Go-ahead for Sheffield Cole Brothers building to become multi-use cultural hub
The landmark former Cole Brothers department store building has permission to become a “civic and cultural hub in the centre of Sheffield”.
Developers Urban Splash – known in Sheffield for their work on Park Hill flats – won planning permission yesterday (March 10) to regenerate the building in Barkers Pool as a multi-use centre potentially incorporating a mixture of shops, offices and cultural venues.
Planning services officer Sarah Hull told Sheffield City Council’s planning and highways committee that the uses for the building need to remain flexible, in order to attract the maximum inward investment.
All uses are acceptable in that location.
“The intention is to create a civic and cultural hub in the centre of Sheffield,” she added.
Ms Hull said that the building, which has been empty since 2021 after the John Lewis Partnership closed the store, has been cleared out entirely inside. The escalators will be removed in order to create a central atrium.
Disrepair
Urban Splash propose to replace the windows, which are in disrepair, with new ones copying the current look but with perforated metal panels replacing the brown mosaic tiles.
This is because as a department store the building needed to limit views outside and make space for displays but now more light needs to be let in.
The windows will be set back by 1.7m on Cambridge Street and Burgess Street, to ensure it does not overheat.
Planning officers accept that the proposals will cause some harm to the nature of the listed building but it is “less than substantial harm”, said Ms Hull.
The building will use a mixture of renewable energy. This will include connecting to the District Heating Network, which is powered by burning non-recyclable waste, and installing solar PV panels and air source heat pumps.
Sports
Objectors to the plans include Historic England, the Twentieth Century Society and Hallamshire Historic Buildings. City ward councillors objected to the car park reopening.
Two speakers objected to the reopening of the car park. Bridget Ingle from the Friends of Sheffield City Centre neighbourhood group said they fully support the Urban Splash plans.
The developer has helped them raise the money for a Kid Acne mural on the Cross Burgess Street car park ramp.
“We want to see the car park repurposed as an urban sports centre, at least in the short term,” she said.
Ms Ingle said that the car park could be used for a range of sports activities such as parkour, bouldering, abseiling, skateboarding or circus skills. It could also host outdoor art activities.
She said that the council is always under pressure over parking but “car park nostalgia” for Cole Brothers is not the way forward.
Privilege
The proposals allow for the car park to reopen with staff spaces and short-term parking for visitors. However, the number of spaces will be decreased from 480 to 190.
Paul Steade, chair of Burgess House Residents’ Association, spoke on behalf of more than 100 residents whose flats neighbour the building.
He said: “We wholeheartedly support the Urban Splash plans for the main Coles building. We object to reopening the car park.”
Mr Steade said there are already traffic hold-ups as Pinstone Street is the only through road in the Heart of the City area of the city centre. Reopening the car park would only make that worse.
Mark Latham, regeneration director for Urban Splash, spoke about the “privilege, responsibility and sense of duty” that the whole team felt at taking on such a landmark building.
“Our aim is simple – we want to bring this icon back to life as a centrepiece of the city centre” through sustainable use.
Altered
He said the car park would not reopen as a public car park. It would be carefully managed and include secure cycle parking and electric vehicle charging.
Mr Steade urged councillors: “Allow this important building to begin its next chapter.”
Coun Joe Otten said he understood the reasons that some listed features have to be altered to secure the future of the building. He asked if the brown mosaic tiles or the escalator could be preserved somewhere and wondered if there is an escalator museum.
Coun Richard Williams said: “I am very concerned that recessing the windows is riding roughshod over the concept of the listing of the building.”
He added: “I think that to suggest that if we can’t do this we can’t bring the building back into work doesn’t sit comfortably with me.”
Coun Henry Nottage said that a “good process” has seen the plans amended. “I think the current design is a good balance,” he said.
Accessible
He added that in his opinion the mosaic tiles are a face that only a mother could love.
Coun Rob Bannister asked if the mosaic tiles could be retained somewhere, adding: “It’s a part of our heritage.”
Coun Laura Moynahan called for more disabled parking spaces and spoke of the need to make the building accessible and inclusive for everyone, including people with disabilities and families with children.
She said that many of her constituents with disabilities complain that they have trouble accessing the city centre because of a lack of disabled parking spaces.
Mr Latham suggested that the issue could be tackled as part of the parking management plan.
Coun Cliff Woodcraft said: “I must admit I’m very excited by this development and I think it’ll be a great thing for the city centre.”
He backed the call for more disabled parking spaces.
