Rotherham revival a massive challenge, says regeneration chief

Borough council investment manager Tim O’Connell, who hopes to make the town a top shopping destination, admitted in a candid report to councillors that the town was “out of sync with its customer base.”

He is aiming to attract more shoppers into town in the face of figures suggesting that just £1 out of every £10 spent by Rotherham shoppers goes into the coffers of town centre businesses.

Mr O’Connell’s report goes on to document the slew of initiatives being used by the council to pull investment into Rotherham and help increase the range of shops on offer.

The successful Business Vitality Grants scheme, the popular Shop Local initiative and efforts to spruce up the front of vacant shop units are all listed as ways that the borough council has attempted to woo back shoppers.

Mr O’Connell’s report, which will be presented to councillors next week, said: “Over the past 20 years, Rotherham town centre has been subject to changing national retail and leisure trends and the more localised impacts resulting from the growth of Meadowhall and Retail World.

“The economic downturn has impacted on the vitality of high streets up and down the country and independent analysis suggests that further challenges lie ahead as the government implements a programme of austerity measures.

“Rotherham benefits from a large and mixed profile resident base that is predicted to grow but analysis of shopping patterns shows that the town centre is out of sync with its customer base.

“Rotherham town centre currently attracts only £1 out of every £10 spent by Rotherham residents.

“In particular it is missing out on opportunities to satisfy demand from mid-market and mid-market affluent residents.

“Attracting more shoppers from these customer groups is a realistic aim but it will require strong and continued commitment from the council, businesses and partners to promote and support change.”

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Mr O’Connell pointed out that brands such as The Works, Toymaster and B&M Bargains had been attracted to the town by the council’s “innovative package of support for new and existing businesses” and said that improvements in cleaning standards and parking initiatives had also begun to bear fruit.

But he admitted that there was still plenty of work to do—not least in changing the views of people who did not currently go to the town centre.

“It is not easy to change perceptions, particularly among those who do not use the town centre,” Mr O’Connell’s report added. “However, there is a potential to attract new customers including those with higher spending power, if the offer is right.

“It is necessary to create a differentiated shopping offer which is complementary to nearby centres.

“This can be achieved by targeting a gap in quality niche retailers alongside recognised national outlets and supplemented by a strong cultural and leisure offer.”

The report outlined future plans for improving the town centre, including:

• Targeting national chain stores and businesses by sending out investment information packs to retailers and directly contacting key figures in retail organisations.
• Arranging visits for specific retailers with suitable requirements.
• Working more closely with planners to ensure that properties fit the needs of national stores looking to come to Rotherham.
• Continuing with the Business Vitality Grants marketing campaign to encourage quality independent retailers.
• Monitoring and maintaining the health of the town centre by reviewing the impact on footfall resulting from town centre events and marketing initiatives and continuing to improve the appearance of empty shop units.

Consultants Colliers uncovered the low proportion of Rotherham residents’ money being spent in the town centre during a retail study published earlier this year.

The council revealed last month that the firm was being hired for a second time to carry out another survey.

Comment: The Advertiser says:

Town centre revival remains a challenge

THE borough council’s investment manager, charged with the unenviable task of leading the revival of Rotherham town centre, has concluded that the town is “out of sync with its customer base.”

We can think of quite a number of people who could have delivered that far-from-insightful assessment of the troubled town centre, but a programme of revival needs to start with a reality check.

The issue is not one of merely identifying what is wrong with the town centre—access, parking, choice, convenience, quality, lack of prestigious high street names and competition from out-of-town shopping centres is not a definitive list, but it will do for pretty depressing starters.

It is accepted that Rotherham town centre can not compete with the retail offer from the likes of Meadowhall and even our home-grown Parkgate Shopping, but an experience which is complementary to shopping malls offers the possibility of revival.

In a report which will go to councillors next week, borough council investment manager

Tim O’Connell has also quantified the problem by declaring that only £1 out of every £10 spent by residents of Rotherham is spent in the town centre.

The town centre has benefited from the Business Vitality Grants scheme, the shop local offer and the improved appearance of empty shop units, but that is only the beginning.

Mr O’Connell goes on to list a series of further initiatives which could be employed to restore the town centre’s fortunes, among them targeting specific retailers and national chain stores.

But we are into chicken and egg territory here and unless the town centre can be made more attractive, both aesthetically and in terms of retail choice, the reasons which underlined the departure of the likes of Marks & Spencer, Next, C&A and British Home

Stores are likely to be as relevant today as then and will dog any recovery plan.

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