New bar and restaurant plans for Sheffield landmark divide opinion

The old Salvation Army Citadel building, opposite John Lewis in the city centre, has stood empty for 20 years since the church moved its Sheffield headquarters to Sharrow in 1999.

Plans to transform the dilapidated premises into a bar and restaurant were initially lodged earlier this year but updated proposals to convert the Grade II-listed property have now been submitted.

The biggest changes are new plans to create a first-floor terrace opening out onto Burgess Street and to open up the rear wall to let more daylight in.

Hallamshire Historic Buildings described the latest application as a ‘significant improvement’ on previous versions, welcoming in particular proposals to preserve more of the interior.

But the heritage group lamented some ‘missed opportunities’, including the possibility of reviving the first floor as a performance space.

And the application has not gone down well with residents of the adjoining apartment block Pinstone Chambers, six of whom have objected.

They say the proposals would deprive them of privacy, lead to ‘a considerable amount of noise and disturbance’ and block their light.

One resident claimed some bedrooms would be just metres from the bar, adding: “People living in the city centre have chosen to accept more noise than people in the suburbs, but that does not mean that there should be no control over the noise they are exposed to.”

The Citadel building falls within the Heart of the City II, where a £470 million redevelopment is well underway with major building work taking place on the block opposite, where the former Athol Hotel was controversially demolished to make way for new homes and offices.

Developer Tandem Properties, which was previously granted permission to convert the building for retail, describes the latest application as ‘the best possible opportunity of bringing the building back into use’

“The proposals aim to modernise the interior of the Citadel, making it fit for its purpose whilst at the same time retaining the important architectural features which give the building its character,” it states.