
Plans for cafe and craft ale house in empty unit in Rotherham
According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the business would be spread over two floors, with seating at ground level and a storage and preparation space to the rear of the lower ground floor. A flat on the first floor would remain in residential use.The venue would open daily, according to the application, and operate from 09:00 BST to 21:00 or 22:30, depending on the day. The proposal attracted 16 letters of support and 11 objections, with concerns ranging from potential late night noise to increased litter. Some added there was a known problem with rats near the property and they feared there would also be a lack of parking.Supporters argued that the venue would fill a local need for coffee shops and social spaces.They praised its emphasis on sourcing local produce.Several also suggested that such venues typically attract a more mature clientele and would bring new life to an otherwise underused unit.Council planning officers concluded that the proposal was in line with the authority's local plan.In response to noise concerns, the applicant has agreed to a number of proposed conditions, including no outdoor seating, no live or amplified music, and restricted operating hours.
Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mail
20 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Man United 'plot £50m swoop for Carlos Baleba alternative' - despite Brighton midfielder 'showing interest' in Old Trafford move
Manchester United have reportedly identified a cheaper alternative to Carlos Baleba should they miss out of their priority target before the close of the summer transfer window. The Red Devils have significantly bolstered Ruben Amorim 's attack this summer with the additions of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko for fees of £62.5million, £71m and £74m respectively. United have now turned their attention to the middle of park, with Brighton 's star midfielder Baleba, 21, understood to be the primary target. Baleba, who has spent two seasons as a regular starter for the Seagulls after arriving from Lille in 2023, is expected to demand a hefty transfer fee worth between £100m and £120m this summer, given he still has a minimum of three years left on his Brighton deal. According to The Sun, Manchester United are now considering a £50m move for Sporting Lisbon captain Morten Hjulmand, who was once a favourite of Amorim's during his time in the Portuguese capital. The newspaper claims that Hjulmand, who is expected to cost half the fee Baleba would demand, would only be pursued if United miss out on the Cameroonian altogether. Transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano claimed on Wednesday that United are ready to step up their pursuit of Baleba after hearing the player is keen to make the switch. But Amorim is also a strong admirer of the Danish midfielder and has previously lauded his 'monster mentality' and leadership qualities, having appointed him captain. Baleba helped Brighton finish eighth in the Premier League last season, just five points off fifth-placed Newcastle, who secured Champions League football. The Seagulls, who have made a habit of selling the likes of Joao Pedro, Marc Cucurella and Moises Caicedo to Chelsea for huge profits, are less keen to sell Baleba this summer given he had an impressive season. According to The Athletic, a move for the youngster is 'improbable' unless United are able to secure a series of lucrative sales before the window closes at the start of next month. Only Liverpool and Chelsea can boast a higher spend among the Premier League's money-spinning corridors this summer. One Manchester United fan has set up a GoFundMe page to try and raise funds for a Baleba bid, though in four days it had only raised £501 of its £120m target. In defensive midfield, United currently have Casemiro, Manuel Ugarte, and Toby Collyer as options, while Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo can also be deployed in the centre of the park in their 3-4-3 formation. One Manchester United fan set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for Baleba's transfer fee The Brighton star revealed in a previous interview that reigning Ballon d'Or holder Rodri is an inspiration of his as he continues to make strides in his budding career. 'I want to win the Ballon D'or like Rodri,' Baleba said. 'His success has opened the door for midfielders like us to believe we can win the Ballon d'Or one day.' The youngster was born and raised in Douala - also the birthplace of four-time African Player of the Year Samuel Eto'o.


BBC News
22 minutes ago
- BBC News
Train knocks over Grade II listed iron footbridge in Lydney
A Grade II listed footbridge has been damaged after being hit by an engineering train on a heritage 133-year-old Victorian lattice iron bridge at St Mary's Halt in Lydney, Gloucestershire, was restored only in 2019 – and is said to be the last surviving piece of infrastructure from the historic Severn and Wye Forest Railway, which runs steam trains and heritage diesel services on the line, said no one was harmed in the incident, which happened just before 11:00 BST on Thursday. It said its staff and volunteers were now working with the Office of Rail and Road and the Rail Accident Investigation Branch. The bridge, north of the A48 and to the west of Lydney Lake, was cordoned off to the public after being knocked and Wye Railway was originally constructed as a tramroad network in the Forest of Dean more than two centuries only remaining part of it in use, for heritage trips, spans 4.5 miles (7.2km) from Lydney Junction Station, which is near Lydney Harbour, to Forest Railway said it would be running a reduced service over the weekend.


The Sun
22 minutes ago
- The Sun
Major chain launches closing down sale ahead of shutting two branches in DAYS
A MAJOR chain has launched closing down sales ahead of shutting two branches in days. Sports Direct is pulling down the shutters on one shop in Rhyl, North Wales and another in Liverpool in September and October. 1 The chain's store in the Liverpool ONE Shopping Centre is closing on September 29, the Liverpool Echo reports. The brand, owned by the Frasers Group, is said to be relocating to a new unit in the city's Church Street. Meanwhile, a site in Rhyl's White Rose Shopping Centre will permanently shut in October, the Daily Post reports. An exact closure date for the Rhyl branch is yet to be confirmed. Both stores have reportedly launched closing down sales, with up to 20% off stock. One Rhyl local has set up a petition calling for Sports Direct bosses to keep the town's branch open. It reads: "Rhyl, with its vibrant community and rich sporting culture, relies heavily on Sports Direct for affordable, quality sportswear and equipment. "It supports local individuals and visitors to Rhyl who participate in various sporting activities, contributing positively to the health and vitality of our community." "Sports Direct's presence in Rhyl also means contributing to the local economy beyond just payroll. "It draws people into the town centre, benefiting other businesses and promoting a bustling, lively shopping environment. Britain's retail apocalypse: why your favourite stores KEEP closing down "We urge the people involved to reconsider this closure." It comes after a Sports Direct branch in Cambridge shut down in April, after launching a huge closing down sale. One frustrated shopper branded the closure "another nail in the coffin" for the city. Sports Direct also pulled the plug on its Central Six Retail Park store in Coventry at the end of January. Last year, its branches in Stroud, Gloucestershire, and on Octagon Parade in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, also shut permanently. The Sun asked Frasers Group to comment. HIGH STREET WOES The retail sector has struggled since the onset of online shopping and the coronavirus pandemic. Higher inflation since 2022 has also hit shoppers' budgets. The Centre for Retail Research has said the sector has been going through a "permacrisis" since the 2008 financial crash. Figures from the Centre also show 34 retail companies operating multiple stores stopped trading in 2024, leading to the closure of 7,537 shops. In June, Polish owner Pepco Group sold Poundland to US investment firm Gordon Brothers for £1 after a downturn in trading. The new owners are currently going through the process of shutting up to 68 stores and negotiate lower rents on others. Both Hobbycraft and The Original Factory Shop are also currently shutting branches as part of restructuring efforts. RETAIL PAIN IN 2025 The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs will cost the retail sector £2.3billion. Research by the British Chambers of Commerce shows that more than half of companies plan to raise prices by early April. A survey of more than 4,800 firms found that 55% expect prices to increase in the next three months, up from 39% in a similar poll conducted in the latter half of 2024. Three-quarters of companies cited the cost of employing people as their primary financial pressure. The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year. It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year. Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: "The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025." Professor Bamfield has also warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector. "By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020." .