First 'neglected' areas of Rotherham to benefit from £4m transformation fund confirmed

Rotherham Council pledged the investment in smaller town and village centres as part of its Towns and Villages Fund.

The money has been specifically earmarked for areas which are not being supported through national Government funding schemes, such as Levelling up and Towns Fund monies.Since the council funding was confirmed, local councillors have been working with their communities to draw up a wish list of sites they want to see improved.Councillor Sarah Allen, deputy leader and cabinet member for Neighbourhood Working, said: "In their role as community champions, members have been engaging with their communities over the last few months to identify the unloved parts of their ward that could benefit from this scheme - not only by making areas look nice, but also making them more usable by including facilities like seating, lighting or parking."The council's cabinet will meet on Monday and is set to give the go-ahead to the first six schemes which are:

n New off road parking at Brinsworth Lane Shopping Parade

n Creation of attractive new green space outside Ridgeway Convenience Store in East Herringthorpe

n Establish new Green link corridor between Greasbrough Park and Greasbrough Recreation Ground

n New off street parking at Laburnum Parade shops near Maltby, utilising and improving existing green space.

n Improvement to area outside of Masefield Road shops near Wath, including highway and green space.

n Refurbishment of Broadway shopping parade on Swinton, improving accessibility and environment.

The council is working towards implementing 23 separate schemes of a similar scale across the borough over the next two years.Fund money is also being set aside from the for larger scale improvements at Maltby town centre, which it is hoped can be used to lever in further external funding.

Coun Denise Lelliott, cabinet member for Jobs and the Local Economy, said: "We already have a number of transformative projects lined-up for Rotherham Town Centre, alongside future masterplans for Dinnington, Wath and Maltby. But we want to see every community benefiting, right across the borough, which is why we announced this fund last year - and now the programme is starting to take shape.

"Alongside practical improvements at the heart of each community, we hope that these investments also encourage people to shop locally and in so doing give a little extra help to local shops and retailers."

The report is available to view on the council's website.