Hotel plan for Rotherham's historic Guest and Chrimes site

The Grade II Listed structure sits between Rotherham United’s AESSEAL New York football stadium and the council’s Riverside House headquarters.

Its redevelopment had a false start three years ago, when the council announced plans to redevelop the complex as an entertainment venue, primarily a site for live music.

That would have hinged on using £4.5m from the Government’s Towns Deal fund.

However, two years ago it was announced that Rotherham Council could not agree terms with the football club, the leaseholders of the building and the scheme collapsed.

At the time, the council’s assistant director for planning, Simon Moss, said: “We remain open to future dialogue with the football club on any plans they may have to find a suitable alternative opportunity for the landmark building.”

Seven years ago, RUFC chairman Tony Stewart told the Advertiser he had been in talks with English Heritage about the future of the site.

Now it has been confirmed that Stewart Developments Ltd will be applying to the council for both planning permission and Listed building consent to create a hotel on the site.

No detailed plans have yet been made public, but the proposal would involve: “Part demolition of the existing Grade II Listed building and erection of a new build with a link to provide a new hotel development and associated landscaping and other works.”

Listed building status is applied to protect assets which justify being preserved and, usually, developers wanting to alter the fabric of such buildings have to justify the need to do so.

Grade II Listing is less rigorous than Grade I in that respect, but still offers significant protection.

Guest and Chrimes was a brass and iron works and in its heyday was a major manufacturing force, producing high quality metal components.

The company moved into the Don Street building in the middle of the 19th Century, with the site becoming vacant around the turn of the 21st Century.

The brick-built complex is a landmark in that part of Rotherham and, if developed, would be a significant development, on the opposite side of Main Street to the new Forge Island complex.