Council Wins Landmark EU Ruling

LONDON-Rotherham council has won a landmark ruling in the EU that will allow it go ahead with a £65 million ($108 million) regeneration project.

The decision gives Rotherham the right to use land sales receipts and European Regional Development Fund grants to complete a major project in the Dearne Valley Enterprise Zone.

Billions of pounds worth of regeneration projects across the country have stalled because of a clarification in the rules governing what EU grants can cover. The latest ruling will also come as welcome news to some councils across the country desperate to push ahead with regeneration projects but struggling to find the capital to pump prime them.

The Dearne Valley development covers 83 acres of commercial development and 120 acres of public open space in Wath Manvers.

Work on the scheme was halted in 1998 because of a contractual dispute between the council, the contractor and the site leaseholder over which party was liable for carrying out some operations on site.