Shoppers give their verdict over seven month delay to scaffolding removal above Sheffield’s Chapel Walk

Star readers have expressed their dismay over the news that unsightly scaffolding – which city centre shopkeepers claim has hit trade – is set to remain in place for another seven months.
Chapel Walk.Chapel Walk.
Chapel Walk.

It was originally erected over Chapel Walk in September 2017 and traders say they have since seen a drop in business while shoppers complain it has made the passageway dark, difficult to navigate and feel unsafe.

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Chapel Walk.Chapel Walk.
Chapel Walk.

The scaffolding is up while contractor Headoffice3 converts office space above the shops into flats. 

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It was supposed to come down on previous occasions but it is understood an issue over what type of cladding that should be used in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy caused delays. 

More recently council bosses and traders had been assured the scaffolding would be removed by June, but it now looks as though it will be there for a third Christmas shopping period.

Sheffield City Council bosses are due to hold urgent meetings this week to discuss the reasons behind the further delay and to come up with a way forward. 

Star readers have taken to Facebook to voice their concern over the latest news. 

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Carl Dunne, who runs a card and gift shop in Chapel Walk, said workmen “still haven’t even started on the outside to justify this being up.”

Wendy Wragg added that she “thinks they built the pyramids quicker than the time its taken to remodel these offices into flats.”

Graham Brown believes those responsible should “compensate the shops for loss of trade and inconvenience.”  

Jonny Phillips, director of Headoffice3, said: “We understand that there has been a long running battle with the scaffold before we got involved and we sympathise with all the shop owners, but we’ve not been involved in that.”

He added the firm is trying to “mitigate any further delays.”