Ski village redevelopment at risk from road issues
BBCA £20m scheme to redevelop the former Sheffield Ski Village is at risk because of continuing problems with the road leading to the site.
Sheffield City Council wants to develop Parkwood Springs into a country park, but access for coaches and lorries is limited by a railway bridge over Douglas Road.
Officers, who have been working on plans to resolve the issue since 2017, have now suggested creating a new access road nearby.
However, a council report has warned that any further increased costs or delays "could jeopardise the affordability of the wider Parkwood programme".
According to the report the new road would connect nearby Oakham Drive and Vale Road, with work also needed to upgrade the junction of Oakham Drive and Rutland Road to accommodate the extra traffic flow.
There would also be "a strong emphasis" on walking and cycling paths and public transport.
Several plans have been put forward to redevelop the former ski village, since it closed in 2012 following a fire.
In 2017 Extreme Leisure signed a lease to create a modern ski slope at the site and a £4.8m loan was secured to support the construction of an access road, car park and site infrastructure.
However, by 2020 Extreme had failed to progress the work, in particular for the access road, so the council stepped in to design and construct the road before eventually ending the agreement in 2021.
More recently Skyline Luge, from New Zealand, has been brought on board to masterplan the site.
Ben Miskell, chairman of the council's transport and regeneration committee, said Parkwood Springs was an incredibly important site and the project would turn it into an important leisure destination.
He said: "The report rightly identifies the risks to the delivery of the whole programme for elements that we do not yet have the detailed costs for.
"This is important information to be taken into account. It does not mean that this will happen. It only means that we need to be aware of the whole costs of the programme in taking this decision which is important to progress this significant project."
Levelling Up funding was confirmed in November 2024 for Parkwood Springs, with the council committing part of the grant for preliminary work on the new road.
At the time, the council said the relocation of a local business had also progressed, with a new site identified for new purpose-built accommodation.
However, the latest council report warns of further "risks".
It said: "The acquisition is for a significant portion of land which is in private ownership, negotiations for which are ongoing and will need to be completed in order for the scheme to progress.
"As part of this acquisition, additional work needs to be done on ascertaining any removal, re-establishment or remediation costs of an existing business, which have not yet been established with certainty.
"Increased costs of this could jeopardise the affordability of the wider Parkwood programme."
The report adds that the estimated costs for changing the Rutland Road junction were based on preliminary designs and the detailed design could increase costs and "put pressure on the remainder of the programme".
Levelling Up funding must be used by March 2028 and the council said it was essential that detailed design work started as soon as possible, though it would not commit to delivery costs until the land purchase is complete.
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