Our Sustainable Future case study: Forge Island, Rotherham

Building on Rotherham’s industrial heritage to deliver a sustainable new future

Forge Island is a place with a rich history and deep connection to Rotherham’s industrial past.

Like many post-industrial towns, Forge Island has experienced significant change from its foundation as a steel forge. It later became a transportation hub which offered little value to the community.

Now a thriving retail and leisure destination, delivered by Muse, Forge Island has a sustainable and long-term future as a dynamic place for the community and visitors.

The vision for Forge Island was developed in partnership with Rotherham Borough Council. We sought to re-imagine the place and re-establish its economic and cultural importance within the town centre.

We looked carefully at what the community needed. We sought to reflect evolving consumer demand and support the town’s wider economic strategy. The result was an approach which delivered a £47 million retail and leisure destination on the banks of the River Don.

Whilst still developing as a destination, we are already seeing a positive impact on the community and the local economy.

A brand-new eight screen cinema has opened, bringing film back to the town centre for the first time in 30 years. This is much more significant than simply a new place to watch a Hollywood block- buster.

Hundreds of people descended on Forge Island to enjoy opening day, with screenings regularly sold out since it opened its doors. In fact, Forge Island was the best performing cinema in the Arc chain during December 2024.

The cinema anchors a growing evening and night-time economy in the town centre, with opportunities for restaurants and bars, cultural activities, and the notion of Rotherham as a destination for the community. New bar and restaurant, Vetro Lounge, is also set to open its doors in April 2025.

As a result, more money will be spent in the town, fewer people will travel outside Rotherham for entertainment, and new customers will be drawn from across the region. Already, footfall across Rotherham town centre during 2024 has been 10% higher than the previous year.

The ripple effects on community health, wellbeing, and prosperity will be significant and widespread. More money in people’s pockets, more jobs, and more ways to spend leisure time.

We have also delivered a new 69-room hotel. It will help to further elevate Rotherham’s growing reputation as a destination – a place to visit and spend time, or a base to explore the wider town and region.

As we’ve focused on creating a new community and visitor destination, we have unlocked the riverside by creating new footpaths and green spaces.

These were previously inaccessible and wasted the opportunities the River Don presents. Now the riverside gardens create a modern gateway and a place to linger and meet friends.

We have delivered a new footbridge to connect Forge Island to the town centre, which was inspired by Sir Donald Bailey – the Rotherham-born inventor of the WWII floating Bailey Bridge.

We have also delivered an attractive new public square, complete with a play area which welcomes families every day.

The opportunity at Forge Island was to create a long-term sustainable future for Rotherham’s industrial past. A place which could drive a modern economy, create jobs, and curate a destination for communities and visitors to spend their precious leisure time.

It’s a plan which aligns with the wider vision for Rotherham town centre, with investments in attractive outdoor spaces, revitalised markets, and high-quality riverside and urban living.

By working in partnership with the local authority, we have delivered in a way which creates something new and exciting for the community – a place to meet friends and recharge during evenings and weekends. It has brought families back into the town centre and underpinned a new energy and vibrancy which will permeate Rotherham’s future.

Social Value Data

We used Social Value Portal (SVP) in partnership with Bowmer and Kirkland Group to capture the social and local economic value delivered between November 2022 – May 2024. The data was verified by SVP through their due diligence process.

Fore Island created a social and local economic value of £4,361,703.