Plans approved for new Sheffield IKEA

SOUTH Yorkshire is set to get its first IKEA store after plans have been approved.

The new £60m store, set to create 400 jobs, will be built on the site of the old Tinsley Wire factory, off Sheffield Road. Plans were approved by Sheffield City Council yesterday.

Steve Pettyfer, deputy property manager, said: “We are delighted that the Sheffield City Council has supported our decision to come to Sheffield. It recognises the significant contribution an IKEA store will bring to the local economy and jobs market.

“We considered the various comments raised by local stakeholders and residents to ensure that our proposals met the needs of both IKEA and the surrounding community. We look forward to the issuing of the planning consent so we can begin working on detailed plans for the development.”

Tim Hale, chair of Sheffield Chamber’s Transport Forum, and chairman of hire business, Champion Hire, said the Sheffield Chamber has been a supporter of the application since its inception more than two years ago.

“We recognised there would be significant traffic and highway issues to be dealt with, but felt that it was of vital economic importance to overcome them, rather than to be overcome by them,” he said.
 
“There is so much happening in the Lower Don Valley area at the moment – the Bus Rapid Transit scheme, the new link road under the M1 Tinsley viaduct, the Tram-Train trial to Rotherham, the road changes at Junction 34 of the M1, the Flood Defence schemes, the redevelopment of Don Valley Stadium, Meadowhall’s continuing growth, and of course the still-unconfirmed plans for the High Speed Rail station. The IKEA development is just one more scheme to be dealt with.
 
“This new abundance of infrastructure and commercial developments in Sheffield is to be welcomed with open arms, they are the shot in the arm the city has needed for years, and we applaud the Council’s decision in granting Ikea approval.”