Save Portland works, Sheffield
Formally object to the planning application
Just to draw your attention this campaign to try and save the Portland works building on Randall street from the threat of being developed into flats.
Located in Sharrow, the grade II listed building is currently home to metalworkers, cabinet-makers, musicians, artists, sole traders and others.
The case for keeping the building as a home for little mesters-style workshops is articulated well in a letter in this week’s Sheffield Telegraph which describes the works as our ‘living heritage, not a museum or polished up piece of preserved past’.
Isn’t there a more appropriate location for flats, one that doesn’t involve threatening the existence of these historical workshops and small businesses? As the letter in the paper points out, some of the commercial tenants are proudly still practising the traditional manufacturing methods that made the city famous.
The online campaign is centered on the Portland works blog and a Facebook group which you can join to keep up to date with the cause.
Perhaps the most useful way of showing your support is to formally object to the planning application on the Sheffield city council website. The recent victory over East midlands trains regarding the station barriers was supported by 1,250 objections that will have no doubt been an influence on the planning board.
Object to the Portland works planning application
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There is now another website for Portland works, too:
http://www.portlandworks.co.uk/
How do we formally object, I’ve looked at the planning application and it’s not clear? There’s an option to submit comments but this doesn’t seem to be the way to do it. Please advise, thanks !
If you click Submit comments and find your address you will eventually get through to the form where you can formally object.
There is also more information here:
http://www.portlandworks.co.uk/
http://www.derekmor.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/page_2.html
Portland works meaning wigful tools is a digrace to work due to knowing someone that works there, it leaks water and it is a very bad place to work. Portland works is falling down if you want t see history please go to the abbeydale industrial hamlet. I personal think portland works as run its cousre and it time to knock it down.
The facebook group “pictures of sheffield old and new” have currently got an exhibition of members photographs in the castle market (lower ground), down there also we have dedicated some space to the saving of portland works with photographs of some of the people that make their living there, to the side of this small exhibit there is a petition (which is doing well to say it only been running 1 week). We have also set up an online petition at, http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/saveportlandworks/
Contrary to what the last poster has written (we are all entitled to an opinion and i respect his) portland works cannot be allowed to be redeveloped into flats/apartments or studios, we need to keep alive Sheffield’s heritage for our children.
I feel Sheffield does not need yet another block of flats at the further expense of its proud heritage. Too many repairable buildings, still housing traditional industries are being sacrificed to the greed of property developers.I object strongly to this development.
We must not let Portland Works be converted into flats. It is fantastic and must be preserved as a working building. Sheffield has been mutilated far too much already. There are plenty of empty spaces and disused builings, churches and factories which could be used first.
The campaign has moved on! The planning application has been withdrawn for the present, and the camapaign group are now bidding to BUY the Works as a community enterprise.
They want everyone to consider buying into the project to raise £750,000 to buy, manage and restore the Works, keeping the existing tenants and bringing in more to restored workshops.
see http://www.portlandworks.co.uk for more