The underrated UK city getting huge £470m revamp with 20,000 new homes

A new regeneration scheme in Sheffield is underway as the council pledge £470million to transform the city centre. The new scheme will form part of the council's plans to create 20,000 new homes in the city centre.

51 new affordable homes are currently being built as part of the £8.2million development on London Road. Formerly a used car sales forecourt, the London Road site will provide much needed affordable housing close to the city centre delivering 51 homes made up of one and two-bedroom apartments available for social rent.

The council also has wider plans to transform the city centre into a multi-use hub, with new retail and office space, as well as Europe's largest purpose built food court that opened last week.

Cambridge Street Collective is complete with 20 vendors offering cuisine from around the world. The project has already seen a number of high-profile retailers opening up shops within Heart of the City including Fjallraven, Yard Store, and Sostrene Grene.

As part of the scheme, a brand new 154-bedroom Radisson Blu Hotel is due to open on Pinstone Street in Sheffield. The hotel is currently taking bookings and will feature a rooftop bar and restaurant offering spectacular views of Sheffield Town Hall and the Peace Gardens.

Elshaw House, Sheffield’s first net-zero office building has been completed with occupiers already moving into the top two floors and a host of other businesses expressing an interest in being located in the building.

Next to Elshaw House is Pound’s Park, an already popular children’s play area in the city centre.

Bethel Chapel, a former Primitive Methodist Movement chapel, was built in 1835 and served as a church for 100-years before it became Cole Brothers toy and sports department. It is now in the process of being transformed into a live music and entertainment venue.

There are also plans for a new social hub to be built in Leah's Yard - a Grade II listed building on Cambridge Street.

The new food hall opened up last Wednesday, with construction starting in March 2021. Adam Murray, owner of the planning consultancy Urbana, shares his sense of optimism, tweeting: "A new city is pending… In a year people will be saying very different things about our city centre than what they have for 30+ years. This will be the place to be."

It comes after locals beg the council to crackdown on anti-social behaviour within the city centre, with a street brawl on Saturday resulting in 25 arrests and 20 injuries.

Video footage circulated on social media showed large groups wearing hoods over their heads walking up Woodbourn Road before a fight breaks out.