Cabinet officially approves £9m for Wath Library development in Rotherham

Rotherham Cabinet has officially approved the Wath Library project using part of the Levelling Up fund.

A supporting document states that although Rotherham Council was denied twice – once in June 2021 and then again in June 2022 – when it submitted a bid for the central government’s Levelling Up funds, earlier this year “Rotherham’s proposals were identified as one of 16 to receive £200m additional funding for left-behind places and in recognition of the high-quality bid submitted”.

Rotherham was awarded a total of £19,990,111, which will be spent on two projects – the said Wath Library development and the redevelopment of Dinnington high street.

The Cabinet today was (once again) told that the Wath scheme, which will have a budget of just shy of £9m, would include the demolition of the existing library; the creation of a brand-new library to create a modern, inviting, and inclusive community facility, including some commercial space; design to open up connectivity between Biscay Way and the High Street and encourage visitors into the Town Centre; and public realm improvements.

Project development including design, surveys and public engagement will take place over the next 6-12 months followed by a report back to Cabinet.

A further report detailing how the project will be implemented will be presented to Cabinet in February 2024.