Waterdale: Doncaster Council to have the option to take ownership of derelict city centre site

Mayor Ros Jones’ cabinet will meet on Wednesday, March 19, to decide on whether to sublease the vacant St Mowden retail unit on Kingsgate.

If they authorise the lease, the City of Doncaster Council would be given the option to take ownership of a huge portion of Watergate – if approved by cabinet at a later date,

A report by Scott Cardwell, service director for economy and development at the council, states: “This is a substantial site and if regenerated would have a transformational impact on the city.”

Mr Cardwell’s report, which will be presented to cabinet in the meeting, recommends the cabinet approve the lease and warns not doing so “will leave a large important underperforming part of the city derelict” and would delay the Health on the High Street initiative.

The land the city council would be given the option to take ownership of covers all the demolished Queensgate area of Waterdale, the former cinema, a three-storey office block, numerous commercial and residential units and the under-croft car park.

It has not yet been published what the financial implications of taking on these Waterdale assets would be.

This information would be published in a later report for the cabinet to consider when it discusses exercising its takeover option.

Health on the High Street would allow Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals (DBTH) and Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH) to provide NHS services from the city centre.

DBTH would occupy the ground floor and RDaSH would be on the upper floor.

Toby Lewis, RDaSH chief executive, said: “This first step towards ‘health on the high street’ in the city is a very exciting one.

“We are prioritising children’s mental health services, making them more accessible for young people by locating them in the heart of Doncaster, at the same time as we work to deliver short wait services.”