rotherham business news

Businesses in Rotherham town centre are hoping to benefit as the Council begins offering free parking on Saturdays a month earlier than in previous years.

Car parking will be free in all Council-run off-street car parks and on-street parking bays each Saturday from October 18, up to and including December 27. With parking historically free on Sundays too, a number of stores, including Primark, are opening up for the whole weekend.

Rotherham is a Portas Pilot town and one of the key recommendations in the Mary Portas High Street Review was that high streets and town centres should have the flexibility to introduce local parking initiatives to boost trade. This is particularly pertinent to Rotherham, given the proximity to Parkgate and Meadowhall, both of which have a free parking offer.

The move, which in previous years began around the time of the Christmas lights switch-on event in November, previously used £24,000 from council revenue budgets to cover costs.

Traders in the town have been adversely affected by a number of protests and marches that have taken place through key shopping streets on Saturdays, meant to be the busiest shopping day of the week, with many shops forced to close for the day and others reporting trade reduced by as much as 90%.

Andrew Birks from Andrew's Butchers, currently based in the Riverside Precinct, said: "Rotherham is a lovely little market town, with a lot of great people. It's great news that free parking is back, the town really needs some positive news right now and if this makes it a little easier for our customers to come down and use the great independent businesses in their town then it couldn't come too soon.

"I think we're turning the corner in terms of the array of small independent retailers that are springing up. These are tough little businesses and are going strong in what have been very challenging times, simply because they're good at what they do!

"Many Rotherham residents are becoming increasing aware of the fact that they can get better service, better quality, better choice and a better smile in the shops of town centres, as opposed to the soulless supermarkets and shopping malls, but parking has been a problem, not any more!

"What we need now is for locals to get behind their town centre, use the free parking, use these great businesses and see it for themselves and now is a great time to visit Rotherham."

Karl Battersby, strategic director of Environment and Development Services at Rotherham Council, added: "Rotherham Town Centre has shop after fantastic shop, all offering a real alternative retail experience.

"From one end of the town centre to the other, we have a wealth of unique retailers right here on your doorstep offering a bespoke shopping experience.

"Our local independent shops have a reputation for providing quality products and first-class customer service and your support can really make a difference to your town and Rotherham's local economy.

"We're hoping that the success story that is Rotherham Town Centre will gain even more support with the free Saturday parking and even more people will discover just why Mary Portas said our shops were "better than some in the heart of London"."

Motorists are reminded that although parking is free on Saturdays, maximum stay restrictions will remain in force to help ensure parking is available to those shopping in the town.

The disabled bays will also remain strictly for the use of blue badge holders only. Free parking does not apply to private car parks.

Rotherham Council recently put forward plans to operate Forge Island, the site of the current Tesco store in the town centre, as an off street car park with free short stay parking spaces for shoppers. The new £40m Tesco Extra has been given an opening date of November 13.

Rotherham town centre website

Images: RMBC

Rotherham manufacturing and recycling company, Roy Hatfield Limited took the top prize at this year's Barnsley and Rotherham Business Awards event, a follow up to being awarded the prestigious Queen's Award for Enterprise earlier in the year.

The company triumphed over the competition and walked away with the RBS Business of the Year trophy in front a record number of guests (close to 600) at the Barnsley Metrodome.

The achievement followed the company's earlier success in the Wosskow Brown Solicitors Business Growth Award. Company directors, Grant and Mark Hatfield said: "It really is an honour to be recognised by our local chamber during these awards. We are extremely proud to have won the "Business Growth" category and the "Business of the Year Award" which was truly the icing on the cake for what has been an exciting, but challenging few years during the company's development.

"We are fortunate enough to be surrounded by a dedicated and hardworking team at Roy Hatfield Ltd and these awards are testament to their efforts."

Roy Hatfield Ltd was formed in 1971 when the founder Roy Hatfield recognised a demand in the market place for quality and consistent alternative raw materials destined for the concrete industry. The firm grew to become the UK's first and largest manufacturer of decorative and industrial concrete finishing products.

In 1985 the firm moved to Templeborough with a custom manufacturing facility and on site laboratory which is where the company still operates from today.

Anticipating legislation banning gypsum-based waste streams from landfills, the company developed methods for stripping the substance from ceramics and plasterboard. Following continual investment and expansion, the Rotherham site processes 50,000 tonnes of waste plasterboard per annum. More shifts have begun and plans have been submitted for further expansion.

Other Rotherham firms successful on the night included wheeled-bin manufacturer, MGB Plastics in the manufacturing category; S3 ID, the provider of cutting edge location awareness solutions in the innovation category; and colourful town centre gift shop, Patchwork Pig in the retail category. Remember the Date, the online card enterprise started by former Aston Comprehensive student, Lauren Nicholson was recognised as the most promising new business.

This year's ceremony, hosted by former international referee Howard Webb, was held for the first time in Barnsley at the Metrodome and the change of venue was well received with the event being declared a sell out with three weeks still to go.

Andrew Denniff, chief executive at Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce, said: "What a fantastic evening, one that has exceeded all our expectations. My congratulations go to all our winners and especially everyone at Roy Hatfield's, the Business of the Year.

"Holding the evening in Barnsley has certainly set the bar for our future events and has given us a real challenge, one I am sure the Chamber will rise to next year."

This year also saw the Chamber present their first Charity of the Year award, which was awarded to The Pippa Jones Little Treasure Trust who received £3,000 in prize money.

A full list of results is as follows:

The Solar Europa Most Promising New Business Award

Winner - Remember the Date
Highly Commended - Themesparx Ltd
Highly Commended - Vertex Rope Access Ltd

The Wosskow Brown Solicitors Business Growth Award

Winner - Roy Hatfield Ltd
Highly Commended - Cornerstones Education
Highly Commended - Pollywiggles Day Nursery

The NPS Barnsley Business Community Impact Award

Winner - One Barnsley Apprenticeship Pledge
Highly Commended - LASER Credit Union
Highly Commended - Wosskow Brown Solicitors

The Brook Corporate Developments Excellence in Manufacturing Award

Winner - MGB Plastics
Highly Commended - Specialised Laser Products
Highly Commended - Wintwire Ltd

The Sheffield Hallam University Design & Innovation Award

Winner - Osborne Technologies Ltd
Highly Commended - Merlin Software
Highly Commended - S3 ID

The Gala Tent Business Person of the Year Award

Winner - Lynne Darwin – Building Product Solutions
Highly Commended - Katie Buckle – Provide Education
Highly Commended - Nigel Short – VOOT

The ASD Lighting/Rotherham United Excellence in International Trade Award

Winner - S3 ID
Highly Commended - D A Cooper & Sons
Highly Commended - Merlin Software

The Source Skills Academy Outstanding Retailer of the Year

Winner - Patchwork Pig
Highly Commended - Fresh n Chic Boutique
Highly Commended - Sara's Flowers and Teas

The Rotherham College Digital & Creativity in Business Award

Winner - DEB Chartered Accountants
Highly Commended - Berneslai Homes
Highly Commended - Bigfoot Digital

The Barnsley College Apprentice of the Year Award

Winner - Tom Matthews – Tata Steel Speciality Steels
Highly Commended - Elliott Mann – ITS Group
Highly Commended - Elspeth Jones - Harris+Co

Chamber website

Images: Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber

Rotherham-based SVM Europe, a leader in the gift card industry, has expanded its portfolio to offer gift cards for hotel stays and concert tickets as it looks to dominate the European market.

SVM is the largest reseller and distributor of corporate gift cards, E-vouchers and gift vouchers in the B2B and the corporate gifting market with products used as incentives for sales staff and as part of cementing relationships with clients. Founded in the US in 1997, the European operations launched in 2008 and has offices in London and at Parkgate, Rotherham, where it employs around 50 staff.

Already working with 75 major UK retail brands, SVM Europe has retail partners such as TUI, Toys R Us, Schuh, Café Rouge, Bella Italia and Strada. It has now expanded its portfolio to include gift cards for Ticketmaster, the global event ticketing leader and one of the world's top five eCommerce sites, with over 26 million monthly unique visitors. It is part of the Live Nation group that produces over 20,000 shows annually for more than 2,000 artists.

Dan Nugent, sales director at SVM Europe, said: "The addition of the multi use Ticketmaster Card adds great benefit and dimension to our current portfolio of over 70 leading brands. The fact that you can use the card on a variety of live entertainment events from comedy shows to seeing your favourite band live is fantastic as it offers the recipient flexibility so it is a great reward of choice with something for everyone."

Nihal Pekbeken, VP Marketing at Ticketmaster UK, added: "We are delighted to be offering the Ticketmaster Gift Card through SVM Europe, giving us a great opportunity to open up our gift card offering to the corporate rewards market place."

SVM Europe is also adding to its portfolio with a link up with US-based Orbitz, to offer the Global Hotel Card, which can be used at over 70,000 hotels worldwide including all the hotel major brands, resorts, destinations, boutique hotels, Bed and Breakfast choices and more.

Nugent added: "The Global Hotel Card is a great acquisition to our portfolio. The travel nature of this product lines perfectly within motivational and promotional programmes, as travel incentives are a great motivator for any employer. The Global Hotel Card offers the end recipient a wide variety of holiday destinations worldwide in over 240 countries and is a great asset to have on any incentive and motivation reward scheme."

SVM Europe website

Images: SVM Europe

A forward funding agreement has been secured with Bramall Properties Ltd that will enable construction to begin on a new retail development at Parkgate in Rotherham.

The land owner, Rotherham recycling experts, Ron Hull, teamed up with Leeds-based developers, Gregory Projects to bring forward a potential retail development on the site of a former car showroom at Great Eastern Way.

The development has outline approval for a 16,000 sq ft discount food store together with 30,000 sq ft of additional retail and leisure facilities along with 200 car parking spaces. The first phase sees Aldi taking the largest unit at 16,544 sq ft and Iceland taking the adjacent 7,000 sq ft unit. The third unit, of 15,000 sq ft is under offer to Home Bargains. The next phase can cater for requirements of between 1,000 sq ft and 10,000 sq ft.

Forward funding has been secured from Bramall Properties Ltd, the North Yorkshire firm which has carried out a substantial number of commercial and residential developments over the last few years and which holds a variety of office and commercial property investments and provides funding for other property developments.

The deal means that construction can now begin next month and Sheffield-based experts, J F Finnegan has been appointed as the main contractor. The development is due to be completed by July 2015.

Richard Tovey, director at Gregory Projects, said: “The property has been vacant for some time and we are pleased to bring it back into use.

"The strength of the location has attracted an excellent tenant line-up enabling funding to be secured at an early stage in the project.

"We look forward to working with the appointed builder and professional team to deliver the scheme for Rotherham and in particular, the Parkgate and Rawmarsh communities."

The Leeds office of GVA has advised Gregory Projects on the pre-lettings, Walker Morris acted for Gregory Projects in the site purchase, funding and lettings. Shulmans advised Bramall Properties Ltd.

At the current Foundry Retail Park over the road, Scandinavian home furnishing retailer, JYSK has taken over a 6,000 sq ft unit and opens today.

Gregory Projects website

Images: Gregory Projects / GVA

ISG, the international construction services company, has completed the external construction works for the new £40m Tesco Extra store in Rotherham town centre, two weeks ahead of schedule.

The development, on a five-acre site that had been home to a number of council buildings, will see Tesco open 66,000 sq ft of retail space on November 13.

South Yorkshire's largest property investment deal for the past two years saw developers TCN UK Ltd, bring forward the superstore, which also includes 540 parking spaces, and a petrol filling station.

Moving from the current Tesco store on Forge Island, the new store will create an additional 36,000 sq ft of floorspace which is split into 14,000 sq ft of convenience and 22,000 sq ft of comparison goods. The plans stated that the additional floorspace will allow a greater range of products such as clothing, books, CDs and household electrical goods to be sold from the new store.

ISG secured the £19m contract to build the new store in 2013 and the project also included £4m worth of public realm improvements and massive revisions to road and utilities infrastructure.

ISG's construction team recently handed over the store to its own retail team to commence the fit out works inside. A spokesperson for ISG, said: "By working collaboratively, we have provided a one-stop service for developer TCN and its customer Tesco. The fit out will be completed in November ahead of the new store opening."

The adjacent petrol filling station site was also handed over seven weeks early.

Across town, Rotherham Council is continuing arrangements for the strategic acquisition of the vacated Forge Island store, which could include a purchase and sale to a third party. The council has an option to buy the site for £1.5m and the short term plan is to operate the site as a car park.

The new Rotherham store is one of only two large format Extra stores that Tesco plans to open in the rest of this financial year. Controversial plans for a large store in Margate have been scrapped and other sites have been mothballed as it reassesses its strategy under new chief executive Dave Lewis.

Last week, Tesco revealed that first-half profits dropped by 92%, to £112m and the Serious Fraud Office has launched a formal criminal investigation into accounting practices at the UK's biggest retailer after it overstated profits by £263m.

Tesco website
ISG website

Images: ISG

Leading British retailer, Argos, has carried out a "digital makeover" of its Rotherham town centre store as part of its new strategy to bring the convenience of online shopping to its physical stores.

The revamped "paperless" stores have a fresh and contemporary look, with tables of tablets replacing Argos' traditional laminated catalogues, paper slips and pencils. Customers can use the tablets to browse for products to add to their digital shopping trolley, and access lots of extra product information, including extended ranges, videos, photography and customer reviews.

Store staff have undergone special training to provide more help to customers on the shop floor using technology. New digital display screens and complimentary WiFi complete the digital transformation.

New services include the ability to browse and pay for goods online at home or on the move for speedy collection from a special Fast Track collection point in store.

The store on Howard Street opened in 2005 after Home Retail Group plc, the owner of Argos, bought and converted stores from closed rival, Index. Argos also operates from retail park destinations in Rotherham - at Parkgate Shopping and Cortonwood.

James McClean, Argos area manager for Rotherham, said: "We are really proud to be giving shoppers in Rotherham the opportunity to shop digitally and give them access to the things they want quickly and easily.

"We've had some great feedback from customers about the new look of the store, customers love the new tablets and digital screens."

Around 44 per cent of Argos' total billion pound sales now start online. The company outlined in October 2012 a five-year transformation plan designed to "address its competitive challenges, exploit marketplace opportunities and restore it to sustainable growth." The three-year investment programme aims to reinvent itself as a digital retail leader, effectively moving from a catalogue-led to a digitally-led business.

Argos operates over 700 stores with 50 digital stores set to open in time for the Christmas period. Like-for-like sales were up 2.9% for the half-year to August 30, to £1.7 billion.

Argos website

Images: Home Retail Group

Rotherham Council has secured over £15m by selling off assets in the last two years, helping the Council address its budget challenge, but also enabling development to take place and local businesses to grow.

One of the largest deals saw developers TCN acquire the civic site in Rotherham town centre for £7.3m last year. The sale of the site of the former civic buildings and library and Drummond Street enabled £40m to be secured from property investors and work began on a new Tesco Extra store. With 66,000 sq ft of retail space, it is set to open next week.

Also in the town centre, Rotherham Council is disposing of the historic Westgate Chambers (pictured), with bids having to be in during September. Acquired in 2006, the council agreed plans to put the buildings onto the market to "seek developer interest for a predominantly residential development." It was advertised as a regeneration / development opportunity with "offers sought for a residential led scheme with an active commercial ground floor of retail / leisure / restaurant or similar."

Regarding Doncaster Gate, the council-owned former hospital which has caused public outcry when the council agreed its demolition, a report to the council's cabinet states that it is now due to be sold off in the 2015/16 financial year.

The cleared site is set to be offered back to the market with the council expecting sufficient interest to result in a redevelopment that would add to the regeneration of this edge of town centre site. In the final draft of the council's local plan, the 1.81 hectare site, that also includes a doctor's surgery, is earmarked for a mix of uses including office use, housing and residential and nonresidential institutions.

Outside of the town centre, the council has a contractual agreement with an established local company for the disposal of the former Eastwood depot. The imminent sale is expected to allow the unnamed local company to expand its current operation with the possibility of job creation in the local area. The 0.91 hectare was initially due to be used as a timber processing plant as part of the Brite Partnership's proposed biomass energy facility at Templeborough.

A deal is also in place to sell one of the new units under construction on the Advanced Manufacturing Park. Only in March did landowners and developers, Harworth Estates, sign a £4.3m forward-purchase agreement with Rotherham Council for Plots 3 and 4 of the R-evolution development on the Waverley site.

The council has also disposed of land at Mill Close to AESSEAL which should enable the award-winning manufacturer to carry out the RGF-backed expansion of its headquarters onto adjacent land. This could lead to the 300-strong workforce doubling over time.

Other assets set to be sold over the next four years include the Bellows Road shopping centre at Rawmarsh, the Victorian buildings at Clifton Court, Doncaster Gate (currently under offer), development plots at Century Business Park and Station Road at Manvers, the site of the former Herringthorpe Leisure Centre and sites on Undergate Road, Dinnington.

A recent scrutiny review by councillors on how the Council can support the local economy said that the it should consider being more strategic with respect to assets and bring together asset management with regeneration and housing departments to create a one estate approach. However the report added that, unfortunately it "has a lack of resources for maintaining property. Most assets are being sold for the land rather than the property. There is a need to focus on an area based regeneration approach rather than just selling properties."

Images: RMBC

As the new £40m Tesco Extra prepares to open its doors to town centre shoppers this week, the developer spearheading the key scheme hopes that it can kickstart regeneration in Rotherham.

Thought to be the largest property investment deal in South Yorkshire for several years, TCN UK bought the vacated civic site from Rotherham Council for £7.3m and private property investor fund Osprey Income and Growth 2 LP purchased the development with the backing of £16.9m of equity from private investors and £23.75m of debt from HSBC Bank.

Contractors ISG, has built the 110,000 sq ft superstore, which also includes 540 parking spaces and a petrol filling station, on a five-acre site that was home to a number of council buildings.

Stephen Holme, development director of TCN UK Ltd (pictured, right), believes that now was the time for Rotherham to capitalise on this development and show to other investors it was ready for further investment.

Holme, who previously worked alongside the development team at Rotherham Council, said: "Bringing this project to completion is a milestone in the regeneration of Rotherham's town centre and has transformed the area positively, paving the way for renewed investment in the town.

"What is crucial now is that Rotherham capitalises on this level of change. South Yorkshire has huge development potential but is not yet witnessing the levels of investment and pace of change that we are witnessing across other sites in the UK such as Bristol and Birmingham."

As it set in place plans to move into new offices, Rotherham Council appointed TCN in 2007 as developers and entered an exclusivity agreement on council-owned sites covering over 10.5 acres of the town centre.

The Tesco development has prompted council planners to propose changes to the boundary of Rotherham's retail centre north to include the Tesco and car park at Walker Place, and existing car park at Drummond Street, to better define the area where retail development is concentrated.

Work has been talking place into how to bring forward a potential redevelopment of the outdoor market over the road, and the market site, and adjacent Drummond Street car park, have been earmarked as development sites where new retail space could be created.

At the adjacent bus station, the SYPTE is carrying out a review into wider development options in the area and options for the site are being explored with the landlord, Norseman Holdings. Work has been undertaken to explore funding options and further discussions are required between Norseman Holdings, Rotherham Council and SYPTE to bridge the funding gap.

The Tesco development also included £4m worth of public realm improvements and massive revisions to road and utilities infrastructure. The store was completed on budget and 14 days ahead of its anticipated completion date.

The UK's biggest retailer has created 450 jobs (200 full time and 250 part time) in Rotherham. 200 of these are additional to the current store on Forge Island and all staff at the current store would be guaranteed a job at the new site. A proportion of vacancies will be filled through Tesco's "Regeneration Partnership" which, in partnership with the local Job Centre Plus, ensures a proportion of vacancies are reserved for long term unemployed people.

Tesco website
TCN website

Images: TCN

Oak Furniture Land, the UK's largest retailer of solid hardwood furniture, has opened a branch of its specialist Sofastore arm in Rotherham, creating seven local jobs.

Taking on half of the unit vacated by Staples at the Foundry Retail Park in Parkgate, Sofastore showcases the full array of the company's sofa ranges which includes over 75 different ranges of high quality sofas, with a huge selection of colour and size variations to choose from, along with a selection of solid hardwood furniture.

Plans were approved last year for the creation of a mezzanine level inside Unit 6 to create extra space, increasing to a total of 1,100 sq m (11,900 sq ft) of floorspace.

The Wiltshire company has sustained remarkable growth in recessionary times and now operates 57 show rooms throughout the UK. With a business philosophy based on designing its own products and working direct with manufacturers, Oak sells large volumes of high quality oak, mango and mahogany furniture at internet prices. Last year sales increased 77% to £145.5m and this year they are forecast to exceed £190m.

Steve Knight, regional manager at Sofastore, said: “We are pleased with this latest addition to our estate. It’s a major investment, and plays a significant role in our on-going store opening programme across the UK, which will see us opening a store each month for the next three years. So far we have created over 350 jobs nationwide."

The Mayor of Rotherham, Councillor John Foden, who officially opened the store, added: "The new store is a welcome investment to the area, and is a nice addition to the choices of shops for local residents."

The park was acquired by Brockton Capital and Pradera for around £22.1m in 2012. Recent lettings include The Range and B&M Bargains with Danish retail giant, JYSK, opening in the former Dreams unit earlier this year.

Sofastore website

Images: Oak Furniture Land

Parkgate Shopping in Rotherham has again been named amongst the best retail parks in the country in an annual ranking of leading UK retail venues.

Retail consultancy, Javelin Group, has produced their VENUESCORE report which assesses the UK's leading 3,000+ commercial venues based on the presence of leading retailers and brands trading there, and evaluates these retail destinations across a range of attributes including market position, age focus, tourist orientation, fashionability and foodservice.

The rankings are used by retailers, property agents and investors to find the best retail locations.

Parkgate Shopping is ranked as the fifth best retail park in the UK.

Owned by Hercules Unit Trust (HUT), which is advised by British Land and managed by Schroders, Parkgate Shopping is one of the largest retail parks in the UK, home to over 40 shops and attracting around seven million visitors a year. It is valued at over £100m to the trust via a subsidiary, the Rotherham Unit Trust.

The park is 100% let with recent openings by Poundland and Wilkinson, who have both taken ten year leases. The unit operated by collapsed mobile phone retailer, Phones4u has been taken over by network operator, EE.

One of the most prominent units, and most troubled, is set to be home to a 45,000 sq ft Ultimate Outdoors store, the new fascia from JD Sports Fashion plc.

Kiddicare, the retailer of baby products, recently closed its Rotherham store in the unit, which was previously operated by Best Buy Europe, the failed European joint venture from US electronics retailer, Best Buy and Carphone Warehouse.

Also on the park, planning permission has been secured to replace the existing Pizza Hut restaurant with a Nando's and Subway.

In the 2014-15 VENUESCORE report, nearby Meadowhall is ranked fifth amongst the UK's shopping centres and 38th in overall venues. Sheffield city centre is ranked 22nd overall.

Parkgate Shopping website

Images: British Land

La Bella Lingerie, the latest retailer to open on Rotherham's rejuvenated High Street, shows just how important it is to get the right support.

Established by Karen Carr, a former teacher for over 20 years, the independent lingerie boutique offers a wide range of brands of tasteful lingerie, including bras, underwear, briefs and loungewear in all sizes.

To fulfil her long-term dream, Karen has taken advantage of a "Pop-up Shop" initiative, one of a number from the Council that has attracted a range of independent, niche businesses into Rotherham town centre.

Pop-up Shops have become increasingly popular across the country as a means of offering retail space to new start businesses looking to try out their markets, gain valuable experience to shape their business model and to make a sound decision regarding their long term viability before potentially investing significantly in set-up costs and committing to a long term lease agreement.

The scheme is being funded by central Government as part of a grant received by Rotherham Council and follows the announcement in 2012 that Rotherham was successful in becoming a "Portas Pilot" town.

Karen Carr, owner of La Bella Lingerie, said: "The Pop-up Shop concept has given me a fantastic opportunity to showcase my dream business.

"Right from the start of the process, Rotherham Council's Town Centre team recognised my enthusiasm for this project, helping me along the way with support and advice.

"The opportunity was so good, that I gave up my career as a teacher to pursue my dream of running my own shop.

"I'm fully trained in bra fitting and the shop will carry a wide range of sizes, right up to K cup. We will also have post-operation bras available and sportswear.

"We offer a "wishlist" service, making whatever you want, and also gift vouchers which are perfect for Christmas! It really is all about you at La Bella Lingerie."

Cabinet Member for Business Growth and Regeneration, Councillor Dominic Beck, added: "La Bella Lingerie certainly does represent a beautiful new start for this determined entrepreneur.

"It's a great example of the fact that not only does Rotherham town centre continue to grow and diversify, but also that people are willing to start their dream businesses with us."

The Council's Town Centre Team first offered a prime retail unit in the refurbished Imperial Buildings on flexible and attractive lease terms to help businesses get up and running. Opened in 2013, Vintage Dolls, offering vintage clothing and furniture, is still going strong after being initially offered a three month licence for the unit. Rental discounts, help with fitting out and free business support & retail training form part of the package available.

Back on the High Street, the Makers' Emporium operates as a shared retail space model which enables new retailers "test trading" space, for up to a year. Funded by the High Street Renewal Award and delivered in partnership between the Council, The Source and Rotherham Youth Enterprise, The Makers' Emporium focuses on providing locally designed and hand crafted items with an array of items available to suit all tastes and budgets.

The Pop-up Shop initiative aims to bridge the gap for retailers between the shared retail space and a permanent fixed term lease on their own premises.

La Bella Lingerie Facebook page
Rotherham Town Centre website

Images: La Bella Lingerie

220 car parking spaces are now open for visitors and shoppers in Rotherham town centre on the site of the old Tesco store on Forge Island.

The new £40m Tesco Extra, which also includes 540 parking spaces, has opened across town on a five-acre site that was home to a number of council buildings on Drummond Street.

The council has stepped in on Forge Island to offer 70 free spaces for an hour, with the remainder being charged at £1 for two hours, £2 for four hours and £3 all day parking.

Cabinet Member for Business Growth and Regeneration, Councillor Dominic Beck, said: "It's great news that we've been able to secure these extra parking spaces for the town centre which will undoubtedly boost trade at that end of town.

"The pay-and-display machines have been installed and although it's great that the cost of both short and long stay parking has been kept to a minimum, it's the fact that that we've been able to provide spaces which will allow visitors to shop for an hour free-of-charge that’s the real story.

"This is the first time we've had bays like this in the town centre and hopefully it will be a massive boost to Rotherham's independent retailers.

"I've no doubt that it will encourage those shoppers wanting to quickly run into the town centre for an individual item, or just visit a couple of shops, to use Rotherham rather than other shopping destinations.

"The car park will also be offering the free weekend parking offer up to and including December 27."

Dawn Topliss, owner of the Craft Corner and Bears Den in nearby Riverside Precinct, added: "It's fantastic news that the town centre has these extra car parking spaces and even better that people can park for free for an hour.

"With Tesco leaving the site, it should keep people flowing to this side of town and all the great businesses here.

"This, plus the free weekend parking and the events which are taking place in the run-up to Christmas are a real indication of the enhancement of the Rotherham town Centre shopping experience."

The long term future of Forge Island is uncertain. The council has continued arrangements for the strategic acquisition of the vacated site, which could include a purchase and sale to a third party. The council has an option to buy the site for £1.5m and in 2012, the council's cabinet confirmed Forge Island as the preferred site for a town centre cinema and theatre development.

However, the recently published final draft of the borough's Local Plan states that "the future of the site is uncertain, as are any constraints (such as land contamination). As such it is not identified as a leisure or office development site."

Rotherham Town Centre website

Images: RMBC

Traders in Rotherham town centre are on the verge of going out of business as a result of the number of marches and demonstrations taking place in the same areas and on key shopping days.

With repeated marches by the likes of the English Defence League (EDL) resulting in significant parts of the town closing everytime, and the shops that remain open not trading well, Rotherham retailers started a petition based on their rights to trade, asking the Government to change legislation so that economic impact, and other factors other than public safety, are taken into account so that marches can be banned, relocated, or re-timed.

Rotherham MP, Sarah Champion raised the issue in the House of Commons, asking the Government for increased policing powers to prevent marches when they are seen to continually target a particular area, and for additional support to be directed to businesses that were suffering as a result in Rotherham.

The Government response to the written questions suggests that the it has no plans to bring legislation on the policing powers relating to restricting the marches, and the response received from the Business Minister only offered a standard response relating to business services available to any businesses, with no specific reference to Rotherham businesses or Sarah's plea to provide additional support.

Advertisement

Sarah Champion MP, said: "I am angry that the Government aren't taking these concerns on board. Small business owners are seriously affected by the repeated targeting of our town by the EDL. Traders are telling me that they are on the verge of going out of business, because they haven't been able to recover lost earnings. This is a serious issue and not one that the government should ignore.

"I will be holding a meeting with small business owners this week to find out how they would like me to progress. I don't think this is an issue we should drop, as people's livelihoods are affected. I will carry on working with Rotherham's independent traders until we get some kind of resolution."

Images: Courtesy of chrisfp on Flickr, used under Creative Commons licence

Mary Portas, the leading retail consultant called on by the Government to review the nation's High Street, has been back in Rotherham recently to check on the work being done to revitalise the town centre, work she earlier described as a "beacon many should follow."

Rotherham is a Portas Pilot, having secured £100,000 in Government funding to use innovative local ideas to revitalise the town centre. The borough also secured extra funding from British Land and The High Street Renewal Fund.

Having last visited Rotherham town centre in 2011 as part of her Government-commissioned review, Portas was back in the borough earlier this year to see the success of heritage-led regeneration on the High Street, the support of entrepreneurial retailers in Pop-Up shops and the newly opened, Makers' Emporium.

Transforming the former Snafu rock bar, the Makers' Emporium offers low-cost shared and professionally-managed retail space to a mixture of makers, crafters, artists and designers. Funded by the High Street Renewal Award and delivered in partnership between the Council, The Source Skills Academy and Rotherham Youth Enterprise, it aims to support new start-businesses looking to trade for the first time, raise awareness of their products and letting them see for themselves what takes to run their own business.

Since opening in April, the Makers' Emporium has exceeded its expected sales figures for its first six months of trading.

Advertisement

Mary visited again last week with a film crew to speak to one of the makers, Paris Cheetham, owner of Panache Par Paris, about the success of the store. Paris set up in business in 2013 and hand makes paper products and gifts, selling them at craft fairs in the region and in boutique shops such as the Makers' Emporium.

Paris said: "I'm really proud to display my hand made paper products and gifts here at The Makers' Emporium. This is the first time that I have had a physical space devoted totally to my products, and the reaction from customers has been incredibly positive. The Makers' Emporium has provided me with a fantastic opportunity to sell my products in a first class location on Rotherham High Street, helping me to grow my business and get closer to my dream of owning my own retail unit."

Whilst browsing the unique products lovingly crafted by local makers, artists and designers and purchasing gifts for her family and friends, Mary said: "I love this place. It's unique, creative and full of talent and new ideas. Why would you not want to shop here?"

Tim Watmough, manager at the Makers' Emporium, added: "We currently have 34 creative individuals selling their products through us and that number has been consistent throughout the first six months here, showing that there is real need for a retail space such as this.

"I'd like to thank all our customers, staff and makers for their dedication, loyalty and effort. It's great to see all the hard work has paid off and that we're able to offer ever more people the opportunity to both start, and expand, their businesses."

Makers' Emporium website
The Source website

Images: The Source

Branded Clearance signs have gone up on the former Kiddicare unit at Parkgate Shopping in Rotherham as the park owners also prepare to improve the appearance of the retail destination.

Rothbiz reported in October that JD Sports Fashion plc had agreed to acquire the baby products retailer's units in Rotherham, Nottingham, Southampton, Merry Hill and Aintree following the new owners' decision to close all but one store.

Kiddicare, the award-winning online retailer was acquired by Morrisons in 2011 for £70m and was the first step in developing the Morrisons online business. However, the business was sold earlier this year for £2m to Endless LLP, a leading investor in non-core acquisitions, who promptly closed all but the original store. Endless recently offloaded Kiddicare for an undisclosed sum to Worldstores, the UK's largest pure play online retailer in the home and garden category.

Retail Week reported that JD will add more than 200,000 sq ft to its specialist outdoors fascia, Ultimate Outdoors, which at present only trades from one store in Preston and online. However the 45,000 sq ft store at Parkgate is being readied for opening as Branded Clearance, selling high street fashion items with up to 75% off RRP.

Having recently sold the loss-making Bank Fashion operation, JD Sports Fashion plc still owns a number of retail fascias as well as distributors and wholesalers.

The combined group reported profits of nearly £20m as sales increased 27% to £721m in the six months to August 2. Moving into the outdoor retail market, it owns outdoor retail specialists Blacks and Millets and acquired Ultimate Outdoors Limited, which previously operated as an independent setup, for £835,000 in February. The first store opened in July bringing outdoor brands under one roof providing customers with a one stop shop for outdoor clothing and equipment.

Peter Cowgill, executive chairman of JD Sports Fashion plc, said: "We have decided that we must prioritise future investment in the Sports fascias and consequently we believe that the sale of Bank is in the best interests of the Group. We shall continue to support the broadest possible range of fashion brands within the Group."

One of JD Sports Fashion plc's subsidiaries is Top Grade Sportswear Limited, which operates successfully online as getthelabel.com selling clothing, footwear and accessories direct to the public from leading high street fashion and sport brands. Menswear, womenswear and children's brands include Lacoste, Lipsy, Jack & Jones, Ralph Lauren, Diesel, Converse, adidas and Timberland.

Also at Parkgate Shopping, recently ranked as the fifth best retail park in the UK and attracting an estimated 9.3 million visitors a year, a planning application has been submitted to extend the mezzanine level at unit 4a, currently occupied by WH Smith. If approved, the new ground floor will provide an additional 1,209 sq m of floorspace.

Plans are also being progressed for an external works program to enhance the 14 hectare site. This includes resurfacing the 2,000 space car park area, improvements to the traffic flow, new street furniture and refreshed CCTV, a small "customer service pod" building and two new play areas.

Owned by Hercules Unit Trust (HUT), which is advised by British Land and managed by Schroders, Parkgate Shopping is one of the largest retail parks in the UK and is home to over 40 shops. It is valued at over £100m to the trust via a subsidiary, the Rotherham Unit Trust.

Parkgate Shopping website

Images: British Land

Rothbiz editor, Tom Austen picks out some of the announcements made by Chancellor George Osborne in his Autumn Statement, an update on the Government's taxation and spending plans.

The headline-grabbers were the changes to stamp duty and the political bean-counters arguing over which way public borrowing and the deficit are heading but there were a few nuggets in the speech and the small print that will be interesting for Rotherham and its businesses.

The Chancellor began by saying that the government would be boosting "our skills, our exports, our science and our infrastructure."

Support for businesses involved extending existing schemes such as the Funding for Lending Scheme that focuses incentives towards supporting SME lending. £400m will go to extend venture capital funds which invest in SMEs, called Enterprise Capital Funds and the Business Bank, based in Sheffield, will administer £500m of new bank lending allocated under the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme.

£20m was announced to support for first time exporters which includes more UKTI advisors and overseas events, and help for businesses to access new markets through the internet.

Small businesses are to be supported in accessing R&D tax credits and £61m was announced for centres such as the AMRC and Nuclear AMRC to work with smaller companies.

The Government continues to tinker with business rates, extending the Small Business Rate Relief to April 2016 and extending the cap on how much they can increase. Additional support for the retail sector sees the £1,000 business rates discount for shops, pubs, cafes and restaurants with a rateable value of £50,000 or below, increased to £1,500 in 2015-16.

Osbourne added that the Government will carry out a review of the future structure of business rates to report by The Budget 2016, but this is not quickly enough for some with rates valued at pre-recession levels.

Advertisement

Regarding economic development, nothing was confirmed regarding devolution for South Yorkshire but the Chancellor said that "his door is always open" if areas wanted to follow Manchester's lead.

A further £1 billion has been allocated for Local Enterprise Partnership (LEPs) from the £12 billion Local Growth Fund which will see areas bid in a second wave of Growth Deals. The Government will also consider the case for extensions to existing Enterprise Zones at the Budget, subject to value for money and affordability.

The Government also intends to set up a long-term investment fund from tax revenues from shale for the North and other areas hosting shale gas developments, "to capture the economic benefits of shale gas for future generations."

The New Enterprise Allowance scheme is being extended from January 2015 and the government is making it cheaper for employers to take on an apprentice by abolishing employer National Insurance contributions for apprentices aged under 25 on earnings up to the upper earnings limit. This means that employers of around half a million apprentices will be exempt from paying employer National Insurance contributions.

Announcements already made this week included investment in roads, and an interim report on Transport in the North is expected in March 2015, covering issues around HS2 and HS3 supporting the Government's vision for a "Northern Powerhouse."

Many believed that the Chancellor stated that the ancient Pacer trains operating in the North will definitely be replaced. However, the statement just says that bidders for the new franchise will be encouraged to replace the outdated pacer trains with modern, better quality trains.

A significant amount was announced this week for flood defences. This includes £1m for defences at Canklow, Catcliffe and Woodhouse Mill, smaller council-lead schemes around the borough and the large £19m Phase 2 of the Rotherham Flood Alleviation Scheme, which was added to the pipeline of projects. Funding needs to be found for the six year programme from the town centre to Kilnhurst that adds to the schemes from Templeborough and Sheffield's Lower Don Valley.

Images: HM Treasury

Shoppers in Rotherham are being encouraged to celebrate "Small Business Saturday" this weekend and shop local.

Launching in the UK last year, Small Business Saturday is a grassroots, non-political, non-commercial campaign, which highlights small business success and encourages consumers to support small businesses 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 shop local message was harnessed in 2010 with the launch of the loyalty card that entitles shoppers to offers and discounts at over 100 businesses in the town centre. Evolving onto mobile and tablet devices, this Saturday sees the launch the new HelloCity! Town Centre App.

Developed by Rotherham enterprise, Linktagger, the new form of city guide uses QR Codes mounted in 50 prominent locations around town, linking to information on shopping, places to eat, visitor attractions, events and real-time travel information. There will also be special "golden ticket" prizes available to lucky winners who scan the app next week.

Participating retailers will also be promoting exclusive offers to their customers on Small Business Saturday in the form of discounts, freebies and special offers. This will be in addition to all the existing Rotherham Shop Local offers and exclusive discounts.

Advertisement

Small Business Saturday will also see the return of the free gift wrapping service with shoppers are invited to come along and have their gifts wrapped for free and get advice as to where to find that extra special present.

Parking continues to be free in all Council-run off-street car parks and on-street parking bays each Saturday up to and including December 27.

Cllr Dominic Beck, Cabinet Member for Business Growth and Regeneration, said: "Small Business Saturday is a national campaign that is hugely relevant to Rotherham. It is all about encouraging everyone in the UK to support their small businesses, both on the day and beyond to have a lasting impact and support the local economy.

"Shopping locally is good for both your pocket and the local economy. Research has shown that for every £1 spent with local independent retailers, up to 70 pence is retained within the local economy. This compares to only 40 pence in the pound when it is spent with national retailers."

Rotherham Town Centre website

Images: Small Business Saturday

Spain's Santander bank has closed its second branch in Rotherham town centre as part of an "on-going branch de-duplication programme" as customers increasingly use other methods to do their banking.

The UK bank network grew with the acquisition of Abbey National, Alliance & Leicester and Bradford & Bingley and up until recently Santander had three branches in close proximity on Effingham Street and College Street, the key shopping streets in Rotherham town centre. It was set to make it four by taking over the RBS branch on the High Street but Santander decided to withdraw from its agreement to purchase the RBS England and Wales branches and accounts.

One Effingham Street branch closed with bookmaker Coral opening in the former Falstaff pub building in 2013.

Now the College Street branch has closed too, a few months after Natwest closed its Corporation Street branch citing that the number of people using the branch had dropped by 12% since 2011 as customers use alternative ways of banking such as by telephone, in Post Offices, by app and online.

Advertisement

Santander's CEO said in last year's annual report that the branch network (which numbered 13,927 in the world) will continue to be the main channel for high value relationships with customers. Javier Marin added: "At the same time, as an increasing percentage of our clients are operating via online and mobile telephone banking and the contact centre, we are strengthening our multi-channel distribution model so as to provide a more integral, complete and accessible service."

In the UK, 2014 has seen a "further consolidation of multi-branch locations" with Santander reporting in its latest financial results for the nine months to September 2014 that its branch numbers had decreased to 950 from 1,191 in the same period last year. The UK division enjoyed attributable profit of £326m for the period thanks to its mortgage lending, current accounts and commercial lending.

The quarterly management statement added: "We continued to invest in branch refurbishments and digital technology. This year we have delivered a number of improvements in all of our digital platforms including our online and mobile banking services as well as introducing more digital technology into our branches, a new public website, a new online bank interface, a new iOS App, improvements in alerts functionality, improved online sales capability and a rollout of digital ATMs."

Santander website

Images: Santander

Demolition is nearly complete at the former Ruscon engineering works in Rotherham as the industrial buildings make way for a multimillion pound trade counter retail development.

Planning permission was granted conditionally in July for the Parkgate development where the plan is to create "Tradeworld," consisting of ten units totaling 45,000 sq. ft. The plans, drawn up by Sheffield architects, Bond Bryan, show the ten units, ranging in size from 2,200 sq ft to 5,200 sq ft, complete with 111 standard car parking spaces and access from a new entrance from Rotherham Road.

Litton Properties purchased the Ruscon engineering works in 2003 but plans for a DIY retail store and garden centre were refused in 2005. Outline planning permission was granted in 2006 for a warehouse development with 20% of the floorspace approved for retail use. Detailed plans for seven units were approved in 2008 but have not been developed out.

Rotherham-based DSR Demolition are on site taking down 70,000 sq. ft. of former steel and engineering shop plus ancillary offices and are due to be complete by Christmas.

Litton Property Group, the Derbyshire based property development and investment group, has already agreed terms with three tenants, comprising national brands in the automotive, protective equipment and ceramic tile sectors. Work on the new development is due to start in the early part of 2015 with units 1-5 set for completion later in the year.

Litton Property Group said that "the trade counter operators are trading very well throughout the UK and this is a very prominent site offering an excellent cluster opportunity. The end value of Trade World is approximately £5m and the project is likely to be retained within the Group's expanding portfolio."

Agents for Litton are Fernie Greaves, Fairhurst Estates and CSP.

Litton Properties website

Images: Litton Properties

Rotherham Council has switched its focus away from a cinema and theatre development on the vacant Forge Island site in Rotherham town centre.

In 2012, the council's cabinet confirmed the prominent site as the preferred location for a new town centre cinema and theatre and developers and operators were sought. In the short term, the council is operating the former home of the Rotherham Forge & Rolling Mills as a car park now that Tesco has moved across the town.

The new £40m, 110,000 sq ft Tesco Extra opened in November and also includes 540 parking spaces and a petrol filling station, on a five-acre site on Drummond Street that was previously home to a number of council buildings.

As part of the move, the council has an option to buy the Forge Island site for £1.5m. Arrangements have been progressed for the strategic acquisition of the vacated site, which could include a purchase and sale to a third party.

The future of the site was highlighted in the recently published final draft of the borough's Local Plan that stated that "the future of the site is uncertain, as are any constraints (such as land contamination). As such it is not identified as a leisure or office development site."

Now, council bosses have confirmed that the Forge Island site is being earmarked for an ambitious plan to create a public sector hub, which could result in thousands of additional jobs in the town centre.

Cllr. Dominic Beck, cabinet member for Business Growth and Regeneration, gave an update at a full council meeting last week on the progress on the site. He said: "We are looking at other options for Forge Island, which will be coming out in the next month or so, in terms of potentially delivering a public sector hub.

"Working with the Government to move the civil service increasingly out of London because it is expensive, we are working with the Cabinet office to potentially deliver a public sector hub on Forge Island.

"We are one of the leaders in the country in doing this. Riverside House was one of the first "hubs" of local government and public sector hub working and they are coming to us to have a conversation about how they can do that in Rotherham.

"It would be a huge coup but we don't know at the end of the day. We have got plans, and we are working with others to come up with plans."

Rothbiz featured the idea in August after it was mentioned by the planning inspector signing off the core strategy of the borough's local plan. Richard Hollox, planning inspector, said in his report: "One of the objectives of the Economic Plan for Rotherham 2008 – 2020 is to secure a vibrant town centre with a high quality office market. This is a worthy ambition and should result in a greater range of employment opportunities and less commuting to, for example, Sheffield.

"Of note is the Council's interest in the possibility of a Public Sector Hub whereby public sector departments would share accommodation on an office campus. This, the Council considers, could result in an additional 5,000 jobs in the town."

In 2012, Riverside House became Rotherham's new Civic Building on the edge of the town centre on the Guest & Chrimes site. Bringing together staff from a number of locations, the £60m investment houses 2,400 employees at only 1,308 desks.

The Waverley development in Rotherham was all set to create a government office campus on land next to the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP). Helical Bar plc, Governetz Ltd and Haworth Estates worked together with the intention to provide high specification offices for government departments in response to a desire to move activities out of central London and into the regions.

Outline plans for a 645,000 sq ft development, enough space for 2,000 staff, were approved but changes in government and large scale cuts meant that the plans were shelved.

With plans coming forward for cinema developments in the nearby town centres of Barnsley and Doncaster, will Rotherham get is first cinema 30 years after The Scala closed on Corporation Street?

Cllr Beck added: "The development of the town centre does not just include Forge Island but it includes other elements of the town such as the Guest & Chrimes building - and the football club have got their own proposals around that - there's all the way down Westgate and the Royal Mail depot, to deliver projects."

The local plan picks out a number of sites where mixed use development such as a cinema (known as "assembly and leisure" uses) are considered appropriate. These include land at New York, which includes Riverside House, New York Stadium, the former Guest & Chrimes foundry, a former nightclub and vacant land used for parking.

The current car park on Drummond Street and the site out of the outdoor market have been identified as potential development sites for new retail alongside the site of burnt-out buildings on Corporation Street but they all also have the potential for redevelopment as other town centre uses, including offices, assembly and leisure uses or hotels.

The prominent Westgate site of the sorting office and car parking is being put forward for housing, office and hotel uses.

Images: Tom Austen / RMBC

News: Free parking comes early for Rotherham Christmas shoppers

News: Hatfield on top at Chamber awards

News: SVM Europe expand portfolio

News: Funding comes forward for Rotherham retail development

News: ISG finishes new Rotherham Tesco

News: Argos retail revamp reaches Rotherham

News: Rotherham Council sell off nets £15m

News: Rotherham needs to capitalise on Tesco investment

News: Oak Furniture Land opens Rotherham Sofastore

News: Parkgate Shopping ranks high

News: La Bella Lingerie opens on Rotherham High Street

News: Council keeps car park open on Forge Island

News: MP disappointed at Government's lack of action for town's traders

News: Portas pops back to check on progress in Rotherham

News: Branded Clearance at Parkgate

News: Autumn Statement 2014

News: Spend Small Business Saturday in Rotherham

News: Santander close another Rotherham branch

News: Demolition at Tradeworld site

News: Final curtain for Forge Island cinema plan?