Sheffield City Council has approved the purchase of a long-empty building in Stocksbridge, a move councillors said will help protect the wider town center regeneration plan.
The property at 517 Manchester Road has sat vacant for about eight years. Council officers told the finance committee that leaving it empty risked it becoming a “blight” in the middle of the 24.1 million pound regeneration scheme. The owner said the building would be pulled from sale unless the council completed the purchase by the end of June.
Councillors said they approached the deal cautiously, agreeing not to pay more than 636,000 pounds. Some members raised concerns about value for money and ongoing liabilities. One councillor argued the building’s long vacancy showed redevelopment had not stacked up commercially, while another questioned who would cover the full costs if problems surfaced after the purchase.
The plan is for the council to buy the building now, then hold it for six months until the Stocksbridge Towns Fund Board can legally purchase it. The board wanted to buy the building outright, but it cannot do so until it receives charitable status. Councillors heard Charity Commission delays mean approvals are taking up to 23 weeks. The towns fund will pay the council 20,000 pounds to cover holding costs during the interim period. Officers said there was not enough time to pursue a compulsory purchase.
Once in use, the building will operate commercially to help subsidize an education space. If the project does not succeed, officers said the building can be sold commercially, including at auction.
At the same meeting, councillors also agreed to release a previously delayed 705,000-pound grant to support a new artificial all-weather football pitch at Stocksbridge Park Steels FC.
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