Council hits back at call to sever financial ties with Park Hill scheme

SHEFFIELD City Council has hit back over demands from Liberal Democrat members to cut its financial ties with the Park Hill regeneration scheme.

According to the Architects’ Journal, the Liberal Democrats claim the Labour council had promised that local authority costs ‘would not exceed staffs’ wages’ when developer Urban Splash began the multi-million pound regeneration of the estate in 2005.

It says that since then more than £2.8m of council spending had gone towards the scheme, which was shortlisted for a 2013 Stirling Prize.

However, a Sheffield City Council spokesperson said: “We are not sure where this figure has come from, but no council money is funding the building work at Park Hill.

“We have committed £2.4m over five years, from 2012 to 2017, to fund the statutory costs associated with rehousing residents who will have to move for the next phases of work to happen.

“We also have a responsibility to maintain the security of the Grade-two listed flats. In addition we are paying for a dedicated estates officer to offer reassurance to our tenants living in the undeveloped areas of the estate and help in some way to minimise the disruption of living next to a major regeneration project.”

Penny Baker, Sheffield Liberal Democrat spokesperson for housing, said: “At a time when the council claimed they’ve been forced to close sports facilities and libraries, it is hard to understand why increased spend on Park Hill has even been given a second’s thought. We need to send a clear message that it’s completely unacceptable for yet more council funds to be blown on this vanity project.”

The proposal for a ban on further spending on the project will be put to a vote at a council meeting later this week.

Last week Urban Splash announced a joint venture agreement with the social housing landlord Places for People that will lead to work starting on the second phase of Park Hill.

In July Places for People paid £77m for most of Urban Splash’s flagship residential schemes, with a total of 654 apartments.

In a statement the partnership said it will work on developments such as Sheffield’s Park Hill scheme, which was not included in the July disposal.

Urban Splash has completed the first phase of 78 apartments but more than 800 remain at the 1960s blocks that overlook the city.