Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council chief executive John Edwards has said he intends to commission an investigation into the Rotherham Markets and Library project following recommendations to increase funding by around £6m.
The review will examine the development and delivery of the scheme after a cabinet report concluded that the project design had been “insufficiently” developed and exposed the council to an “excessive level of risk.” The report was prepared by the council’s head of regeneration, Lorna Vertigan.
The proposed additional funding would raise the overall cost of the project to £46.8m, which the report said would help establish “a more robust and deliverable position.”
Part of Rotherham’s wider £130m town centre masterplan, the scheme includes a new central library, a community hub and a redesigned outdoor market space capable of hosting exhibitions and events. Plans also involve refurbishment of the indoor market, including second-floor space for charities and social enterprises.
Henry Boot Construction was appointed main contractor in May 2024. The business now operates as HBC Construction following the sale of the construction division by Henry Boot earlier this year.
Vertigan flagged that the council entered into a contract on the job “before key assumptions had been confirmed, resulting in an overestimation of project readiness”.
“At contract award, the design and specification were insufficiently developed to be construction-ready,” she added.