ACT aims to lure show crowds

They want to give punters a reason to venture away from the park during the huge annual show in September, attracting tens of thousands of visitors.

A treasure hunt and parade of cars were among the suggestions when traders group ACT for Rotherham met at the Panrty Green on Wednesday evening.

Paul Woodcock, Rotherham Borough Council’s director of planning and regeneration, said: “There are likely to be 80,000 people at the Rotherham Show.

It’s a fantastic opportunity to get some of those into the shops.

“So some of the ideas being suggested are things I’m sure we can look into, but we need the businesses to support these as well.”

One trader said: “People now are not bothering to come here at all, in favour of Meadowhall or Parkgate.

“So we don’t want them to get as close as Clifton Park and not come into the town centre. We’ve got to break that barrier.

“We need to something where they can come and walk around the town to bring people here. And the ideas have got to be given a good deal of spirit behind them to work.”

Sixteen businesses attended this weeks meeting, and decided that a “spotlight on” feature at the visitor centre was another way of increasing footfall to their shops.

The evening ghost walk through the town centre next month is already sold out, with a waiting list for the next one already being compiled.

May will also see a gardening weekend and in June the Yorkshire Regiment will parade around the town, exercising their Freedom of the Borough as they did in 2009.

In the long term, RMBC plans for improving the market entrance include removing the fountains to make it more visible for people walking from the interchange. But funding still needs to be identified for this.

And traders agreed that Tesco’s proposed move away from Forge Island would change the dynamic of the town centre.

Riverside Precinct businesses—currently prospering—fear the footfall will drop when the supermarket ups and moves, particularly because of the loss of its free car park.

Town centre businesses wishing to become involved in the group can email [email protected].