New council homes could be ready for tenants within 18 months in Rotherham

The council is to develop three sites on the fringes of the town centre to provide 171 new homes, with most being earmarked for rent by the council, with others to be made available on shared ownership schemes and 48 to be sold outright.Work is now ongoing to secure grants which will help meet the costs of redeveloping the sites and the council will then need to obtain planning permission for each of three developments.But the council’s member responsible for housing, Coun Dominic Beck, told Cabinet colleagues: “What this report demonstrates is the ambition of this council for our town centre masterplan.“We are really confident it will be a big, positive, boost.“We know having more people living in and around the town centre will be good for the town centre. We know about the economic benefits that will have.”The council is planning to be in a position for work to begin early next year, with the expectation of the first residents moving in between a year and 18 months later.“It is not something we have to do, it is something we want to do,” said Coun Beck.The Cabinet has also approved plans to build ten new bungalows on redundant garage sites at different locations in Wickersley.Those sites are among 300 similar pieces of land in council ownership and the project was aimed at putting the sites back to good use while providing bungalow accommodation which was known to be in high demand in that area, the Cabinet was told.One site at Willow Close, which had been proposed for housing had now been found to be unsuitable.Coun Emma Hoddinott said the area had been troubled by fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour and asked that the council take action to improve the site.