Cole Brothers Sheffield: Sheffield MP Clive Betts slams listing as 'real obstacle' to developers

Clive Betts also said the ‘eyesore’ building - last used by John Lewis - has no place in the Heart of the City project and ‘lets down’ the city centre.

He spoke out after ‘the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport granted the 60-year-old Barker’s Pool department store Grade II listed status following Historic England’s recommendation.

It means any development of the up-for-sale site must keep its ‘unique character’. The listing follows an application by a group of Sheffield architects and historians.

But it has been criticised by many readers and MP Paul Blomfield who said it was made without financial support or recognition of the consequences - a revamp could cost up to £70m, it is estimated.

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Clive Betts, MP for Sheffield South East, said: “Sheffield City Centre is currently undergoing an extensive regeneration effort that is bringing new life to the city. This news that the former Cole Brothers’ building has been listed is incredibly unwelcome.

“Clearly it is an eyesore; the building itself has no place within the Heart of the City project and currently it lets down a city centre moving towards the future.”

He added: “I am also very worried that this decision will be a real obstacle for attracting potential developers to invest in the site.

“The extra costs associated with the property now make it far less attractive for potential private capital to invest in. This decision should never have happened, there are so many worthy buildings in and around Sheffield for listed status, but the former Coles Brothers’ site is not one of them.”

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Coun Minesh Parekh, Labour councillor for Crookes and Crosspool, welcomed the move on sustainability grounds and called for it to be used for ‘small businesses, social enterprises and co-operatives’.

He said: “As a local councillor committed to tackling the climate and ecological emergency, when building and construction is responsible for 39 per cent of carbon emissions worldwide, it’s essential that we entirely rethink how we approach the built environment. Demolishing and building anew is unsustainable and can no longer be the norm.

“Keeping the former John Lewis building as is opens up opportunities to develop new enterprises in the city centre. I’d really love to see it opened up to new small businesses, social enterprises, and co-operatives, with subsidised rates and the open for longer term contracts, so that we can properly develop new businesses and stimulate our local economy.

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“When we think of revitalising the city centre, we need to look at what is working in places like Kelham Island and elsewhere across the city, and respond to how independent businesses are innovating. Using this building as a nursery for new independent businesses, and subsidising their start-up costs, would allow us to have a longer-term plan for the economic development of our city.”

The building is owned by Sheffield City Council. It has received 16 bids from developers. It is unclear how many are for reuse.

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