Fresh move to create new jobs

More than 20,000 new jobs have been created in Rotherham since 1998 - and the town’s unemployment rate is now nearer the national average.

At one time Rotherham had one of Britain’s highest jobless rates following the collapse of its traditional coal and steel industries. But council bosses are worried the boom could soon be over as funding for major new developments which create the new jobs begins to dry up.

They now say more use must be made of vacant premises and land to attract new businesses to the town and are contacting owners of redundant or derelict premises offering them help to market the sites or find new uses for them which could create new jobs.