Rotherham Council's £2m to shore up Dinnington and Wath Levelling Up schemes

The £11 million scheme at Dinnington involves replacing the rundown markets area with new commercial units, community building and town square.

At Wath, the £9 million project centres on demolishing the library for a new, modern version with purpose-built spaces for learning, working and making.

RMBC cabinet members voted on Monday (29) to supplement the government grants with £1 million for each from their own Towns and Villages Fund.

As the Dinnington scheme was waved through, council leader Cllr Chris Read said: “There has been a significant programme of public engagement. A number of changes have been made as part of that process and I know there is a significant level of public interest.

“It will continue to face the same cost pressures that other schemes do. That’s why we are putting our own money in, to help ensure that it’s brought to fruition.”

The Dinnington project, off Laughton Road, is complicated because RMBC owns little of the site and have needed to engage with private landowners and leaseholders.

Planning applications have been submitted for both, with public consultation open until August 20 for Dinnington and next Friday (9) for Wath.

Building works on both projects are expected to start in autumn 2024, with a target completion of spring 2026.

Cllr Robert Taylor, cabinet member for transport, jobs and the local economy, said: “We aim to deliver regeneration throughout Rotherham, creating a legacy of high-quality, well-connected places and neighbourhoods.

“We expect these large-scale improvements to boost our town centre economies and create greater variety in what they offer visitors.

“No doubt the projects will also increase the sense of local pride once people are able to see and enjoy these impressive new buildings and surroundings.”

Also approved by cabinet this week were the £8 million Levelling Up projects at Rother Valley and Thrybergh country parks, which have been hit by runaway inflation.

Rother Valley will still get a new waterside cafe but Thrybergh’s will be refurbished instead of being rebuilt, under the scaled down projects hit by inflation. Both are due for completion by March 2026.