Citu secures first stage deal in Sheffield

The city council has given the green light for the first 360-home phase of Attercliffe Waterside, a 23-acre regeneration site straddling the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal.

Around 1,000 homes are expected to be delivered over three phases under the scheme, complemented by community-oriented leisure opportunities and creative workspaces.

The first stage – which includes 362 homes, a new public realm, a new footbridge over the canal and the reuse of existing buildings – was approved by Sheffield City Council’s highways and planning committee this week.

Described in the planning documents as covering the Spartan Works site, the scheme’s SCC planning portal reference number is 23/02176/FUL. Citu designs its own projects in-house.

The first phase on the north side of Sheffield & Tinsley Canal will form the heart of the new neighbourhood, with work expected to start this autumn on the leisure and commercial elements, ahead of the first homes being built on site.

Six existing historic buildings will be reimagined in the center of the new district, which will include a cafe, bar, bakery, restaurant, offices and a multi-purpose venue.

Citu said “contemporary designs and surviving architecture will be interwoven to create a new Attercliffe Waterside that respects its industrial heritage and paves the way for a sustainable future”.

A public and commercial square will also be created, alongside a series of south-facing courtyards and walkways down to the canal.

Pedestrian and cycle focused infrastructure will open up the community to the wider East End of Sheffield, additional green space and a tram stop.

The first homes to be built on the site will consist of three and four bedroom townhouses and one and two bedroom apartments, all built using the Citu timber frame housing system.

The homes will be built on a podium that sits above an underground car park, with plans to remove cars from parts of Effingham Road to be led by pedestrian space and a cycle lane.

Public art by local artists will also be introduced into public and private spaces, with murals on building facades, existing building structures being repurposed as sculptural artefacts and imaginative new play areas integrated into the local landscape.

Chris Thompson founder and co-director at Citu said the first phase at Attercliffe would “trigger the wider regeneration of Sheffield’s East End”.

He added: “It is an area steeped in history and our plans were inspired by the heritage industries that were fueled by the waterways that ran through it. The area presents huge opportunities from its location next to the canal and the River Don, with green space, the Olympic Legacy Park and easy access to the city center by tram in just ten minutes.”

Citu continued with a number of projects for low-carbon neighborhoods across the region, with projects including residential developments in Kelham Island, Sheffield and the Climate Innovation District on Leeds’ South Bank.

The land at Attercliffe Waterside was originally put on the market in 2019 and was billed at the time as one of the most exciting development opportunities in the North of England. Citu was announced as the preferred developer in 2023.