Funding of £12m for Dinnington High Street revamp after government levelling up u-turn

The funding was announced in the Chancellor’s spring budget yesterday (March 15), and will be used to clear burnt-out buildings, invest in the outdoor market and create a new commercial square.

Rotherham Council has previously submitted two bids to the government’s levelling-up fund for the cash, which, despite visits from two previous Chancellors – Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid – were turned down.

Rother Valley MP Alexander Stafford slammed Rotherham Council when the second bid was rejected in January, accusing the authority of lacking a “vision or a plan for Rother Valley”.

He called on RMBC to “ensure that a vision and plans are in place for all our communities, so that they can take advantage of the opportunities to receive the funding needed

Councillor Simon Ball, leader of the Rotherham Conservative group, also called on the council to put in place “plans for all our villages and towns outside of Rotherham centre”.

Coun Ball added: “The announcement further shows that when there are plans in place, money is being provided by the government to our region.

“We now need the council to step up to the plate and put in place a vision and plans for all our high streets, so all our communities have opportunity to get substantial funding in the future.”

Councillor Chris Read, leader of the council, told the local democracy reporting service that the surprise announcement is ‘great news’.

Coun Read added: “The surprise announcement in the budget today that the government has decided to fully fund our Levelling Up Fund bid for Wath and Dinnington is great news.

“It means that we have been successfully with all three of the bids that the council put forward, and it is a welcome change of plan after the recent announcement that the government would not consider it.

“I’m glad that suggestions the bid was somehow faulty have been corrected today, recognising the huge amount of effort and expertise that went into their preparation.

“Residents in both communities will rightly be looking forward to seeing these investments realised; improvements to Dinnington markets and the surrounding area as well as a new library in Wath.”