Rotherham 'pocket park' plan gets £350k boost

The Snail Yard site was bought by Rotherham Council in 2020, using government Towns Fund cash

Stalled plans for a so-called "pocket park" in Rotherham town centre have been given a £350,000 boost.

The Snail Yard park, on the site of the former Primark, was originally supposed to be finished by September 2021, but was held back because of design changes and land negotiations.

The completion date was then moved to summer 2022, with hopes of using it as a fan park during the Women’s Euros, but that deadline also passed, with work finally under way in June this year after updated plans were approved.

The new investment, from South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA), would support the overall £920,000 cost of the project, according to Rotherham Council.

Originally, plans for the Snail Yard site included food and drink venues and a scaffolding wall feature, but these had to be scaled back in October 2023 due to rising costs.

Plans now include seating, picnic areas and art installations within the green space.

Town centre masterplan

A council report said the new funding would contribute to "a green public realm in Rotherham’s town centre", transforming an "eyesore" previously blighted by anti-social behaviour.

It was also hoped that the park would increase footfall and enhance the town centre, the council said.

Planning permission was valid for five years after the park was finished, with long-term plans for the site under discussion, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

The park is expected to form part of Rotherham's town centre masterplan, with major housing developments planned for Wellgate, Westgate and Sheffield Road, and the improvement of open spaces at College Street, Bridgegate, Howard Street and Effingham Street.

Work on the green space was expected to be completed by early next year, according to Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council.

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