New boost for Rotherham Council homes could feature return of 'back to back’ housing

This time around, the back-to-back design would be re-invented with 21st Century features to provide high quality homes alongside an apartments development on a council owned site on Westgate, close to the town centre.In addition to the houses, there would be 23 two bedroomed apartments with another 16 meant to accommodate single occupants.Threequarters of the properties would go straight into the council’s own stocks of social housing, with the rest being sold on the open market.The site has enough space for 30 car parking bays, with two for disabled use, but each of the homes would also have space for cycle parking.If approved, the development would take over the Millfold Works site with plans submitted for consideration showing the back-to-back housing design allowing for the development of a sloping site, with one side at a lower level and each featuring balconies.The existing Millfold House, directly alongside Westgate, is believed to date from the 1930s, though the site is know to have been in use for a century before that.Other parts of the site remain in use as a scrapyard, according to planning documents, with Millfold House itself described as being “dilapidated”.A decision on whether to allow the development will be made later.