REPORT TO THE CULTURE, ECONOMY AND SUSTAINABILITY SCRUTINY & POLICY DEVELOPMENT BOARD

18th May 2006

Kelham and Action Plan

1 PURPOSE OF THE REPORT

1.1 To respond to questions raised by members of the Scrutiny Board and to inform members of the proposal to prepare an Action Plan for the Kelham and Neepsend areas.

2 BACKGROUND

2.1 A report was presented to this Board on 19 May 2005 to inform members of the outcome of an investigation into the effects of planning approvals on the character of Kelham Island Conservation Area.

2.2 A number of issues were raised by members:

(i) the retention of existing buildings in the Kelham Island area for alternative uses, wherever possible

(ii) the importance of social housing in the development of the Kelham Island and Neepsend Action Plan, together with an appropriate increase in health and education provision to support the developing communities in the area

(iii) need to examine the balance of industry and housing in the Kelham Island area with a view to preserving pockets of traditional industries in the area

The remainder of this report will outline the proposal for an Action Plan for the Kelham and Neepsend area, and how that Action Plan will contain measures to address the above concerns.

3. ACTION PLAN - CURRENT POSITION

3.1 The proposed Action Plan area is broadly defined by Penistone Road/Green Lane to the south, Rutland Road to the west, the railway line to the north and Corporation Street to the east (plan attached) and is composed of two distinct districts; Kelham Island Conservation Area and Neepsend.

3.2 The area of Neepsend covered by the proposed Action Plan is predominantly industrial, although it does contain a diverse mix of businesses, including scrap-yards, recording studios, cutting-edge software developers and the Foundry Climbing Centre. However, it has seen little development activity or improvement in recent years.

1 3.3 In 2004, work commissioned by the Netherthorpe and Upperthorpe Community Alliance (NUCA) resulted in a document entitled Neepsend Kelham Riverside - A Strategic Vision and Development Study. This piece of work identified the regeneration potential of the area whilst retaining its distinct character. It is proposed that this will be a key theme in the Action Plan.

3.4 Kelham Island was designated a Conservation Area in 1985 to preserve some of 's finest historic industrial buildings. A number of key listed buildings have been redeveloped as residential units, including Cornish Place and , whilst and Aizlewood’s Mill were redeveloped as business premises. There are also a number of new-build, predominantly residential developments currently on-site or with planning permission, including the Raven/Unite scheme on Alma Street, Daisy Spring Works, Green Lane, Neepsend Rolling Mill, Neepsend Lane and Cornish Square, on Old Penistone Road.

3.5 A high level of residential development activity on Kelham Island, and the development opportunities on the north bank of the River Don on Mowbray Street, are beginning to create a ripple effect into the Neepsend area. This ripple effect is manifested in an increase in development enquiries from property owners and developers.

3.6 An Action Plan is proposed for two reasons. First is to 'mop-up' an area not covered by other planning policy activity in adjacent regeneration areas, and second to provide a coherent development and design framework. A number of action plans and studies have or are being undertaken in the following adjacent areas:

 St Vincents  Nursery St/Wicker  Cathedral Quarter  West Bar Triangle  Burngreave HMR area  Upper Don Valley

This portfolio of planning policy documents, together with the proposed Kelham Island/Neepsend Action Plan, will provide a comprehensive vision for Sheffield Central Riverside.

4. PLANNING ISSUES

4.1 Members' concerns:

(i) the retention of existing buildings in the Kelham Island area for alternative uses, wherever possible

4.2 Response

Part of the Action Plan area is a Conservation Area containing a number of listed buildings, and buildings which contribute to the character of the

2 conservation area. Current UDP include a presumption in favour of the re-use of such buildings, and a presumption against their demolition. It is anticipated that future SDF policies will adopt and strengthen such policies. This will ensure that all planning application received for properties and sites within the Conservation Area will be scrutinised for details of design, materials used, height, massing etc. The remaining area of the Action Plan which falls outside of the Conservation area is close enough to the Conservation area to be influenced by it, and as such planning applications here will come under similar scrutiny. The UDP also has a number of policies which provide for a local list of buildings of architectural or historic interest, and it is anticipated that future SDF policies will adopt and strengthen such policies.

4.3 The Action Plan process will also include a Character Area appraisal. This will identify all buildings and features that are considered important in preserving the character and identity of the area. If the Action Plan becomes adopted by the City Council, the Character Area appraisal will be a material consideration when planning applications are considered, and will secure the re-use of historically and architecturally important buildings wherever possible.

4.4 (ii) the importance of social housing in the development of the Kelham Island and Neepsend Action Plan, together with an appropriate increase in health and education provision to support the developing communities in the area

4.5 Response

The Affordable Housing Interim Planning Guidance (Draft) is due to be reported to Council in June 2006. If adopted, this city-wide policy will require developers to provide a proportion of affordable units in residential developments, and will apply to future residential proposals in the Kelham and Neepsend areas, or to make a contribution to a City Council administered fund, which will be utilised to allow social housing provides to build new affordable homes.

4.6 Regarding the provision of healthcare facilities for the developing residential community in the area, there are a number of ways in which this can be addressed. A new joint initiative is in place between Sheffield First (Health & Well-being) and Sheffield City Council entitled 'Developing and Enhanced Public Health Program for Sheffield's City Centre'. One of the key objectives of this initiative is to ensure that the health needs of the current and future City Centre populations are effectively met. Through this working group, direct links will be made to the Primary Care Trusts in Sheffield to make them aware of new and expanding residential communities, such as the one in Kelham Neepsend.

4.7 The Action Plan can specify the type of uses preferred and accepted in the area. The provision of health and other community facilities may be one such specific policy. Such provision could be part of a mixed-use development and secured through the development control process.

3 4.8 Through the development control process, the Education Department is consulted directly on all planning applications for residential developments. An assessment is made on the number of school places that may be required for children living in the new development; if it is considered that the development will increase demand for school places, the developer will be approached for a financial contribution to expand existing educational facilities or to provide new ones. To date, the developments in the Kelham area have not been required to make a contribution.

4.9 This indicates that the demography of the residential population in the completed and soon to be completed developments in the Kelham area does not justify or require the provision of new educational facilities for this area alone. The area is unlikely to be suited to mass family housing, and the vast majority of residents are single people or young or retired couples, with a very small number of families with children (the study referred to in paragraph 3.3 above counted half a dozen children amongst the residents of the study area).

4.10 (iii) need to examine the balance of industry and housing with a view to preserving pockets of traditional industries in the area

4.11 The emerging Sheffield Development Framework splits the Action Plan area into three designations: the areas immediately to the South and North of the river are Business and Housing areas; the area to the South of the railway line is classed as a Business Area; and the small area to the North of the railway line is classed as Industrial. In Business and Housing areas, B2 General Industry is classified as an unacceptable use, although B1c (Light Industry) is an acceptable use.

4.12 Whilst these designations would preclude the development of sites or premises for heavy industrial use, it would permit the provision of accommodation for small-scale and low-impact light industry. If housing is to be encouraged in the area to the North of the river, it would be incompatible with the noise and emissions associated with heavy industry. The Action Plan will be informed by the emerging SDF, but should the action planning process shed new light on the issue, then this will be fed back into the on-going SDF work.

5 RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 That Members note the contents of this report.

5.2 That Members welcome the proposal to draw up a Kelham Island and Neepsend Action Plan.

4 KELHAM AND NEEPSEND PROPOSED ACTION PLAN BOUNDARY

5