Protest against demolition of house with history

A heritage group has objected to the proposed demolition of a Victorian house which is a symbol of an important benchmark in electoral history.

The property in the Walkley area of Sheffield was built on a plot of land bought by a land society in an attempt to help more working-class men qualify for the right to vote.

Developer Time Architects has been granted planning consent to remove the 19th Century house and replace it with three apartments.

Hallamshire Historic Buildings member Robin Hughes said: "It isn't that nothing is ever allowed to change, but we need to make choices about what we'd like to keep and what keeps reminding us of who we are."

The house's origins came about from strict voting laws which did not change until 1918, when all men were granted the right to cast their ballot in elections.

Before that, there were thresholds for eligibility based around land and property values. From 1832, a man had to own assets worth £2 a year to be enfranchised. The sum put voting beyond the reach of the working classes.

This rule led to the formation of freehold land societies, which bought land and divided it into smaller plots which could be paid for in weekly instalments to enable the owner to qualify for voting rights.

In Walkley the Freedom Hill Land Society was formed in 1851, but the house is an unusual survivor as most of the owners used their plots to create allotments rather than build on them.

Mr Hughes said the building was a reminder for local residents of "where we came from".

"It's a very Sheffield thing to do - this is a radical city with a DIY ethos, and it's had this for centuries; the 'pull yourself up' kind of approach."

He said he hoped that the building could be saved and incorporated into the development.

"The ideal outcome isn't that no building can take place, but what I'd ask for is a bit of imagination to keep what's there now," he said.

Time Architects have been contacted for comment.

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