Let’s prioritise historical buildings

THE ongoing regeneration of Yorkshire’s towns and cities is a vital piece in our region’s future-proofing puzzle, but for these places to prosper environmentally and economically, a balanced approach from property developers is needed. Unfortunately, all too often, we see the market prioritising shiny new developments over the upgrading of existing structures – a move which is not only unfair to our architectural roots but the future of our climate.

While new developments undoubtedly have their benefits and opportunities, the renewal approach to our cities’ existing historical buildings deserves the same focus.

Sometimes new buildings are the right choice for a specific site but breathing fresh life into our existing built environment and saving that embodied carbon needs to be the first avenue developers explore – instead of simply disposing of these old constructions to create a clean slate.

And while preserving our architectural heritage is important, this should not only be confined to structures that are deemed beautiful, such as aesthetically pleasing Victorian buildings or listed architecture, it should extend to those from the less-celebrated periods in history, such as the concrete giants of the 1970s and ’80s.

Also, if we are to truly address the climate crisis, it is vital that property developers take the bolder – and braver – decision to renew, reuse and reinvent these mammoth buildings. But while saving carbon should be the priority, protecting a variety of built environment design eras also means our cityscapes remain unique to their settings and stories, and do not become identikit city centres like you may see in other parts of the world.

At RBH Properties, we rose to the challenge with our Sheffield development, Pennine Five – the once secure former HSBC headquarters – by modernising it and bringing it up to accessible standards with sought-after modern facilities.

From an environmental perspective, by transforming, rather than demolishing and rebuilding, it has saved over 150,000 tonnes of concrete and steel, corresponding to over 170,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions — the equivalent of driving from Sheffield to London over 9.5 million times.

Ultimately, if we had taken the rebuild route, our new £1.5m public plaza would never have existed. It is set to become a vibrant hub not only for the campus tenants, but for the surrounding residential properties and businesses to utilise as well. The revitalisation of Pennine Five’s unique architecture has created a real point of difference and brings life to this once-forgotten part of the city – acting as a catalyst for further inward investment in the area.

For instance, discussions are underway with Sheffield BID to ensure the area – and new plaza – become a focal point within the BID’s public events programme, including multiple family-friendly trails and hunts, Easter and Christmas festivities, and popular standalone events.

The last five years have been very challenging for the UK – from the pandemic and the war in Ukraine to recession and the cost-of-living crisis – but we cannot let regeneration stand still. If we, as a region, are serious about supporting economic growth, attracting new businesses and creating jobs for decades to come, we need to find balance in regeneration and repurposing these buildings.

Jeremy Hughes is a director at RBH Properties.