Campaigners fighting to save a Sheffield landmark from demolition were today refused permission to seek judicial review.
Supperstone J ruled that the challenge to Sheffield City Council’s grant of listed building consent for the University of Sheffield to demolish the Edwardian Building of the former Jessop Hospital for Women did not have a realistic prospect of success.
Refusing permission to The Victorian Society and SAVE Britain’s Heritage, he said: “I reject the submission that there was any error of law on the Council’s part.
“There are no arguable grounds of claim that have a realistic prospect of success.”
The University plans to demolish the Grade II listed three-storey building to make way for a new world-class engineering facility for the start of the 2015-2016 academic year.
The groups had claimed that the building is a prominent Sheffield landmark and that it or its facade could be retained for use by the university.
They claimed that alleged that the Council applied the wrong tests when balancing the damage to one of the city’s heritage assets against the public benefits of the proposal.
Richard Harwood QC argued on their behalf: “Public benefits which are capable of being achieved without the loss of the building cannot justify the demolition. Demolition is not necessary to achieve those public benefits.”
However, the judge said that an officer’s report on which the decision was based did not misinterpret Government policy and properly considered the statutory duty in respect of listed buildings.
He said that it concluded that demolition was necessary in order for the university to achieve its vision.
The University gave an undertaking not to demolish or damage the building for seven days to allow the groups to pursue an appeal.
SAVE Britain’s Heritage and anr v Sheffield City Council Administrative (Supperstone J) 27 June 2013
Richard Harwood QC for the claimant
James Findlay QC for the defendant
Peter Village QC for the first interested party (The University)
