What you told the Advertiser you want for Rotherham town centre

Last week we posted a video on Facebook and said: “What do you think of the work taking place in Rotherham town centre and what more needs doing?

“A new market and central library development, Forge Island, Riverside Gardens, as well as lots of public realm work... there is plenty going on.

“But what would you like to see and what town centre issues would you like resolving?”

And the response was phenomenal with several hundred comments and replies. The overwhelming message was more shops are wanted and needed to attract people back to the town centre.

Here are a selection of comments from readers:

Linniepink Carter

Take a look at Wickersley they have lots of good little shops. Classy places to eat. Good ladies and gents hairdressers combined with the charity shops. People shop there because its clean and safe. Look at York, they have a large shopping centre but still manage to have a great town centre. We have the wonderful minster in the town – it could be wonderful again.

Tracy Webb

Shops. You can’t have a town with just charity shops and betting shops – there's no cloths shops, no shoe shops, no kids clothes shops, and no hardware shops.

Xylia Woodward

Craft shop, clothes shop, and shoe shop would be nice. I would use the library and the market so I am interested to see what they are like when they are finished. I really liked the free book shop and I think that should be brought back. Rotherham town centre shops close too early, which doesn’t help. No more mobile phone shops or vape shops though.

Ashley Thompson

Night market events with makers and street food. Micro-bars. More concerts and music festivals in Clifton Park. More high street stores. Better monitoring of unsociable behaviour.

Beverley Gamwell

Shoe and clothes shops. Turn old bingo building into a pub/hotel? Loyalty cards, generally a clean up etc.

Sharron Potton

Just give us our Rotherham back including the shops.

Gillian Marie Mercer

Whilst the small independently run shops are just great, I'd like to see some of the big retailers back. I honestly think it would increase footfall and boost sales for those independent shops that are already established. Town used to be a place to go for an afternoon of shopping.

Angela Jarvis

Wow, do I have the time and patience to answer these questions fully and even if I did, would it help bring back the thriving Rotherham town centre I remember back in the 70s, 80s, and 90s? I don’t think so, no. I shall continue (unfortunately) to shop out of my area in towns, or out of area, that have/still have decent shops to shop in like Parkgate Retail World, Barnsley and Doncaster.

Sandra Waterhouse

The Forge Island site could do with some shops too and not just eating places and the cinema.

Teresa Scattergood Wade

A teens zone maybe – a skate park, youth centre or something like what’s happening at Gulliver’s. Somewhere kids can go to try out trades like cooking or plumbing.

Louise Fox

Lower business rates, lower rental rates for businesses, free car parking, then you'll get more respectable high street shops, particularly clothes shops, and more footfall. We need more antisocial behaviour controls, it’s not difficult really.

Helen Boyd

We went to Rotherham today for the Mayor's parade and aside from those people watching the parade, I presume mostly parents watching their kids, there was no one there.

Hardly any shops to visit, lots of empty premises and it was so sad to see. The new projects are great, Forge Island, the green spaces but there has to be more reason for people to return.

A couple of premises were busy – Cafe Miele, Grimm & Co – but aside from the Makers Emporium there were hardly any shops. My son had some pocket money burning a hole in his pocket and for the first time ever, didn't spend any of it because there was nowhere of interest for him.

Something drastic needs to happen to attract a mix of independent and high street stores back otherwise it'll continue to fail.

Also for those saying free parking – it was free in the Drummond St car park.

Mark Cupitt

The government need to do something to encourage businesses as at the minute sky high energy costs, business rates and tax/NI simply means it’s not viable for people to even think of opening up in town centres – they can’t compete with online sales where they have minor overheads.

It’s shameful what Rotherham town centre has become over the last 15 years. It used to be thriving with shops and a very good nightlife. Now the majority of it is almost abandoned, yet it still has some nice little niche shops that are just about surviving.

Julie Barnfield

I went on Wednesday when it was raining and I must say the pavements were quite slippery. Also years ago there were a few different greengrocers to choose from. I've only seen one on the market outside, then again when it rains all the produce gets wet. Surely that's bad.

Marie Wolstenholme

Good shops back! Attract them back with low rent, better than being empty. Free parking and more security in town.

Geoff Morton

It would be better spent encouraging shops to come back by reducing business rates and rent assistance.

Jamie Beaumont

Build more apartments in the town centre. Once the people are there, business can open and thrive. You can’t open businesses and just expect people to turn up.

Olivia Webb

It's all good saying bring back shops and pubs but no one's got any money to spend in them.