Planning Permission Granted For £150m West Bar Development Scheme

The West Bar development in Sheffield has been granted full planning approval, Property Investor Today reports. Urbo Limited is a shared venture between Urbo Regeneration and Peverill Securities, and they have secured £150m funding from Legal & General for the first phase of the development.

Construction work is planned to begin within a few months, to create new buildings which are intended for offices, retail, leisure, hotels, accommodation, and parking. The West Bar area takes up seven acres on the inner ring road, between the Kelham Island district and the Cathedral and Castlegate Quarters of Sheffield.

Peter Swallow, managing director at Urbo, said, “We have been working closely with Sheffield City Council and other key stakeholders for many years to bring forward this important regeneration scheme and we are delighted to secure full planning consent to be able to move forward with construction.”

The scheme will include measures to help meet the government’s carbon net zero targets, which aim to cut emissions by 78%, compared to 1990 levels. This is described as the ‘world’s most ambitious climate change target’, and is in line with recommendations from the independent Climate Change Committee.

The West Bar development will feature one acre of green public space, and sustainable transport methods will be prioritised.  Cycling routes will be built around the area to encourage people out of their cars, and 300 cycle storage spaces will be provided.

Planning permission has been sought for a 450-space car park, which will include electric charging points for low-emission vehicles. There are also plans for a phase two of the development, which will provide further multi-purpose city centre buildings. The scheme is expected to meet local demand for housing and office space, and create thousands of jobs.

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