Sheffield forges ahead
Sheffield Forgemasters Engineering will have its proposals for a 402,000 sq ft machine shop and associated works considered by the council next week, with a recommendation for approval.
Split over two adjacent plots, the full plans include the machine shop, a 47,000 sq ft saw building, a 1,300 sq ft security building, parking for 190 spaces, as well as access points.
Plot 1 is 16-acres and plot 2 is two-acres in size.
The project team consists of Arup, which handled the ecological and travel assessments, Bond Bryan Architects, and JLL.
The buildings will be located on recently acquired land at Weedon Street and Carbrook Street in the city centre, on 18-acres of vacant and derelict land to the north east of the wider Brightside Lane facility.
The company aims to add to its wider site, which comprises the forge and foundry, existing machine shops, a melt shop, and the work rolls facility, to create an advanced manufacturing facility in Sheffield’s industrial Lower Don Valley.
Steelmaker Sheffield Forgemasters Engineering Ltd is owned by the Ministry of Defence and has a key role within the defence supply chain.
SFEL also produces, designs, and manufactures steel forgings and castings for other industries, such as oil and gas platforms, submarine platforms, and renewable energy components, amongst others.
With a 250-year history, the business can be traced back to the late 1700s, when an iron forge was established on the site.
During the 1830s at the height of the Industrial Revolution, the site was redeveloped to house a steelworks with accompanying rail infrastructure.
The new buildings have been designed to stay in keeping with the character of the region and the existing Forgemaster campus.
The plans will be considered by Sheffield City Council at its planning meeting on 11 February.
