Last chance to have your say on Wath plans

The scheme to improve central area was outlined at a consultation day last month and now people have an opportunity to register their support, objections and ideas online.

A Wath resident who attended the initial consultation day on October 11 said: “The funding must be spent on the capital project as outlined in the bid, however what happens in the new building is of keen interest to residents of Wath.

"A capital project without additional investment in services runs the risk of ending up as a white elephant.

"The initial plan includes a cafe, a meeting room and small library upstairs. The last thing Wath needs is another cafe to complete with existing cafés that are struggling given the cost of living crisis.“It will be interesting to see if the feedback to council officers matches with ideas that we heard during the meeting.“We’ve been pushing Rotherham to adopt the Local Government Association advice on how to consult people in the community. We appear to be getting more opportunities for Wath residents to have their say, certainly more than was originally planned by the council.”

Proposals include a new library and community facility, better connectivity between Biscay Way and the High Street, new commercial units and improved public space.Funding of £19,990,111 has been secured by Rotherham Council from the government, of which £8,940,564 is allocated to the Wath improvements.

Initial consultation was extended after residents expressed concern. They said the investment was “good news” but the initial planned three-hour consultation was “inadequate”.

One Wath business owner said the scheme must restore the cultural heart of the town centre, increase footfall and boost the local economy.All responses from the consultation and engagement will be collated to inform the design development. Details of a further public engagement event will be confirmed in early 2024, with the aim of gathering additional feedback on the scheme.

The link to the plans and feedback is https://www.rotherham.gov.uk/local-economy-1/wath-town-centre with plans posted from this week under December 4 for consultation.