Sheffield

Resources

Site visit presentations

Download the presentations from the official Sheffield site visit. Les Sturch, Head of Planning at Sheffield City Council explained Sheffield’s achievements and ambitions, while Project Director Jan Fitzgerald provided briefing on South Sheffield and the Skye Edge site.

Site Q&A

Background documents to look at:

Q: Request for clarification of the study and project sites. What is intended for the wider study area?

A: The wider study area is included for the purposes of the competition in order to stimulate suggestions for how a mix of uses could be provided in the surrounding area. As with all Europan sites, the project site is the only part of the site where sponsors can definitely commit to developing the winning schemes. Sheffield City Council is particularly interested in ideas for providing useable public realm at the edge of the project site (the ridge edge).

Q: How detailed should designs for new housing units on the Skye Edge site be?

A: Designs need to be illustrative of concept with detailed elevation treatments.

Q: Is there further 3-D information available on the contours, levels etc of the site? Has a site conditions survey been done?

A: A topographical survey of the site has now been carried out. This information was not available when the site briefing packs were first compiled, but Sheffield City Council will forward these files to CABE for adding to the packs on the Europan Europe website. Registered entrants for Sheffield will be notified when this information has been uploaded.

Q: How should competitors address the issue of sustainability?

A: Competitors should consider sustainability in terms of economic, social and environmental sustainability. Remember that winning schemes are only ideas/statements of intent, which are then developed further after the competition. Further information about what is meant by sustainable communities and sustainable design is available on the Europan UK website here. See also the Egan skills report on sustainable communities which defines the Government’s eight criteria for what a sustainable neighbourhood should be like (see pp. 20 of the report for a diagram showing the key principles). Specific principles and requirements are also outlined in the brief.

Q: Who sets the rules for the jury panel membership? How are site sponsors represented by the independent jury?

A:  The structure and rules for who can be part of Europan juries are controlled by Europan Europe, the central governing organisation of Europan across Europe. CABE approaches the appointment of jury members in the UK from the point of view of deliverability. For Europan 9, for example, each site sponsor has its own nominated jury member who will be particularly required to represent the views of their site sponsor to the rest of the jury panel (the jury member for Sheffield is the architect John Pringle, Pringle Richards Sharratt Architects). Although site sponsor representatives are not permitted to vote as members of the jury panel, they do fully participate in the judging process, and have also been fully involved in the competition brief writing process.  

Q: What amenities do the local community feel that they need?

A: There is a need to attract more economically viable residents to the area, in order to encourage a more mixed economy. There is also a need to improve the setting for a community centre and to improve connections to existing facilities in the nearby Wybourn area – City Road, the school etc. The Council are interested in how to make more of the existing ‘jennels’ (the narrow pathways leading from site to Wybourn), and in what could be added to the sloping scree edge of the site (area adjoining land owned by Duke of Norfolk). Developing better transport links into Skye Edge, from Wybourn and the city centre, will be crucial to the success of this project.

Q: Will the existing community facilities in Wybourn be sufficient to cater for the new Skye Edge community?

A: Possibly not, but the site sponsors do not envisage community facilities being provided within the Europan site boundaries – these will be provided outside of the project site area. If entrants do make suggestions for community amenities or commercial uses, they must make sure that their proposals are financially viable.

Q: Where would local residents go to buy a pint of milk?

A: The shops in Wybourn are the nearest, with Manor Park being the nearest neighbourhood centre. Connections to these areas will therefore be critical.

Q: How long would it take residents to walk from the project site to existing amenities?

A: Only about 5 minutes walking distance to shops, crèche and schools in the immediate vicinity. Routes to other areas and the city centre are not so accessible.

Q: What aspects of the project site are non-negotiable?

A: The existing housing which remains behind the project site cannot be demolished, so proposals will need to engage with this area of housing. A Medical Centre is being developed privately on one section of the site at the southern end of Skye Edge Avenue, so proposals should not be made which ignore this development. Plans and elevations of the proposed building are included in the site information. See also link to approved planning application here.

In general though, the brief is quite open and aims to encourage proposals that have character.

Q: What are the desired densities for the project site?

A: The site sponsors are open to suggestions on density levels and there are no fixed criteria for this. Densities should be at whatever level is appropriate for ensuring a sustainable community for Skye Edge.

Q: Who will be living in the new housing at Skye Edge?

A: A range of different kinds of people, including: some people who lived in the previous flats on Skye Edge, young families, young professionals, private investors etc.

The new housing will need to attract new people to the South Sheffield area, to add to the local economy. When the housing development at nearby Norfolk Park was built, the Council found that the people who initially moved into the area were those with some kind of local connection to the area. However, this went on to draw in new people over time.

Q: Are there enough places in local schools to accommodate new people as well as the existing community?

A: Yes, there are currently surplus places in the local schools which should be sufficient.

Q: What is the current level of car ownership in the site area? How dependent are local residents on their cars?

A: There is currently quite a high level of car ownership in the Wybourn area, but people don’t generally use their cars to get into the city centre. People make use of the existing public transport or walk, but cycling is not a popular mode of transport at the moment! Entrants should also note that a car club scheme is about to be introduced in Sheffield, which will include dedicated parking spaces in the city centre.

Thought should be given to any implications that proposals could have in terms of increased traffic levels to the site.

Q: Is there a maximum height restriction for landmark buildings on the site?

A: No, this is not specified and has been left open in the brief. Local views of large tower blocks tend to be negative, but as long as proposals support their chosen building forms with reasonable arguments a tall building would not necessarily be a problem.

Q: Is there a topographical survey available for this site. If so, will it be made available to competitors, when, and in what format?

A: The topographical survey is available in the full site briefing files here, in both DXF and PDF formats (file ref: sheffield-uk-ss5-pr5).

Q: In the Sheffield-uk-sp5-m1.pdf file, there are no mentions about curves level. It’s possible to be specified the height difference between the flat area and the multiple level area. This could be presented vectorized in the seffield-uk-sp4-m1.dxf file?

A: See above re: topographical survey information. The topographical survey gives spot height levels across the site.

Q: The Sheffield-uk-sp4-m1.dxf file contains some abbreviations such as: 'E', 'L', 'P', 'F', and 'v'. Could you tell us exactly what they mean in order to avoid misunderstandings? If 'E', 'L', 'P' are town networks, what are their directions? Could these directions be modified? What restriction may be imposed? Which are the designs distances in case of some modifications to the initial directions?

A: The Ordnance survey webpage gives map abbreviations. The only relevant reference we can find is E = Electrical post.

Q: We don’t have information about the elevations (maximum height – H max) of the existent build space – in short the altimetry. Is it possible, for this information, to be provided in meters or level numbers?

A: The existing buildings adjacent or close to the site are generally 2 storeys. We do not have specific measurements for these buildings.

Q: In the UDP on the official Sheffield City Council website, in the South-West area the study area is limited from the protected area. Which are the characteristics of the protected area and if there are restrictions connected especially to visibility, which might touch the project area?

Interpretation of the question: The study area includes an element of protected Open Space. What restrictions are there on development within the Open Space area? What restrictions are placed on preserving visibility and avoiding overlooking?

A: Any development proposed within the Phase 2 site Open Space would have to comply with policy LR5 of the Sheffield Unitary Development Plan (link provided within Design Brief). As explained within the brief (pages 8 and 9), compensation would be required for the loss of any of this Open Space.

Q: What is an allotment garden as defined by the Sheffield UDP?

A: Allotments are small areas of land, let out by local government usually for individuals to grow their own food. The area of land occupied by the Allotment Garden at Skye Edge is classified as an Open Space Area according to the Sheffield UDP. See the ‘Leisure and Recreation’ Chapter of the UDP for Planning policies applicable to Open Space Areas.

Q: According to the UDP what defines a ‘Local Natural Site: Geological’ and what restrictions are associated with it?

A: There is no such designation within the UDP. The ‘local natural site: geological’ is a rocky outcrop. Details are available in the topographical survey.

Q: Could you send us information (found in the UDP), regarding the proximity houses area? We need specifications about maximum height – Hmax, the occupied percentage of the field, the terrain usage coefficient (land usage). We need the same information for the business area located at South-West of the study zone.

Interpretation of the question:

What are the restrictions on distance between properties?

Any new development should consider the privacy, over-bearing dominance, and access to light of the surrounding properties, and particularly existing properties. In terms of privacy of the rear of a property, a distance of 21m is generally adopted between windows of habitable rooms. Useful outdoor garden space should generally be provided, and at around 60m2, and outdoor access routes to the rear of the property provided where possible. Privacy and overbearing should also be considered to the front of the property, although the approach to minimum distances is more relaxed.

What is the surrounding building height?

A maximum height of development has not been stipulated, although considering the site conditions, and surrounding development, a 2-3 storey development would be considered generally appropriate with 4 or possibly 5 storey buildings being used at marker points. A key test of acceptability will be the environmental effects on the existing neighbourhood, for example the effects of wind and turbulence, shading, overlooking, and overbearing issues. A number of unpopular residential high-rise towers have been recently been demolished in the area, and therefore there is also a feeling of community wariness of this development form.

What percentage of the sites can be occupied by development?

Within the areas of the sites designated as Housing Areas within the UDP, the extent of development will be dictated by the policies contained within the Housing Chapter of the UDP. In areas of the sites designated as Open Space, the Wybourn Area Masterplan (link provided in brief), suggests that up to 1.3 hectares of Open Space could be lost to development, providing that the loss is compensated for (see Masterplan). Again, relevant policies contained within the Leisure and Recreation Chapter of the UDP will dictate acceptable levels of development.

Q: The sheffield-uk-ss5-pr1.pdf file contains the endowments of the study zone. Which are the characteristics of these endowments and their capacities for: kindergartens, schools, medical facilities? If you could check the fifth position from the public rooms (it’s a church according to sheffiel-uk-sp5.pdf file or not?). What is about the play/recreational objective? Please be more specific.

Interpretation of the question: Please provide more information on the exact function and capacity of key local facilities? Please define Play/Recreational areas.

A: It is anticipated that local services will have the capacity to meet the demands made by the new development. The area is currently poorly served by play and recreational opportunity. The brief highlights the importance of the relationship between the proposed development and adjacent open space and looks to competition entries to define the objectives of well functioning open space and solutions to the best use of that open space.

Q: We are interested in the Manor Lodge monument (located on Manor Lane Street – 750 meters away from the site) influence upon the site. What can you tell us about this?

A: Details of Manor Lodge can be found on the Manor Lodge website. We recognise the potential for Manor Lodge to influence the site development and would want competition entrants themselves to consider the relationship between the historic monument and their competition entry.

Q: Question about the winds range – in which direction are the major winds blowing?

A: Winds are predominately from the west and south-west and can be very strong.

Q: We need information regarding the propriety status of this site, and if this terrain is a private property what kind of interventions could be made?

A: The project site is in ownership of the site sponsors and any development should be restricted to this area.

Q: What modifications can be made to the existing buildings on the site?

A: The Council has control of the land within the site boundary. The delivery of any proposals outside this area should be carefully considered. In the first instance any demolition should be presumed prohibited. Very minor improvements may be considered, but the implications for the existing community should be carefully considered.

Q: What is the project status presented in the sheffield-uk-ss6-pr1.pdf file? The specifications of this project must be kept entirely? If this project already has been brought to the public opinion, what is the general opinion? What recommendations already have been stated?

A: Details about consultation with local residents and stakeholders can be found in the site briefing information in file SS6 Sheffield-uk-ss6-pr1.pdf.

Q: The site is called Skye Edge. Is there an historic explanation for this name? It comes from one of the area characteristics?

A: It is assumed that the name is taken from the area’s elevated location at the top of a scarp slope. There is no recorded or known historic explanation.

Q: If there will be a Landmark suggestion for this project, what are the areas from where the site could be visible? Could you supply us with photos from these locations, situated outside the site area?

A: The primary receptor will be from the City centre to the north and west. Any landmark should also have a strong local connection and be able to be appreciated from nearby and all round the site. Please refer to the animation of the 360° view from Skye Edge, which can be found on Sheffield City Council’s website.

Q: Do you have a map or any kind of information about the soil, mining and backfill areas on-site and in the immediate context (particularly on the sloping terrains)?

A: All known information relating to ground conditions can be found in topographical survey in the site briefing information in file SS5 Sheffield-uk-ss5-pr5.pdf.

Q: Do you have any information on demographics of the people that come into the town and expect to reside in the new housing on the Skye Edge site?

A: The Masterplan for Wybourn refers to the demographics of the area and strategic interventions adopted by the City Council to bring about transformational change and increase housing choice and opportunity, and can be found in the site briefing information in file SS6 Sheffield-uk-ss6-pr1.pdf.

Q: I would just like to clarify the definition and expectation of the site boundary. I understand that there is both a ‘project site’ and a ‘study site’. One specific area in the study site, just west of the projects site encompasses an interesting steeper slope and allotment area which we would like to include in our proposal. Are we however, expected to propose building only within the Project site, at this stage

A: The Council controls the land within the 'project site' boundary and is able to develop this site. This must be the focus for the bulk of the development. The ‘study site’ is the wider area and we would welcome suggestions for changes to make the proposals for the 'project site' work more effectively. However, development in this area is not by any means certain, and development proposals for the ‘project site’ should not depend on the development in the wider 'study site'. Development in the 'study site' is also more heavily controlled/limited as it includes statutorily designated open space for example.

Other points to consider:

  • Garden City Movement - entrants should consider the themes and principles of the garden city idea and think about how to reinterpret these for a twenty-first century context.
  • Proposals should be able to develop and adapt over time, with the possibility of community facilities being integrated later on.
  • The winning scheme for Skye Edge will need to 'speak' to the existing housing directly behind the site - there will be a temptation to design proposals which address the excellent views across the city, but it is important that the new housing does not turn its back on the existing neighbourhood.