Beer garden plan for famous subterranean bar in Sheffield city centre - even though it's underground
Award winning underground bar wants permission for seats and umbrellas
A well known Sheffield bar wants to create a beer garden - even though it is underground.
Social, which is located in what was once the gents toilets under Sheffield Town Hall, hopes to set up an outside area at the top of the stairs that lead down to the bar, including a mobile bar counter and heaters.
It has applied to Sheffield Council asking for permission.
The application is to change the use of the pavement to an outside seating area.
A heritage statement accompanying the application states: “The site is currently the pavement outside Public Bar which is a basement bar converted from the old gents toilet under Sheffield Town Hall.
“The site is accessed via two sets of steps and is located under the pavement immediately next to the side of Sheffield Town Hall on Surrey Street.”
The bar currently has a pavement licence for tables and chairs with café barriers that are removed daily, outside of trading hours.
The proposed layout is to use the pavement area as outside seating with planters on wheels, and large cantilever umbrellas, a mobile bar counter, mobile pyramid heaters and tables and chairs.
A number of bars in the city centre have introduced outdoor seating areas in the city centre.
Among the more recent ones has been the new Fargate pub, which is close to Public, at the top of Fargate.
Similar spaces are in place at other venues, such as Box on Barker’s Pool and the Frog and Parrot on Division Street.
The planning application to use the pavement area has been filed with Sheffield Council by Rockingham Group.
Umbrellas and chairs are already stacked near the bar.
Public first opened in the the former gent’s toilet below the grade-one listed Victorian town hall in 2017.
It is a table service bar with cocktails, wine, and vinyl records.
It has also won several awards since it was first opened nine years ago, both regional and national.