Plans to restore Sheffield’s Town Hall into hotel approved

Sheffield’s Old Town Hall has been empty for the past 23 years, but planning permission has been approved to turn it into hotel rooms, apartments and shopping units. 

Cllr Maher Iqbal, a cabinet member for business and investment at Sheffield City Council, said: ‘The Old Town Hall is a significant part of our city’s history, and, because it’s in the heart of our rapidly evolving Castlegate quarter, we have committed significant time and effort to ensure its future viability.

‘We are seeing huge and very welcome development in this part of the city, which is a sign of great confidence in Sheffield as a whole. We are very excited about the future regeneration of this area.

‘We have worked very closely with the developer to make sure we preserve the building as much as we can.

‘The detailed work that we have already undertaken on this building shows how much prise we have in making sure it was not demolished, but preserved and restored.’

Mr Efe Omu of Aestrom, a local Sheffield developer of the Old Town Hall said: ‘I intend to retain the features of the building, including restoration where it is needed.

‘We have welcomed support from local businesses as well as advice and guidance provided by key interest groups and council officers.

‘Our intention is to create a mixed-use scheme including serviced apartments, a pod hotel and souk style retail units.

In related news, in November last year (2019), a bid to improve Sheffield’s high street made by Sheffield City Council and supported by the University of Sheffield has been made successful in the first round of applications.

Photo Credit – Pixabay