Your Council Tax in Action
Our Aim: Every Neighbourhood Thriving
Ensuring every neighbourhood can thrive is at the heart of what we do.
Investing in our roads
We’ll invest £8.4m in the next 12 months to resurface and improve the quality of our roads. An extra £2 million in government funding will further enhance roads and pavements, plus an additional £100,000 to refresh road markings on main roads and estates – making our streets safer and more accessible for everyone.
Our teams keep essential systems working smoothly across the borough, including:
- 740 miles of roads.
- 1,300 miles of footways, footpaths, and public rights of way.
- Street lighting, road markings, traffic management systems, drainage, and bridges.
Libraries and Neighbourhood Hubs
Last year we opened the new Swinton Library and we’ll keep investing in these spaces, providing you with a wide range of physical and digital books, magazines, and audiobooks on your doorstep.
Our teams will continue running heritage activities at Clifton Park Museum, Keppel’s Column, Waterloo Kiln, and Catcliffe Glass Cone – ensuring our town’s history is celebrated for generations to come.
Our Places Fund
After the success of the Towns and Villages Fund, we’ve committed £4 million to the Our Places fund. This will help improve public spaces and foster a strong sense of pride in local areas. We’ve already asked for your views so you can shape your community, and our teams are working hard to incorporate your ideas.
Improving Community Safety
Residents told us feeling safe is a top priority, so we’ve allocated £570,000 to launch a new Street Safe Team – a uniformed team for Rotherham town centre, Dinnington, Wath, Maltby, and Swinton.
Using local insights, the team will address issues on the ground and offer a reassuring presence. They’ll focus on tackling littering and anti-social behaviour to help keep our communities clean and welcoming.
Our Aim: People Are Safe, Healthy, and Live Well
We want to help everyone in Rotherham live a safe and healthy life, which is why we’re committed to providing support where and when it’s needed. This year, £126 million has been allocated to our Adult Social Care services, allowing us to continue supporting over 3,700 adults – including more than 2,500 residents who receive support in their own homes.
Adult Social Care: Our biggest investment
Adult Social Care remains our single largest area of expenditure, helping residents aged 18 and over with a variety of needs, from assistance to live independently to around-the-clock care. Whether it’s for older adults or those of working age with physical disabilities, learning disabilities, neurodiversity, or mental health challenges, our dedicated teams stand ready to offer help and advice to you and your family.
A new chapter for Castle View
Part of our commitment to better support involves investing in 13 new accessible Council homes alongside a brand new day centre at Canklow, designed for residents with complex needs who want to live independently. Construction started in October 2024, and we expect to finish by spring 2026.
Keeping council homes in good condition
For our Council Homes tenants, we’re focused on cutting repair waiting times and maintaining high standards. In the last year alone, our partners and contractors have completed over 71,000 repairs and 23,000 gas servicing visits across 19,934 Council homes.
Building more homes across Rotherham
Since 2018, we’ve built over 640 new Council homes for people in Rotherham, providing modern, good-quality, and affordable houses, bungalows, and flats across the borough. And we’ve increased investment to tackle homelessness, keep rough sleepers off our streets and to bring empty homes back into use.
Our Aim: Every Child Able to Fulfil Their Potential
We want every child in Rotherham to have the best possible start in life so they can fulfil their potential. Our dedicated teams work with children, young people, and families, tailoring support to meet everyone’s needs.
Supporting Our most vulnerable children
For children living in the Council’s care, we remain committed to providing a safe and nurturing environment where they can grow and thrive.
The Council has dedicated £69.5 million to protect and support our most vulnerable children and families. Between April and December 2024, our Family Help services supported 7000 families through engagement sessions, providing advice, or one-to-one support.
And from this April, every newborn baby in Rotherham will be entitled to a baby pack of free essential items, so that no local child goes without.
SEND Services Rated Outstanding
Last year, independent inspectors from Ofsted and the CQC awarded our services for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) the highest rating possible. We’ve increased investment in specialist and mainstream schools, creating more SEND places so children can learn closer to home. We’ve allocated £2.5 million to Newman School, boosting places for children aged 0 to 19 with special education needs from 160 to 195. We will continue working with partners like Rotherham Parent Carers’ Forum to ensure the highest quality of provision.
More spaces to play and grow
Alongside school and care services, we’re also investing in upgrading play parks and play areas to reduce antisocial behaviour and support children’s wellbeing, including in places like Thrybergh, Dinnington and Rother Valley.
After consulting with parents, carers, and families about the new Clifton Park Water Splash facility, we’re now investing £885,000 this year to enhance its features—providing a fun and welcoming space for everyone.
Our Aim: Expanding Economic Opportunity
We’re committed to building a strong, competitive economy in Rotherham—one where everyone has access to training and employment opportunities.
Growing opportunities in the town centre
Over the past year, our flagship Forge Island development has created new jobs for local people with the opening of the Travelodge and Arc Cinema. Even more opportunities will arrive in Spring 2025 when new restaurants open. Meanwhile, work on Rotherham Markets and our new Central Library continues which will generate even more training and employment opportunities for residents.
Investment beyond the town centre
Outside the town centre, we’re pressing ahead with two £20 million regeneration projects in Dinnington and at Wath Library where planning applications have now been submitted. In Dinnington, the project includes new commercial units, a landscaped town square, and better pedestrian access. Over at Wath Library, we’ll create a state-of-the-art building with enhanced public spaces, improved car parking, and a prime commercial unit.
Supporting residents into work and training
Our teams have been working hard to connect people with training and job opportunities. Since launching in 2020, the Council’s Employment Solutions team has supported over 1,250 residents into work or training. We’re now investing £718,000 in this programme to secure it for the long-term, so more people can benefit.
For younger residents, the Children’s Capital of Culture offers training and mentorship for 193 young artists, 110 paid traineeships, and 235 Arts Award qualifications—all designed to help the next generation develop valuable skills for the future.
Our Aim: a Cleaner, Greener Local Environment
Our local environment plays a vital role in the health and wellbeing of our community, and we’re committed to keeping Rotherham clean and green.
Introducing a new Roadside Cleansing Team
After listening to your feedback, we’re investing £307,000 in a dedicated team for additional roadside cleansing. They’ll focus on busy routes and key gateways, increasing maintenance and cleaning road signs—so our roads look their best all year round.
We know how important it is to keep neighbourhoods free from fly-tipping and other environmental crimes. Our approach includes:
- Responding quickly to fly-tipping reports
- Preventing future incidents through proactive measures
- Enforcing actions against those who break the law
We also maintain and empty 2,534 public litter bins across the borough. Each week, we collect over 155,000 household waste bins, and in the past year alone, 34,933 tonnes of waste were recycled—diverting it away from landfill. We also operate four Household Waste Recycling Centres, which recycle an additional 12,675 tonnes of waste a year.
Caring for green spaces
We’re proud to maintain 14 urban parks, 3 country parks, and 37 playparks across Rotherham. Over the next year, we’re investing in significant regeneration projects at Rother Valley Country Park and Thrybergh Country Parks, bringing modern facilities to these much-loved sites.
Protecting our communities from flooding
We continue to invest in flood alleviation schemes in key areas. This includes £6 million for the Catcliffe Village Flood Alleviation Scheme, which will help reduce the risk of flooding from the River Rother.