£50m shopping centre in South Yorkshire 'would create 700 jobs'

A huge complex of shops, offices and leisure facilities would be built at Waverley, on the old Orgreave coking plant site, under plans submitted to Rotherham Council.

A new transport interchange and a medical and community facility would also be created at the site near Catcliffe, and there would be a rooftop walkway and gardens.

The proposals were first unveiled last year by Waverley Square Limited - a joint venture between Harworth Group and Dransfield Properties.

A detailed planning application has now been submitted to Rotherham Council, setting out proposals for facilities including a 21,000sqft supermarket, nearly 90,000sqft of shops and 38,000 sqft of office space.

The development - designed by South Yorkshire architects Dixon Dawson - would also contain cafes, restaurants and a gym, and would feature landscaped piazzas with fountains, and a ‘town square’ hosting farmers’ markets.

The 740-acre Waverley site, close to junction 33 of the M1, is already home to the Advanced Manufacturing Park technology hub which boasts big names like Boeing and Rolls-Royce.

Over the last four years, 650 homes have been built there, and up to 3,400 more are planned over the next 15 years.

Owen Michaelson, chief executive of Harworth Group, said: “This is a key development for Rotherham and for Sheffield City Region in that it will create the sort of high-quality local facilities that both businesses at the AMP and local residents expect.

“The plans have been carefully designed following public input and we look forward to Rotherham Council carefully examining the plans over the summer prior to a decision being made.”

Dransfield Properties is the company behind the Fox Valley shopping centre in Stocksbridge, which was completed last year and recently hosted the climax to the Tour de Yorkshire.

Mark Dransfield, managing director of the firm, said the plans for Waverley had been ‘extremely well received’ by the community during consultation.

“The whole team has been keen from the outset to deliver a high quality development in terms of both the architecture and materials which will create a real sense of place for this world class location,” he added.

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