BTR apartment scheme gets the go-ahead

Planning approval has been granted for a development of more than 230 build-to-rent (BTR) apartments on a site in Sheffield city centre.Torsion Developments, supported by Quod and Den Architecture, submitted a full planning application to Sheffield City Council earlier this year for a residential development on a site between Hollis Croft and White Croft.The plans cover the construction of a 16-storey building comprising 234 BTR apartments.A total of 34 studio, 131 one-bedroom and 69 two-bedroom units would be provided. The accommodation would be operated by Torsion.A reception area and co-working business space is also proposed. Four dedicated disabled parking bays and 38 secure cycle spaces would be provided.It has been estimated that the development would support an average of 110 construction jobs, based on a theoretical 30-month construction programme, generating £48.7m GVA (gross value added).Once complete, five full-time equivalent jobs would be created, covering management, administration and maintenance, with an estimated £2.6m of spending in the area per week from residents.The council has now granted planning permission for the development, subject to conditions, under delegated powers.A planning officer’s report accompanying the decision said: “The improved housing mix is considered to be a significant benefit of the revised proposals which magnifies the general benefit of the development in helping to deliver much needed new housing in the context of a current failure to demonstrate a five-year supply of deliverable housing sites.”Permission was granted in 2019 for development on a wider site comprising 444 apartments. The site covered by the new application, Plot A, had been earmarked for a 13-storey residential development.However, new proposals were developed as the costs associated with the previous consent meant it could not be brought forward.Plans for a student accommodation development of between ten and 27 storeys on Plot B, comprising 519 beds, were approved in 2020.