ROTHERHAM ROARS: Town breaks into the top 10 fastest growing UK cities for the first time.

The borough posted 2.2 per cent economic growth in the first quarter of this year, enough to reach tenth in the table of 46 towns and cities by ‘gross value added’, a measure of goods and services produced.

It also maintained its position as Yorkshire’s fastest growing economy, according to the UK Powerhouse study produced by Irwin Mitchell and the Centre for Economics and Business Research.

See The Star’s celebration of Yorkshire’s fastest growing economy in ROTHERHAM ROARS

Doncaster was 11th with 2.2 per cent growth but Sheffield was 40th with 1.5 per cent.

Dorrien Peters, partner and head of business legal services at Irwin Mitchell, said: “This report has shone an important spotlight on the South Yorkshire economy. McLaren Automotive’s investment in the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham is a great example of the opportunities for growth looking forward, with the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre being a key catalyst for growth in Rotherham, which means it has a relatively safe position in the top 15 Powerhouse cities for GVA growth.

“In addition, Doncaster has a high rate of start-ups, and if these businesses are supported by the appropriate networks they will have the potential to provide the backbone of economic growth in the future.

“The future prospects for Sheffield are not quite as positive, although both the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University’s investment plans for the city will be crucial to continued economic growth, hopefully city leaders will no doubt be assessing to see how the Sheffield’s fortunes can be improved.”

Looking to the future, Sheffield’s economy is expected to grow eight per cent over the next 10 years, with GVA in the last three months of 2028 set to hit £12.2bn, and create an additional 36,000 jobs.

See The Star’s celebration of Yorkshire’s fastest growing economy in ROTHERHAM ROARS