On Thursday 15th October there will be a permission hearing for a judicial review which could help save three much-loved Devonshire Street shops in Sheffield.  Efforts to save the buildings are currently being hindered  by Historic England.  

Over twenty one thousand people signed a petition to save these historic shops which date back to approximately 1827.  They are possibly the oldest surviving shop buildings in Sheffield city centre, and they help make the character of the Devonshire Green area.  Over seven hundred objections were submitted to Sheffield Council planning dept.

This is an exceptional case with strong public interest, yet planning processes designed to help protect the historic environment were not properly followed.  A heritage statement should have been included with the initial application but was not added until months after the 700+ comments had been submitted.  This independent report found that the development offered insufficient public benefit to justify the harm caused to heritage assets.  This advice was ignored.

The proposed development will harm the setting of listed buildings (the Grade II Listed Wharncliffe Fireclay Works and Showroom).  As a result of a previous High Court ruling, Sheffield Council should have consulted with English Heritage about this. Planning officers were unaware of this requirement and did not consult.  

Sheffield Council planning dept tried to evade this problem by getting Historic England to state that it would have no interest in commenting on this application anyway. An Historic England Yorkshire officer obliged by providing a witness statement that, had she been consulted by SCC, she would 'almost certainly' not have commented on the application.  

This is unfair:

• Historic England (formerly English Heritage planning dept) may not usually comment on planning applications affecting the setting of Grade II listed buildings, but this is clearly no ordinary application.  
• Historic England regional officers do comment on far less controversial applications in similar circumstances
• Historic England only recently commented on a high profile development application where it was not expected or requested.  
• Historic England recently back tracked and revised its position regarding a high profile development as a result of public pressure
• If the Historic England Yorkshire wishes not to comment on these matters (though it should be where public feeling is so high) then why provide a witness statement at all?

We ask that Historic England go some way towards undoing the harm so far caused by its unnecessary intervention, and provide positive advice on the impact that this application will have on heritage assets.