Rotherham Council’s Cabinet is set to approve plans to invest a further £4million to improve public spaces across the borough following feedback from residents – doubling its previous commitment.
Rotherham Council’s Cabinet is set to approve plans to invest a further £4million to improve public spaces across the borough following feedback from residents – doubling its previous commitment.
Back in February, to support the Council’s pledge to keep every neighbourhood thriving, councillors approved £2million to deliver the Our Places Fund, building on the success of the previous Towns and Villages Fund, which has brought significant improvements to 23 local centres across the borough.
Recent borough-wide consultation and engagement with residents identified several priority areas for improvement including seating, footpaths, bus shelters, lighting and green spaces in towns and villages around Rotherham.
As a result of the feedback, when it meets on 16 December, Cabinet is expected to commit an additional £2million, taken from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) Mayor’s Sustainability Fund, to expand the project.
Initial plans for the £4m package of investment include further improvements to the public realm that are already planned as part of the Maltby High Street Scheme, so that it encompasses the full length of the high street.
Meanwhile, in Swinton, the existing redevelopment of the town centre already underway – that includes a refurbished library and Civic Hall – will be extended to include further improvement to the public realm, adding to private funding that has already been secured.
Further consultation is due to take place around improvements to shops, bins and memorials across the borough in 2025. More information on how to get involved in the consultation will be released next year.
Councillor Dave Sheppard, Deputy Leader of the Council, said: “We’d like to thank everyone who responded to our consultation. It’s clear that residents are passionate about our places across the borough and want to see improvements to their local communities.
“We are committed to forging ahead and encouraging every neighbourhood to become a thriving neighbourhood. That’s why – on the back of the feedback we received from residents – we’ve decided to double our existing investment in the new Our Places Fund.
“There will be further consultation next year as we continue to work with residents and local communities, which will undoubtedly generate some exciting new projects.”