Sheffield shops: Wickes DIY store closes with 20 jobs lost 'due to Clean Air Zone'

The city centre branch of the DIY store, on Moore Street near The Moor, was being emptied of stock on Tuesday, August 20 following the closure.

It is understood about half the staff were long term and the rest students or short-term workers. Ten have taken redundancy and the rest have moved to other stores, including on Rutland Road, which sits outside the Clean Air Zone.

Staff at Wickes Central blamed the Clean Air Zone for a drop in trade and its eventual closure.

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One worker told The Star in July: “We’re sat right in the middle of it, and white vans traders don’t want to pay £10 a visit.”

Introduced in February 2023, the Clean Air Zone sees older diesel vans and taxis charges £10-a-day to travel on, or within, the inner ring road. Older coaches, buses and lorries are charged £50.

Meanwhile, the site the former Wickes store occupies has been earmarked as a ‘priority location’ for housing by Sheffield City Council. 

It is expected to ‘deliver’ 364 flats, according to the Local Plan which aims to guide the future of the city up to 2039.

A planning appraisal states: “Given its position within a Flexible Use Zone, loss of the existing retail use is acceptable.”

The Clean Air Zone was introduced by Sheffield Council to lower harmful levels of air pollution in the city.

Wickes said in a statement: “The Wickes store is closing due to it coming to the end of its lease. We are supporting store colleagues who are affected. The store will close on 30th September.”