Council responds to migrant housing rumours on Maltby’s Little London estate

Rotherham Council says it does not know of any plans to turn empty homes on Maltby's Little London estate into shared housing for migrants, following claims circulating on social media.

The authority urged people to rely on verified information after claims that derelict properties on the Little London estate were to be 'turned into HMOs [houses of multiple occupation] for migrants circulated on social media.

Outline planning permission was granted in September 2025 to demolish two blocks of housing, known locally as the derelicts, and build 15 new homes on multiple plots across Churchill Avenue, Greenland Avenue, Morrison Avenue, and Greenland Avenue South.

A post circulating last week claimed that meetings had taken place about converting the empty houses into “HMOs for immigrants”, but provided no supporting documents or details of the meetings.

Ian Spicer, the council’s executive director of adults, housing and public health, said: “We are aware of claims circulating on social media about properties on the Little London estate in Maltby being converted into Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMOs).

“At present, the council is unaware of any such proposals, and there are no associated planning applications under consideration at this time.

“We would encourage people to rely on verified information rather than speculation on social media.”

The approved redevelopment, submitted by Rivergrove Ltd, includes 15 two-storey houses across three sites around Churchill Avenue, Greenland Avenue, Morrison Avenue and Greenland Avenue South, with a fourth area designated as public open space.

Rivergrove owns 64 of the estate’s 138 properties.

The scheme includes contributions of £76,200 towards off-site affordable housing, £56,055 for secondary school places at Maltby Academy and £7,500 for sustainable transport.

Residents have spent years campaigning for action over the derelict buildings, raising concerns about vermin, fly-tipping, damp and anti-social behaviour.

Twenty formal objections were submitted to the redevelopment application, including from Maltby Town Council and campaign group Big Power for Little London.

While some welcomed regeneration, concerns included existing housing conditions, the loss of potential community space and whether the scheme would deliver lasting improvements.

Planning officers said the development would remove unsafe buildings and provide modern homes with gardens and parking.

In November 2025, the council said further planning details required approval before demolition could begin.