From 111 Matilda Street to Collegiate Crescent Campus.

The Plans for a new home for the Faculty of Development and Society that have been submitted to the council, with Sheffield Hallam University promising an appropriately “stunning” building for a spot opposite the design award winning “cheese-grater” car park. As Sheffield Hallam University this week unveiled the latest – and probably last – piece in the jigsaw of its new city centre campus. Around 2,700 students and 400 staff will be based in a proposed £26.5m complex at the corner of Arundel Gate and Charles Street. It is hoped to start construction by the end of the year with completion by August 2012, ready for students and staff moving from part of the Collegiate campus near Clarkehouse Road.

The Collegiate Crescent is a crescent forming part of the Broomhall Estate in S10, Sheffield. One of two campuses of Sheffield Hallam University occupies many houses and villas on the left hand side of the crescent until the road crosses Park Lane. This university campus is referred to in the university as ‘Collegiate Crescent’ due to its location. The Collegiate Crescent campus is home to the university’s School of Cultural Studies and also the university’s main sports site.

1. In 1905 the City of Sheffield Training College on Collegiate Crescent admitted its first 90 students. This teacher training college would also go on to become part of Sheffield Hallam University.
2. In 1969 the Sheffield School of Art and Design and the city’s College of Technology merged to become Sheffield Polytechnic.
3. In 1976 the Polytechnic was renamed to Sheffield City Polytechnic, when it absorbed the city’s two teacher training colleges. In 1992, the City Polytechnic earned the right to the title of University and the right to award its own degrees and became Sheffield Hallam University.

We took a walk round (here are the images,) in the article The Sheffield Telegraph 29 April 2010 under the £26.5m final piece of Hallam University ‘jigsaw’ Sheffield Hallam University promising an appropriately “stunning” building, it says The Faculty of Development and Society will be moving, now some might disagree that the former campus at Psalter Lane was a “stunning” building in the form of brutalist architecture, on The Collegiate Crescent sight stands some fine architectural buildings, what is there future with these plans?

Indeed Sheffield Hallam University are not known for their concern over listed buildings, we need only look at Psalter Lane and how the old grade 2 former Blue Coates School has been left to rot over the years.

As work to demolish Sheffield Hallam University’s Psalter Lane campus is now under way, with careful arrangements (we had look around last year) in place to protect the former Blue Coates School building, which lies within the campus, and to preserve trees on the site. Sheffield Hallam University has appointed contractors armoury group to begin the work at the end of March. It will be completed by the end of September 2010, when work on private housing will begin, many will not be in the reach of those in need of decent homes, and the increasing homelessness in Sheffield though, we are told by Paul Scriven councillor for Broomhill, there is none. It is also the area where the Collegiate Crescent campus is located.

Though work has gone on during 2008 to some of the buildings at The Collegiate Crescent campus many are in a sorry state, we can only ponder the future of the site, given its location it will no doubt be sold to private housing. The vast profit Sheffield Hallam University will gain from such a sale is not talked about in The Sheffield Telegraph article, just a load of spin on how good for Sheffield their £26.5m complex will be, you need only take a look at this map

To see the gain, and yet more lies from Sheffield Hallam University, have a walk round the campus and see what we the people of Sheffield will lose under these plans. Sheffield Hallam University has never been good for the people of Sheffield, from its formation when it was the former Sheffield Polytechnic, it is has become more about profit gain, not education.

The people of Sheffield, and Broomhill in particular, need to be asking some serious questions over the future of the Collegiate Crescent campus. When Sheffield Hallam University bought the former Sheffield YMCA it agreed to provide and give access to it sports facilities, this has not happened, there is also some serious concerns at the loss for local trade in the area when the Faculty of Development and Society has moved taking the students with it.

What impact will any future development of Collegiate Crescent have upon the area, will it mean more cars? Already the area is over congested at peak times. Sheffield Hallam University needs to understand it is a part of the community, that any future plans must ensure the listed buildings need to be restored following years of neglect; that there is no over development of this campus and that it should not be sold to highest bidder. Of course, we would like it to be given to a housing association and them given funding to turn it into affordable housing for those on low incomes but we know this is utopian! However, we shall be watching very close over the coming months and years to what is happening and we shall once more need to be the thorn in the side of Sheffield Hallam University.

We did not for one moment believe the lies and spin in The Sheffield Telegraph article, past experience of them over 111 Matilda Street tells us we need to keep a very close eye on the Collegiate Crescent campus, and trespass is a civil matter, so doubt we shall be having further walks round here and enjoying what is our heritage. Too much of it has been lost over the years, we should not let this one go..