Sheffield Council: Plans for huge 470 vehicle car park close to city centre at West Bar approved

The vote was 10 for and two against, with Green Party councillors taking objection.

Developers will now be able to build the nine-storey car park – which will include disabled parking and electric vehicle charging points – at No.4 West Bar Square, 33 Love Street, in the city centre.

It is part of a project redeveloping West Bar Square, for which outline planning permission – for the demolition of existing buildings and erection of a mixed-use development comprising offices, housing, retail and leisure – was already granted.

The majority of planning committee members voted in agreement with council officers, who recommended that they approve the plans, but two Green Party councillors said it should not be built.

Councillor Brian Holmshaw, who voted against the plans, said: “The use of cars whether of petrol, diesel or electric has to be wound down and that would fit in with what the council’s climate emergency targets are. This scheme does not fit in with that.”

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He later added: “It would be good if the developer could decide to withdraw this application before more carbon is poured into the ground and damage done to yet more lungs and to the planet.”

Coun Bernard Little said: “We’ve had COP26 only a few weeks ago that rang alarm bells…

“We need to be moving to a zero carbon future which this council is committed to within the next eight years.

“It seems ridiculous to me that we are actually building a car park that will only have eight years’ use because we need to move so quickly to a very different world than the one we have.

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“If you think we are being dramatic, ask the people in the areas of the world where the sea is rising very quickly. We need to take responsibility and we must take responsibility.”

Coun Peter Price, chair of the committee, said: “It’s not the car that’s the issue, it’s the emissions and over the next 10 years it’s the emissions that will go, hopefully.

“It’s the emissions we have got to crack for the future, not people riding around in comfort.”