Repairs backlog on Sheffield City Council buildings set to total £350m

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The bill for the backlog of repairs to Sheffield Council buildings is set to reach £350 million, including for the historic Town Hall and Central Library.

Council director of finance and commercial services Philip Gregory commented on the figure at a meeting of the finance and performance policy committee meeting yesterday (January 20). He spoke to introduce the council’s capital strategy document for 2025-26.

Mr Gregory said: “The backlog of maintenance has built up over many years – we can’t do that, so we need to make some hard decisions on the estate [the council’s buildings].”

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Buckets dealing with leaks at Sheffield Town Hall have become a familiar sight from time to time in the council chamber. Picture: Julia Armstrong, LDRSBuckets dealing with leaks at Sheffield Town Hall have become a familiar sight from time to time in the council chamber. Picture: Julia Armstrong, LDRS
Buckets dealing with leaks at Sheffield Town Hall have become a familiar sight from time to time in the council chamber. Picture: Julia Armstrong, LDRS

The council needs to decide how much to invest and must look to raise external funding, said Mr Gregory. He added that “we punch above our weight” when it comes to finding funding sources.

He said there are major decisions to be made on the grade I-listed Victorian Town Hall and the 91-year-old Graves Building, which houses the Central Library, Graves Gallery and Library Theatre.

The council announced last week that the future of the Town Hall will be discussed tomorrow (January 22) at a meeting of the strategy and resources committee. Repairs to the building are estimated to cost up to £50m.

Impacted

Sheffield Central Library on Surrey Street in Sheffield city centre - the building is currently surrounded by metal hoardings to ensure public safety. Picture: LDRSSheffield Central Library on Surrey Street in Sheffield city centre - the building is currently surrounded by metal hoardings to ensure public safety. Picture: LDRS
Sheffield Central Library on Surrey Street in Sheffield city centre - the building is currently surrounded by metal hoardings to ensure public safety. Picture: LDRS

The introduction to the strategy states: “Last year, we spent £179m of taxpayers’ money on projects which invest in our city and its residents.

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“Whether it’s improving our housing, investing in our communities, making our roads safer, or helping people remain independent in their own homes – there are few areas of our residents’ lives which aren’t directly impacted by the work we do.”

It points out that the council needs to spend its resources as effectively as possible to help cope with “an extremely challenging financial position”.

The strategy adds: “The scale of the challenge is immense. We are an ambitious council: ambitious to lead the city in its efforts to tackle climate change, ambitious for good jobs and opportunities for our citizens, ambitious to build a destination city where everyone can thrive.

Sheffield City Council director of finance and commercial services Philip Gregory, seen here with head of accounting Jane Wilby. Picture: Sheffield Council webcastSheffield City Council director of finance and commercial services Philip Gregory, seen here with head of accounting Jane Wilby. Picture: Sheffield Council webcast
Sheffield City Council director of finance and commercial services Philip Gregory, seen here with head of accounting Jane Wilby. Picture: Sheffield Council webcast

“We need to carefully prioritise our activities, using our new, four-year proposed Corporate Plan to inform these priorities and drive progress.”

The biggest single area for spending for 2025-26 is £113.5m on housing, followed by £40m on transport, regeneration and climate change.

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