Sheffield Archives - Page 9 of 10

Ambitious plans for site of Sheffield’s medieval castle

20th December 2019 by Gary Stringer

A new plan to transform the site of Sheffield’s medieval castle proposes the creation of a landmark attraction for the North of England combining reconstructed, illuminated ruins with bars, restaurants, a hotel, a riverside park and a large outdoor arts venue.

The blueprint suggests the castle’s gatehouse could be rebuilt, forming a focal point for an area displaying the best of the fortress’ remains.

An elevated walkway would be put up across the site, giving visitors the chance to peer at ruins that are below the current ground level, while a heritage visitor centre would tell the story of the lost castle and Sheffield’s beginnings.

Offices and homes are also envisaged along the site’s boundaries, as well as cafés and craft shops, all with the aim of attracting more people.

The plan has been drawn up by the Friends of Sheffield Castle voluntary group, and links with the council’s ambitions to regenerate the wider Castlegate district

Surrounding roads would be brightened up with plants, flowers and grasses as part of the Grey to Green project led by the council, which also wants to open up the River Sheaf to create a ‘pocket park’ called Sheaf Field at the spot where Sheffield got its name. The Kollider tech hub and Kommune food hall in the former Co-op department store on Angel Street are both popular, workspaces for artists are in high demand at Exchange Place Studios and a planning application has been lodged to revive the long-disused Old Town Hall on Waingate.

The Friends’ proposals follow a two-month archaeological dig that took place last summer on the vast space cleared when the city centre’s indoor market closed and moved to The Moor in 2015. This was paid for through a £786,000 package of ‘Castlegate Kickstart’ funding from Sheffield Council.

Many finds, including medieval pottery and tiles, were recovered from 11 deep trenches, while boreholes were created to take samples from the earth. Experts believe they have found evidence of around 1,000 years of constant activity, and the site’s ‘motte and bailey phase’ – these were fortifications that stood on top of a raised earthwork, representing the first proper castles to be built in Britain.

Sheffield Castle, where Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned for more than a decade, fell during the Civil War when it came under siege from 1,200 Parliamentary troops. This stronghold was preceded by a late 12th century castle, which would have followed the ‘motte and bailey’.

Martin Gorman, chair of the Friends group, said: “With the excavations last year, people got the chance to look at the whole site and the main question is what happens next. We canvassed our members, and combined with the views of the committee we’ve put this document together.”

Inspiration has been taken from the Acropolis Museum in Greece, the castle at Carcassonne in France and artist Edoardo Tresoldi’s efforts to recreate an early Christian church in Siponto, southern Italy, using wire mesh.

“Because a lot of the castle remains are well below the ground, it lends itself to having an elevated walkway where you can look down on those remains, and they can be lit in a certain way,” Martin said. “They could be covered up, or they could be left out in the open. The majority of us would want to see some development down there that brings something exciting for people to come and see and engage with all through the day and night, but also recognising the heritage and history of the site – bringing that back to life as well.”

Virtual reality technology is expected to play a part. This summer Sheffield University produced a 3D simulation of the castle that went on show at the National Videogame Museum, in the same building as Kollider.

After the castle fell, part of the land was used as a bowling green – effectively Sheffield’s first sports arena. A performance venue could be used for live drama or concerts, mirroring the success of outdoor stages like The Piece Hall in Halifax.

The blueprint has not been costed but a mix of private and public money is the preferred solution.

“There’s two ways this can move forward,” Martin said. “One is through a medium to major development on the site, which would fund the cost of the excavations and interpretation of the remains, or the other option is to not let any development take place. That would mean we’d have to turn to the likes of the Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic England and the National Trust, in which case you wouldn’t get the footfall down there for bars and restaurants. It’s trying to find a balance.”

The council is producing its own plan for the castle site, which will be put to public consultation in the New Year.

The Friends have stressed that they did not want to steal the council’s thunder.

Jon Millhouse, Director at Planning & Design, a Chartered Town Planner and a Member of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation said

“Recent changes to planning policy make developments of this type possible.

The government’s overarching planning guidance document – The National Planning Policy Framework states “proposals which better reveal the significance of heritage assets should be treated favourable and that council’s should take account of the wider social, cultural and economic benefits that new development at historic areas can bring. Where there are impacts these should be weighed against public benefit.””

Jon continues “The proposals look exciting and we wish the group the best of luck. We’ll be keeping an eye of how the proposals progress.”

Top Image: Thanks to the University of Sheffield and Human VR. The CGI image shows how Sheffield Castle looked in medieval times.

Image: Martin Gorman, Dr David Clarke and Ron Clayton, Friends of Sheffield Castle are pictured. Photo: Dean Atkins, Sheffield Star

2020 Vision – Designing the decade ahead

18th December 2019 by Gary Stringer

Here at Planning and Design Practice 2019 has been a good year for our business. We have completed more work and had more success than in any previous year. Our successes have been highlighted in our regular newsletters, on our web-site and on social media. We expect growth to continue and I would like to thank all our clients and our staff for their support and hard work this year.

The election result was decisive. We have an elected government with a large majority which includes a broader based constituency. We will be leaving the European Union at the end of January 2020 but with an agreement in place.

The current government policies towards planning and architecture, the National Planning Policy Framework and the National Design Guide are likely to remain in force. The protection of Green Belts will continue as will the emphasis of developing brownfield land.

The government has trailed a white paper on accelerating and simplifying the planning process while continuing with its ‘beauty’ agenda, which seeks to protect the appearance and character of both town and countryside; this creates tension between the two aims which will play out in decisions where NIMBY and Neighbourhood Plans are a factor. Good architecture will continue to be important and the Paragraph 79 option will remain in force.

For the development industry, for both planning and architecture there is more certainty. The Conservative Party has promised to achieve the construction of 300,000 new homes a year by 2024 with a continued emphasis of home ownership. However the government has been running a multi-tenure approach and it is expected that this will continue. The gains by the Conservatives in the North of England might help to support council house building and building by Housing Associations and by Community Land Trusts. Homes England has been playing a more active role.

Climate Change is likely to drive policy in 2020 which will combine with Brexit to put into place new policies to reduce carbon emissions and to improve biodiversity. The Environment Bill consultation period has ended and it is likely that all new developments will have to provide a 10% net biodiversity gain. The implications of this are that for most planning applications, an initial baseline ecological report will be required.

In architecture, low carbon building and use will become key requirements. Part of this will be because Parliament and local Councils have declared a Climate Emergency and now need to act. Architecture and the built environment is one area where change can be effected quickly, added to this, the UK is to host the 2020 Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, when the government will need to outline its measures to the rest of the world as to how it intends to combat climate change. The Climate Change conference is also an opportunity to promote trade and business and to sell UK ideas and systems to help solve the international crisis.

Architecture will be asked to meet new standards, through changes in building regulations and through Supplementary Planning Guidance and Local Plan Policies which are likely to require zero/near zero carbon homes and business premises and in addition buildings, structures and use of land which will allow biodiversity to thrive, where space is shared between people and the natural world. This will be a challenge for all participants and for the architectural profession.

We look forward to 2020 and the next decade, a time that will be marked by big policy shifts. It is also the start of a 5 year parliament when the government will want to be seen as ambitious. The government will also want to mitigate the impact of Brexit and development and construction is a means by which the economy can continue to grow when cross border checks could adversely impact on other sectors of the economy.

The tension between developments, the economy, meeting our social needs while also protecting our environment will intensify and we now need to enhance the natural world to help us move toward balance and away from the continued destruction of the natural world. It will be a challenging decade.

On behalf of Planning Design Practice I would like to wish you all a happy Christmas and a prosperous 2020.

Jonathan Jenkin, Managing Director, Planning & Design Practice Ltd

Please note: Our offices will close at 5pm on Monday 23 December and we return from 9am on Thursday 2 January 2020.

Back to the future? Rethinking terraced housing

4th February 202011th December 2019 by Gary Stringer

Political parties of all stripes are vowing to ‘tackle the housing crisis’ and make Britain carbon neutral in the coming decades. This could radically change how we build and live in our homes in the future. Or perhaps not. Jon Millhouse, Director at Planning & Design Practice Ltd, believes that terraced housing could be the key to meeting this challenge.

Good ideas have a habit of coming back around. At the turn of the twentieth century, the most popular form of house building was terraced housing. As a concept, it was simple, yet effective. It didn’t require much land take, yet each household was usually allocated a decent amount of internal accommodation, and a garden. There was typically a shop on the corner of every street, or a pub; schools and places of work usually within walking distance. People travelled further afield by bicycle or tram.

Later in the twentieth century, as cars became the dominant mode of transport and the aspiration for most families, our built environment changed too. Rows of terraced houses were swept away to accommodate new roads. Those terraced streets which did survive became car-dominated. Those who could afford to often moved in the suburbs, or better still, the countryside, relying on the private motor car to serve their needs. The type of housing we began to build, and continue to build to this day, is designed around the car; low density detached housing with driveways and garages.

As we face up to the challenges of tackling climate change, and building enough houses to accommodate our population without having to pave over our treasured countryside, reverting to terraced housing once again, but in a manner fit for the twenty first century, could be a big part of the solution. Many aspects of that original urban form suit our needs today. Having only two (narrow) walls exposed to the outside world rather than four, significantly reduces heat loss. The higher densities enabled mean we can create walkable and cyclable neighbourhoods, reducing our reliance on the car. Small convenience food stores, micropubs and trams are all coming back into fashion. Fewer cars mean quieter streets, where children can play, and residents can interact, helping to address the increased problem of social isolation. It also means more exercise, which is good for our physical and mental health, particularly if supplemented with public open space in close proximity, offering opportunities for recreation, biodiversity and trees to help with carbon capture, urban cooling and flood resilience.

None of these ideas are new, none of this is rocket science. It is merely common sense. We shouldn’t assume that modern problems require a revolutionary, technological solution. Much can be learned from the past.

But neither should we assume that in re-adopting a house type of the past, we have to accept its historic limitations. Modern terraced housing can be better insulated, better lit and more spacious than its predecessors. We can generate heat and power through microgeneration, rather than coal. With such mod-cons, terraced houses can once again become the kind of property that developers want to build, and that people want to live in.

Jon is both a Chartered Town Planner and a Member of the Ins titute of Historic Building Conservation.

He can be contacted at jon.millhouse@planningdesign.co.uk or via telephone on 01332 347371.

Image: geograph-2703969-by-Dave-Bevis
Popular terraced housing at Chester Green, Derby. Fronting a quiet road reserved for cyclists and pedestrians, and a public green space.

Modern terraced housing at Oaklands, Duffield Road, Derby.
(Planning permission obtained by Planning & Design Practice Ltd on behalf of Meadowview Homes).

Examples of an urban form designed around the motor car became the norm in the later twentieth century.

(Images: Google Maps)

The Sheffield Plan

10th December 20194th December 2019 by Gary Stringer

The Sheffield Plan will replace both the Sheffield Core Strategy (2009) and the saved policies in the Sheffield Unitary Development Plan (1998). The plan will cover the period 2023-2038.

The Council have recently released the Local Development Scheme (LDS) which sets out the timetable for the preparation of the Sheffield district Local Plan.

A previous version of the LDS, published in July 2016, envisaged adoption by September 2018. The delay was caused by changes in government policy such as the revised National Planning Policy Framework and Housing White Paper which provides a standardised methodology for housing calculations. The preparation of Local Plans must be underpinned by relevant and up-to-date evidence; therefore, the previous LDS was considered to be out of date.

The updated LDS took effect from 20th November 2019, and outlines a number of key milestones:

A new Issues and Options consultation is the first part of the Plan Stage. A previous Issues and Options consultation was undertaken in November 2015- January 2016. This will inform the content of the Publication Draft Sheffield Plan and is now proposed to take place in July–September 2020.

The second stage of the consultation process is envisaged to take place between July and September 2021, where the Council will produce the Publication Draft Local Plan.

An independent Planning Inspector will be appointed to undertake a ‘public examination’ of the draft Local Plan and is likely to make recommendations to further improve it. LPAs may ask the Inspector to recommend main modifications to the plan where necessary to make the plan sound and legally compliant. Submission of the Draft Plan to Government and Examination will take place in January 2022.

The final report is envisaged to be sent to the LPA around June 2023.

Cabinet approval and adoption by full Council is proposed to take place in September 2023.

The LDS outlined four Neighbourhood Plan Areas that are currently adopting Neighbourhood Plans in Sheffield. Broomhill, Broomhall, Endcliffe, Somerfield, Tapton (BBEST) and Dore are the two areas closest to adoption as they have submitted their Neighbourhood Plans and are expecting adoption by September 2020.

Once they have been adopted, the neighbourhood plans will form part of the emerging Local Plan.

If you have a site (or interest in a site) within the Sheffield City Council region please do get in touch as now is the time to put development sites forward for adoption within the local plan.

Recent Flooding

13th November 2019 by Gary Stringer

Recent heavy rainfall resulted in numerous flood alerts being issued across Derbyshire, and South Yorkshire and the weekend saw the River Derwent burst its banks, with the resultant flooding causing travel chaos, widespread disruption and a tragic loss of life.

Derbyshire was hit with more rainfall in 24 hours than it normally receives in a month. The Environment Agency’s gauge in Glossop, a market town on the edge of the Peak District, recorded 114mm of rain in the 24 hours up to 4am. On average Derbyshire receives 90.7mm of rain during the month of November.

This is just months after the evacuation of the Derbyshire town of Whaley Bridge, when thousands of residents were evacuated amid fears a dam could collapse after being damaged by floodwaters.

Heavy rainfall saw concrete panels on one side of the dam on the Toddbrook Resevoir, which holds 300 million gallons of water, partially collapse, creating a crisis that has cost Derbyshire County Council in the region of £700,000.

At the height of the situation, a Chinook helicopter from RAF Odiham, was engaged for a combined 72 hours over several days to drop more than 600 tonnes of aggregate on the damaged dam to prevent it breaching.

In a report published in May 2018, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) state that the government needs to do to help create homes and communities that are resilient to flood damage. In the report, titled “The Value of Flood Resilient Architecture and Design” RIBA stresses that the UK can no longer base its approach to managing flood risk on simply keeping the water out, and highlights the following statistics:

Currently 1 in 6 homes in the UK are at risk of flooding – a number that is expected to double by 2050
Flooding causes an average of £1.4 billion of damage each year to businesses and households

Meanwhile a new report from the Royal Town Planners Institute (RTPI) has said that sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) are not being delivered at either the pace or scale that is required to cope with the challenges posed by climate change.

The systems are considered an important way of managing surface water runoff in built developments. National planning policy has encouraged their use in all major developments since their introduction into the English planning system in 2010.

However, 96% of local authorities report that the quality of planning submissions for SuDS are either ‘inadequate’ or ‘mixed’. Furthermore, 25% of local authorities have no formal SuDS policies in place, nor any immediate plans to implement any.

According to officials at Derby Council, closing the flood gates at Haslam’s Lane and Darley Fields for the first time saved around 1,140 homes from flooding in the Chester Green and Darley areas during the recent deluge. The gates are part of the city’s £95 million flood defences – part of which are still under construction.

Whilst the successful implementation of the flood defences offers reassurance, with more heavy rainfall forecast, the Council, together with home, business and landowners will be anxiously watching the weather forecasts as we head into the winter months.

“As the effects of climate change become even more apparent new development must become more robust. Land use has a big part to play. The flood allowance for climate change has increased over the past 10 years and the Environment Agency is looking to raise the figure further said Jonathan Jenkin, Managing Director of Planning & Design.

“As one in one hundred year flood events become common place, locations which we thought would not flood are now flooding. This means that we must have effective surface water run-off measures in place to hold surface water in new developments to prevent run-off adding to flooding elsewhere.

As planners we should avoid building vulnerable developments on floodplains such as housing but in some locations whole towns are liable to flooding. In locations such as this house building needs to take into account flood risk and be built to allow for and accept flooding.

For the government, the wider strategy for climate change resilience must include changes to land use including reforestation of the uplands, retrofit and new build development to zero carbon, a major shift from car use to public transport and a national policy for flood protection, with a national debate over the costs and the benefits of maintaining settlements and communities liable to regular flooding by rivers and near to the sea.”

Sheffield Council planning jobs under threat?

8th November 2019 by Gary Stringer

It is believed that around 40 jobs are under threat at Sheffield City Council as part of a restructure of the council’s planning & development department.

The jobs thought to be under threat include access officers, members of the urban design team, conservation officers, landscape architects, as well as others.

At the last full council meeting, Councillor Bob Johnson, cabinet member for development, was asked about the job losses and said he was in dispute about what was going to happen.

He said: “Unfortunately we are still in a collective dispute with the planning service following the restructure so it would be really difficult and probably ill-advised for me to comment publicly until such time as that dispute has been resolved.”

Among the jobs under threat are two part-time access officers. Disability Sheffield has launched a petition to save the roles.

Councillor Douglas Johnson, Green Party leader and City ward representative, said the role of the specialists was vital to making Sheffield an attractive, safe and accessible place for the public and said the proposals could weaken planning regulation.

Commenting on the proposed losses Jonathan Jenkin, Managing Director, Planning & Design said,

‘It is important to the smooth delivery of planning permission that the council has enough skilled and competent planning officers and those who support the planning team in specialist roles. Good conservation officers and urban designers can be very effective in helping to deliver development and it is important for us as consultants that we can meet and discuss development proposals with council officers at the pre-app stage as well as during the application process. One of our problems is the lack of specialist staff in most councils which limits pre-application advice which can lead to abortive planning applications and delays in getting planning permission. We do not want this situation to develop in Sheffield so we are concerned that the cuts will lead to the loss of skilled professionals, a reduction in the level of service available to the development industry and delays in the planning process.’

Planning & Design Practice Ltd is a multi-disciplinary team of Town Planners, Architects, Architectural Assistants and Design Professionals. We have extensive knowledge about the policies and procedures of individual councils and the approach taken by planning officers and Councillors.

Please contact Michael Bradford, Associate, if you require assistance with planning applications, appeals or local plan representations or require advice on lawful development certificates or development appraisals, michael.bamford@planningdesign.co.uk or telephone 0114 221 0618.

Yorkshire’s tallest building coming to Sheffield?

4th November 2019 by Gary Stringer

Sheffield city centre could soon be the location of Yorkshire’s tallest building after an ambitious, £100m planning application was submitted by CODE Co-Living.

Plans have been put forward to build a development comprising three buildings, one of 12 storeys, a second of 16 storeys, and the third, the tallest reaching 36 storeys.

At almost 117 metres tall, the main tower would be higher than a 114-metre tall student scheme currently under construction in Leeds – which is currently set to be the county’s tallest – and would be a full 16 metres higher than Sheffield’s current title holder, City Lofts Tower, which stands at 101 metres.

The scheme would be on a prominent site to the side of the Vita building, just off Charter Row and close to The Light Cinema complex. The land was previously occupied by South Yorkshire Housing and a Dexel car repair yard.

CODE says the development would improve the environment of a neglected corner of the city centre and deliver a huge injection of vibrancy and activity to Charter Square, The Moor and Heart of the City II.

The proposed co-living scheme would provide 1,370 private studio apartments for rent, available for both students and non-students.

Communal spaces would also be incorporated, including dining and café facilities, a 50-piece gymnasium, cinema room, private study spaces and a large first floor south-facing outdoor roof terrace. There will also be a 24-hour concierge on site.

CODE has committed to providing 10 per cent of the apartments as affordable housing, with tenants having equal access to all the facilities within the development.

Jonathan Jenkin, Managing Director of Planning & Design, who have just opened a new office based at the Workstation in Sheffield said

“We support the construction of new tall buildings in Sheffield as they show the city’s ambition and its drive to support appropriate development. A tall iconic building creates a buzz and it also helps to frame the debate of what is possible. Building in the city centre also put less pressure for edge of city development and protects the green belt.”

It is hoped that the planning application will be decided before Christmas. If approved, CODE hopes to be on site in spring 2020.

Jamie Lewis, of CODE, said: “We have been looking for a site in Sheffield for several years. From the outside, it is clear that the city is going places with Heart of the City II and developments on The Moor transforming the city centre. We want to be a part of this.”

Image: CODE

Update on the ‘Sheffield Plan’

29th October 201929th October 2019 by Gary Stringer

Sheffield City Council are in the process of preparing a new local plan (and have been for some time). The ‘Sheffield Plan’ will guide the future of the city by setting out how and where development will take place up to 2034.

Preparation of the ‘Sheffield Plan’ has seen significant setbacks over the years and has meant that development across the city is guided by saved policies from the now very out of date Sheffield Unitary Development Plan which was adopted in 1998 and the Core Strategy which was adopted in 2009.

The first stage in producing the new plan was the Citywide Options for Growth to 2034 document. Consultation on that document took place between 11 November 2015 and 15 January 2016 and there has been very little tangible progress since.

The last formal update on the local plan was published in July 2016 and since then there has been a significant level of uncertainty on the proposed content of the plan and the timeline for adoption.

Things have been moving on behind the scenes and, upon speaking to the Council’s Planning Department, they anticipate providing a formal update on progress with the local plan as well as a timetable for consultation, examination and hopeful adoption within the next week.

This should provide a much clearer position on when a draft local plan will be released, and we will keep you informed as things progress.

To keep up to date, sign up to receive our monthly newsletter on all things planning and architecture related including national news and projects we have worked on. You can do so HERE

Planning & Design have recently made a significant investment to their presence in Sheffield with a move to new premises and several key appointments.

Housed in a former 1930s’ car showroom, Planning & Design now reside in The Workstation, Sheffield’s leading business centre for creative talent and innovation in the heart of the city’s thriving Cultural Industries Quarter.

Leading the Sheffield office will be Michael Bamford. A chartered town planning consultant, Michael started with Planning Design in 2015 and carved out his early career with the group. Having left the company in early 2018 to work with a National Consultancy based in Sheffield, he returned to Planning Design this summer and takes the lead on the operation of our Sheffield Office.

To contact Michael please call 0114 221 0618 or email Michael.Bamford@planningdesign.co.uk

Planning Design invests in Sheffield

29th October 20199th October 2019 by Gary Stringer

Planning & Design have made a significant investment to their presence in Sheffield with a move to new premises and several key appointments.

Located less than five minutes from Sheffield train station, The Workstation is home to some of Sheffield’s most exciting cultural, creative and digital businesses with Planning & Design joining renowned design studios, high growth tech firms, award winning theatre companies and filmmakers.

Proximity to the train station also affords easy access to both the group’s main office located in Derby city centre, and clients nationwide.

Leading the Sheffield office will be Michael Bamford. A chartered town planning consultant, Michael started with Planning & Design in 2015 and carved out his early career with the group. Having left the company in early 2018 to work with a National Consultancy based in Sheffield, he returned to Planning & Design this summer and takes the lead on the operation of our Sheffield Office.

Transferring from the Derby office to join Michael will be Graduate Planner Harry Capstick. Having completed his undergraduate degree in Town Planning and Geography at Sheffield Hallam University, he initially joined the team in June 2017, where he completed a 6-month work placement. Upon finishing his degree, Harry re-joined the team in July 2019.

As well as both Harry and Michael having worked and studied in the city, Planning & Design also has a close connection with Sheffield, having long maintained an office in the city and with numerous clients and projects in the region.

“The Sheffield City Region provides real opportunities for growth and development. The city has close links with the Peak District National Park and a long history of high tech engineering. We are excited to be opening a larger office in the city to meet the demand for town planning and architecture. The Region is forward thinking, it is looking for sustainable growth and is open to meeting the challenges of Climate Change and Brexit.” says Jonathan Jenkin, Managing Director of Planning & Design.

Comprising town planners, architects and architectural assistants the staff at Planning & Design bring a wealth of experience from a range of backgrounds and various parts of the UK. Our planners have worked in the public & private sectors, and have excellent working relations with Local Planning Authorities. Our team of RIBA Chartered Architects and Architectural Assistants have a wealth of experience working with homeowners, developers and the public sector.

“We are looking forward to welcoming existing clients to our new home in Sheffield, and to creating new relationships in the city, and across the region, says Michael Bamford.

“Sheffield is home to a rich architectural heritage, with iconic developments such as Park Hill as well as innovative urban renewal, as demonstrated by developments such as can be seen at Kelham Island and at the Workstation. We are looking forward to being a part of Sheffield’s future development.”

Please contact Michael if you require assistance with planning applications, appeals or local plan representations or require advice on lawful development certificates or development appraisals, michael.bamford@planningdesign.co.uk or telephone 0114 221 0618.

Photo (L-R): Harry Capstick, Richard Pigott, Jonathan Jenkin, Michael Bamford, Jon Millhouse.

PDP study tour to Sheffield

9th August 202121st August 2019 by Gary Stringer

We had a glorious day on a study tour in Sheffield with the team recently, exploring the city and discussing its urban realm. We started the day looking at the iconic Park Hill, which was council housing built between 1957 – 1961 and designed by Jack Lynn & Ivor Smith. The building is in the style of what is known as Brutalism with its harsh concrete forms and large openings and clearly inspired by Le Corbusier’s Unite d’Habitation.

In 1998 the building was grade II* listed, which was controversial at the time as the building was in decline. Since then Urban Splash have redeveloped the site, retaining the structure and principle of streets in the sky, whilst breathing a new lease of life into the development. Whilst we were there Phase 1 was well established with most of the ground floor commercial units let to architects, a nursery, a café and various other office users. The flats have pops of colour brightening up the harsh concrete structure. They are currently underway with Phase 2 which looks very promising.

We moved on through the city towards Kelham Island, a part of the city which has seen a lot of change over recent years from industrial Steelworks to a more hipster environment with new start-up businesses and micro-breweries!

A particular favourite was the development at Little Kelham Street, a zero carbon community with clever hidden car parking and a unique design aesthetic which made us feel like we were in Amsterdam, it also helped that the sun was shining at this point. The Development was master-planned by Sturgeon North Architects and detailed design completed by Baumon Lyons Architects and delivered by Citu. The dwellings are built from SIPs (Structurally Insulated Panels) and have triple glazed windows, their striking appearance is from their cladding materials, alternating between vertical black corrugated, to grey brick bond and then to black large shingles all fibre cement profiled sheeting sourced from Eternit. The development appears to be a great success and it’s a breath of fresh air that the developer was so keen to be sustainable and even encourage the use of electric cars.

Lunch took us to the Winter Gardens and a great meal was had by all in Ego, which was a bright and airy restaurant providing a Mediterranean atmosphere. Unfortunately after lunch the rain struck- a key aspect in any of PDP team building days!

Throughout Sheffield we saw a lot of good quality urban design, they have spent time and effort making details work and included wild flowers in planting beds where in other cities they would ordinarily be extra wide concrete pavements with no purpose or delight.

In the afternoon we looked around the relatively new shopping development which is trying to draw people back to the city and an alternative to Meadowhall Shopping Centre. The street was full of shoppers, however it was noted that this type of activity has drawn shoppers away from the historic City Centre. We enjoyed looking at The Moor Market building designed by Leslie Jones Architecture, on behalf of Sheffield City Council. The building was completed in November 2013 and moved the Castlegate Market to The Moor and was constructed with Glulam timber which brings an interesting aesthetic to the interior and has a brass clad exterior. The entrance is inviting, albeit it only occupies a small frontage on the shopping street.

Overall a great day was had by all and we look forward to seeing what Sheffield brings next…