£ 40m new tower plan unveiled for city site

PLANS FOR a £ 40m development on a landmark site in the heart of Sheffield have been unveiled.

The proposals for the former Primark store site in Castlegate involve a new high- rise tower block of 206 homes, as well as a hotel, shops and leisure facilities.

A property developer, SFGE Properties, has submitted a planning application to build the 38- storey block, called Kings Tower.

Kings Tower will sit alongside phase one of the redevelopment of Kings Buildings, which comprises 26,000ft of retail and leisure space and a 130- bed hotel. It was recently awarded a 2020 Travellers Choice Award by Tripadvisor after opening in 2018.

Tony Marsden, director at SFGE Properties Limited, said: “Having purchased the site in 2016, we can now unveil our longstanding vision for this important city centre location.

“Thanks to Kings Tower, it will be possible for more people to live in the centre of Sheffield in high quality apartments and deliver a new retail offering in the Castlegate area, already one of the most accessible places in the city.

“We are confident Kings Tower will reinvigorate the area and provide a much- needed boost to the local economy.”

The site is close to the Interchange coach station and railway station, and Mr Marsden said the design would be integral to the regeneration of Castlegate.

Planning consultant Susan Crowley, who is advising SFGE Properties, said the Kings Tower scheme had been identified as a “key development opportunity” in a plan to reinvigorate the centre of Sheffield.

If approved, the development would involve the demolition of the Primark store. Work could start next year and be completed by 2023 if planning consent is given by Sheffield Council.