Sheaf Valley: All the major changes and developments in £1.5bn regeneration plan in Sheffield

One such vision was to turn Sheffield’s largest roundabout, Park Square, into a ‘new commercial district’.

The Parkway would have been diverted behind Sheffield station, where the tram tracks are now. And the tram would have moved to Pond Street before rejoining the network at Granville Square.

Park Square would then have become ‘development land’.

But in a statement, Sheffield Council said changes to Park Square roundabout and switching the tram route and dual carriageway are no longer being considered as potential options for development.

It said the changes were drafted as concepts that could be explored in the future and have never been viewed as concrete plans.

It has been ruled it out for not meeting local needs.

The council has a £1.5bn plan to redevelop the Sheaf Valley district and Midland Station.

The ‘Sheaf Valley Redevelopment Framework’ was launched last year to regenerate the area and make the most of HS2.

Here are some of the main developments.

‘The Meridian’

A £40 million skyscraper, which will house luxury flats and a ‘sky garden’, is part of the regeneration plans.

Sheffield-based Bond Bryan designed The Meridian to have three adjoining towers, of 23, 17 and 10 floors. The tenth floor tower will have a roof garden with spectacular views over the city centre.

A planning application was submitted for the development of 336 flats on a wedge-shaped plot between Queens and Farm roads and backing on to Grosvenor Casino.

It will be targeted at long-term renters and will also have a concierge reception, residents’ lounge and gym.

The 1.1-acre brownfield site has been vacant for many years but is hidden behind a long stone wall.

As part of the plans, up to 1,000 flats and houses could be built, with the area around Queens Road designated a new residential centre called ‘Sheaf Gardens’.

New dual carriageway

The half-mile, four-lane road would have replaced the tram route behind Sheffield station, below Park Hill flats.

Sheffield City Council previously said it would help ‘address the climate emergency’ with a traffic ban on Sheaf Street promoting walking, cycling and tram use. The authority has promised to be carbon neutral by 2030.

The proposal is part of the £1.5bn plan to redevelop the area around Sheffield station ahead of high speed rail when it arrives in the 2030s.

Traffic from the Parkway would have been diverted on to the new dual carriageway. It would follow today’s tram route behind the station to a new junction with Granville Square near Sheffield College.

Office building

There are plans for up to 12 office blocks in the Sheaf Valley quarter, employing up to 3,000 people.

Kevin McCabe’s Scarborough Group started construction of a building on Sheaf Street which is set to be turned into an office block earlier this year.

Planning permission was obtained in 2016 and bosses at Scarborough said they were talking to a potential occupier for the entire building two years ago.

Previously called Vidrio, it has been renamed Endeavour. It will be the fourth and final building in the Digital Campus between Sheaf Street and the bus station.

Construction could be finished within the next year, Tim Bottrill, of commercial agents Colloco, said.

It is being paid for by Scarborough, a pension fund and Singapore-based fund Metro which contributed to other buildings on the campus. No public cash is involved.

Pedestrians

A huge, landscaped pedestrian bridge could link Park Hill with Howard Street and the multi-storey car park on Turner Street would be demolished and moved further away.

It would be replaced by an office block - one of up to 12 planned in the ‘Sheffield Valley’ zone, including four outside the station.

Bus station

As part of the plans for a new tram route, the bus station on Pond Street would be reduced in size to make room for the tram tracks and offices on stilts potentially built on top.

The idea stems from plans for HS2 trains to stop at Midland Station on a loop off the mainline.

Under the plans the ‘Q park’ would move to the Wren-DFS site on nearby St Mary’s Road.

Officials say it would be no more than a five-minute walk and the proposals promote the use of more sustainable modes of travel including train, tram, walking and cycling - the station’s bicycle hub would also be expanded.

Cycle lane

The Lib Dems are calling for signage and infrastructure on the existing Sheaf Valley cycle route towards Millhouses improved - and extended past Millhouses Park to Dore and Totley.

The party is also pushing for a route through Attercliffe, linking the city centre with Darnall, Tinsley, the Advanced Manufacturing Park and Rotherham. They say there is space to do it and commuters there are more likely to switch to bikes.