Planning permission has been refused for another 180 flats on the former Wards Brewery site on Ecclesall Road.

Councillors on the City Centre and East Planning and Highways Board have today rejected plans by Finnegans to develop the rest of the Wards Brewery site into flats, rather than offices. Planning permission granted in July 2001 stated that this part of the site should be used for offices.

Cllr Mike Pye, Chairman of the City Centre and East Planning and Highways Board said: “Whilst we welcome city centre living, in this case it’s more important that this site is used for offices. There is no shortage of land available for housing in the city whereas office sites are at a premium. Sheffield must have a good range of locations available for industry suitable for different types of occupiers in order to attract new jobs. More city centre living should not be at the expense of the city’s economic prosperity.”

....and the council carries on in it's duties looking backwards with blinkers firmly attached.

I'm not commenting on this particular case because I don't live in Sheffield and know whether houses or offices is better for the old Wards site, but city centre living has revitalised the centres of Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Nottingham etc. etc.

If anyone was looking forward to buying a city centre apartment may I suggest driving 40 miles north on the M1 or 40 miles west on the A57, there are two cities who will welcome you with open arms.

Originally posted by alchresearch
I'm not commenting on this particular case because I don't live in Sheffield .
That's rather like someone saying 'I don't want to be pedantic but...' knowing full well that they are going to be pedantic.

There are vacant offices for rent all over the city, some have been empty for months and months!

Originally posted by max
That's rather like someone saying 'I don't want to be pedantic but...' knowing full well that they are going to be pedantic.

...and?

The original plan was for some sort fifty fifty deal with the council granting permission for the developers to build the apartments first to raise capital and then build offices when the appartments were completed. Planners then get greedy and decide that appartments are more profitable and try to renage on the original deal....remember Sheffield airport and the open cast mining deal. Council agreed to open cast project on the previso that on completion the company builds a new airport at Tinsley. When the opencasting was completed the company went bust... no airport.

I don't see how the airport has anything to do with greed. AF Budge Construction simply went out of business. We DID get an airport. Nobody wanted to use it though because Sheffield City Council wouldn't allow one big enough to be useful in case it upset the locals (ie voters).