Work has started on the creation of more than 170 new homes across three
key town centre sites in a £30 million investment as the transformation
of Rotherham town centre begins.
The housing developments are spread across three town-centre sites and
feature a mix of tenures which include apartments for Council rent and a
choice of ways to buy (outright sale or shared ownership).
The sites are:
Westgate Riverside – formerly Sheffield Road car park – 44 Council
rented homes and 28 houses for sale
Millfold Rise – formerly Millfold House – 31 Council rented homes and 14
houses for sale
Wellgate Place – formerly Henley’s garage – 23 Council rented homes and
31 houses and apartments for sale
Councillor Dominic Beck, Cabinet Member for Housing at Rotherham
Council, said: “These are exciting, significant developments which will
deliver 171 new properties for local people, including 129 Council
rented and shared ownership homes, It will totally transform three
disused former industrial sites and kick-start a raft of new housing
development in the town centre.
“The developments include a variety of property types to suit people of
different ages including first-time buyers, key workers, families and
older downsizers. There will also be a block of 23 Council-rented
apartments on the former Henley’s Garage site which will be age-banded
for applicants of over 50 years of age.
“A lot of hard work has gone into putting these plans together and I
think we have come up with a fantastic scheme, which will contribute
towards our ambitions for housing growth and town centre regeneration.”
The residential project mirrors the plans to improve Forge Island which
will include a cinema, food and drink outlets, a hotel, and a car park,
with the new leisure facilities set within an attractive public space.
Working with construction partner, Wilmot Dixon Construction Ltd, 75% of
the properties will be affordable homes with Council funding coming from
the Housing Revenue Account. The Council has secured grant funding from
Homes England Shared Ownership and Affordable Homes Programme and from
Sheffield City Region Housing Capital Fund.
Tom Bell, Assistant Director of Housing, said: “The forthcoming
transformation of Forge Island will help create many of the conditions
for an attractive town centre residential offer.
“The market is still relatively underdeveloped and by bringing forward
this scheme, within a similar timeframe to Forge Island, the council is
demonstrating the demand for town centre living in Rotherham and
providing the confidence for the private sector to invest.”
The first homes are due to be available by Autumn next year and the
entire scheme complete by early 2022.