Plans for 57 new social rent homes on a long-derelict site on City Road have been approved, as part of efforts to tackle Sheffield’s housing shortage.
The development, led by Great Places Housing Group, a non-profit social housing organisation, will transform the former Park and Arbourthorne Labour Club site into a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments.
Helen Spencer, Executive Director of Growth, said: “We are very much committed to our existing customers and communities in Sheffield and seek to deliver new homes too.”
Ms Spencer said the Housing Needs Assessment for the city highlights specific requirements that shaped the demand for smaller properties.
“There is a housing need right across the country, and Sheffield is no different. We gather data from our own customers and from the City Council on housing waiting lists. It shows extended waits for 1 and 2-bed homes.”
In total, the development will include 40 one-bedroom and 17 two-bedroom apartments, including nine designed for wheelchair users.
Ms Spencer said the homes will also support “rightsizing”, where “households that are under occupying larger homes move into these new homes and release those larger homes for families in need of housing.”
The site was chosen for its location and transport links as the site ‘occupies a prominent location, close to a range of amenities, all within walking distance,’ while also having regular bus and tram routes nearby.
While the location may be beneficial for residents, construction in the derelict site has its issues. Ms Spencer said technical challenges were found as ‘the land sits below the level of City Road,’ requiring a new retaining wall to ensure stability.
The development comes amid wider pressure on housing in the city.
“Sheffield’s published Housing Needs Assessment identified an annual shortfall of over 900 affordable homes,” she said, adding the scheme “will help to meet the need for housing with the highest demand levels in the city.”
She said the homes will also prioritise energy efficiency saying: “Our new home sustainability strategy is based on a fabric-first approach.”
Companies like Homes England and Holmpatrick Developments Limited support the project as part of wider housing investment across South Yorkshire.
image credit: Great Places UK