Residents across Rotherham are being invited to help shape a £4m programme aimed at improving public spaces and celebrating the borough’s heritage.
Following consultation and feedback from residents, the Our Places Fund, backed by £2m from Rotherham Council and £2m from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, will deliver measures set to breathe new life into public spaces, enhance safety and maintain infrastructure across the borough.
Funds have already been committed to Maltby and Swinton as part of Phase One. Maltby High Street is set for a facelift with new paving, green spaces and better signage, while Swinton will see improvements to the public spaces at Swinton Precinct.
These changes build on wider regeneration in Swinton, which has already delivered a new library, refurbished Civic Hall and café, and 49 new homes.
Phase Two will focus on several key areas:
- Swallownest will benefit from public space improvements around Mason Avenue and Gray Avenue in response to resident concerns around anti-social behaviour. Work could include removing overgrown shrubbery, creating new pathways, repairing and repainting railings, and additional lighting.
- In Rawmarsh, various locations across High Street and Haugh Road in Rawmarsh and Broad Street in Parkgate will benefit from public space improvements. This could include new seating and fencing.
- Honouring Rotherham’s history and heritage, areas around cenotaphs, memorials and monuments will be enhanced in Greasbrough, Dinnington, Treeton, Wentworth and Thrybergh.
A series of drop-in events will give people the chance to share their views on the proposals:
- Wentworth - Thursday 22 January, 3pm - 6pm, Wentworth Mechanics Institute
- Dinnington - Monday 26 January, 3pm – 6pm, St Leonard’s Church
- Treeton - Tuesday 27 January, 3pm - 6pm, Treeton Village Community & Resource Centre
- Thrybergh – Wednesday 28 January, 3pm – 6pm, Thrybergh Parish Hall
- Greasbrough - Thursday 29 January, 3:30pm – 6:30pm, Greasbrough Library
- Rawmarsh and Parkgate – Wednesday 4 February, 3pm – 6pm, Rawmarsh High St Centre
- Swallownest - Thursday 5 February, 3pm - 6pm, Aston-Cum-Aughton Parish Hall
Residents can also review the suggested improvements and take part in the consultation online from 15 January to 12 February at www.rotherham.gov.uk/consultations.
Councillor Chris Read, Leader of Rotherham Council said: “We promised residents that we’d invest in our places, and this latest stage of proposals sets out where improvements are set to be made. People tell us they want cleaner, safer, more welcoming places to live, and these improvements will make a genuine difference to day‑to‑day life.
“In public consultation last year, we heard how residents wanted us to prioritise war memorials and places marking our heritage in order to boost their pride in our communities, so it’s good to be able to propose five such sites in this latest stage of the work. We are looking forward to hearing feedback through the consultation before plans are confirmed and can be delivered.”
Paper copies of the consultation survey can also be requested by emailing info@rotherham.gov.uk or by calling 01709 254444.
