Sheffield City Council has granted full planning permission for a new 470 space, nine-storey car park with ancillary facilities in the first phase of the much-anticipated new West Bar mixed use development in the city centre.

The news follows consent granted in August for a 100,000 sq ft Grade A office building with supporting retail and leisure space, and 368 build to rent residential apartments as part of the first £150 million phase of development. Funding is already secured through Legal & General in the largest single private sector investment deal Sheffield has seen to date.

It brings plans a step closer for the future regeneration of the underutilised, seven-acre strategic site which has potential to deliver considerable economic benefits to the city, creating around 6,000 – 8,000 new jobs as well as supporting Sheffield’s major housing needs.

Scheme developer, Urbo (West Bar) Ltd, a joint venture between Urbo Regeneration and Peveril Securities (the development arm of the Bowmer and Kirkland Group) ultimately plans to deliver a £300 million scheme comprising around 1 million sq ft of vibrant new mixed-use space with considerable public realm for the people of Sheffield to enjoy.

Planning advice for the application and surrounding West Bar development has been provided by Asteer Planning. The car park has been designed by award winning architects Stripe Consulting, who specialise in designing and engineering car park designs across the UK, working alongside landscape architects Planit. This approach will see the delivery of a high quality addition to the West Bar scheme which aims to integrate the car park with the surrounding building landscape and public realm situated around West Bar Square.

The car park will provide parking for existing users of the surface car park areas which are currently present on the site alongside the future occupiers and visitors to the West Bar scheme. In addition to traditional parking requirements the proposal incorporates space for cycle parking, electric vehicle charging and low emission vehicle spaces, with capacity to increase such space in-line with future requirements.

The proposal also incorporates modifications and improvements to the adjacent highways and cycling links along Bridge Street which will see the delivery of much improved access for pedestrians, cyclists and road users.

Peter Swallow, Managing Director at Urbo, said, “We are delighted to maintain momentum with this planning consent for the multi storey car park which we intend to build in line with the delivery of the phase one office building and build to rent apartments.

“Our vision for West Bar is to deliver a vibrant and sustainable new quarter for the centre of Sheffield and we are excited to be able to start construction next year. We have worked closely with stakeholders for many years to bring forward this important regeneration scheme that can majorly support the city’s current and future housing, jobs and regeneration needs”

Phase one at West Bar includes No.1 West Bar Square, a new 100,000 sq ft office building with ground floor retail and leisure space. This delivers against evidenced demand for large footprint, Grade A office accommodation that js currently lacking in Sheffield city centre and complements the existing West Bar neighbourhood including the Home Office, top 50 law firm Irwin Mitchell and the Crown and Family Courts.

Also in phase one, Soho Yard offers 368 residential apartments within two buildings situated around a landscaped space and gardens with access via Plum Lane. The properties will be delivered and operated by Legal & General as part of its highly successful ‘Build to Rent – Homes for Life’ portfolio. It sits on the site of the famous ‘Soho wheel’ that powered grinding machinery near the River Don after the Industrial Revolution.

On completion of the entire project, West Bar will provide approximately one acre of public realm and green space extending the Council’s hugely successful grey to green and SUDS transformation. The first phase at West Bar will also provide nearly 300 cycle storage spaces and connectivity into the surrounding walking and cycling routes as part of a push for multi-modal travel.

Phase two plans for West Bar includes a second Legal & General-funded, 100,000 sq. ft. office building, with further phases ultimately providing 1 million sq ft of mixed-use accommodation, of which over 500,000 sq ft will be Grade A office space offering the largest floor plates in Sheffield city centre.

West Bar enjoys a prominent position on the Inner Ring Road between the booming Kelham Island district and Sheffield’s Cathedral and Castlegate Quarters.

The project team includes Stripe Consulting, 5plus architects, Mott MacDonald, Gardiner & Theobold, Asteer Planning and Planit.ie. BNP Paribas Real Estate is marketing the development.