£25m Aldi and Costa opposite Sheffield Wednesday's football ground 'could start this summer'

Developers say they are close to signing a new funder for the project on Penistone Road, set to create 250 jobs and include an Aldi, Costa drive-thru, business units and parking for 270 cars.

Patrick Herbert of Ecclesfield-based Jaguar Estates said the previous funder quit last year when building costs went up 25 per cent. But the project was “very much alive”.

He added: “We are in the process of seeking alternative funding. If successful, works could start in the summer. We have had a lot pre-lets sign up which gives me confidence but it’s subject to a number of factors.”

He added: “We were within a hair’s breadth of doing it last year. A lot of work has gone into it and it would be nice to see it come to fruition.”

The 10-acre site is bounded by Penistone Road North, Herries Road and Herries Road South. It includes the former Kennings Truck Centre which closed in the mid-1980s. The scheme was granted planning permission in 2020. Most recently it was used as a car park on match days but was fenced off when groundworks started last year.

Local Lib Dem campaigner Robert Reiss said: “It is disappointing to see work on this site stall but I welcome the update about potential progress and the economic benefits it will bring. There are still questions about how this development will impact match day parking on nearby roads.”

In 2003, a bid by Tesco to open a superstore on the site was rejected by the city council. Jaguar Estates bought it from Tesco as part of a consortium called Penistone Hillsborough LLP eight years ago. In 2021 the Upper Don Trail Trust, Cycle Sheffield and Hillsborough Green Party complained that developers had failed to deliver on an active travel plan.