Historic dining hall at landmark Sheffield hotel to be knocked down to make way for flats

Sheffield Council's planning committee unanimously approved plans to knock down a historic dining hall and out buildings on the grounds of a popular hotel to make way for new flats.
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The nine new homes will be built on the grounds of the Mercure Kenwood Hall Hotel and Spa, Nether Edge - which will remain open during construction.

They will be a mix of three and two-bed apartments with basement car parking.

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The committee also agreed a condition to protect wildlife – which was raised as a serious issue by neighbouring residents and Wild Sheffield.

The historic dining hall on the grounds of the Mercure Sheffield Kenwood Hall Hotel & Spa in Nether Edge is going to be knocked down to make way for nine new apartments. Picture Scott MerryleesThe historic dining hall on the grounds of the Mercure Sheffield Kenwood Hall Hotel & Spa in Nether Edge is going to be knocked down to make way for nine new apartments. Picture Scott Merrylees
The historic dining hall on the grounds of the Mercure Sheffield Kenwood Hall Hotel & Spa in Nether Edge is going to be knocked down to make way for nine new apartments. Picture Scott Merrylees

Lucy Bond, a planning service officer, said: “I can assure you that a site visit was carried out with Wild Sheffield with our ecology experts and with the addition of that condition they are satisfied with the proposals, particularly because it is a smaller replacement building.

“We are aware of the issues and we are addressing them.”

Although approved, not everyone was overblown. Coun Bob McCann said: “I will be supporting this but I’ve got to comment that I do wish architects these days would put more imagination into buildings. The Lego blocks design is really quite boring.”

Initial plans were more extensive and included two other blocks of 36 apartments but these were reduced to just one during negotiations.

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Those initial proposals prompted 138 comments from the public, 136 of which were objections, with many saying the development would destroy the heritage of the area and create too much traffic.

However, a second round of consultation on the updated plans for only one block prompted just one person to object.

In a report, planning officers said: “The proposal represents efficient use of land in a sustainable location within the main urban area.

“The delivery of nine housing units would make a small but positive contribution to the city’s housing stock which is significant at a time when Sheffield cannot demonstrate a five year supply of housing land.

“It would result in redevelopment of an underused and deteriorating building on a previously developed site in a sustainable location, containing sustainable design features.”

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