More pop-ups for Rotherham town centre in £268,000 shopping boost

The grant is the largest allocated from a £1 million Government fund set up to reward towns with the most innovative and successful high street regeneration schemes.

It reflects Rotherham’s work on encouraging small independent shops with a series of projects, including the long-running business vitality grants scheme and the newly-launched “pop-up shop” at the Imperial Buildings.

Footfall figures for the town centre in 2012 showed a 8.26 per cent increase across the year in comparison to 2011, and a 15 per cent increase on the figures for 2010.

The proposal that netted the latest award focused on listening to shoppers after extensive research into what they felt was missing from the town centre.  

The borough council plans to use the money to develop at least three more pop-up shops — units let for short periods at reduced rents — and a shared managed retail unit that would allow businesses to make and sell their own items.

Paul Woodcock, director of planning, regeneration and culture at Rotherham Borough Council, said: “This award has come about from the great strides we’ve made in Rotherham recently and improvements to footfall, new shops and other initiatives as well as listening to what people want to see in a vibrant town centre.

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