Sheffield Retail Quarter

Sheffield Retail Quarter is a retail development under construction in Sheffield city centre, England between the Devonshire Quarter and The Moor Gateway. The project was previously given the marketing name Sevenstone, prior to Hammerson, the developer, being dropped from the project in July 2013 with Sheffield City Council seeking new developers.

The first phase, consisting of restaurants, shops and offices is currently under construction and will open in 2020. The second phase will begin construction after and the full development is scheduled to be completed by 2022.

Overview

Located to the west of Pinstone Street, between Barkers Pool and Moorhead, the New Retail Quarter plans to cover a 20-acre (8.1 ha) site in the heart of Sheffield and would involve a major re-design of this part of the city.

The original £600 million project, master-planned by architects BDP, planned to create a shopping and leisure environment in the heart of the city with a mixture of uses. 860,000 sq ft (80,000 m2) of retail space was to be created, including a 269,000 sq ft (25,000 m2) John Lewis department store, designed by multi-award-winning architects O'Donnell + Tuomey,[1] a new 100,000 sq ft (9,300 m2) Next store, and around 100 new shops. In addition, up to 200 residential flats, a health club and leisure facilities, and a ten-storey car park with 1,696 spaces were to be provided.[2]

The project was to relocate John Lewis and use the old store as a two-tiered shopping mall with covered streets. The proposal also included the pedestrianisation of Charter Row and the demolition of several buildings such as the Grosvenor House Hotel. Burgess Street would be realigned by redirecting it down towards the bottom of Barkers Pool as opposed to its current position parallel with Cambridge Street.

Proposals are under review following the termination of agreement with Hammerson. However, with a pre-letting to HSBC of 14,000 m2 of new office, Sheffield City Council, acting as developer, approved the delivery of the first phase of the scheme. This phase includes 6,000 m2 of new retail space and the creation of a new public space over what was the Charter Square traffic roundabout. This first phase is due for completion in 2019.

History

Concept and original scheme

Investigations into the rapid decline of Sheffield city centre from the mid-1980s led the Sheffield Development Corporation and Sheffield City Council to jointly commission Hillier Parker and the Oxford Institute of Retail Management to undertake a study of the region in 1994, and to recommend a strategy for regeneration of the city centre. The study noted the decline in status of the city centre and recommended a long-term strategy for the unification of The Moor and Fargate through a major retail development.[3]

This concept was developed and in 2000 the New Retail Quarter site was identified by a City Centre Masterplan, commissioned by Sheffield 1, the City's urban regeneration company. In 2001, Hammerson was selected as preferred developer through conducted jointly by Sheffield 1 and the Council.[4]

Hammerson submitted an Outline Planning Application in October 2005, seeking permission for a mixed use development consisting of refurbishment of use of existing buildings and erection of buildings for retail, housing, a night club, a health and fitness club, and multi-storey car parking. Amended planning applications were submitted in May and July 2006.

Enabling works (that is, providing the gas, water, electrical and telephone infrastructure) began in March 2006 on the roads surrounding the new site, including Division Street, Moore Street, Charter Row and others.[5]

The Outline Planning Application was approved by the Council in August 2006. The Secretary of State confirmed by letters dated 25 September 2006 and 9 October 2006 that he did not wish to intervene, and that the decision as to whether to grant outline planning permission and the associated listed building consents would therefore remain with the Council. The Section 106 Agreement was completed in November 2006 and outline planning permission and associated listed building consents were issued that month.[6]

In October 2007, developers Hammerson unveiled the official marketing name for the New Retail Quarter as Sevenstone.[7] The branding was welcomed by business and political leaders in Sheffield.[8]

In March 2008, a three-day public exhibition displayed the plans for Sevenstone in Sheffield City Centre. Local press described the reactions of Sheffield citizens to the plans as 'mixed'.[9]

Collapse of original scheme

On 29 January 2009, the Sheffield Star reported that the project had been put on hold indefinitely, based on an interview with the city's regeneration company who retracted the statement the following day.[10]

Despite the uncertainty, the demolition of the Wellington Street fire station, began in December 2009, with agreement that the site would be used as a temporary car park until work begun.[11]

On 17 June 2010, the Coalition Government, just weeks after its formation, announced the suspension of £12 million of central funding toward the project.[12] Nevertheless, on 15 March 2011, Sheffield City Council announced that it was taking out a £10 million loan to kick-start the stalled development. The money plus a further £10 million contributed by the developers Hammerson would be used to part finance the compulsory purchase of all the empty shops and land needed to build the scheme. As a result, the Sevenstone scheme was expected to start in late 2013 or early 2014.[13]

However, the project continued to stall and in March 2012, John Lewis announced that it was no longer seeking to move from its current store into the Sevenstone development.

Sheffield City Council provided an update in March 2013 claiming:[14]

Sheffield City Council, Hammerson plc and John Lewis Partnership remain committed to delivering on the city’s Sevenstone retail project.

The three partners have accelerated discussions by which the Sevenstone retail led project can be brought forward for delivery in Sheffield City Centre. All parties have been focused on a new scheme layout and have agreed the location of a new anchor John Lewis store.

It is anticipated that the new scheme will include up to 700,000 sq ft of retail with extensive food and entertainment venues along with a multi storey car park and high quality public realm throughout. Positive negotiations are ongoing for a revised scheme layout. It is still hoped to start on site in 2014/15.

On 29 July 2013 it was announced that developer Hammerson had been axed by Sheffield City Council.[15]

2014 revised scheme

On 10 October 2013, Sheffield City Council announced that it had begun the formal process to "end their relationship with Hammerson". However, the statement also claimed that:

The Council aims to deliver a New Retail Quarter that will fundamentally improve the retail offer in the City Centre, by providing modern flexible retail spaces and attracting quality fashion retailers. This will make a significant step change and will boost Sheffield City Centre’s status back up the retail ranking index.

The statement also claimed that the project would be ready to take to the market place in spring 2014 and was on programme with a target for completion during 2018/19.

In March 2015, more detailed plans of the Sheffield Retail Quarter development designed by Leonard Design Architects were revealed, with a focus on introducing “aspirational and contemporary retailers” along Cross Burgess Street and Pinstone Street, concentrated around an anchor store. The new schedule aims to have the quarter 80% complete by 2019, with the end objective of having all phases completed by 2021.[16]

References
  1. O'Donnell + Tuomey Archived 12 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  2. "2,200 new car parking spaces may be created". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 14 September 2009.
  3. City Council, Sheffield. "REPORT TO CABINET: PROPOSED SHEFFIELD CITY COUNCIL (PINSTONE STREET AND TRAFALGAR STREET) (NEW RETAIL QUARTER) COMPULSORY PURCHASE ORDER 2006". Sheffield City Council.
  4. City Council, Sheffield. "REPORT TO CABINET: PROPOSED SHEFFIELD CITY COUNCIL (PINSTONE STREET AND TRAFALGAR STREET) (NEW RETAIL QUARTER) COMPULSORY PURCHASE ORDER 2006". Sheffield City Council.
  5. Enabling Works Archived 12 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  6. City Council, Sheffield. "REPORT TO CABINET: PROPOSED SHEFFIELD CITY COUNCIL (PINSTONE STREET AND TRAFALGAR STREET) (NEW RETAIL QUARTER) COMPULSORY PURCHASE ORDER 2006". Sheffield City Council.
  7. "Sheffield's new centre named Sevenstone". RPD online. Archived from the original on 9 April 2008. Retrieved 16 October 2007.
  8. "Name for £500m Sheffield shops centre backed". Sheffield Star. 2007. Retrieved 16 October 2007.
  9. "Welcome to Sheffield city centre 2013". Sheffield Star. 5 March 2008. Retrieved 27 March 2008.
  10. "Disaster NRQ on hold indefinitely". Sheffield Star. 29 January 2009. Retrieved 29 January 2009.
  11. "Fire station being demolished to make way for shops scheme". Yorkshire Post. 3 December 2009. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  12. "Projects axed". BBC. 17 June 2010. Retrieved 17 June 2010.
  13. BBC News (15/3/11).
  14. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 7 July 2013. Retrieved 15 May 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  15. "Sevenstone retail developer axed by Sheffield council". www.thestar.co.uk. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
  16. Tugby2015-03-27T07:00:00, Luke. "Sheffield city centre prepares for £480m regeneration scheme". Retail Week. Retrieved 24 December 2018.

Sources
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