A redesign to the facade of the Cole Brothers building has been approved by Historic England, which previously expressed concern over a lack of historical preservation.

Historic England, the body responsible for listing and preserving significant buildings in the UK, said in a letter to Sheffield City Council that it has “no objection to the applications on heritage grounds”.

Urban Splash, an architectural firm based in Manchester that operates all over the country, submitted their original plans for a renovation of the Grade II listed building in September.

These plans aim to turn the former department, store built in 1963, into a mix of flexible workspaces, cafes, leisure spaces, and more.

The Council consulted with Historic England and the Twentieth Century Society (C20) on the original plans to ensure the essence of the original building is preserved.

Both organisations expressed concerns with the design, most of all the main facade, due to the extent of the changes, which the C20 society called “unnecessary”.

These changes concerned how the design replaced the existing darker mosaic tiles which are in a state of disrepair, with perforated panels intended to replicate the current look.

However, a redesign submitted on 12 February changed the proposals for the main face of the building, taking on board advice on how to better preserve the post-war architecture.

Some residents have expressed support for a more cautious approach to the renovation, with one saying: “If they are going to change it, as long as it isn’t going to be anything too dramatic, then fine”

Another said: “I feel quite strongly that they should keep it true to its nature as it is now.”

But this feeling is not universal, as one man said he wished they would “knock it down”.

While they were in opposition to the original design, the C20 Society said they were excited about the possibility of the building being renovated, but that they had not yet looked at the new design.

The planning application is awaiting approval and notices informing the general public were put up around the site last week with comments from the public being accepted until 23 March.

Image credit: Urban Splash