New University of Sheffield teaching laboratory building approved
It will go on a site near Hounsfield Road, Leavygreave Road and Upper Hanover Street.
Last updated 15th Jan 2025
A proposal for a five-storey teaching laboratory building and pocket park has been approved despite opposition.
Sheffield City Council’s planning committee has decided to accept the University of Sheffield’s plans for a 26-metre tall, five storey high building that will provide 7,862 sqm of floorspace and accommodate two 300-person laboratories, teaching spaces, study spaces, and more.
As the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) reported last week, the site is roughly 0.5 ha in size and includes a larger plot of land generally triangular in shape to the south of Leavygreave Road LGR (the southern land parcel) and a smaller plot of land rectangular in shape to the north of LGR (the northern land parcel).
The northern land parcel is cleared and it includes several retained trees around the site boundary (six Ash, two Cypress, a Sycamore, and an Oak).
This, as to what happens to the trees on-site, was a big question mark before a committee meeting as many objected on the basis that the trees should be retained.
The objectors have raised issues with the loss of trees, including a ‘London plane tree’ on the site, the design and characteristic of the building, sustainability, traffic, noise, air quality, and more.
During the debate at the meeting, councillors raised issues with a number of things, including the trees – or rather, the loss of trees.
Cllr Marieanne Elliot from The Green Party told members that they need to listen to the Street Tree Partnership’s (SSTP) recommendation and added she thought it may be a little bit “premature” to decide on the application today.
SSTP and Sheffield Tree Action Group (STAG) objected to the proposal on the grounds of tree loss, highlighting the importance of the London Plane Trees on the southern land parcel in terms of townscape, shading, air quality and biodiversity.
Both SSTP and STAG called for the development to be redesigned so the trees could be retained.
A report published by the council said: “As it stands at the time of writing this committee report the applicant is liaising with the SSTP and has submitted further street tree compensation proposals.
“This essentially involves a commitment to plant eight replacement street trees on streets surrounding the proposal site.
“A long list of 22 potential new street tree sites has been drawn up including locations on Upper Hannover Street, the University Square roundabout, Bolsover Street, Wilkinson Street, Glossop Road, Portobello Street, Favell Road, and Hounsfield Road.
“Feasibility work has been commissioned in early January to narrow these sites down to eight preferred locations plus a reserve list.”
Cllr Elliot later asked about a tree protection order (TPO) later on but planning officer Sarah Hull said the report explained that “no trees within the site area south of Leavygreave Road shall be removed or damaged until details of a let contract for the construction of the development hereby approved have been submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority”.
So she said a TPO was not necessary.
Cllr Eliot also, formally, proposed a deferral but that was rejected.
At the end, members voted for the recommendation and granted permission.