Landmark estate regeneration reaches its final stage

The fifth and last phase of redeveloping the Park Hill flats in Sheffield is due to be finished 18 years after works began.

Plans are set to be approved for the derelict Talbot Street block to be refurbished to accommodate 105 apartments along with commercial spaces.

A design statement accompanying the application explains: “The proposed residential development for Park Hill will deliver an efficient and sustainable scheme, providing a quality re-development of this site.”

A heritage statement included in the same application adds: “The phase five work is the final piece of the puzzle in the conservation, adaptation and regeneration of the Park Hill estate which began in 2007.

“The quality of the previous phases externally is high, making it clear that there has been significant investment, and design changes, made to the heritage asset.

“Bringing the site back into complete use, including its ancillary and community uses, is important to conserve and enhance the significance of Park Hill.”

Outline permission for the estate’s regeneration, with 874 refurbished flats across the Grade II* listed complex, was first secured in 2006 but the plans have undergone several changes since then.

Park Hill was built between 1957 and 1961 covering 32 acres, with its brutalist design offering “streets in the sky”. However, the estate fell into decline from the mid 1970s, afflicted by crime and a lack of maintenance.

It was given listed status in 1998 by English Heritage, making it the largest listed building in Europe. Developer Urban Splash acquired the estate in 2004.

Plans for the Talbot Street block include ground floor duplexes with 22 one-bedroom homes, 69 two-bedroom homes, 13 three-bedroom homes, and one four-bedroom home. There would also be 2,150 sq ft of commercial space.