The vision for Don Valley is that it will be a ‘21st Century Workshop’ and an engine for the economies of Sheffield, Rotherham and the wider city region.
It will be nationally and internationally recognised as a mixed, modern and dynamic commercial area, benefiting from well-designed and well-integrated infrastructure which inspires indigenous business growth and attracts inward investment.
Also offering sustainable residential neighbourhoods, high quality environment and complementary leisure facilities, the Sheffield-Rotherham Don Valley will be a celebrated visitor destination promoted as a fantastic place to live, work and enjoy.
The Don Valley area
The Sheffield-Rotherham Don Valley area extends from the edge of Sheffield city centre to Rotherham town centre, and south adjacent to the M1 from junction 34 beyond the Parkway.
It takes in a vast area of traditional manufacturing land that has largely been redeveloped for modern industries and offices but still contains a number of vacant sites. It remains one of the key engines of the Sheffield City Region economy and is home to many world-class manufacturers.
It also includes housing development opportunities in Attercliffe and at Waverley; the River Don and Sheffield and Tinsley Canal; tram and train networks; 2 motorway junctions on the M1; retail centres at Attercliffe, Meadowhall and Rotherham; and the new Advanced Manufacturing Park at Waverley.
The area is also located at the heart of the new Sheffield City Region Enterprise Zone.
Barriers to investment
However, at present the Sheffield-Rotherham Don Valley suffers from a number of physical barriers which may make investors think twice about coming to the area. These obstacles include:
- transport infrastructure which is already at capacity
- a perceived high risk of flooding
- a lack of incentives for new manufacturing development
- a shortage of sites for housing in the immediate area
All these challenges represent an opportunity to realise a vision for the area as a modern, dynamic and high quality gateway to Sheffield and Rotherham, Sheffield City Region, South Yorkshire and the North of England.
The Master Plan
The Sheffield-Rotherham Don Valley Infrastructure Master Plan will be a framework for integrating the investment plans of public and private sector stakeholders in the area. It will be a long-term tool for ourselves and Rotherham Council to use to engage with partners in the area in order to gain benefit from co-ordinating personnel, finance and the delivery of infrastructure works.