£40m deal paves way for Rotherham Tesco move

TCN UK, one of the major players in the £2 billion Rotherham Renaissance programme, revealed that it had reached terms with Rotherham Borough Council over the scheme which will see a new supermarket built on the Walker Place site currently occupied by the Civic Building and Norfolk House.

News of the deal came in the same week that Rotherham United chairman Tony Stewart unveiled plans for the club’s proposed new £20 million stadium.

It will be just a stone’s throw from where the council’s new £60 million offices are being built on the former Guest and Chrimes site.

TCN will buy the council’s 5.5-acre site at Walker Place when the authority moves thousands of workers into the new offices in 2012.

Council buildings will then be demolished to make way for a new supermarket.

Meanwhile, Tesco on Forge Island will be pulled down to make way for eye-catching glass-and-metal office and apartment buildings forming part of a Cultural Quarter.

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We’ve taken a big step forward with the council as part of their plans for transforming the centre,” said TCN director Stephen Holme. “Terms are now agreed between us and the council which will enable us to push ahead.

"We are already in advanced discussions with some major retail operators for the site, including Tesco.

“This is just the start of the town centre transformation.”

The Advertiser reported back in July 2008 that Walker Place would be the site of a new Tesco but this week’s announcement is a major milestone for the Renaissance, as it maintains the “domino effect” begun by the start of work on the new council offices.

The council’s strategic director for environment and development services, Karl Battersby, said: “The deal with TCN is the first step in seeing the civic site developed, which was something we could not rely on until we could push over the first domino that was our new offices.

“As for the stadium, there is a planning process to go through but we’re 100 per cent behind it in principle.”

Mr Battersby said that the Renaissance programme was progressing, despite the uncertain economic situation nationally. He added: “Nothing has fallen off the radar—some things have taken longer than we would like but it’s all moving forward.”

Mr Battersby said that he was also happy to see progress being made on Tesco’s proposed move from Forge Island following the past controversy over the supermarket giant’s plans to move onto the Guest and Chrimes site, which were kicked out by the council.

“Again, there is a planning process to follow but it’s a positive move for the town,” he said.

"We refused Tesco’s plans for the Guest and Chrimes site but we’ve moved on from that and we want to have a good relationship with Tesco, as with all retailers in the town.”

Mr Holme added: “We’re a step closer to delivering on our aim to play a major part in redeveloping the town centre.

“It’s very satisfying to be bringing about changes that will improve people’s quality of life for generations to come.”