A CycleSheffield member has contacted us because their bike was vandalised. They live at Park Hill flats and no secure bike storage has been provided by Urban Splash.
They said that a secure bike shed was planned and promised by Urban Splash but has not been not built.
This happened in March 2016 – I emailed Urban Splash on behalf of CycleSheffield and was told:
“We have identified a couple of potential locations and are finalising design, costs and management implications of the options, but are committed to providing good facilities in a short time-frame. Which option we go for will determine exactly how quickly we can get something in place (for example, since Park Hill is a listed building, anything external needs to be dealt with carefully), however it is something we are actively working on it as I say.”
No progress has been made by Urban Splash after this.
I’ve looked at some of the original planning information for the Park Hill redevelopment Phase 1 and it seems like secure bike parking was part of the application.
For example on the planning document for the car park there is clearly secure bike storage.
As there is no secure cycle parking at Park Hill either Sheffield Council must have decided that it was ultimately not important or Urban Splash decided not build it despite the council requirements and Sheffield Council failed to enforce its own planning regulations.
I have emailed Sheffield Council’s planning department and received this reply:
“Thank you for your e-mail.
This is a very complex scheme, of which only Phase 1 has been completed. The original case officer no longer works for the Council so it will take some time to go through the files to establish exactly what cycle parking provision was agreed as part of this first phase.
We will endeavour to come back to you in the next couple of weeks.”
I have also done a Freedom of Information request (due to the length of time this has dragged on for):
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/secure_cycle_storage_at_park_hil
Hopefully this will result in the provision of secure cycle parking at Park Hill flats.
** Update 20/08/16 **
I finally got a response to my FOI. It seems that Urban Splash submitted an amended planning application for Park Hill with no secure cycle storage and instead proposed that people keep their bike (singular) in their flat. This diagram shows the ‘flexible storage’ in the flat which could be used to keep a bike or pushchair. This was deemed acceptable by Sheffield City Council and this is why there is no secure cycle parking at Park Hill flats.
Ugh, aim low and deliberately miss. All fur coat and no underware. Yes they have done it again, sold us short.
I don’t know if (or how) Urban Splash have reconfigured the layout of the flats, but keeping a bike in a flat at Park hill was a pain in the arse when it was council. The lifts require you to lift the front wheel to get it in too. No *chance* of anyone having a cargo bike, I’ll tell you.
It might be worth asking Urban Splash about this again, they are still developing the site and making improvements to Phase 1 as they go into Phase 2. I think it’s just a case of enough residents making the request to make them notice that it’s important to have dedicated, safe bike parking on site.
The Phase 2 application (ref 17/03486/REM) includes secure bike storage.
Storage described as ‘Cycle storage is proposed on the streets, in a purpose built store adjacent Norwich Street and within a store formed at the knuckle between Flank E and D which will be covered with a sedum roof’.
We will check to see whether the developers amend the application to remove this (as they did with phase 1).