Residential BTR scheme is next phase to complete at Sheffield's £300m development

West Bar is being delivered by Urbo (West Bar) Ltd, a joint venture between Urbo Regeneration, Peveril Securities and Legal & General which has committed £160 million of funding for first phase of development.  Principal contractor Bowmer & Kirkland has completed the build programme which also includes West Bar Square at the heart of the commercial public realm area and Soho Yard which serves the residential BTR apartments.

Soho Yard offers 368 residential apartments within two buildings situated around a landscaped space and gardens with access via Plum Lane. It sits on the site of the famous ‘Soho wheel’ that powered grinding machinery near the River Don after the Industrial Revolution.

A choice of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments are available immediately for rent with some already occupied.  On site amenities include a hi-tech gym with yoga studio, private dining rooms, multiple roof terraces, a games room, co-working spaces and meeting rooms, a resident’s lounge, bike storage and wash areas including pet wash facilities, with an on-site team available 24 hours.

The buildings have achieved Home Quality Mark (HQM) 4, providing the highest standard of sustainability throughout the development’s lifetime.

The properties are being operated by Legal & General as part of its highly successful ‘Build to Rent – Homes for Life’ portfolio

Adam Burney, Head of Annuity BTR & PBSA, L&G said,

“The completion of Soho Yard is a fantastic addition to our Annuity residential portfolio. This asset plays a pivotal role in the regeneration of West Bar Sheffield, delivering much-needed homes and transforming the local area into a vibrant new community for people to live, work, and play. ”

Ben Rodgers, Head of Regeneration, L&G added:

“This exciting step marks further progress towards our vision to regenerate the West Bar; to provide much-needed grade-A office accommodation, housing, and green public spaces in centre of Sheffield, driving important social impact and economic growth.”

Peter Swallow, Managing Director at Urbo, said,

“We are delighted to achieve completion of this latest phase of development at West Bar Sheffield. The BTR residential element is a very important part of the overall mixed-use provision to ensure that West Bar is an inclusive and sustainable urban addition to Sheffield.

The new apartments are simply stunning, providing every possible modern convenience with fantastic new amenities for today’s busy occupiers.  Soho Yard delivers the perfect balance of peace and tranquillity with its garden spaces with Sheffield’s thriving city centre scene just minutes away.”

As part of the agreed deal between Legal & General and Urbo, a second 100,000 sq ft office building will be delivered alongside a new 450 space multi-storey car park with around 300 cycle storage spaces and electric car charging points.  

The West Bar neighbourhood is prominently located on the Inner Ring Road between Sheffield’s Kelham Island, Cathedral and Castlegate Quarters. 

The first building to be complete last year is No.1 West Bar Square, an impressive and sustainable gateway office building with a contemporary, curved, curtain glass façade. Designed by award winning architects 5plus with planning advice from Asteer Planning, it provides eight storeys of highly efficient floorplates up to 14,000 sq ft, a roof terrace offering panoramic views across the city and retail accommodation at ground floor.

Surrounding public realm, West Bar Square will become a landscaped focal point of the project whilst providing much needed amenity space for occupiers and the local community.