Rotherham Council to re-submit levelling-up bids for Wath and Dinnington

The deadline for the second round of funding is July 6, and RMBC intend to submit a second proposal, after missing out ion the first round of funding announced last year.

Two of the council’s three bids were awarded funding during the first round of levelling-up cash in October 2021.

Almost £40m was awarded for projects in the Town Centre, Rother Valley Country Park, Gullivers Valley Theme Park, Maltby Academy and Wentworth Woodhouse.

However, a bid to improve housing and employment in Wath and Dinnington was left out of the announcement

In Wath, RMBC hoped to use the funding to demolish and replace the library with a modern building and community hub, as well as new retail and residential units.

In Dinnington, new residential and retail space was planned for the town centre, including an upgraded outdoor market.

A report to today’s overview and scrutiny management board states that the council “intend to re-submit a bid proposal for Wath and Dinnington Town Centres to this fund with a deadline of 6 July”.

Paul Woodcock, strategic director of regeneration and environment at Rotherham Council told the meeting: “We did have feedback for the one bid under levelling-up fund that wasn’t successful, that was a meeting with officials from the government.

“That is due to come back, it is on the forward plan to come to cabinet in June.

“We have reflected and looked at the feedback from government, in terms of where they thought that the proposals could be strengthened. They also said it was a strong bid, there were elements that clearly could be improved.

“The proposal is to go along similar lines as what we put in in round one.”

Mr Woodcock added that a “substantial” amount of consultation had been undertaken during the first round of funding,” and “once we have consensus and a preferable way forward, the intention is then to work that up and do wider consultation”.

The report is set to be presented to cabinet on May 16.