Developers have submitted new plans to reinstate the chimneys on the Pepper Pot building on Pinstone Street which they had wanted to leave off to save money.
And a historic ‘rooftop playground’ on the former boys’ charity school on East Parade has been saved from being lost to apartments.
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The building’s striking red frame is being swept away as part of the £480m Heart of the City redevelopment by Sheffield City Council.
Hallamshire Historic Buildings fought for both changes. Now it has raised the alarm over another scheme.
The group is objecting to a bid to change the cladding set to be used in a revamp of the former Embrace nightclub on Barker’s Pool.
Developers want to swap glass reinforced concrete (GNC) for ‘stone-effect’ aluminium.
Robin Hughes, of HHB, says the former has a ‘heavyweight’ presence, whereas aluminium panels are found on ‘bog standard’ offices.
The railings on the playground, which was over a 50ft drop until the building was filled in in 1850.
The building’s striking red frame is being swept away as part of the £480m Heart of the City redevelopment by Sheffield City Council.
The site was home to the Regent Theatre, which opened in 1927. It became the Gaumont Theatre in 1946. Following demolition in 1985 it became an Odeon cinema and then a nightclub.
Mr Hughes said it was in a ‘sensitive’ position, near the City Hall, war memorial and Grade I-listed town hall, that demanded quality.
He added: “This feels like a change to something cheaper and less substantial. This is meant to be a flagship development – the best Sheffield can do. Something that sets a standard for developers.
A design report states it is a ‘playful reinterpretation’ of the Regent Cinema. A composition of angular, splayed reveals express the historic surround of the Regent Cinema.
“I suspect it is about saving money. But cuts can be short-sighted. The more expensive material will be repaid in the long term.”
The change of facade has been submitted as a Non-Material Amendment, meaning it can be approved by a single planning officer.
Mr Hughes said it should go before the full planning committee.
He added: “It seems to me to be a substantial change, given that GRC is a much more solid material, the original officer’s report says as much, and that it is mentioned in one of the planning conditions.
Six two-tonne, 10ft chimney stacks were removed to allow building work and were supposed to be reinstated.
“Stone-effect is unlikely to be very stone-like, and in any case GRC does not look like stone, but has its own …….