News - Thousands back hospital protest (Sheffield)

MORE than 3,600 people have now signed a protest petition against Sheffield University’s plans to knock down Jessop Hospital’s former Edwardian Wing.

The university wants to replace the Grade II-listed building with a new £80 million engineering block.

It says it cannot incorporate the old hospital block within its design for the redevelopment.

Sheffield Council has approved the scheme, despite planning officers initially being against the proposals.

But the scheme still needs final approval from Communities Secretary Eric Pickles for demolition of a listed building.

The Save Jessop Hospital Campaign is backed by local history groups and members of Sheffield Victorian Society.

The university claims the project is necessary because otherwise the engineering building would be much smaller, adding it has no use for the old hospital.

Visit www.jessophospital.org.uk/object for details of the campaign.
 

From: http://www.thestar.co.uk/community/green-scene/thousands-back-hospital-protest-1-5502426

News - Historic landmark given new lease of life (Sheffield)

Plans to preserve an important and unique part of Sheffield’s Victorian history have been given the green light after a 15-year battle with conservation authorities.


The Anglican Chapel in Sheffield’s General Cemetery is a Grade 2 listed building and known for its distinct gothic style and Victorian spire. Despite its position as an integral part of local history, the chapel has been allowed to fall into disrepair and has stood empty for a number of years.

Efforts to bring the chapel back into use have been on-going since 1997, but the latest proposal to convert the historic building into two domestic flats has finally been given the go ahead by Sheffield City Council.

Valerie Bayliss from the Sheffield Victorian Society said she was pleased to see an iconic monument being restored. She said: “The General Cemetery chapel has been empty for many years and has been subject to extensive vandalism. There have been several attempts to find a new use for it, and we are pleased that at last the essential repairs will be carried out and the building returned to use.”

The chapel, built in 1850, was designed by Sheffield architect William Flockton in a Victorian gothic style whilst other buildings in the cemetery are considered to be of a Classical or Egyptian style. The building is unique for its distinctive windows and entrance as well as the spire which was purposefully built too big so as to clearly visible.

Sheffield General Cemetery opened in 1836 and is one of the oldest public cemeteries in Britain. A number of figures from Sheffield’s industrialist past are buried there including steel manufacturer Mark First and the 19th century chartist Samuel Holberry, known for his role in the failed Sheffield Rising of 1840.

Two previous schemes to renovate the Anglican Chapel were turned down by planning officials after meeting strong local opposition. The latest proposal however is supported English Heritage and the Sheffield General Cemetery Trust who have looked after the cemetery since it closed to public burial in 1979.

The chapel will be converted into two flats with parking space for four cars. A council spokesman said that every effort would be made to preserve the building’s historical features.

Councillor Andrew Sangar said it was important to bring the chapel back into use but expressed concerns that the proposed plans did not go far enough.

He said: “In the past we have turned down numerous schemes to bring this building back into use and it needs to be done otherwise it will fall down. It is currently in a dreadful state of disrepair.

“In principal I support the idea to bring back old churches and old chapels into use. But I think we have missed an opportunity here.

“Given the history there and the little of it we have left to us today. This scheme does not go far enough to preserve an important and unique part of Sheffield’s history.”

From: http://postcodegazette.com/news/9002759371/historic-landmark-given-new-lease-of-life-AT-sheffield-sheffield-general-cemetery/

Arable land flies at Notts/Derby auction

A 47-acre lot of arable land at Barlborough on the Derbyshire/Nottinghamshire border made £11,059/acre at auction in December. The deep grade 2 limestone land sold for £525,000 at an auction of 13 lots of land including two farms.

The sale saw a total of 767 acres of mixed use arable land sold for £5.06m, an average of £6606/acre. An individual businessman investor believed to have no farming background outbid local farmers and other bidders to secure 10 lots, said selling agent Fisher German. Every lot in the sale apart from one made higher than its guide price, with a 69-acre lot of grade 2 limestone land selling for £8976/acre.

Unusually, the sale included a 139-acre farm at Barlborough let on an Agricultural Holdings Act tenancy. Low Common Farm is classified grade 4 and was previously part opencast coal mine, but included a bungalow and some farm buildings. The farm sold for £490,000 or £3525/acre, to an investor.

A second holding, Lindrick Farm, near Worksop, Nottinghamshire, made £1.468m or £7625/acre. This 192.53-acre, grade 2 limestone farm was subject to an FBT expiring in 2012 and has a cottage let on an Assured Shorthold Tenancy.

A single arable grade 2 sand land field without entitlements at Styrrup near Doncaster made £117,000 for 20.46 acres, an average of £5718/acre.

From: http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/2011/01/06/124962/Arable-land-flies-at-NottsDerby-auction.htm