Green light for Sheffield University energy centre

The new energy centre will be built on land opposite the university’s chemistry department on the Western Bank Campus.

The campus has been plagued by power shortages which have impacted on heating systems to key research areas, which could impact on the university’s academic standing, a report states, a meeting of Sheffield City Council’s planning and highways committee was told.

Architects behind the project told the meeting that the energy centre is required due to failures in the district heating supply to the site, which had resulted in the loss of heating to the Western Bank campus and, critically, to the research areas of the site.

This had led to extended periods of heating or power loss which could result in the university’s research license agreement being revoked and many years of research being lost.

A total of eight objections have been received by Sheffield City Council, three of which were from the same person, raising concerns about noise and dust, and existing parking problems in the area.

The application was approved unanimously at the meeting at Sheffield Town Hall on Tuesday, May 22.