Container Park Sheffield: Dismantling costs shoot up to £95,000 due to 'time pressures'

The original estimate for removing the eight boxes on Fargate was £60,000. But it has increased by more than 50 per cent due to ‘time pressures’. The plan had been for the original operator Steelyard to take them down. But the company and the city council fell out as problems with the project mounted and costs soared past £500,000.

That left the authority looking for someone else to do it. And with time running out, the usual tendering process was ditched.

Ben Brailsford, head of street scene services, said: “In December 2022, Sheffield City Council was made aware that the original plans for the dismantling of the containers by Steelyard could not go ahead, and a new contractor needed to be hired for the work. An estimated figure of £60,000 was given, however the official cost is now confirmed as £95,000. A formal tender process can take up to four months, and had the council taken this option, the start of the Future High Street Fund building works would have had to be delayed. Instead, we obtained two quotes, both were at a similar cost. The containers will be removed mid-March and will be stored on a secure brownfield site owned by the council.”

The development of shops, eateries and a bar was delayed for months, ran over budget and never fully opened. Today’s additional £35,000 spend takes the total to £576,000, compared to the original £300,000 estimate. Last month, councillors agreed the containers should go into storage before being used as toilets or for catering in parks. Community groups will also be invited to use them.

Lib Dem leader Coun Shaffaq Mohammed said the extra cost was disappointing.

He added: “A charge going up by more than 50 per cent is a huge amount. They quicker they get them off Fargate the better. And I still want to see independent oversight into the eyewatering costs. What else could we have done with that money?”

The authority has not revealed where the containers will be stored.