Green light for landmark mixed use development to rejuvenate town

Plans for a multi-use building to anchor the regeneration of Stocksbridge town centre have been given the go ahead by Sheffield City Council.

With a working title of Stocksbridge 519, the building will be home to a library, as well as community space, a learning hub and managed workspace for new and growing businesses.

The development is part of the Town Deal investment in Stocksbridge, which is focused on town centre improvements and investment.

The team at South Yorkshire company CODA Architecture have worked with the Town Deal Board, Sheffield City Council, Arup, Paul Bedwell Town Planning and Rider Levett Bucknall on the design of the new building on a site partly occupied by the current library.

Planning applications will be submitted later in the year for shop front improvements and further investment in public realm and paving – including proposals for a new town square.

The 519 development has been designed over three floors covering 25,134 sq ft. It will house 10,000 sq ft of modern and flexible office space for new businesses to establish and grow, a ground floor library and community space and space for a town centre café operator.

There will also be purpose built classrooms to deliver adult education and skills as well space for pop up banking services and other local community facilities.

CODA director, Matt Bowker, said: “From the very start we knew that we wanted to create a building for the community that people would love and cherish for many years to come.

“We also wanted to respect the heritage and architectural aesthetic of Stocksbridge.

“To achieve that, we have developed a project based on dedication to detail, with greater emphasis on the look of the building rather than just the functionality, even though these buildings will indeed be both functional and environment friendly.

“We have always wanted to create something that the people of Stocksbridge can be proud of and our design, in tandem with the other works scheduled for the town centre over the coming months, will achieve just that.”