Rotherham Council has struck a deal with Royal Mail to swap land as part of a major town centre regeneration scheme.
The agreement will allow work to continue on a new riverside walkway linking the town centre with future housing developments as part of the Riverside Residential Quarter project.
Under the deal, the council will take control of a section of land from Royal Mail’s site on Main Street, while handing over a slightly smaller parcel of its own land nearby so the postal service can reorganise its operations. No money will change hands as part of the exchange.
Council documents show the land is needed to complete the planned “River Walk”, which will open up public access along the river and better connect the town centre with new development sites.
The swap will also allow Royal Mail to modernise its depot, including plans to introduce a fleet of electric delivery vehicles once its yard has been reconfigured.
The council has already begun work in the area, including repairs to the river wall and construction of new pathways. The total cost of delivering the river walk to this point is put at more than £630,000, funded through government regeneration grants.
The agreement was finalised in March after lengthy negotiations, with council officers warning that failure to reach a deal could have left partially completed works at risk.
The river walk is a central part of wider plans to bring new homes and investment into Rotherham town centre, as the council looks to reshape the area around the waterfront.