Purpose

In October 2024, the Council
submitted an Outline Business Case (OBC) for nine housing
development sites to the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority
(SYMCA). Following this, in December 2024, the Council was invited
to submit Final Business Cases (FBCs) for the four most advanced
sites.
 
In March 2025, the SYMCA Board
approved £432,000 in Brownfield Housing Fund grant funding to
support the delivery of 27 new Council homes across these four
sites.
 
These schemes have previously
been approved by Cabinet as part of the Council’s Housing
Delivery Programme. This report seeks an Officer-level decision to
formally enter into a Grant Funding Agreement with SYMCA, enabling
the Council to draw down the approved funding and proceed with
delivery.
 
Sites Included in the Grant Funding
 

Warden Street, Canklow – 13
homes
Princess Street, West Melton –
6 homes
Albert Road, West Melton – 4
homes
Former Ship Inn, Swinton – 4
homes

 

Decision

 

ROTHERHAM METROPOLITAN BOROUGH COUNCIL

 

RECORD OF OFFICER EXECUTIVE DECISION
 

Date of Decision:

09/06/2025
 

Title:

Council Homes Delivery Programme: Entering
into a Grant Funding Agreement with the South Yorkshire Mayoral
Combined Authority (SYMCA) to enable
the Council to receive Brownfield Housing Fund to support the
delivery of 27 new Council homes.

Decision Maker:
(Including Job Title)

Ian Spicer
Strategic Director of Adult Care, Housing and
Public Health.
 

Details of Specific Delegation
 
or
 
Delegation contained in the relevant
Sub-Scheme of Delegation.
 

The decision is in-line with the Cabinet
delegation most recently set out within the following meeting
minutes:
 
1.   
25 January 2021 Cabinet Meeting – ‘Resolved:- 2. That
authority be delegated to the Assistant Director of Housing, in
consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing and the Section
151 Officer, to enter into a Brownfield Housing Fund agreement with
the Sheffield City Region where this will serve to increase the
number of new homes delivered in Rotherham.’ Minute 103
refers.

Printed minutes Monday 25-Jan-2021 10.00 Cabinet.pdf
 
2.   
11 July 2022 Cabinet Meeting – 
‘Resolved:- 1. That Cabinet approve the Council-owned sites
listed in Appendix 2 being brought forward to deliver new homes,
with developments which will deliver more than 10 homes being
subject to further Cabinet approvals. 2. That Cabinet approve the
purchase of homes from any of the schemes identified in Exempt
Appendix 3.’ Minute 27 refers.

Printed minutes Monday 11-Jul-2022 10.00 Cabinet.pdf
 
3.   
23 January 2023 Cabinet Meeting – ‘Resolved: 1. That
Cabinet approved the Council-owned sites listed in Appendix 3 being
brought forward to deliver new Council homes. 2. That Cabinet
approved the appropriation of specified General Fund sites to the
Housing Revenue Account. Further detail about the sites proposed
for appropriation is provided in Appendix 4. 3. That Cabinet
approved the purchase of homes from any of the schemes identified
in Exempt Appendix 5.’ Minute 104 refers.

Printed minutes Monday 23-Jan-2023 10.00 Cabinet.pdf
 

Decision:

This decision seeks formal officer approval
for the Council to
enter into a Grant Funding Agreement with the
South
Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority
(SYMCA), enabling
the drawdown of £432,000 in approved
Brownfield Housing
Fund grant. The funding will support the
delivery of 27 new
Council homes across the following four
sites:

Warden Street, Canklow – 13 homes
Princess Street, West Melton –
6 homes
Albert Road, West Melton – 4
homes
Former Ship Inn, Swinton – 4
homes

 

Reasons for the Decision:

In October 2024, the Council submitted an
Outline Business Case to SYMCA for nine
housing sites. By December, it was invited to submit Final Business
Cases for the four most advanced. In March 2025, SYMCA approved £432,000 in Brownfield Housing
Fund grants to support 27 new Council homes on these sites. These
schemes were already approved under the Council’s Housing
Delivery Programme, and entering into the funding agreements will
help improve overall programme affordability.

Details of alternative options considered and
rejected:

Option 1: Do not enter into the
grant funding agreements with SYMCA 
 
Grant contributions from
SYMCA are crucial to delivering the new
Council homes by March 2026. If the Council does not enter into the
grant funding agreements with SYMCA it
will be unable to drawdown the grant, requiring further funding to
be allocated to the project from the Councils Housing Revenue
Account. 
 
This option is not
recommended.

Conflicts of interest declared by any Cabinet
Member consulted by the decision maker which relates to the
decision:

N/A

Dispensations Granted:
(If any)

N/A

Conflicts of interest declared by the Decision
Maker if they sit as a Cabinet appointed representative to an
outside body which relates to the decision:

N/A

Dispensations Granted:
(If any)

N/A

Reports or parts of reports considered

Cabinet Report 25/01/2021: Quarterly Housing
Development Update - Minute 103
Cabinet Report 11/07/2022: Annual Housing
Development Report 2022/23 - Minute 27
Cabinet Report 23/01/2023: Annual Housing
Development Report 2023/24 – Minute 104
 
The report of Ian Spicer, Strategic Director
of Adult Care, Housing and Public Health authorising the report -
Council Homes Delivery Programme: Entering into Grant Funding
Agreements with the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority to
enable the Council to receive Brownfield Housing Fund to support
the delivery of 27 new Council homes.

 
I certify that this
is a true record of the executive decision to:
 
The decision seeks
Officer-level approval for the Council to enter into a Grant
Funding Agreement with SYMCA to draw
down £432,000 in approved Brownfield Housing Fund grant for
delivering 27 new Council homes across four sites.
 
I confirm that in
making this decision, due regard was given to the seven principles
of public life.
 
Signed by the
Decision Maker:
 

 
Dated:         
09.06.2025
 
Name:         
Ian Spicer               
Job Title:     Strategic Director of
Adult Care, Housing and Public Health.