Rotherham Council has objected to plans for a new leisure hall at Sheffield’s Meadowhall shopping centre because bosses worry it would be detrimental to the town centre, contrary to Sheffield Chamber of Commerce who have come out in support of Meadowhall’s £150million extension plan saying the ’hugely important’ asset must move with the times.
Planning permission was previously granted in 2018 for a new leisure hall at the shopping centre, which proposed a cinema, restaurants, a gym, and 80,000 sq ft of new shops. It was calculated that this would cost approximately £300 million.
British Land has submitted new plans for a £150m Leisure Hall on part of the red and yellow car parks of the shopping centre, with shops and a ’new, aspirational food and drink offer’. But the proposal is smaller than the £300m extension approved in 2018 and will not have a cinema. However, the primary vision remains the same. A Leisure Hall is still the main focus which seeks to transform the leisure offer at Meadowhall, providing areas where family and friends can do fun activities together, simply relax, or enjoy a meal alongside their shopping.
Meadowhall is one of Britain’s six super regional shopping centres, employing up to 8,500 people directly through both full and part-time jobs. It has been estimated that The Meadowhall Masterplan development would support the creation of up to 1,560 jobs and pump up to £71.5m GVA into the region’s economy. However further tests have been deemed necessary to assess the impact this new offering would have on the future of Rotherham’s “fragile” town centre.
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Main image: BDP
