Ecclesall Junction scheme's £20 million new vision with flats in Sheffield

Last June councillors approved proposals for the project, called Ecclesall Junction, which would have involved converting the old Peugeot garage close to Waitrose into seven retail units housing shops, cafés and a gym.

But now a fresh planning application has been submitted to the council.

The developer, Manchester-based Nikal, wants to knock down the old showroom entirely and put up a new £20 million, 13-storey building, keeping the idea of seven retail units, but with apartments for 526 students above the ground floor.

According to documents provided to the council, adding the student flats would generate £2.38 million of spending in the area each year.

“The external appearance of the building will comprise of two distinct elements with a 13-storey section fronting Ecclesall Road, and a smaller element to the rear, totalling nine storeys in height,” a statement prepared by Nikal’s consultant DLP Planning says.

The ‘high-quality’ flats, set to be run by the Valeo Management firm, would ‘stand out in the existing market that is still dominated by ageing housing in the suburbs’.

Cars would access the site from the shared access with Waitrose off Ecclesall Road, and directly from Harrow Street to the west.

Parking for 73 vehicles would be provided for visitors to the retail units, which would provide ‘at least 30 jobs’.

Council officers will examine the latest proposals before another decision is made.