Foreword
Rotherham is a borough with its sights set on the future
Rotherham is forging ahead. As a Council we are ambitious for the borough. From our services for children with special educational needs being officially rated amongst the best in the country, to delivering the largest regeneration programme in a generation and from being almost two thirds of the way to creating 1,000 new council homes, to reducing potholes by 52% since 2015/16, we are working hard to make Rotherham a place to be proud of.
By investing in our libraries, and town and village centres we are making our neighbourhoods cleaner and more pleasant places to live. We’ve made significant progress for our children and young people and in 2025 we’ve been working with them to deliver the first ever Children’s Capital of Culture, providing a full year of exciting events, and giving them the chance to reimagine their futures.
With the help of our partners, we have protected those struggling in Rotherham by providing financial support and practical help whilst the cost of living has continued to grow. Meanwhile, in under a decade we have almost doubled the amount we spend on adult social care to support our most vulnerable residents with the services they need.
Despite the progress made, the need to deliver change and realise these ambitions for the borough remains clear. For many people in Rotherham life is still very hard. For this reason, our plan is resolutely focused on addressing this, building on the positive progress made.
Our plan will improve the lives of every resident in every corner of the borough. We will focus extra attention where it is needed, ensuring that everyone can achieve their potential throughout their lives.
As a community we have overcome adversity in recent years, demonstrating resilience and solidarity in responding to major challenges, from floods and violent disorder to the cost of living. The resilience and spirit shown in these responses fills us with confidence that, by working with our partners and our communities, we can deliver real and lasting change and improvement. This new Council Plan marks our commitment to continuing that journey.
Rotherham is our home, and together we will continue building a future we can all be proud of.
Chris Read, Leader of Rotherham Council
