Public shows support for Meadowhall’s £300m proposed Leisure Hall

Proposals for the £300m Leisure Hall extension to Meadowhall in Sheffield were met with overwhelming support this past weekend.

More than 1,400 people visited the shopping centre exhibition, of which 94% welcomed the proposals for the major extension.

The proposal is one of the largest investments in the Sheffield City Region for a decade, and is set to create over 1,000 jobs, in addition to a number of temporary construction jobs.

Comprising 330,000 sq ft of space, the proposed Leisure Hall will add new dining and entertainment offerings for shoppers, including a number of new restaurants, a state-of-the-art cinema, a café court, gym, and other leisure space uses.

A total of 1,441 people came to see the plans over the two-day event hosted on Friday 3rd and Saturday 4th June within Meadowhall itself.

In total, 477 feedback forms have been submitted to date, with 447 answering ‘Yes’ to the question “In general, do you agree with our plans to provide more options for leisure and dining at Meadowhall?”

Darren Pearce, Meadowhall centre director, said: “We are very proud that Meadowhall sits in the heart of the local community, playing a key role in the city region economy, and the thoughts and views of our shoppers are very important to us.

“On behalf of the team I would like to thank everyone who took the time out from their weekend to visit the exhibition. The public consultation was a very useful event, and a great opportunity to hear people’s feedback. We are now reviewing all comments and considering what can be incorporated and taken forward into the proposal.”

A detailed planning application for the Leisure Hall will be submitted in late summer 2016. If the proposals are approved, joint owners, British Land, aim to start work on site during 2018 and open the Leisure Hall to visitors in late 2020/early 2021.

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