‘Cultural heart’ proposals for city centre regeneration scheme

Plans have been revealed for a new ‘cultural heart’ and extensive office space as part of the ongoing regeneration of Sheffield city centre.A wide-ranging development is proposed for Block H of the Heart of the City II development, with three distinct elements (H1, H2 and H3). A period of public consultation on H2 and H3 began this week, ahead of a planning submission this spring.H2 will be a new building comprising about 70,000 sq ft of grade A office space, split across seven upper floors. It will feature a south-facing roof terrace, with retail and food and beverage units on the ground floor.Proposals for the H3 element, to be known as Cambridge Street Collective, aim to retain as much of the existing fabric and façades along Cambridge Street and Wellington Street as feasible.Plans include a large, industrial-style space, suited to a food hall or similar sociable, communal offer. Complementary shops, a bar and restaurant, and an upper level leisure space would also be created. The existing Bethel Chapel building will also be renovated, with plans for this to become a live entertainment venue.The Block H site also includes Leah’s Yard (H1), a grade II*-listed building housing a collection of small former industrial workshops. This site is not included in the application but plans are still at an early stage to convert the property into workshops for creative businesses. Listed building consent is being sought to undertake the structural works required to make the buildings secure.The new plans for this block proposed retention of more original architecture than envisaged in the 2018 masterplan. They now include the preservation and sympathetic restoration of the fabric and façades along Cambridge Street and Wellington Street, including the listed Bethel Sunday School and Leah’s Yard, as well as the Bethel Chapel and the buildings that formerly housed Brewhouse and Henry’s.Sheffield City Council and its strategic development partner Queensberry have been working with heritage interest groups in the city.