Rotherham Central
From community evidence to strategic priorities
South Yorkshire | Phase 1 | Up to £20m over 10 years
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Why we've included it
A useful example of establishing the strategic direction before jumping to individual projects.
What they did
Rotherham used community engagement to establish the issues residents cared about and translate these into a set of strategic investment priorities.
Its Phase 1 Regeneration Plan sets out the 10-year Vision alongside six key investment priorities for the first four years. Importantly, Rotherham did not attempt to define every project before the programme began. Detailed project development was deliberately left to the first 6–12 months of the funding period from April 2026.
That distinction is useful for Neighbourhood Boards now developing their own plans: the long-term Vision establishes where you want to go; individual projects are interventions for getting there.
The approach
Community
Rotherham undertook extensive place-based consultation to understand what residents valued, where they felt improvements were required and what should be prioritised through Pride in Place.
Evidence
Community feedback was considered alongside the wider evidence about the place. For example, consultation identified work and the local economy as one of the lowest-scoring themes, helping demonstrate a case for interventions around business, skills and economic opportunity.
Priorities
The process resulted in six investment priorities covering areas including regeneration, high streets and heritage, community infrastructure and the local economy. These provide the framework within which individual interventions can now be developed.
What others can learn
Don't rush from engagement to projects.
One of the easiest mistakes in place-based investment is to start with projects that are already on somebody's wish list and then build the justification around them.
Rotherham demonstrates another approach: establish the Vision, evidence and strategic priorities first, then develop and test the interventions that could deliver them.
For Neighbourhood Boards developing their own 10-Year Vision, the lesson is simple:
Start with the change you want to achieve. Then decide which projects can best deliver it.
Where they are now
Rotherham's Phase 1 plan has moved into the delivery period, with detailed project development taking place during the first 6–12 months from April 2026.
Explore Rotherham Central's approach
These case studies are independent UrbanCat learning resources based on publicly available Pride in Place plans, engagement material and programme information. They are not MHCLG assessments or endorsements.