Business school in London, Birmingham and Leeds to open Sheffield campus in office building opposite town hall

Sheffield City Council’s planning officers have given the green light for a development that would see the opening of Fairfield School of Business on Balm Green, only yards away from the city hall and the town hall.

A document said that the school had campuses in Croydon, Leicester and Birmingham, and now they wanted to expand and open a Sheffield campus.

The fifth floor – which is currently vacant – at The Fountain Precinct is “an ideal” place for the school with its 1607.2 sqm in size.

The document said: “The application site represents a highly sustainable location with access to a range of frequent modes of public transport including buses, trams, and trains, expected to be the main transport option for users.

“Car parking is provided on site including accessible spaces, with several pay and display car parks within the site vicinity. The location within the City Centre provides access to a range of shops, services, and eateries within walking distance.

“The site is also easily accessible for cyclists with cycle racks provided on site.”

The internal layout will be altered using demountable partitions which can be moved and removed – this will create the required rooms for the end users, as well as an accessible toilet and kitchen facilities for staff and student use.

The main entrance off Leopold Street will remain the main entrance for the school, the document added.

An external sign is also proposed at the Leopold Street entrance which is minimal and in keeping with the local area, required primarily for legibility.

In a statement, chief executive Mohammed Zaidi said Fairfield School of Business (FSB) was a private higher education provider, founded in 2006 and specialising in business management and health and social care courses.

He said “the need for additional educational premises is an essential priority”.

He added: “The Sheffield campus is expected to provide the full-time equivalent of 30 staff.

“This will accommodate 150 students on site with teaching hours from 8.30am to 9pm Monday to Friday and 8.30am and 6pm on Saturdays.”