MEPC’s £8.5m Sheffield shops

News

26 April 1986

As pressure mounts for regional shopping on the fringes of Sheffield, MEPC have started work on Orchard Square, a 90,000-sq ft scheme in the city centre.

The £8.5m development, which is being carried out in partnership with the city council, fronts to Fargate. It includes three large shops, 23 standard units and a speciality food area. In addition, there will be craft workshops, 9,000 sq ft of offices, flats and a creche.

The Orchard Square scheme has been a long time in the making. Originally, a complete redevelopment of the area was planned, but opposition forced the project to be scaled down, incorporate more refurbishment. Both Blenkhornes Building and Orchard Chambers are being retained. Also, Legal & General are redeveloping an adjoining building, 58-64 Fargate, to provide 10,000 sq ft of retail behind the existing facade.

“In one sense the delay has worked to our advantage,” says Roger Squire, MEPC’s development director. “We’re now building a 1986 scheme, whereas if we had built it before we would have had to refurbish it.” He also thinks that the out-of-town shopping, if built, will not affect Orchard Square, “because it is in such a prime location”.

Completion is scheduled for the autumn of 1986, and the joint letting agents are Bernard Thorpe & Partners in Leeds and J Trevor & Sons in Sheffield.

Meanwhile, Sheffield is faced with yet another bid for a large-scale shopping development outside the city centre. Sheffield Forgemasters, advised by Fuller Peiser, are preparing to apply for permission to build a retail park on their Atlas Works.

The site is a mile north-east of the central area, off Carlisle Street and the A6109. Forgemasters are proposing 490,000 sq ft of shopping and 233,000 sq ft of factory units and workshops. The land is currently zoned for industrial use.

Sheffield council is also currently considering two other applications for regional-scale shopping centres on its fringes. Next to junction 34 of the M1, Paul Sykes (Developments) are proposing 1.5m sq ft of shopping and leisure. To the south, Henry Boot want to build a 1m-sq ft scheme, the Oakes Centre, next to the A6102 in Norton. Next door to Sheffield, in the Rotherham EZ, Stadium Developments have put in for a 1.4m-sq ft development called the Parkgate Centre.

As pressure mounts for regional shopping on the fringes of Sheffield, MEPC have started work on Orchard Square, a 90,000-sq ft scheme in the city centre. The £8.5m development, which is being carried out in partnership with the city council, fronts to Fargate. It includes three large shops, 23 standard units and a speciality food area. In addition, there will be craft workshops, 9,000 sq ft of offices, flats and a creche. The Orchard Square scheme has been a long time in the making. Originally, a complete redevelopment of the area was planned, but opposition forced the project to be scaled down, incorporate more refurbishment. Both Blenkhornes Building and Orchard Chambers are being retained. Also, Legal & General are redeveloping an adjoining building, 58-64 Fargate, to provide 10,000 sq ft of retail behind the existing facade. “In one sense the delay has worked to our advantage,” says Roger Squire, MEPC’s development director. “We’re now building a 1986 scheme, whereas if we had built it before we would have had to refurbish it.” He also thinks that the out-of-town shopping, if built, will not affect Orchard Square, “because it is in such a prime location”. Completion is scheduled for the autumn of 1986, and the joint letting agents are Bernard Thorpe & Partners in Leeds and J Trevor & Sons in Sheffield. Meanwhile, Sheffield is faced with yet another bid for a large-scale shopping development outside the city centre. Sheffield Forgemasters, advised by Fuller Peiser, are preparing to apply for permission to build a retail park on their Atlas Works. The site is a mile north-east of the central area, off Carlisle Street and the A6109. Forgemasters are proposing 490,000 sq ft of shopping and 233,000 sq ft of factory units and workshops. The land is currently zoned for industrial use. Sheffield council is also currently considering two other applications for regional-scale shopping centres on its fringes. Next to junction 34 of the M1, Paul Sykes (Developments) are proposing 1.5m sq ft of shopping and leisure. To the south, Henry Boot want to build a 1m-sq ft scheme, the Oakes Centre, next to the A6102 in Norton. Next door to Sheffield, in the Rotherham EZ, Stadium Developments have put in for a 1.4m-sq ft development called the Parkgate Centre.