Plan to demolish historic Sheffield snooker club for housing

Broomgrove Club in Broomhall is at risk of being torn down to make way for houses, much to the dismay of local residents.

The 19th century building, on Broomgrove Road, was once home to the Sheffield Bowling Club and parts of the old bowling green can still be seen on site.

However, most of the green was sold and re-developed as flats in the 1960s.

In more recent times, the building was used as a snooker club – but the building was sold to a developer last year.

The council’s planning committee has received 39 letters of objection to the housing plans, including one from Broomhill Green Coun Aodan Marken and another from the Broomhall Park Association.

Mr Marken said: “This site has significant history which the applicants appear to want to eradicate for maximum financial benefit.

“A suitable conversion of the property retaining most of the current green space would be welcomed locally. At the very least, the historic wall and gate should remain intact. The relationship between the adjoining flats below and the seven similar residential properties needs to be looked at closely. There are definite overlooking and light issues.”

The Broomhall Park Association called the plan a ‘gross overdevelopment of the site’, adding that the building is one of the reasons that Broomhall Park was designated a Conservation Area and the new houses would have a negative impact upon it.

Under the proposals – which planning officers have recommended committee members approve – two, two-storey, detached houses would be built in its place.

Each home would be made in a traditional Victorian design, with an integral garage and back garden.

There was also concern from Coun Marken and residents that parking problems would be created as there is inadequate off-street parking available. Others felt the proposed properties are poorly designed and out of character with the area.

A spokesman for John Box Associates, the agent behind the plans, declined to comment.

The proposal will be discussed by the planning and highways committee at 2pm today in the Town Hall.