Council considers masterplan to regenerate Rotherham town centre

A Rotherham Borough Council cabinet and commissioner’s decision making meeting will discuss the proposal at a meeting on Monday.

If accepted, the masterplan would work on the Town Centre Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), which already details a number of development opportunities.

Cllr Denise Lelliott, the council’s cabinet member for jobs and the local economy, said: “The masterplan would be an important tool in marketing the wider town centre to potential investors and encouraging further regeneration. Although the SPD is a useful document and identifies specific sites for development, it isn’t designed to consider the full range of development issues within those sites such as viability and deliverability of proposals. Neither does it focus in detail on how each of the key sites could be delivered.

“The masterplan would identify funding and likely delivery options for these sites, and have a much broader brief than the SPD, including the development of the broad vision and an implementation plan to turn the vision and plans into reality.”

If approved, the masterplan would focus on transport issues, including car parking and key issues and challenges that are likely to affect the town centre including the night-time economy, development at Forge Island and transport issues.