Premium Sheffield street Fargate to be dug up for 'trial holes' a year after £14m revamp
“The safety of everyone on site and the wider public is our absolute priority.”
A newly-paved shopping street in Sheffield city centre is set to be dug up a year after a £14m revamp.
Trial holes 3ft square are set to appear on Fargate this month after electricity to Event Central was disconnected for being unsafe.
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Spray painted lines have appeared on Fargate that lead into Exchange Gateway, an alley that runs behind shops to the £8m cultural hub.
Sheffield City Council said they would be unintrusive, hand dug and paving would be reinstated afterwards.
A two-year revamp of Fargate was completed in April 2025.
A spokesperson from Northern Powergrid said: “The electricity supply to Event Central was disconnected as a precaution after an unsafe connection was identified.
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“The safety of everyone on site and the wider public is our absolute priority. The permanent connection remains planned, and we are working closely with the local authority to deliver it.
“We are also working with our partners to explore alternative options for restoring power safely in the meantime.”
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Event Central is in a six-storey building opposite Marks and Spencer. It is being converted into an £8m event space, café/bar, offices and meeting rooms.
It was due to open this year but electricity supply problems have pushed it into 2027, Sheffield City Council said last week.
Last week, Coun Alexi Dimond, chair of the transport, regeneration and climate committee, said it was “hugely disappointing.”
He added “Our priority is to secure the permanent power the building needs while limiting any impact to Fargate and protecting the investment already made in the area.”