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Plans to turn Sheffield’s historic Leah’s Yard into a social hub for creative independent businesses have been greenlit by Sheffield City Council.
The Sheffield Telegraph reports that almost 100 independent businesses have expressed interest in moving into Leah’s Yard when it is completed. While addressing Sheffield City Council’s planning committee, Rockingham Group’s James O’Hara said he had almost 96 enquiries for the proposed 37 units at Leah’s Yard.
O’Hara added that it was ‘unbelievable and genuinely humbling’ to receive such strong demand from a range of ‘amazing’ Sheffield independent businesses for the development, which is part of the new Heart of the City 2 development.
He told the planning meeting he wanted to make the site ‘the beating heart of the city’.
The plans for the reveal of the historic site were submitted to Sheffield City Council and Queensbury, the councils Strategic Development Partner, and are the latest plans to be approved as part of the transformational Heart of the City development scheme.
The grade II-listed Leah’s Yard, off Cambridge Street, is formerly a collection of small industrial workshops and has long been listed on Historic England’s ‘Building at Risk’ register.
The facade of the building will remain but there were objections from heritage groups about the demolition of the old Tap and Tankard pub and former Chubbys takeaway on Cambridge Street to make way for the new scheme.
Preliminary structural and roof work is soon to be completed, bringing the building back into a safe and workable condition.
The plans, which were drawn up by architect FCBStudios, will see the existing complex refurbished while largely retaining its current form. There will be a central public courtyard which will be surrounded by small boutique shops, while the first and second floors will be home to around 20 independent working studios.
Sympathetic new-build structures will adjoin the southern side of the development, greatly improving pedestrian access between the central courtyard and Backfields.
On completion of the scheme, the venue will be managed by Tom Wolfenden, chief executive of SSPCo, which manages the Cooper Buildings one Arundel Street, and James O’Hara, known for bars in the city such as Public, once a public toilet, and Picture House Social.
Wolfenden and O’Hara plan to transform the site into an experience-led destination for local independent businesses, creative industries, and social events.
Councillor Mazher Iqbal, executive member for City Futures: Development, Culture and Regeneration, said the scheme enables the future-proofing of a key heritage asset for decades to come.
“As a new social destination for independent retailers and creative small businesses, it is also very reflective of Sheffield’s core values as a city of makers,” he said.
Andrew Davison, project director at Queensberry, added: “We now look forward to the next phase of appointing a construction contractor and bringing the Leah’s Yard vision to life.”
As part of the wider Heart of the City programme, Leah’s Yard will sit alongside Cambridge Street Collective and Bethel Chapel, both of which are already under construction and will deliver a contemporary food hall, cookery theatre, fine dining restaurant and live entertainment venue.
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