Mayor opens dress shop given civic support

Dressed by K's, which specialises in prom, eveningwear and bridalwear, was officially opened by the Mayor of Rotherham, Coun Rose McNeely, yesterday.

The new boutique in Moorgate Street is owned by Becky Tranmer, who also owns the K's clothes shop in Wellgate. Ms Tranmer said: "I'm very excited about the new boutique and venturing into new product lines such as bridalwear.

"The shop on Wellgate has continued to grow but it's the support from the grants and the council that has encouraged me to take the plunge."

Dressed by K's has opened with help from Rotherham Council's "business vitality grants" scheme, which offers new or expanding businesses 50 per cent off the rent in their first year and 25 per cent off in their second, as well as an additional grant towards the cost of fitting out the premises.

Coun McNeely said: "It's wonderful to see yet another shop open this year and even better that it's an existing Rotherham business expanding to a second unit – proving that trade must be doing well in our town centre.

"This is exactly what the grants set out to do: aid people to start-up, or expand... providing a good shopping destination for our residents and visitors."

Other businesses in Rotherham to have already benefited from the business vitality grants scheme include clothes shop Boo and its sister boutique Boi, Purely Bridal, vintage clothing outlet Yella Brick Road and the new "arts hub", which gives local artists, photographers and jewellers space to work and sell their pieces in the grade II listed Imperial Buildings.

Three more businesses which have been made possible through Rotherham Council's grant scheme are also currently fitting out new premises.

These are patisserie and chocolatier Schocolat, coffee house Sayas Coffee and boutique "Wedding Lounge."

Meanwhile, Davide Premi – who previously owned the Portofino restaurant in Sheffield's London Road – opened the new Eatalian restaurant in Rotherham's High Street yesterday.

He said: "I want to see Rotherham do well and I can see the amount of work that's being done in the area to transform it, including the High Street itself. It feels like the area is on the up and I want to be a part of that."