Park plan for city's medieval castle site delayed

The opening of a public park on the site of what was once Sheffield's medieval castle will be delayed by nearly two years.

Castle Hill Park, which will feature a 500-capacity event space, was due to open this year, but Sheffield Council has now said it will instead take place in summer 2028.

The authority described the project on the former castle site and the newly uncovered River Sheaf as one of its most "complex", with unexpected finds, design changes and the involvement of national agencies all contributing to delays.

Councillor Alexi Dimond said: "While we know people are eager to see the new park completed, we're taking the time to respond to the unique challenges presented on the site."

Dimond, chair of the council's transport, regeneration and climate committee, said: "It's important to get it right so future generations can experience the site in its historical context and learn about the birthplace of our city.

"This careful approach to our city's heritage has added complexity to the project and means the park will open later than originally anticipated."

Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned for 14 years at Sheffield Castle and at Manor Lodge in the 1500s.

However, the castle was destroyed in 1648 and its remains were covered by Castle Market in the 1960s, which was itself demolished in 2015.

Martin Gorman, from the Friends of Sheffield Castle group, said working with "significant remains of castle structures" inevitably involved a number of people as well as sometimes slow regulatory and compliance matters.

"First and foremost, it's a listed building," he explained.

"So, you've got Historic England's concepts to consider; you've got conservation architects; you've got the council's own planning team and design team and the archaeology team that work with the council."

Meanwhile, Simon Ogden, chair of the Sheaf and Porter Rivers Trust, said national agencies had not been "as kind as they could be" in making quick decisions regarding the site.

"Perhaps they don't always realise the impact delays have when granting permits. It costs time and money," he said.

Ogden also conceded that design changes to the uncovering of part of the River Sheaf had caused delays.

"We've argued for changes to the design to make a fish passage possible so they can move freely," he said.

"That wasn't in the original proposal, which we thought was a missed opportunity."

Exposing the culverted river work was expected to allow salmon and other species to go up the River Sheaf.

The river had been hidden underground since it was covered in 1917 as part of work to create Castle Market and has only recently been revealed again.

A moat, 200-year-old slaughterhouses, drawbridge supports, stakes from the Civil War and steel-making furnaces have all been found on the castle site by a team from Wessex Archaeology.

A 41ft (12.5m) deep well, likely to be medieval and still containing water, as well as stone structures from about 1270 have also been uncovered.

A spokesperson from Wessex Archaeology said: "Given the site's rich history, it was always anticipated we would uncover elements of the castle structure as work on the project progressed, and that it would be a complex task for the council to work with a range of stakeholders to integrate these remains into the design of the park."

Gorman said he felt Sheffield City Council could have planned things better.

"It would make sense, wouldn't it, to do all the archaeology first?" he said.

"To check out all the reports that have been written on the site and then design the park around that. Unfortunately, it's been sort of done the other way around.

"As soon as you start putting spades in the ground, you're hitting archaeology all the time. So, it makes you have to change some of your plans."

Earlier this year Sheffield City Council confirmed "significant" archaeological finds had pushed the Castlegate scheme £8m over budget.

The authority has since confirmed that funding opportunities were being explored, and the implications of the revised timetable were still being assessed.

A council spokesperson said it was hoped there would be an update on costs by the end of the year.

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