Briefing Pack - Sheffield Retail Quarter

Introducing
Sheffield
working with:
Retail Quarter
Our Shops, Our Streets, Our Sheffield
A Briefing Pack for Elected
Members and Stakeholders
May 2015
Introduction
This Briefing Pack has been produced by Sheffield City Council to provide
an overview of exciting and innovative proposals to create a sustainable
and vibrant Retail Quarter in the heart of Sheffield city centre.
The proposed £480 million scheme, designed by Leonard
Design Architects, comprises approximately 900,000 sq. ft.
of mixed use accommodation. The new scheme is
predominantly focussed on retail and leisure but also
includes over 200,000 sq. ft. dedicated to residential and
office space.
The Briefing Pack also describes the comprehensive and
robust consultation that will provide stakeholders and
communities with the opportunity to comment on the
proposals. The Council is committed to open and genuine
consultation to ensure that everyone who lives in, works
in or visits the city has an opportunity to find out more
and have their say.
After the consultation, the Council will submit an outline
planning application to be considered by the Local
Planning Authority. Well-understood and transparent
processes and rules are in place to ensure that the
Regulatory Planning Officers and Planning Committee,
who will be assessing the application, remain independent
of those officers or consultants submitting the planning
application.
In parallel to preparing and submitting a robust planning
application, the Council is running a procurement process
to select a Strategic Development Partner who will work
with the Council to deliver this scheme. This procurement
process will take approximately six months with an
announcement expected in early 2016.
The target is to complete 80% of the scheme during 2019.
The final phases are scheduled to be completed by 2021.
Section 1
Sheffield’s Retail Quarter
Sheffield has a proud history. A popular and attractive Retail Quarter in
our city centre will create new jobs, attract new visitors and provide
everyone with new choices about where they shop, eat out or spend
their leisure time.
A. New Shops, New Streets
The proposals are focussed on the areas around Barker’s
Pool, Pinstone Street and Moorhead. The design merges
with Sheffield’s award winning public realm and worldrenowned cultural assets – including The Crucible and The
Lyceum theatres – and unites key retail areas in the city
centre from The Moor through to Fargate. The plan on the
following page shows the proposed layout of streets that
would come together in a new public square bordered by
a new anchor store and other prominent retailers. The key
design features include:
Extending the popular shopping destination
of Fargate.
Creating stronger links from the Peace Gardens
across Pinstone Street.
Strengthening links with the established
shopping area and new development at The
Moor.
Why are these proposals so important?
For decades now Sheffield city centre has experienced
rising retail vacancy, falling retail sales and lack of
investment. This was principally due to a shortage of
new retail space in the city that was configured to meet
the changing needs of modern retailers.
A growing Sheffield demands a modern environment for
retailers. Currently, demand for good quality, modern retail
space outstrips supply in the city centre. Many of the UK’s
largest retail brands, such as H&M, Next, New Look and
Topshop, trade from stores that are over 60% smaller
than their average sized stores in UK cities with similar
populations to Sheffield. We know that retailers are waiting
for Sheffield’s Retail Quarter to be developed so that they
can have modern, prime and well-configured stores.
Online spend also now accounts for 15% of total retail
spend in and around Sheffield. Sheffield Retail Quarter
will be a future-proof scheme designed to account for
this new retail environment where more people choose
to ‘click and collect’ by buying online and picking up their
goods in-store.
Attracting new and larger retailers provides a number
of benefits. More visitors are attracted to the city
centre, meaning more money is spent in the local
economy. This benefits all businesses and helps to
create jobs. More occupied retail space will also
generate more income through business rates. More
money can then be raised to fund improvements to
the city centre, including enhancing our public spaces.
Bringing this development forward is a strategic priority
for Sheffield City Council, supported by the universities,
civic and cultural institutions and businesses, as well as
existing and potential city centre retailers.
Creating space for independent stores to
flourish
Sheffield’s Retail Quarter is not just about attracting
national and international retailers. Our independent
shops and businesses also have a huge amount to offer
and will play an important role in a more vibrant city
centre. The proposals are not about increasing competition
that crowds out independent retailers but rather about
attracting more shoppers and visitors to the city centre.
Detailed calculations undertaken by the Council’s
advisors show that the proposed Retail Quarter will
bring in approximately an additional £300 million per
year to the whole of Sheffield city centre, which people
currently spend elsewhere. The Council is clear that
money is better spent in our city centre, thus benefitting
all businesses.
The Outline Plan For Sheffield’s Retail Quarter
B. Creating Vibrancy Through
Mixed Uses
A new generation department
store with parking. This store will
front onto a new, pedestrianised
Charter Square.
Alongside the correct focus on enhancing the city
centre’s retail offer, the proposals also encourage
other uses. The Council wants to support a city
centre that is an exciting and interesting place to
visit for everyone. As shown in the plan, the
proposals also include the delivery of:
The extension of Fargate, Sheffield’s
premier shopping street, attracting
new and larger retailers.
New restaurants and
cafés that will be
popular during the day
and into the evening.
A new multi-storey car
park on Rockingham
Street.
New city centre homes. The proposals for
new residential accommodation are at their
early stages. The residential strategy for this
area of the city will focus on 1-2 bedroom
apartments but also potentially larger
properties that will provide comfortable
homes for families.
Sheffield
City Hall
e
Fargat
Centrally located offices. A key emphasis
of Sheffield City Region’s growth plans is to
create new jobs in the professional services.
Equally important, the city is committed to
creating an environment that supports
start-up and smaller companies. New office
accommodation in the city will support
these important priorities.
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Su
The office and residential elements of the proposals
are about guaranteeing that Sheffield’s Retail
Quarter contributes to a vibrant and dynamic city
centre environment that hosts workers, city dwellers,
as well as shoppers.
Peace Gardens
et
Stre
tone
s
in
P
ow
ter R
Char
ate
ival G
Furn
r
Moo
The
A mix of new office and residential
accommodation on the upper floors
of the building – bringing more
people and life to the area.
A focus on protecting historic building façades,
including those along Pinstone Street, the old
Sunday School on Cambridge Street and the
restoration of the Grade 2* Listed Leah’s Yard.
Stronger links to other areas
in the city, including The
Moor, Devonshire Green and
the Peace Gardens.
New public spaces of
exceptional quality,
inspired by the Peak
District.
Key
A focus on making
the whole area more
accessible and
pedestrian-friendly.
Retail
Public spaces
Retail
SRQ red
line boundary
Restaurant/bar
C. Ensuring Access and
Connectivity
D. Introducing New Public Spaces
for People to Enjoy
A key priority of the Retail Quarter plans is to ensure
that good and strong linkages exist across the city centre
and that people can access the city centre quickly and
conveniently. All modes of transport are catered for by
the proposals.
Sheffield is famous for its world-class public spaces
which local people and visitors can enjoy. The design
ethos behind the proposals for the public realm in and
around Sheffield’s Retail Quarter is to use materials
that reflect the geological features of the Peak District,
including considering the textures and distinctiveness
of the Milestone Edges that surround our city at
Stanage, Burbage, Derwent, Froggat and Curbar.
The proposals include enhancing key walking routes
through the city, not least by extending Fargate and
creating stronger links from the Peace Gardens.
The proposals themselves include:
Cycling remains important as Sheffield looks to build on
the legacy of the Tour de France in 2014. The proposals
include space for cycle routes and secure cycle parking.
All of this infrastructure will support existing cycling
facilities, including the cycling hub most recently
introduced at the city’s Sheffield station.
Public transport remains a critical element of the city’s
future. Providing people with quick and convenient
transport options, including the bus and tram is critical, not
least for those people who do not have access to a private
car. The proposals include a range of options to develop
bus routes that will service Sheffield’s Retail Quarter.
During this consultation the Council will be working with
partners across the city, including the bus operators and
South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive to consider
these options in more detail. The detailed options will be
subject to more detailed public consultation at a later date.
Creating a new public square outside a new
anchor department store.
Creating a new Fargate that extends up the hill
past Barker’s Pool.
Creating new and attractive pedestrian routes
along and around Pinstone Street and Burgess
Place.
The focus of the proposals is to deliver designs that:
Utilise quality materials.
Showcase craftsmanship.
Include integrated features such as seating.
Reflect a close attention to detail.
Public realm inspiration sketch
E. Reinforcing Key Linkages
Close-knit communities and areas that offer
different features define Sheffield. Sheffield’s
Retail Quarter sits at the centre of our city and
provides an ideal opportunity to strengthen
and reinforce key linkages with other areas –
ultimately consolidating the city centre into a
cohesive design that is easy to navigate. Key
design features include ensuring:
Division Street, popular with
independent and boutique retailers,
connects well with the Retail Quarter.
There is a stronger link between the
Retail Quarter and those very popular
locations around the Peace Gardens,
Winter Gardens and Tudor Square.
Critically, our proposal will unite the key retail
pitches in the city centre from The Moor, through
to Fargate. This approach will consolidate and
cement an enhanced retail offer and provide for
food and beverage, office space and residential
uses. This mix of uses will increase the attraction
of the city as an option for family-friendly
evening entertainment.
Section 2
Partnership
Sheffield’s Retail Quarter will be brought forward through a partnership
headed by Sheffield City Council but comprised of organisations from
across the city and private investors who also bring world-class
capabilities and private funding.
A. The Role of the Council
One of the most important roles a Council can play
is encouraging economic development. Economic
development, such as Sheffield’s Retail Quarter, creates
new jobs and helps increase funding for local services.
In particular:
Sheffield Retail Quarter is expected to create
around 2,500 construction jobs and new
permanent jobs in the city centre.
The Council owns the land in the city centre so
can generate revenues by acting as a landlord.
All of the money the Council spends now it
would get back when the new Retail Quarter
is constructed.
All of this means that the Council is in a strong position
to drive this scheme forward, having confirmed its
commitment to make a significant investment in
Sheffield’s Retail Quarter of over £60m. The Council does
face pressures on its budget but the money being spent
on developing these plans is not being taken from other
areas that fund council services. This project is about
the Council taking the lead to support our economy and
strengthen our city.
B. The Strength of our City
C. Selecting the Right Partner
Delivering this project is beyond any single institution.
Critical to delivering these proposals will be partnership
across the public and private sectors, reaching beyond
institutional boundaries.
Sheffield’s Retail Quarter continues to require
investment and expertise that can only be provided
by the private sector. In December 2014, the Council
published a notification seeking Expressions of
Interest from developers and investors keen to work
with the Council to deliver Sheffield Retail Quarter.
The Council has previously and continues to receive
considerable interest from developers and funders keen
to play a role in delivering Sheffield’s Retail Quarter.
The Council is working closely with business, the
University of Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University,
Sheffield Teaching Hospital NHS Trust, and a range
of other bodies and agencies focused on bringing
vibrancy to Sheffield.
The procurement of a development partner will move
forward during 2015 and a developer will be announced
in early 2016.
Our Business Improvement Districts in the Lower
Don Valley, and the forthcoming one in the City Centre,
demonstrate the importance of partnership to achieve
our goals.
The Council’s procurement strategy is absolutely clear.
The selected developer must have the proven experience,
skills and financial capabilities to make a sustainable
investment in our city and to deliver the development
with the Council quickly and efficiently.
Project Timeline
Outline Planning Application
Submitted
Summer 2015
Public
Consultation
May/June
2015
Phase 1
New Stores
Open
Autumn 2019
Finalised Design and Submission of
Reserved Matters Applications
End 2016
Select Private Developer
to Work With
Early 2016
2016
Phase 2 New Stores
Open
End 2021
Construction
Begins
Early 2017
2017
2018
2019
2020/21
Section 3
Seeking Feedback
Our city is at its strongest when organisations and communities come
together. This Briefing Pack has been produced and distributed at the start
of a wide-ranging public consultation to seek feedback on these important
proposals.
A. Listening to Local Views
The Council is committed to engaging openly with key
stakeholders, local residents, businesses and people who
visit Sheffield. At this initial stage, prior to the submission
of a planning application, we want to inform stakeholders
and local people about our proposals and give them the
opportunity to contribute to the finalisation of the outline
plans for Sheffield’s Retail Quarter.
All of our engagement activities will be guided by the
following key principles:
We will be open and honest when presenting
information.
We will ensure that all public engagement
materials can be easily accessed by local
stakeholders and the wider general public.
We will be clear and ‘plain speaking’, avoiding
jargon or technical terms where possible.
We will ensure all comments and feedback
received during the consultation are considered
as Sheffield’s Retail Quarter is developed further.
B. Consultation Programme
On 18 May 2015, we will launch an extensive stakeholder
and public consultation programme about the proposed
Sheffield Retail Quarter. This consultation will run for five
weeks until 19 June 2015.
To engage with key stakeholders and local communities we will use
a number of different techniques:
Briefing Pack
Copies of this Briefing Pack will be distributed to Members of Parliament representing local constituencies
and local Sheffield councillors. Copies will also be distributed to over 200 stakeholders identified in a
stakeholder mapping process, including members of the business community and other local stakeholders
such as local residents’ groups.
Consultation Leaflets
Consultation leaflets will be distributed to all residential and business properties located within the Sheffield
City Ring Road. The leaflet provides information about the proposals, opportunities for members of the
public to provide feedback and information on where people can ask questions. The extent of the distribution
area for this leaflet is on the previous page.
Community Access Points
Community Access Points (CAP sites) are local shops, amenities and other key locations where the public
can easily obtain copies of the consultation leaflet. CAP sites are particularly useful in enabling workers,
residents and road users who live outside of the leaflet distribution area to pick up a consultation leaflet.
During the public consultation, 75 CAP sites will be set up, mostly in the communities around the city
centre. Each site will be asked to display a poster or window sticker to let people know they can pick up a
leaflet inside. All CAP sites will be listed on our consultation website.
Consultation Website
A dedicated website (www.sheffieldretailquarter.com) will be launched on 18 May 2015 providing
information about the proposed redevelopment and all associated consultation activities. Visitors to the
website will be presented with clear information about the proposed Sheffield Retail Quarter and encouraged
to complete an online response form. Site users will also be able to email their consultation responses to a
dedicated email address (info@sheffieldretailquarter.com) or register for updates.
Telephone Information Line
A dedicated information line (0800 731 5515) will be opened on 18 May 2015 to answer all calls about
Sheffield’s Retail Quarter. This line will operate from 9am to 5pm (Monday to Friday) with an answer phone
facility to take calls outside these hours. Members of the consultation team managing the information line
are able to provide up-to-date information or answer questions about the scheme or the consultation.
Public Exhibition
A public exhibition will provide stakeholders and members of the public with the
opportunity to discuss the proposals with key members of the Project Team. The exhibition
will take place outside the Town Hall in the city centre on the following dates.
Consultation leaflet distribution area (courtesy of Google Earth).
Wednesday 3 June: 11am to 6pm
Thursday 4 June: 11am to 6pm
Friday 5 June: 11am to 6pm
Saturday 6 June: 11am to 5pm
What Happens Next?
The consultation is scheduled to end on 19 June 2015. All feedback received during
the consultation will be considered on an ongoing basis by the Project Team and
suggestions will be incorporated into the finalisation of the scheme where possible.
Contact Details
To find out more or to contact the consultation team for Sheffield’s Retail
Quarter you can:
Call: 0800 731 5515
Email: info@sheffieldretailquarter.com
Visit: www.sheffieldretailquarter.com
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