Dinnington high street regeneration - Alexander has written to Angela Rayner about funding deadline and scrutiny of RMBC’s delivery of the project.
Alexander has become increasingly concerned about the lack of progress with the Dinnington high street regeneration project. A concern shared by local businesses and Dinnington Conservatives ward councillors.
Alexander said: "This £12 million project is so important to the town and we cannot just sit back and hope everything pans out."
"We know Labour-led RMBC have admitted they are struggling to deliver regeneration projects on time and budget. We must ensure the Government steps in to help deliver the project."
"The deadline the government money needs to be spent by is May 2026. There is not a cat in hells chance with the lethargy and lack of political drive from our local Labour leaders that the project will be completed by then, or even by the end of 2026."
"This is incredibly disappointing for local businesses and everyone who worked so hard to secure the funding."
"But we must now fight to make sure the project succeeds."
"I have written to Angela Rayner in her capacity as Secretary of State for Local Government, to ask that the funding will be extended. I have also asked her to provide details of the scrutiny her Department is giving this project."
The text of the letter is below 
Dear Secretary of State,
RE: Dinnington high street and market regeneration - Capital Regeneration Grant
I am writing with regard to the Capital Regeneration Grant awarded to Dinnington town, and to ask that you publicly commit to extending the funding deadline by two years to ensure that the project is completed.
Dinnington high street needs this project to succeed. It is incredibly important that the largest capital funding project the town has ever received is completed as promised.
I have read in the media that Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC) has started discussion with your Department on this extension, although I can find no official confirmation of this on their website or on council minutes.
As you will be aware, as the lead authority Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC) was awarded £19.9 million of Capital Regeneration Grant in the Spring 2023 Budget, with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Council and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 30th June 2023 regarding administration and delivery.
As part of the MoU, the funding deadline for the project was set as May 2026. RMBC in their public documents said if this was not achievable, their own ”Towns and Villages” fund with an allocation of £1 million would be utilised to help complete the project.
I was told that since Autumn 2023 the Council was in negotiation with some of the land owners to acquire the land needed. Whether the Council was negotiating with all the land owners from this date has been openly debated. However, the result has been a delay in acquiring some of the parcels of land required from private land lords. After many months of discussion, a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) was made on Tuesday 7 January to acquire the remaining land.
It is becoming evident that unless the “threat” of the CPO speeds up the land acquisition, then the result will be a significant delay in any physical work.
I am aware that a condition of the MoU was the establishment of a Board to oversee delivery, alongside quarterly monitoring meetings with representatives from your Department. Through this liaison with your Department, your colleagues should be monitoring the project’s progress and identifying any slippage and assessing the Council’s risk in proceeding.
Publicly until recently, RMBC has been saying that the aim is for the project to be completed in 2026. This aim remains on their website under details of the project. However, it is has been clear to other stakeholders and local businesses for some time that the timescales set out by RMBC are not going to be achieved.
I would be grateful if you could provide details of these quarterly monitoring meetings and assurances that the discussion between RMBC and your department has been open and transparent regarding the concern that the project will not be completed by May 2026, and details of any contingencies that have been agreed.
I look forward to receiving your assurance that your Department will agree to extending the funding deadline.
Yours sincerely
Alexander Stafford
Former Member of Parliament for Rother Valley
