Sheffield NHS site lined up for redevelopment
Expresso Property wants to convert Fulwood House as part of a project bringing 88 homes to the Old Fulwood Road site.
Blenheim Architecture has designed the scheme, with DLP on board as planning consultant. Plans have now been lodged with Sheffield City Council.
Working in alliance with landowner Sheffield Health & Social Cre NHS Foundation Trust, Expresso, a development business with a combined 70 years’ experience, has put together a project combining 15 individual houses, six apartments in the restored Fulwood House, and five blocks comprising 67 apartments.
At present, the site – on the boundary of the Fulwood conservation area – is home to the Edwardian-era Fulwood House, which includes within it NHS offices; along with a post-war eight-storey office block and ancillary blocks, along with various car parking areas.
In its design & access statement, Blenheim said: “Currently the existing office buildings have fallen into a state of disrepair. By renovating the existing building stock as we propose to do, we will lift the aesthetic of Old Fulwood Road and will entice people to settle in a beautiful environment.
“Where necessary we do propose to demolish many of the ancillary buildings on the site, this will open the existing hardstanding areas on the site to redevelopment. In doing so we will preserve the abundance of green space on the site and use the brownfield sites to create buildings of architectural merit, cohesive with the rest of the proposed development.”
An outline consent from February 2021, clearing the way for the demolition of the more recent buildings on site, establishes the principle of development, DLP said.
A visual of the current site’s built environment. Credit: planning documents
The project will deliver mostly larger homes, with just four of the apartments proposed as two-bedroom. Sixty six of the apartments will be three-bedroom and the remaining few four-bedroom.
The houses will break down as five five-bedroom homes and 10 three-bedroom.
Within the scheme, the site’s topography allows for the main partment block to accommodate parking, a gym and dswimming pool, along with a social area, without impinging on views across the Mayfield valley.
Blenheim concluded: “We propose to create outstandingly unique homes of impressive scale. What we intend to be even more impressive however is how despite their scale, they will nestle into the landscape and compliment the surroundings.
“Additionally we shall be restoring the former NHS hospital, once a pillar of the community, into desirable apartments, without increasing the height, maintaining the original scale of the building but improving its visual impact.”
The plans can be viewed on Sheffield’s planning portal with the reference 23/03687/FUL.
The new three-bedroom houses front Fulwood Road along with the heritage building. Credit: planning documents
It’s an effort, I’ll give you that. A good one? Well…
Firstly, 66 x three bed apartments – who is the market for these? Screams shady future landlords to me.
The roofscape is somewhat confusing. Sure there are pitched and flat roofs in the area, but the rhythm here is just so jarring. Perhaps maintain a full row of pitched roofs, or go all in and keep them all flat – just some rethinking needed here for me. The precedent study of Calderpeel’s typologies suggests pitched roofs, yet the scheme is vastly flat roof – just 3 new build pitches jutting out. Yes I’m still going on about the roof but it apparently really irks me!
Those 5 bed houses to the south, I can envisage some quite pleasing views out from the principle rooms, however the apparent destruction of those trees to the south is a bit of a concern. Perhaps it’s just the visual, but do these really need to go? Where is the justification for this?
There are some lovely brick details proposed within the Design & Access statement, but I feel the overall masterplan needs a rethink.
By The Grinch
Substantially larger and higher than the outline planning permission originally given. Our new build which will look onto this monstrosity was refused planning permission for 3 storeys only four years ago and we were only allowed 2 storeys to align with existing buildings. Therefore it would be very ‘questionable ‘ if this was given the go ahead in its current state
By Helen
Very strange masterplan, not at all in keeping with the Outline. Not at all in keeping with well, anything really. I spot ski chalets, a possible non-designated heritage asset, a 9-storey inner city office block, and a dozen or so contemporary ‘family homes’.
Is the full affordable provision being provided? It would appear not? Less green roofs more affordable housing please.
By Mrs V
Will there still be access to Porter Valley through the public right of way as there is now on the footpath that runs parallel to the existing HA Car park?
to the existing car park
By Anonymous
This is totally out of keeping with the location which abuts a conservation area of great beauty. The ugly design is more fitting to an inner city area and sewerage details have not been thought through. The removal of ancient trees with tpo’s in order to build this carbuncle is detrimental to the area and wild life. If this scheme is passed we can only assume that Sheffield City Council’s planning department is getting a back hander from the developers
By Alex
Is this going beyond what the original planning guidelines allowed? Also, has consideration been given to lack of places in local schools.
By Anonymous