'I'd love John Lewis to come back as a community space'

It's been empty for five years, but one of Sheffield's best-known buildings is finally getting a new lease of life.

The former Cole Brothers department store later became John Lewis until its closure in 2021. Built in 1963, it was granted Grade II listed status in 2022.

Sheffield City Council has now approved developer Urban Splash's plans to refurbish the site and reopen it as a multi-use destination with shops, cafes, offices and a rooftop garden.

Urban Splash, which also redeveloped the famous Park Hill flats above the city, have said they want its future uses to be "versatile".

The BBC asked residents what they would like to see the landmark building become.

Ethel Maquda would like to see it being used as a community space.

"I think there should be some spaces for people to do creative activities and for people to just be able to come and meet friends and chat. Restaurants and cafes are good but some people don't have the money to buy a coffee.

"A lot of people, especially young people, don't have anywhere to meet. It could be a space that considers all of us who live in Sheffield with creative activities, art, reading spaces, and spaces where people can just hang out without having to buy anything."

Currently, the blueprint is for offices on the upper floors, and a restaurant/bar with outdoor terrace in the former plant room on the roof.

Large areas of the basement and lower ground floor which were not previously accessible to the public will be opened up.

The ground floor is likely to be shops and food and drink outlets, with entrances onto Cambridge Street and Barker's Pool.

Andrew Milner, 64, would like to see the old retail emporium reopen with a choice of different restaurants.

"I once watched a food programme where in Belgium they had something similar, it was just full of different types of restaurants. I think something like that would go down well there. I know there's a lot of eateries around here, but I think it would do Sheffield a load of good."

With the Cambridge Street Collective food hall just around the corner, Matthew Smith thinks there are already enough places to eat. He would like a return to retail.

He said: "It's not the best looking building in the world, I understand that it's listed but I think it's a bit of an eyesore.

"Sheffield is a difficult market because things come and go very quickly but I would like to see retail if I'm honest, because I think Meadowhall drags a lot of people out of the city.

"I think we need to redevelop it into some form of retail that's sustainable with business rates so shops can actually afford to be in the city. I don't think it can be just purely food and drink, I do think retail would be something to bring people back into the city because at the minute all we have is The Moor."

Yet Carol Lund, 60, had a more radical view and said she would prefer to see the site demolished - an outcome which its listed status prevents.

"We don't need more offices and we don't need more restaurants because the people who are trying to keep them going will just get less footfall.

"We can never go back to John Lewis, although that's what everybody wants. I would probably get rid of it and make this whole space a lovely palazzo."

Developers want to provide as much flexibility as possible to attract future occupiers for range of commercial, office, cultural and leisure uses.

Mark Latham, regeneration director for Urban Splash, spoke about the "privilege, responsibility and sense of duty" that the whole team felt at taking on such a landmark building.

He told the planning committee: "Our aim is simple – we want to bring this icon back to life as a centrepiece of the city centre through sustainable use."

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