Developer outlines "short-term hospitality" plans for Sheffield building

A developer has responded to criticism his flats are ‘too small to live in’ insisting they are a short-term alternative to a hotel.
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Green Party councillors recently criticised Andrew Southern’s plans to create 19 studios in a historic grade 2 listed building on Garden Street, off Broad Lane, claiming they were too small for people to live in.

But Mr Southern says they would be temporary accommodation for visitors, not apartments to live in long term.

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Mr Southern owns Southern Grove, a development company which has already built two phases of student accommodation called Steel City.

Andrew SouthernAndrew Southern
Andrew Southern

Now he is planning to convert Garden Street into a scheme called The Workshops. He has planning permission for 21 units but has submitted amended plans to reduce the number to 19.

"Phase three is planned for short-term hospitality, such as for parents who may want to visit, and is reasonably priced. Instead of doing phase three for students, we have decided to do it as short term lets."

Mr Southern, who is London based but was born and bred in Sheffield, says the scheme will offer an alternative to hotels.

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"A lot of people don't like staying in a budget hotel and there's no five-star hotels in the city, the hotels here are very average compared to Leeds and Manchester.

Studios at 'The Workshops' on Garden Street are an alternative to a hotel.Studios at 'The Workshops' on Garden Street are an alternative to a hotel.
Studios at 'The Workshops' on Garden Street are an alternative to a hotel.

"The Workshops range from 220 sqft up to 400 sqft but they are short term lets and larger than the average hotel room. They are not residential.

"These rooms are stylish, nice quirky units. I'll be staying in them when I visit my mum and dad."

Mr Southern says 70 per cent of students remain in Sheffield after graduating and they should be seen one of the city's strengths.

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"The benefit of purpose built student accommodation is it releases housing back to families. We need a hierarchy of dwellings depending where you are in life and there should be housing for all different categories of people."

Steel City has 324 beds but there was still a ‘huge demand’ for high quality, central, affordable accommodation, he added.

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