can apply for:–
- Rental discounts for small, independent specialists of 50% in the first year and 25% in the second.
- Contributions towards shop fitting.
You will need to sign up for a 5 year lease and demonstrate to a grants panel that the business is appropriate for aid.
In September these Business Vitality Grants have been taken up by three independent retailers:-
- Prego Coffee Shop
- Boo Boutiques
- Bridal Affairs
These should be opening in the Imperial Buildings shortly.
Also Available from April are the scheme to improve the shop fronts of existing shops, and encouragement to develop a mixture of outlets with a European style street culture. I have to say that I thought this was a non-starter given the British weather but the average Yorkie is obviously made of hardy stuff given the people that sit outside Churchills and t'other diner whose name I've forgotten on the other side of All Saints Square, even on cold days.
By these it is hoped to get the sort of small specialist shops that were driven out of Rotherham by the closure of Imperial Buildings and All Saints Building a couple of years ago. They are hoping for unique high quality shops to bring in the shoppers who at present won't touch Rotherham with a ten foot bargepole.
Just to cheer things up a bit in town some of the shop fronts have now been decorated. Hmmm!
Full information from Rotherham Investment & Development Office, Environment & Development Services. Tel. 44 (0)1709 336882. Mobile. 07766 698192. Fax. 44 (0)1709 336888. Email alison.hallatrotherham.gov.uk (remember to change at to @).