'Car-free' block of 100 apartments planned for Sheffield city centre

Six Developments has submitted an application to Sheffield Council to transform the vacant site on Stepney Street into an eight-storey block of apartments.

Ian Drabble, of Cadenza Architects, on behalf of the project leader, said in a statement the proposals are for a ‘relatively car-free development’ and the car parking shown is disabled-friendly.

He said the team already had planning permission to build 62 apartments on the plot in 2017, but had since upped the scale of the project as it ‘underachieved’ in terms of site use and architectural identity.

Although the application says there has been no public consultation on the plans, some neighbours have written objections to the council.

One, from Planet Garages on Broad Street, said: "What an idealistic and beautiful utopia where 200-plus residents and their visitors pedal around on their bicycles. Misguided.

“The district is rife with illegal parking on the grass verges and in front of derelict buildings thanks to a lack of thought given to the more recent developments on Broad Street.

“Adjacent designated ‘private land’ is a business with its entrance onto Stepney Street and the self-evident needs for loading/unloading, visitors and staff parking.

“Why haven't the objections to the prior development lodged by residents and businesses on this site been carried over?”

Another neighbour said: "My wife and I live at Bard Street, which is immediately adjacent to the planned development.

“It would be a major invasion of our privacy as the new flats would overlook ours from a distance of less than 15 metres.

"When the previous proposal for this site was accepted in 2017, it was justified to us on the grounds the development would only be five-storeys high at the end closest to us.

“According to the plans the new building would be eight-storeys high throughout.

"I agree with the objection from Planet Garages that it is completely unrealistic to expect 100 new flats to be built with no impact on the parking in the area.”

To comment on the plans, go to bit.ly/2x1U2JH

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