"Making buildings safe and protecting residents and leaseholders is of fundamental importance to Urban Splash”

A developer ordered to pay £45m over fire safety defects says its Sheffield projects are unaffected.

Urban Splash must pay the government after inspections following the Grenfell Tower blaze found defects on seven high-rise buildings in Manchester, a tribunal heard.

Urban Splash is revamping flats in the Duke Street block at Park Hill and says they will be ready to move into in 2027. | google

placeholder image — Urban Splash is revamping flats in the Duke Street block at Park Hill and says they will be ready to move into in 2027. | google

The Department of Housing, Communities and Local Government brought a case to a specialist tribunal, seeking an order for the developer to contribute towards the cost of the works.

Urban Splash is behind plans to reopen the former Cole Brothers store in Sheffield city centre as cafes, shops and offices.

It is also revamping Park Hill flats.

A spokesperson said Sheffield activities would not be affected by the payment.

Urban Splash aims to transform the former Cole Brothers store in Sheffield city centre into a shops, cafes and offices.

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They said: “Park Hill is onsite and remains on track. The current phase is being delivered in partnership with Places for People, creating 125 new homes.

“The Cole Brothers building is a separate project at an early design stage - and our agents are continuing conversations behind the scenes with prospective occupiers.”

At the tribunal, Judge Jonathan Holbrook, said inspectors found each of the buildings had fire safety defects, including combustible materials and ineffective cavity barriers.

After the case, a spokesperson for Urban Splash told the BBC: "While we are reviewing it and taking legal advice, our focus is finding a constructive way forward with government while continuing to deliver much-needed homes and regeneration across the country.

"Making buildings safe and protecting residents and leaseholders is of fundamental importance to Urban Splash.

"We have remained closely engaged throughout the remediation process, and we are pleased that the tribunal recognised the 'useful and responsible assistance' Urban Splash provided with the post-Grenfell investigations into these buildings."

The spokesperson said the scale of the liability was "significant for a business of our size."