Rotherham seeks CPO powers for Dinnington

Although negotiations continue around land assembly, the council wants the certainty provided by compulsory purchase powers as it looks to deliver a £11m regeneration programme.

Rotherham Council’s cabinet meeting on Monday 14 October will be asked to approve the way forward set out by officers keen to not let the Levelling Up Fund cash secured go to waste, instead putting it to work redeveloping the Laughton Road shopping area.

Plans were submitted for the project in July, with permission granted conditionally on 13 September. With a start on site in early 2025 the target, CPO powers are being sought as a contingency measure should the local authority fail to secure the final plots it needs by negotiation.

Background

In spring 2023, Rotherham secured LUF backing from the Conservative government to transform two prominent sites in its two principal areas of growth, Wath-upon-Dearne and Dinnington. In brief, improved placemaking, building town centre footfall and restoring pride in the local community are the driving principles.

By August last year, the council’s cabinet had approved £11m to deliver the Dinnington High Street/Market project, which has subsequently been backed up by a further £1m from the council’s towns and villages fund.

Upon sign-off, officers got busy on finalising scheme design and lining up the property interests the council needs to acquire to make the project happen.

Project breakdown

The scheme requires the demolition of half of the shopping parade, namely 36-44 Laughton Road, including the former market building at 34, structures associated with the open market including the colliery band building, and 32 Laughton Road.

The project’s new-build element will then see a block of six retail/commercial units along with a secure storage unit for the market at the southern end of the site; and a separate commercial/community building with associated parking and servicing.

Along with the new-build, a refurbishment will take place across six existing retail units at 46-56 Laughton Road.

The project also includes a new town square, accommodating the open market, with associated public realm improvements to improve links to the bus interchange and car parks.

The scheme has been designed by architect AHR, working with landscape architect Oobe. The professional team also includes civil and structural engineer Adept, STM Environmental, Service Design Associates, and Elite Ecology.

All documents relating to the project’s application can be viewed on Rotherham’s planning portal with the reference RB2024/0992.

What happens now?

Will a CPO be necessary? Perhaps not. As a report to cabinet, authored by regeneration programme and strategy manager Megan Hinchliff outlines, “although it is not presently anticipated that the council will need to use its powers to appropriate land to a planning purpose, there is a possibility that it might need to do so in respect of a small area of the scheme for the purposes of facilitating the proposed development”.

However, Rotherham is yet to reach agreement on nine plots. Negotiations with landowners are ongoing, and with 15 titles now transferred to council ownership, officers this report that “do nothing” is not an option, as it would leave a fragmented ownership, while a reduced scheme will not offer the scope for a project of any significance.

As ever with promised funding from central government – especially that from a previous regime – the clock is ticking, so officers believe that focusing solely on negotiation is too high-risk: hence the back-up option of seeking CPO powers.

As the report – presumably prepared before the 13 September approval – states: “The scheme has been developed in detail, consultation has taken place, the planning application is due for determination imminently and assembly of the redevelopment site is being assembled largely through negotiation.

“The proposals accord with the Planning Policy Framework for the area and there are no legal restrictions in place that will prevent the construction of the scheme.”

Furthermore, the additional £1m secured could cover legal and surveyors fees along with acquisitions, it was reported.