We are pleased that at long last Sheffield City Council are consulting on Conservation Area protection for Castlegate, and are even proposing some additional areas around West Street, Victoria Quays and Neepsend.
We’re disappointed that they haven’t included the Wicker, and believe some of the proposed new boundaries should extend further.
We urge as many people as possible to have their say and give feedback on the proposals.
The public consultation runs from Monday 9th June to Friday 18th July 2025.
When and how you can respond
Until 18th July:
- Documentation available online with an electronic form to submit responses. Alternative formats available on request.
- Documentation available to look through at Sheffield City Council Office, First Point at Howden House, 1 Union Street, S1 2SH.
You can find full information on this website. Click on the “Have Your Say” tab to see more details about the consultation and the new proposals.
There is a lot of detail to look at, so for an easy-to-follow summary download the consultation boards. You can then complete the online form or if you want to give a more detailed response email conservation@sheffield.gov.uk.
How you can help
HHB would like your support to improve the proposals. If you agree with our main points, please include them in your response. We are working on our own detailed response, and will send out a link as soon as it is ready.
What we like:
- Protection for Castlegate, the West Street area and parts of Neepsend
- Recommendation to protect Victoria Quays area when resources allow
- Suggestion to protect the canal in the future
Improvements we want to see:
- The Wicker area needs and deserves protection (rejected in the proposals)
- Extended boundaries to include more historic buildings, some better-quality new buildings and negative sites (as future changes could harm the historic CA)
- The Moor has several good buildings and deserves protection as a testament to Sheffield’s resilience after the Blitz
- Firm written commitment that the large size of the City Centre CA will *never* be used to water down protection for individual buildings (as has been done in the past)
Read our proposals in more detail here.
Protection cannot come too soon for Castlegate
We are pleased that at long last Sheffield City Council are consulting on their long-standing commitment to protect the buildings of historic Castlegate with a Conservation Area. Even better is that there are also proposals to protect additional areas around West Street, Neepsend and Victoria Quays.
This has been made possible by funding from the Government and Historic England, bid for and won by the Planning Department, who deserve credit for this initiative. The funding covers updated appraisals and management plans for the City Centre and Kelham Island Industrial Conservation Areas.
We are a long way from 2019 when a promised consultation on protecting Castlegate was abruptly cancelled by a single councillor (who no longer serves on the Council), for which no reason was ever given. Last year was a dark one for the area, with three historic buildings lost. We hope that the proposed protection will draw a line under those regrettable events and mark a new and more positive attitude to our built heritage.
Future plans
Four more Conservation Areas (Ranmoor, Endcliffe, Norton and Oaks Park) are also covered by the funding, and we will provide an update when the consultation process begins for these.
Subject: Conservation Area Consultation Response – A Call for Ambitious and Inclusive Heritage Protection
To whom it may concern,
I am writing in response to Sheffield City Council’s Conservation Area consultation, running until 18th July 2025. I welcome the long-awaited proposals to extend protection to Castlegate, West Street, Neepsend, and Victoria Quays, and I commend the Council’s renewed commitment to safeguarding Sheffield’s historic fabric.
However, I urge you to take this opportunity to be bolder and more inclusive in your approach. Sheffield’s heritage is not confined to the obvious or iconic—it resides in overlooked corners, resilient post-war architecture, and the layered character of areas like the Wicker and the Moor. These places tell stories of migration, industry, and recovery, and they deserve recognition and protection.
I support the recommendations made by Hallamshire Historic Buildings, particularly:
Inclusion of the Wicker, whose architectural and cultural significance has been unjustly omitted.
Extension of proposed boundaries to encompass additional historic buildings, high-quality newer developments, and areas at risk of harmful change.
Protection of the Moor, not only for its surviving buildings but as a testament to Sheffield’s post-Blitz resilience.
A firm commitment that the size of the City Centre Conservation Area will never be used to dilute protections for individual sites.
Conservation should not be a passive exercise in preservation—it should be an active celebration of Sheffield’s evolving identity. I hope the Council will embrace a more ambitious vision that reflects the city’s rich and diverse heritage.
Yours sincerely, Arthur Fisher
Thanks, Arthur, those are very much our sentiments. We hope that many more will share them and send feedback to the Council via the online form or email conservation@sheffield.gov.uk.