Castlegate: Environment group presses for Sheffield Council changes to city centre regeneration scheme

Three trustees of the Sheaf and Porter Rivers Trust spoke at a Sheffield City Council planning committee meeting last week (May 23). It approved plans for a new urban park that will open up the remains of Sheffield Castle and feature some deculverting of the River Sheaf.

The scheme includes three new buildings intended to be taken over by commercial developments.

The trustees voiced concerns that the plans approved by the committee show a 2-to-3-metre concrete river wall, topped by a railing, with no public access to the water or bank softening. They put forward an alternative scheme that would remove the wall and feature a sloping bank right down to the river with a walkway next to it.

The Environment Agency said in objections to the scheme that failing to include such access to the river was a “missed opportunity”.

The trust is also concerned that one third of the river will remain culverted under the proposals, although it notes that council officers have indicated “cautious optimism on accessing additional funding to allow this”.

Strong support

The trust’s alternative plans, which trust chair Simon Ogden told committee members were drawn up by ex-council civil engineers, were strongly supported by several councillors at the meeting.

Committee members heard that discussions are still taking place between the design team and various groups, including the trust, on finalising details of the scheme.

A statement from the trust said: “Sadly the committee stopped short of passing a formal resolution to that effect on the advice of officers.

“However, the actual detail of the treatment of the river remains somewhat flexible as they are listed as ‘Reserved Matters’ pending a structural survey of the river walls, (astonishingly still not yet commissioned), approval by the Environment Agency and the carrying out of a Water Environment Assessment.

“The scheme will also not be finalised until competitive tenders have been received and the outcome of a number of additional funding bids which we have supported and all of which could change the budget situation.

“Officers confirmed that details of the riverside could still be changed over the next two months and would welcome further discussions with stakeholders.”

Open approach

Mr Ogden said: “In the meantime, we and other Castlegate partners will continue to press for the establishment of a transparent and accountable governance framework for the whole Castlegate project which has been absent from the outset in spite of public promises of close co-production.

“We hope that the fresh leadership in the council will seize this opportunity to demonstrate its new, more open approach.”

The trust statement said that other key issues which it and other partners wish to address are:

“What is intended for the £2.75m allocated within the Castlegate programme to the S1 Arts project, on which there has been no evidence of progress in over a year and which therefore appears at risk of clawback unless the funding is reallocated”.

“Why pressure is still being brought to bear on the Andalus Community Centre and Frehiwet Restaurant to move out of the building they have occupied for 10 years adjoining the castle site on Exchange Street despite categorical promises from senior councillors and officers to the contrary in a public committee in November 2022?”

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