Part of a prominent corner building at the foot of Rotherham town centre's regenerated High Street could be converted into flats under plans submitted to the Council.
38-40 College Street comprises a three storey, self contained building with a Portland Stone façade and was given a guide price of £150,000 - £200,000, by leading firm, Acuitus, when it went up for auction earlier this year. It sold for £245,000.
Now plans have been submitted which would enable the second floor of the property, previously used as a snooker hall, to be converted into five new flats.
It is ten years since the pilot project, called "Living over the Shops (LOTS)" saw the Council work with a social housing provider to create new residential accommodation in the nearby building on Vicarage Lane.
The latest town centre masterplan reinforces the focus on encouraging new housing developments, with town centre living seen as critical to sustaining the long term health of the town centre and being important in achieving around the clock vitality and vibrancy. 2,000 new homes could be created in Rotherham town centre.
Advertisement Applicants, a London-based property company called Finematch Ltd, show that, having previously been the home of Central Snooker Club, a club with an 80 year history, the second floor of the 11,000 sq ft building has been empty for two years.
Four two-bedroom flats and one one-bedroom flat make up the plans, with access from High Street and Vicarage Lane. The ground floor is set to remain as retail - currently the larger unit is home to That's Entertainment and the second unit has recently been vacated by Eastwood Domestics.
Though not a listed building, the property is on Rotherham Civic Society's local list which compiles properties of architectural or historic interest. The society states that: "No.2 High Street had been purchased by Montague Burton Ltd in 1926 with a view to expanding its presence in Rotherham. Following discussions with the Rotherham Corporation it became apparent that, due to the highway authority's plans to ease the College Street / High Street corner, Nos. 4 & 6 would need to be acquired in order to provide a site of sufficient size for Burton's new premises.
"In December 1929 the company's proposals for the new store were approved and the old property was demolished. The new building, designed by Harry Wilson, Architect, of Roundhay in Leeds was completed in 1931."
The building was previously home to Peter Lord shoes and was historically the venue for tea dances.
A prominent building in Rotherham town centre is set to be sold at auction next month.
27 - 29 College Street in Rotherham, known by many as the previous home of national retailer, Marks & Spencer, is listed with leading auctioneers, Acuitus for its next auction that will take place in London on December 7.
With 32,600 sq ft of "well configured and flexible retail accommodation" the freehold of the historic building has been given a guide price of £900,000. This is below the guide price of £977,000 given when the property went up for sale with agents Fawcett Mead earlier this year.
With eye-catching half mock timber and decorative Art Nouveau style windows above, the ground floor is let to Poundworld Retail Limited until 2021. Rothbiz reported first in 2011 that the discount retailer was taking on the vacant site. The sale documents show that the retailer pays a rent of £118,000 per annum for the Rotherham store under its Bargain Buys brand name.
The property is being advertised as having the potential to convert the self-contained vacant upper parts to residential which would echo similar plans in the area and meet the focus of the new masterplan. Town centre living is seen as critical to sustaining the long term health of the town centre and seen as important in achieving around the clock vitality and vibrancy.
Advertisement The previous agents for the property said: "The property provides one of the best large retail floorplates within Rotherham and enjoys a prominent frontage onto the pedestrianised College Street.
"The property is arranged to provide well configured and flexible retail sales accommodation at ground floor. Part of the upper floors are currently vacant and, in our opinion offer, potential for conversion to residential use (subject to planning)."
Plans were submitted earlier this month to convert the former Central Snooker Club, a club with an 80 year history, into five flats. The second floor of the nearby 38-40 College Street building has been empty for two years.
The nearby 2-6 Effingham Street has also recently gone up for sale. Described as an investment opportunity, it is being marketed by property firm, JLL with a guide price of £1.1m.
Whilst not a listed building, the property at 27 - 29 College Street is on Rotherham Civic Society's local list which compiles properties of architectural or historic interest.
The society states that: "This building is located on the site of the long established Grapes Inn Public House and bonded stores situated to the rear. In March 1920 the owner, the South Yorkshire Wine & Spirits Co. Ltd, received building consent from the former Rotherham Corporation to completely rebuild the Public House to the designs of James R. Wigfull, Architect, of Sheffield.
"In August 1932 building consent approval was given to a partial reconstruction of the building by inserting a new steel frame into the existing building and erecting a major steel framed and brick faced extension to the rear to provide warehousing for the new use of the building as a shop. The building re-opened as a branch of Marks & Spencer in March 1933, and has remained in retail use ever since."
M&S moved to a larger store at Parkgate Shopping in 2004. Before Poundworld moved in, first under the Discount UK name, the building was previously occupied by Hitchens.
National supermarkert chain, Wm Morrisons, has applied to improve the retail offer at its Rotherham store at Bramley with the addition of new units in the car park.
In March, bosses at the retail firm discussed plans to develop popular and useful services at its network of stores including identifying a number of car park development opportunities.
Mirroring plans for sites up and down the country, a planning application has been submitted to Rotherham Council that would enable the construction of an extra 4,700 sq ft of retail space in the South West corner of the store's car park.
Mathew Turnbull of agents Peacock and Smith, who are acting on behalf of Morrisons, said: "The application seeks consent for the erection of a retail terrace of three units, including a drive thru facility; a hand car wash facility; a tyre changing facility; and a retail pod."
Advertisement The plans, drawn up by Whittam Cox Architects, add: "The scheme seeks to revitalise the existing WM Morrisons car park by offering more choice to customers and generating new employment opportunities. The proposal will be constructed to high standards and with sensitivity to its locality. We are confident that the proposed site additions will be exceptionally well received by the local residents and visitors to Bramley."
The proposal would reduced the overall number of spaces in the 638 space car park by approximately 89.
The end users of the proposed units are not yet known. At Morrisons at Catcliffe, a branch of Specsavers has been operating from a retail pod in the car park for a number of years.
A sequential test is included in the plans in line with "town centre first" national and local planning policies. Sequential tests ensure that development is located in the most sustainable location first (usually in town centres), before other, less sustainable locations are chosen.
The test concludes that there no sequentially preferable sites, discounting sites in Wickersley and Maltby that are considered too small or unsuitable and unviable.
In its financial results for the first half of 2017/18, the Bradford based firm reported that turnover was £8.42bn, up 4.8% on the same period in the previous year. Profit before tax for the half year was £200m, up from £143m in the same period in 2016, a rise of 39.9%.
Small Business Saturday is being celebrated again in Rotherham town centre this weekend with consumers encouraged to support small businesses and shop local.
Launching in the UK in 2013, Small Business Saturday is a grassroots, non-political, non-commercial campaign, which highlights small business success and encourages consumers to support them in their communities, both on the Saturday and beyond.
The concept is based on the initiative that already exists in America. In the US, Small Business Saturday takes place on the first Saturday after Thanksgiving celebrations, one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Conceived and promoted by American Express, Small Business Saturday complements "Black Friday" and "Cyber Monday" which focus largely on big box and online retailers.
In Rotherham, the popular free Christmas gift wrapping service in All Saints' Square will return, where shoppers are invited to come along from 10am to 2pm and have their gifts wrapped for free, as well as get advice as to where to find that extra special present.
Advertisement RiDO, the investment arm of Rotherham Council, will be promoting its "Mighty" business start-up and support scheme, which is part of the Sheffield City Region Launchpad programme, in the former Thornton's Unit, All Saints' Square.
Anyone looking to set up in business can come along between 9.30am and 3.30pm for valuable expert advice and to sign up to programme. Mighty delivers everything from practical help, such as finding premises or preparing contracts, to testing and developing business ideas, through both one-to-one mentoring and coaching, and a bank of resources.
A number of events are also scheduled to take place, including the Festive Wonderland bringing activities and entertainment, and Father Christmas, to town.
An alternative Christmas market is being hosted by the 1915 Bar and The Sorting Office underneath. Town centre retailer, Mysticum Luna, has gathered over 20 independent local business, selling handmade, alternative Xmas treats including jewellery and clothing.
Free parking has also made a welcome return for the festive period which means it’s free to park every weekend up to and including Saturday 30 December 2017 in all RMBC owned on-street bays and off-street car parks (maximum stay still applies). Sundays are free as normal.
Cllr. Denise Lelliott, Cabinet Member for Jobs and the Local Economy at Rotherham Council, said: "Our small businesses in Rotherham are second to none so we are proud to support Small Business Saturday once again.
"Whether you are just starting out as a new business and in need of advice, or simply on the hunt for some family fun as you start your Christmas shopping, I would encourage everyone to come along to Rotherham town centre and join in this Saturday."
Holdsworth, a prominent professional bike racing team of the 1970's, is being brought back to the circuit by Rotherham-based retailer, Planet X, and it has been given a distinctly South Yorkshire flavour.
Planet X specialises in time trial, road, track and fixed wheel bikes along with mountain bikes under the On One brand. They relocated to new premises at the Ignite development in Templeborough in 2009 and also has warehouse space at Aldwarke.
Founded by keen triathlete Dave Loughran (pictured above) in the 1990's, Planet X is now the largest builder of high performance bikes in the UK, designing and selling under various brands. It acquired the respected Holdsworth brand in 2013, resurrecting it in 2015 by manufacturing speciality lightweight bikes in the UK.
Now plans are being finalised to relaunch the famous orange and blue professional team in 2018.
Recently announced is the capture of Rotherham racer, Russell Downing to captain the team following a stint with JLT–Condor. Russ, who won the Tour of Ireland in 2008 and became the first Briton to win a stage for Team Sky in 2010, will join with his older brother, Dean, another former pro and British champion, who is the team's performance coach.
Another rider is Jake Womersley from Mirfield in West Yorkshire, said to be a great prospect in his own right, and is the grandson of Brian Robinson, the first British winner of a stage in the Tour de France. Tom and Leon Mazzone, pros from the Isle of Man, will also be joining the team alongside four Irish riders - Conn McDunphy, Sean McKenna, Damien Shaw and Dermot Turlock. Seid Lizde, an Italian professional, is the latest signing.
Advertisement The Holdsworth Pro Racing Team will be managed by Sheffield's Malcolm Elliott, a prodigious race winner in a long career that included being the first British cyclist to win the points title in a Grand Tour, which Elliott achieved in the 1988 Vuelta a Espana.
Elliott (pictured below, left) said: "I'm really looking forward to the opportunity of working with the guys, and with the Holdsworth brand. The first bike I raced on as a teenager was a Holdsworth Professional. And being from Sheffield I really like the Yorkshire connection the team has, and the fact that there are so many people I know involved with it. Going forward I hope I can help the team reach its full potential."
The team, which is set to operate at the UCI Continental level, will help promote the Holdsworth brand and Planet X will hope to boost sales of its bikes that are designed and built "to ignite the imagination of the both new and old Holdsworth fans."
Originally formed in 1968, the team was paired with Campagnolo as a co-sponsor and went on to dominate the UK scene and even take teams to famous races on the Tour de France and Paris-Roubaix.
Members of the team recently attended the launch of the route for the 2018 Tour de Yorkshire, an event where Holdsworth will be hoping for a sought after team entry.
Next year the Tour de Yorkshire will take in roads in Rotherham for the first time. Starting in Barnsley town centre for Stage 2, riders will race through the picturesque village of Wentworth before a designated sprint at Swinton. The route continues past Kilnhurst and Hooton Roberts before taking in Conisbrough Castle. Passing Mexbrough, the riders then head North to the finish in Ilkely.
The planning application for the long-awaited revamp of the bus station in Rotherham town centre has been approved but the owner of the adjacent shopping precinct is unhappy at the prospect of the interchange's closure whilst work is carried out.
Architects at Jefferson Sheard submitted the application earlier this year focused on refreshing the concourses with upgrades to flooring, plinths and glazing. The main pedestrian entrances are also set to be revamped.
Norseman Estates Limited, who are owners of the College Walk Shopping Centre which adjoins the bus station, has complained over the consultation done by the SYPTE and the impact of the temporary closure of the bus station.
Partners decided last year to focus on refurbishing the car park and bus station rather than a large scale redevelopment. Opened in 1971, the multi storey car park has since developed widespread defects. It is underutilised and "nearing the point of being beyond economic repair."
The bus station, which has associated public safety issues, suffered a fire in 2016 which caused significant damage.
Construction works to undertake the car park refurbishment scheme commenced on site in May 2017. The approved plans included internal improvements to increase usage and proposals for new highly durable anodised mesh panels to replace the poorly implemented current external cladding.
The latest plans, approved without the need to go to the planning board, include new finishes, fixtures and fittings to refresh the interchange, replacing failing components and improving the customer experience. This includes new glazed facades, replacing the existing floor surface in its entirety, new concourse and runway ceilings, replacing all of the current seating, new signage and a new, high quality and integrated customer service desk.
Led by the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE), the tender process to procure a construction firm to carry out the work is underway with the deadline this week.
Work is anticipated to start in Spring 2018 and last for approximately 12 months.
Proposals are in place to fully close the interchange site to the public and the potential use of nearby Forge Island for a temporary bus station is being discussed.
Advertisement Legal firm Freeths, on behalf of Norseman Estates, said: "The importance of the operation of the bus station and its relation to the shopping centre and the wider town centre cannot be over emphasised in terms of the vitality and viability of the town.
"Although the development for which planning permission is sought in this application may be considered relatively small scale it never the less has the potential to have significant and serious implications if not properly managed as part of the overall refurbishment of the bus station."
A report from council planners responds with: "The applicant indicates that the car park construction works will be completed in parallel with this application to minimise the duration of the construction works on site and consequently minimise disruption to the ongoing town centre activities and retail offers. However, the applicant has confirmed that the construction of the new entrance lobbies can be completed without whole closure of the interchange. Localised temporary relocation of the bus stands immediately adjacent to each entrance may be required at most.
"The issues raised by the objector are noted and the potentially uncertainty of the business owners within the College Walk Shopping Precinct to the south of the interchange are understood. However, the issue raised by the objector in respect of there being no proper consultation with the businesses and the applicant is not a material planning consideration and this issue, together with the fact the bus interchange will need to close to carry out the wider redevelopment of the site is one that should be discussed between the applicant and the businesses outside of this planning application as it is legal / civil issue.
"It is noted that the closure of the bus interchange may impact on town centre, however there have been months of discussions between the applicant and other Council departments to ensure any disruption is minimal and does not significantly impact on the town centre. Again this is not material to this application and is for discussions outside of planning."
In 1995 Norseman Holdings bought the whole site from Rotherham Council, re-developing it with a shopping mall at the main entrance and new shops fronting onto Effingham Street. To facilitate the wider proposals, SYPTE agreed to take a 99 year lease of the Interchange site.
The owners also asked for a decision on the application to be deferred pending further negotiations to keep the bus station open during the works.
Council planners conclude that a condition is not considered necessary in this instance given the small scale nature of the proposed works, which in isolation, if approved would not require the bus interchange to close.
The report adds: "It is noted that during the construction phase of the wider development there may be a short term impact on the economic and social dimensions due to pedestrians not walking directly past the businesses from the Interchange, but these business can be accessed directly off Frederick Street.
"Furthermore, once this construction period has finished, the wider development is likely to provide significant economic and environmental enhancements to the town centre and its businesses."
A prominent building in Rotherham town centre has been sold following an auction earlier this month.
27 - 29 College Street in Rotherham, known by many as the previous home of national retailer, Marks & Spencer, includes 32,600 sq ft of "well configured and flexible retail accommodation."
The freehold was given a guide price of £900,000 by leading auctioneers, Acuitus for its auction in London on December 7. The lot did not sell on the day but a deal was struck after the event.
The sale follows on from a deal for the adjacent property in July. The freehold shop investment at 31 College Street (the Greenwoods store) went under the hammer with national auctioneers, Allsop, and was sold at the guide price of £300,000.
Over the road, 38-40 College Street was given a guide price of £150,000 - £200,000 by Acuitus when it went up for auction earlier this year. It sold for £245,000.
Advertisement Richard Auterac, chairman of Acuitus, said: "Coming into this year – after the economic and political turbulence of 2016 – it was very hard to call how our market would fare. In the event, we have substantially broadened our seller base and been able to bring to auction the type of assets which meet the needs of the growing numbers of private investors targeting the commercial property sector.
"Our final 2017 auction illustrated this with the sale of investments across all property sectors and throughout the UK."
With eye-catching half mock timber and decorative Art Nouveau style windows above, the ground floor is let to Poundworld Retail Limited until 2021 who operate its Bargain Buys fascia on the site.
The property was advertised as having the potential to convert the self-contained vacant upper parts to residential which would echo similar plans in the area and meet the focus of the new masterplan. Town centre living is seen as critical to sustaining the long term health of the town centre and seen as important in achieving around the clock vitality and vibrancy.
A planning application was recently submitted to convert part of 38-40 College Street into flats. The former snooker hall on the second floor of the property could be converted into five new flats.
Home improvement and garden retailer, Bunnings Warehouse, has officially opened its new Rotherham store, its first opening in the North of England.
Keen to climb up the ladder in the £38 billion a year UK home improvement and gardening market, the Australian firm acquired the struggling Homebase chain in February 2016 for £340m. The company, part of the AUS$66 billion turnover Wesfarmers Group, announced plans to invest up to £500m rolling out the Bunnings Warehouse format in the UK and Ireland over the next three to five years.
The new store is located on Parkgate, at the Northfields Retail Park which was formerly occupied by B&Q but has been vacant since June 2016. At over 70,000 sq ft, it offers customers more than 30,000 leading home improvement and garden products from a wide range of global market-leading brands. Other services include everything from paint mixing to key cutting, a garden centre, timber cutting and in-store DIY Workshops.
Advertisement Creating 80 new full and part-time jobs, Bunnings' team members have already been busy in the local area. This included redecorating two bedrooms at Rotherham Hospice for families and installing shelving at Shiloh Rotherham, a drop-in centre which offers hot food, clothing and facilities for the homeless.
Ian Smith, complex manager of the Rotherham store, said: "All our team members have worked really hard to get the store ready for opening and have undertaken many hours of training to make sure we have the expertise to help customers with home or garden projects."
To celebrate the opening, Johnny Nelson, former professional boxer joined a welcome breakfast for team members. He said: "It's been a successful morning opening the store and celebrating with the Bunnings team members. I have no doubt that the store will be a huge success."
The store will host a number events this weekend, where customers can enjoy a range of family activities including the famous Bunnings Sausage Sizzle, face-painting, balloon modelling and even join Santa for a Story Time session.
Transporting the community initiative from Australia, Bunnings holds regular "sausage sizzles" so customers can enjoy a tasty barbecued sausage sandwich while raising funds for local community groups like schools, hospitals and sports clubs.
Advertisement The firm, which also operates as Homebase out of 251 trading locations, now has 12 Bunnings Warehouse locations in the UK, with a further seven planned.
In its results for the first quarter of the 2018 financial year, Wesfarmers said that total sales decreased 17.5% (13.8% in local currency terms) at Bunnings in the UK and Ireland. It said it was due to difficult trading conditions which persisted for Homebase.
Conversely it added that the rollout of the Bunnings Warehouse pilot stores continued and that they were delivering early encouraging results.
A planning application has been submitted to convert a large empty retail unit into a restaurant and wine bar at Stag Roundabout in Rotherham.
A number of eateries have joined the popular Cuccini's cafe on Herringthorpe Valley Road, including Indian and Bangladeshi restaurant, La Pondicherry and Nonna's Deli - which is also planning changes.
156 Wickersley Road has recently been let and change of use plans have been drawn up that would bring the 9,353 sq ft retail unit, formerly a wooden floor outlet, back into use.
Applicant, M Rana, is hoping to split the L-shaped ground floor into two uses to create a restaurant with an adjoining wine bar.
Advertisement The plans, drawn up by architects at Building Link Design, show enough space for 18 covers in the 2,500 sq ft restaurant which would have its own bar and space for outdoor seating. The 900 sq ft wine bar would have its own entrance.
The plans add that the development would create eleven new jobs (five full time and six part time).
Built in 1963 and initially trading as Fine Fare, the unit was marketed by SMC Chartered Surveyors.
Next door, the retail unit that was previously home to Motor World and Co-operative retail outlets, received change of use planning permission in 2015 and was refurbished by the owners of Aroma restaurant in Northallerton before opening as La Pondicherry.
At nearby Nonna's Deli, a refurbishment is being carried out as the outlet, pioneered by local restaurateur, Dino Maccio, is reopening as Nonna's cafe and prosecco bar.
Rotherham-based boutique ladies clothing store, RebLe, has opened its doors following receipt of a £500 grant from the UK Steel Enterprise (UKSE) Kickstart Fund.
The UKSE funding has allowed business owner, Rebecca Twynham, to fund branded, exterior signage as well as display units and clothing rails, essential for the establishment of the her first store.
Launched in September 2017, and ideally located in the main retail hub of Wath-upon-Dearne, RebLe stocks a wide range of ladies fashion items including clothing, handbags and jewellery.
Rebecca Twynham, founder of RebLe, said: "I'm so grateful for the funding I've received from UKSE. Being able to have professional exterior signage fitted really helps the shop stand out so it's easier for customers to find and notice us. I’m hoping that people will continue to spread the word about the opening of RebLe Fashion Boutique!"
AdvertisementRebecca has ambitious plans to open a second store – for childrenswear and plus-size clothing - after receiving a number of requests from customers confirming the demand.
She said: "Currently, I'm doing everything myself, I’m working at the shop full-time and take care of the business side, too. In the future, it'd be great to employ a team of people but, for now, I'm loving getting fully involved in growing the business and intend to do this until RebLe is well established in the area."
RebLe is already experiencing popularity and is partnering with other local businesses to hold events such as fashion shows, pamper evenings and Christmas shopping nights.
UK Steel Enterprise, a subsidiary of Tata Steel, was launched in 1975 to support the economic development of steel industry areas. Launched in February 2016 by UKSE, with support from RIDO and Rotherham Youth Enterprise, the Kickstart Fund consists of a £40,000 pot dedicated to supporting people looking to establish a business in the local area.
Allan Wood from UK Steel Enterprise, said: "RebLe has attracted local interest and, with plans to expand in the future, I look forward to watching how the business continues to grow over the coming years."
Shoppers and visitors could soon be offered a free Wi-Fi service in Rotherham town centre as the local council considers ways to stimulate footfall.
Rothbiz reported in September on how the local authority planned to support existing businesses as they wait for the catalyst projects in the new masterplan to revive the town centre.
These include parking incentives, the introduction of a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO), marketing and promotion and opportunities for "meanwhile uses" and window/frontage treatments.
Now Rotherham Council is looking to get up to speed and offer free Wi-Fi in the town centre.
Having been asked by Liberal Democrat Cllr. Adam Carter about support for the digital economy in Rotherham at a recent full council meeting, Cllr. Denise Lelliott, Cabinet Member for Jobs and the Local Economy at Rotherham Council, said: "There are a number of measures for the digital economy in Rotherham. We are dealing with programmes and workshops for new start ups and growing businesses. You might have seen the Google Bus out and about as we have been teaming up with partners in Sheffield, and obviously Google, and taking it to where businesses are.
"We have been working with the Sheffield city region on implementing an action digital plan, and that is being drafted at the minute. We have also been working with Superfast Broadband which is across the four local authorities.
"Then we are planning to roll out free Wi-Fi in the town centre as part of our strategy for 2018, but that will be the back end of 2018.
"Via our RiDO team and other council initiatives, we are doing a lot to promote the digital economy in Rotherham."
Advertisement Currently free Wi-Fi in the town centre is only available in specific buildings or retail / leisure outlets. For example, at Rotherham Council's Riverside House and the library, Tesco, McDonald's and Wetherspoons.
Sheffield Council recently confirmed the implementation of free, public-access Wi-Fi as part of the Business Improvement District (BID) plans for encouraging visitors, residents and employees to spend more time in the city.
Selecting Idaq Networks, Sheffield Council designed the scheme to include no upfront or ongoing investment by the authority. A concession contract sees the private company install superfast and ultrafast broadband equipment to council-owned street lights and street furniture.
Similar schemes have been progressed in Doncaster and Barnsley town centres.
Rotherham Council's Corporate Plan sets out the priorities for serving local residents and communities. It includes a target based on the aggregate pedestrian footfall in the town centre over the course of the year.
For the quarter between July and September 2017 the footfall was recorded by the Council as 4,820,432. This is slightly down on the April and June 2017 quarter when the footfall figure was 4,875,248 but it is a 15.07% decrease on the summer months of July and September 2016 which peaked at 5,898,148.
The percentage of vacant floor space in the town centre area reduced from 19.3% in the quarter April - June 2017, to 18.4% in the quarter July - September 2017. The demolition of the empty Tesco store on Forge Island accounts for a major part of the decrease but with the 33,100 sq ft Primark unit becoming empty during November, the percentage for the next quarter looks set to increase.
The percentage of total vacant units in the town centre has increased. Going from 25.9% in Q1 (April - June) to 27.2% in Q2 (July - September). The Local Data Company (LDC) calculated that the average vacancy rate in the UK at the end of Q2 rose to 12.2%.
Advertisement On declining footfall, Cllr. Lelliott, said: "We acknowledge the fact that footfall is down and we've got problems with empty units. We are doing a lot of work around the town centre to increase footfall and we have set up an officer task group.
"In addition to that, obviously there's our masterplan development and Forge Island, and we have applied to the Sheffield city region with some funding bids to help enable developments to happen.
"We are working with town centre businesses to have a look at what we can do to address empty units, dress them and make them look more attractive to people who are coming in."
Rotherham-based Crawshaw Group PLC, the fresh meat and food to go retailer, has given an update on the festive trading period which included its biggest ever Christmas week.
The AIM-listed Hellaby firm has a stratagy focused on accelerating the rollout of its factory shop format. These destination sites are seen as particularly attractive as they allow the retailer to offer even greater value to customers through larger pack sizes and value progression.
For the 15 week period to December 24 2017, total group sales increased by 0.6% compared to the same period in the previous year, with group gross margin also increasing by 0.6%.
Crawshaw said that it was making continued progress on its strategy and that the performance was underpinned by the strength of the growing factory shop format, which helped to offset the impact of lower footfall on the high street and the "overall softer consumer sentiment" which meant that group like for like sales were down by 6.1% and group like for like customers had reduced by 2.6%.
Festive trade saw group sales in the week leading up to Christmas reaching a record £1.8m and almost 3,500 value meat hampers sold.
Crawshaws now operates ten factory shops within its 54-shop estate, with five more planned for the year. Factory shops are expected to account for well over half of group revenue in 2020 and the new factory stores are on track to deliver a circa one-year cash payback. Factory shops are a simpler model to implement and operate, have lower rents and require significantly lower set up costs.
Advertisement In April 2017, heads of terms were agreed on a deal for 2 Sisters Food Group founder and chief executive, Ranjit Boparan (and connected party), to invest approximately £5.1m for a 29.9% stake in Crawshaw, with warrants to acquire a further 20.1% of the Group. The update said that the partnership, which includes an initial three-year supply agreement, is progressing well.
Overall, the board anticipates a period of transition as the necessary actions are taken to move the business towards the factory shop model.
Noel Collett, CEO of Crawshaws plc, said: "On balance, this was a solid core Christmas trading performance against what remains a very tough high street environment. Our biggest ever Christmas week and the record number of meat hampers sold clearly demonstrates the trust our customers place in us for their most important meat spend of the year. This gives us a solid platform to improve trading momentum going into 2018.
"We continue to focus on strengthening Crawshaws' position as the country's best value butcher. We are excited by the performance of our factory shops and by the progress of our 2Sisters supply agreement and, while there is much to do, we remain confident that this combination will be transformational for the long-term growth of the company."
Maplin and Fishing Republic, two national retailers that have their headquarters in Rotherham, are both searching for new chief executive officers (CEOs).
Manvers-based Maplin sells a range of products to tech-savvy hobbyists as well as general consumers and now operates from 217 stores.
The current CEO of Maplin, Oliver Meakin, is set to move to Argentine steak restaurant chain, Gaucho at the end of the month.
Taking the role in September 2015, Meakin moved from commercial director, where he held responsibility for eCommerce, buying, merchandising, supply chain and leading a business transformation programme, which helped contribute to encouraging annual sales growth. His previous experience includes Somerfield supermarkets and Miller & Carter steakhouses.
Maplin was sold for £85m to new owners, Rutland Partners in 2014. For the year ending 31 March 2017, turnover at the electronics chain increased to £235.8m from £234.6m in the previous year. Earnings before tax (EBITDA) was recorded at £8.9m, down from £12.7m and pre tax losses widened from £2.1m in 2015/16 to £3.9m for 2016/17.
During the period, the firm transferred operations and now has a "front office" of the commercial, marketing, ecommerce and digital function based together in London, with a "back office" of the HR, finance, IT, warehouse and distribution and contact centre functions based in Rotherham. As a result, Maplin recruited 60 new staff to its support centres.
Advertisement Recent initiatives include a new website, a focus on support and installation services and a link up with GAME over concession space. Maplin said it saw strong trading over 2017 Black Friday with sales up 5% year-on-year including its biggest ever trading day in digital.
Media reports hinted at financial woes with stories over credit insurers cutting their exposure to the company.
Eastwood-based Fishing Republic, one of the largest fishing tackle retailers in the UK, brought in an interim CEO in November to continue to grow its online sales having seen "a significant deterioration in trading."
An update to the stock exchange said: "Chris Griffin, who joined the Company as acting CEO (non-Board) to conduct a comprehensive appraisal of its operations, has completed his review and, as a result, a number of organisational and operational changes are already underway. This includes a significant strengthening of the senior management team, with new talent joining the business in some key roles. In particular, the review has focused on Fishing Republic's e-commerce operations and platform in order to accelerate the Company's development in this critical area.
"Trading in the final months of the financial year ended 31 December 2017 has been in line with management expectations after successful Black Friday and Christmas online sales campaigns. The Board therefore expects revenues for the year to be c. £9m although, as previously stated, the Company will record an overall loss for the period."
Recruitment is underway for a permanent CEO and chairman, James Newman, has assumed the role of executive chairman temporarily and will continue to oversee the operational changes.
Another prominent Grade II listed building in Rotherham town centre has been put up for sale, offering a redevelopment opportunity between the award-winning High Street and Rotherham Minster.
Known by many as the former John Speeds department store, the 11,500 sq ft property is being advertised for sale with chartered surveyors, White & Co. It includes 18 High Street and 15 Vicarage Lane.
No asking price has been provided for the freehold of the property which includes retail space with offices above. It is being promoted as having redevelopment potential.
A number of properties in the area, such as the former Muntus department store on the High Street and the Georgian town house opposite, have been renovated with retail space below new housing. The area was part of the £5m Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) scheme.
Advertisement The former Speeds Department Store occupied four buildings which were knocked together to form one store but were subsequently divided again to form retail units fronting both Vicarage Lane and High Street.
It was redeveloped around ten years ago when plans were approved for the ground floor of the former Rumbelows building to be converted and occupied by Phoenix Enterprises who provide delivery of a variety of programmes and initiatives to help disadvantaged groups back into employment.
The ground floor area of the building fronting the All Saints Church, formerly operated by Whitegates and the Factory Shop, was used as a recruitment agency office and also includes a community hall.
The first and second floors of the building have been used predominantly for office use. Extensive work was carried out on the roof and new lifts were installed to improve access.
15 Vicarage Lane is described as a fine, early nineteenth century former townhouse and is Grade II listed. It has pride of place next to the church and the revamped public space. The building is on the site of the old vicarage and excavations in the area revealed medieval deposits.
Advertisement Smaller properties in the area are also for sale. Rowland Burkitt is promoting the sale of 20, 20A and 20B High Street and also the corner plot at 33 High Street and 8/10 Moorgate.
At auction later this month, the vacant office building at 14 Moorgate Street, is set to go under the hammer with Mark Jenkinson & son. The building dates from 1895 and has proposed plans for six apartments. It has been given a guide price of £75,000.
Specsavers in Rotherham town centre has unveiled its brand new store refurbishment and expansion, representing a major investment in community health provision and creating new jobs.
The Specsavers store on College Street has expanded to fill another two empty units adjacent to its existing first floor space, providing three additional testing rooms equipped with state-of-the-art equipment for eye tests.
The expansion was officially opened by the Mayor, Councillor Eve Keenan, at the end of 2017.
Visitors to the store were invited to look around the new space and enjoy some refreshments. Children were handed balloons and there was even a giant pair of glasses posing for photos with members of the public.
Steve Cheshire store director at Rotherham Specsavers, where he has worked for more than 25 years, said: "We;re so grateful for our loyal customers, who have made this fantastic expansion possible. We look forward to many more years of business in Rotherham, keeping the local high street alive.
"We have been offering the very best in customer service for many years – in fact many of our staff have been here for a decade or more and are truly experts in what they do.
"We are very pleased to unveil shiny new premises with added space and modern facilities to match."
Advertisement The store has already employed a new staff member to manage the increased demand, and plans to recruit further for both entry-level customer service staff and qualified optical professionals.
The expanded shop floor allows Specsavers to stock more than 1,400 frames, giving customers more choice than ever when it comes to choosing glasses that make them feel comfortable and fashionable. There will also be a larger waiting area, so customers can wait for their appointment in comfort.
Specsavers is a partnership of nearly 2,000 locally-run businesses. operating under a joint venture partnership model similar to a franchise, a typical store has two directors who buy a 50% equity share and share the profits with Specsavers.
For 2016/17, when the group sold more than 20 million frames, 425 million contact lenses and 338,000 hearing aids worldwide, overall group revenue rose to £2.27 billion, up 6.6% on 2015/16. This includes total UK revenue of £1.32 billion, up 6.1% on the previous year.
The Rotherham suburbs are set to get a taste of the real ale and craft ale phenomenon as two sets of plans have been served up for new bars.
At Wickersley, which is already a popular destination for drinkers, a planning application has been submitted that would enable a new Real ale (craft beer) style bar close to The Courtyard.
Earlier this month, The Village Butcher on Bawtry Road, closed its doors. A post on the business' Facebook page said: "It has been a hard decision but financially the shop had to close."
Now, a change of use application has been submitted for the 1,600 sq ft unit on behalf of the owners and operators of the nearby Olive Lounge bar and restaurant.
Advertisement The application explains: "We currently have a similar venue in close proximity to this building that serves beers / cocktails called the Olive Lounge, our establishment has operated for just over two years and has seen business growth month on month during this period. We now employ 26 local people and have gained an excellent reputation, we have noticed a significant increase in visitors travelling from further afield including Doncaster Sheffield and Bawtry to name a few.
"We feel that the proposed application for a Real ale (craft beer) style bar could be beneficial for Wickersley as there is no other venue like this in the area, we aim to source the majority of our produce from local smaller breweries.
"The theme of the bar will be in keeping with the local area with a heritage colour scheme to compliment the surrounding buildings, our goal is to create a venue where customers can relax and unwind whilst sampling local beers, foods, and wines."
If approved, the new bar could create four full time and eight part time jobs.
Advertisement At the nearby Stag roundabout, a separate application has been submitted to create a micropub within the small parade of shops.
Applicant, Dragon Taps Ltd, is looking to the change the use of a 1,431 sq st unit - a former DIY shop.
The plans state: "Micropubs are small scale public houses that retail specialist cask ale to customers. The clientelle is generally over the age of thirty and come specifically for the product on sale. There will be no music or televised sports and our proposed licensed hours of sale are 12:00 to 22:59."
With its highly successful real ale and music festival back for its 25th year, Rotherham has a certain pedigree (and thirst) when it comes to real ale.
On the independent scene, the town's own Chantry Brewey, set up by former steelworkers in 2012, operates two "taps" in Rotherham town centre whilst Wath town centre is served by the Wath Tap.
Rotherham Council is set to introduce further parking incentives to support economic growth in Rotherham town centre, but have stopped short of offering free parking across the board.
Rothbiz reported in 2017 on how the local authority planned to support existing businesses as they wait for the catalyst projects in the new masterplan to revive the town centre.
These include parking incentives, the introduction of a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO), marketing and promotion and opportunities for "meanwhile uses," window/frontage treatments and potential free Wi-Fi.
Now details of the new parking incentives have been set out by the Council.
Visitors are set to be offered two hours free parking at the expiration of a two hour session purchased in some town centre Council operated off-street car parks on Saturdays.
Free parking has been offered on the Council's Forge Island car park on both Saturdays and Sundays for a number of years. This is set to be impacted by the key regeneration site being used as a temporary bus station before a cinema and hotel led development scheme comes forward.
Four hours parking for the price of two is set to be introduced in the Council car parks at Clifton Hall, Drummond Street (pictured), Riverside (off Corporation Street), Scala and Wellgate multi storey. It has been signed off by Damien Wilson, strategic director of regeneration and environment at Rotherham Council as an officer delegated decision.
Two hours in Wellgate multi storey currently costs £1.50 with four hours priced at £2.00. All day parking is £3.50.
At Riverside, one hour is 50p and two hours costs £1.00. Here that charge for four hours is £2.00 and over four hours costs £3.00.
Advertisement A Council report states: "It is anticipated that the offer will encourage shoppers / visitors to stay in the town centre for longer on Saturdays and potentially support more businesses."
Addressing ways to find more than £48m of budget savings, Rotherham Council approved proposals to amend parking charges in the town centre in 2016 to "generate additional income in order to help ensure a more self-financing Parking Service which currently has an "underlying budget pressure" of £137,000."
Councillors on the Overview & Scrutiny Management Board (OSMB) said at the time that they were only supportive of the option to increase charges on the basis of free (off street) parking being provided on Saturdays but this was not acceded to.
The RAC Foundation recently published figures that showed that parking operations at Rotherham Council made £496,000 in the last financial year. The authority's 2016-17 Parking Operations Surplus was 40% higher than the £353,000 reported in the previous year.
Advertisement In introducing the latest incentives, the Council report shows that offering complete Free Saturday Parking was discounted as it was considered that "the loss of income would cause a significant budget pressure."
Free Parking after 3pm on Saturdays was also discounted as it was considered that the costs were "too great when considering the limited likely benefits."
The report concludes that: "The loss of income from the recommended offer is likely to be negligible because the vast majority of Saturday parking sales are currently for two hours or all day durations."
National retailer, Tesco introduced a new parking regime last year with users of the Drummond Street store's car park wanting to park for over 30 minutes now having to spend £5 in the store and register their vehicle.
It is not yet known when the new incentives will be introduced.
Award-winning firm, Pricecheck Toiletries, has taken on three new members of staff as it continues to grow from its premises at Beighton Link Business Park in Rotherham.
Pricecheck is a leading supplier of international branded consumer goods, working predominately in the health and beauty sector, dealing with discounted clearance stock. Growth in sales has risen from £40m to £55m in the last two years. During this period staff numbers grew from 80 to 130 and export sales increased by 69%.
Tracy Fox-Bramall joins in the newly created role, head of commercial operations. Tracy brings a combination of supplier and wholesale experience, her most recent position being at P&H Direct. Prior to this she held numerous cross functional positions at Mondelez including supply chain channel lead, national accounts, field sales and training roles. Tracy helped shape numerous strategies in both field sales and supply and Pricecheck looks forward to Tracy developing the sales team further to achieve £200m sales turnover by 2025.
Marketing and communication manager, Catherine King spent nearly nine years with local manufacturer Gripple Ltd. Catherine has successfully organised international events, trade shows, developed websites and launched new products during her career. As an alumni of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Catherine has already begun work on innovative and exciting plans for the marketing team in 2018.
Advertisement Alicia Rudd, HR advisor moves to Pricecheck from Liberator UK. Alicia changed careers to HR in 2014 after completing training with the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development. Since her first HR role, Alicia has shown excellent acuity for recruitment and procedural HR, key targets for Pricecheck as the company grows in 2018 and beyond.
Celebrating 40 years in business this year, the second generation family owned business was established in 1978 by the parents of Mark Lythe and Debbie Harrison, who now run the company as joint managing directors. Officially opened in 2016, the new premises matched the firm's ambitious future growth plans, with the 115,000 sq ft warehouse able to accommodate 40% more than previously achievable and offices that tripled in size.
Currently, women account for an estimated 47% of people working in wholesale, but only 11% are senior level managers or directors. At Pricecheck half of the senior positions are held by women.
The joint managing directors over the company in 2007, and have seen the number of senior women in buying, sales, HR and business development roles double.
Debbie Harrison, joint MD at Pricecheck, said: "We all have different strengths, weaknesses, backgrounds, and experiences. These differences enhance creativity, help our teams to make smart business decisions, and better serve our customers across the globe."
Rotherham-based Fishing Republic, one of the largest fishing tackle retailers in the UK, has raised £1.3m through a new share placing.
The Eastwood company floated on the AIM stock exchange in 2015, raising millions to help carry out its expansion plans. A new share placing during 2016 landed a further £3.75m.
Now the firm has announced that new and existing shareholders, including directors, have taken up a share placing in which 13,000,000 new ordinary shares of 1p each were taken at a price of 10p per placing share.
Fishing Republic said that the net proceeds of will be used to further advance and develop the company's e-commerce operations, logistics and merchandising activities following the recent review of operations. It will also be used to provide additional working capital to accelerate the rate of growth of online sales.
Advertisement Following a recent period which saw "a significant deterioration in trading," Chris Griffin was brought in to as act as a CEO on a temporary basis to conduct a strategic review. Steve Gross, the company founder, stepped down as CEO and remains on the board as an executive director.
Recruitment is underway for a permanent CEO and chairman, James Newman, has assumed the role of executive chairman temporarily to continue to oversee the operational changes.
The placing saw Newman and Iain McDonald, a previous investor and non-executive director subscribe for 50,000 and 600,000 Placing Shares respectively. Miton UK MicroCap Trust plc has also upped its stake in Fishing Republic to over ten per cent.
In addition, the company issued 1,000,000 Ordinary Shares at the Placing price as part of the payment for consultancy services provided in relation to the recent review of the business and operations.
James Newman, chairman of Fishing Republic, said: "I am delighted to announce our successful fundraising of £1.3m before expenses, which has been supported by both existing investors, including Miton, and Directors, and a number of new shareholders.
"The proceeds of this Placing will be used to implement our operational improvement plan under the new management team and provide us with the working capital needed to expand our online sales offering and distribution facilities."
Shares in Fishing Republic had been trading at around 40p for most of 2017. That price has now dropped to around 10p today.
A prominent commercial building in Rotherham town centre has been put up for sale and is set to go under the hammer next month.
1-22 Effingham Square is the large block of offices with retail units underneath and is located alongside Rotherham Interchange and its shopping centre, opposite to the Tesco Extra store.
Leading auctioneers, Savills, has placed the freehold of the property in its London auction scheduled to take place at the Grovesnor on February 13.
Totaling some 20,160 sq ft of lettable space, the property includes an unbroken parade of ten shops, something which the auctioneers highlights as being "rarely available."
Advertisement Tenants include Wallace Arnold, Cash Converters, Tasty Bite, two dental practices and the Laser Credit Union. Upper floors have the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority as tenants.
Bringing in a total current rent of £178,000 per annum, the property has been given a guide price of £1.85m+.
The sales brochure adds that "the site may have development potential and the possibility of adding an extra floor subject to the requisite consents."
Following the opening of the £40m Tesco development, Effingham Square was given a modest revamp with a redesign of the taxi rank and new public realm works to the pedestrianised area.
The new town centre masterplan considers that there "is still significant improvement which can be made" in Effingham Square which is described as "a very poor space and a wasted opportunity."
The masterplan puts forward that Rotherham Council should lead on a project for Effingham Square so that it will become an "attractive densely planted green oasis in the heart of town," complementing the green space at Minster Gardens.
Transforming grey to green, "proposals for Effingham Square will provide a new setting for the Interchange, greening the current expanse of hard space, providing seating and screening through further tree cover. The delineation of space between the taxi ranks and the public space will also help break the expanse of grey space."
Rotherham Interchange itself is set for a £12.5m revamp.
