Anyone know what is happing to the Yorkshire Electricity Building on the Parkway? Been closed for a while.

I think IKEA have applied for planning permission to open a store on that site.

I think planning permission has been refused because of the likely effect on traffic levels on the Parkway, and because the Council thinks this will have a detrimental affect on City Centre trade.

I can see the first point - the M62 can't cope with traffic by the Leeds store, but I would have thought it woudl be a benefit to Sheffield if people didn't have to drive to Leeds or Nottingham for their Swedish furniture?

IKEA have lodged an appeal.

Ikea were planning on opening a store in this area but they pulled out because it was decided having stores in Nottingham and Leeds were enough. That's what some guy from Ikea (Leeds) told me once.

The UK marketing director was interviewed on the business news of Radio 2 last week.

He said there were plans to open up a number of stores in the UK this year and they are far behind target because of plannin regulations.

Their revised policy is to not open a store if customers are less than an hour's drive to a store. This, unfortunately includes Sheffield.

Replying to JJRobbins, i know someone that used to work at that site. He told me that despite planning application submission, IKEA were unlikely to complete on this location. Such a shame, ummmm swedish birds!!!

I hear that clothing giants Burberry are considering placing a bid for the site - they are reported as saying that they 'endeavour to meet the demands for its core target consumers' - i understand that by construction of a production factory there, they intend to keep down transportation costs. A surveryor with one of those '1 metre wheels' has estimated that the furthest it will need to distribute its wear is to a radius of 3.5 miles. This would encompass the Manor Estate, Hyde Park/Park Hill, The Moor, Pitsmoor etc.

VOTE 4 BURBERRY!! GOOD LUCK EVERYBODY...

Been informed that the YEB building is being used by the council to dump cars.

If you are one of the people who drive around our city without Tax then your car may end up here.

There were rumours at first that the old Yorkshire Electricity building was bought by Ikea, however they wanted their own slip road straight into the premises and the council wouldn't give planning permission. Since then the police (so I have been told) have been using the flight deck to store stolen cars (which haven't been claimed) etc before they go to be crushed.
Now a builder has bought it.... I dont know the name of the builders company, but a good friend of mine who works for the builder has been actually in the premises clearing it out and stuff.