Hillsborough Barracks: Historic former barracks in Yorkshire could be turned into apartments

Hillsborough Barracks on Langsett Road in Sheffield could be changed from offices into two six-bedroom houses and six one and two bedroom apartments.

SLA Design Planning, on behalf of West Bar Property Rentals, says in an application: “The proposal involves the reconfiguration and fitting out the current shell units in the existing property.

“No external works are due to take place to the external listed facade. Leopold Chambers is a four storey Grade II listed building and was built in response to anxiety over civil unrest, though not a defensible barracks like Fulwood, Preston.

“It was one of the first barracks planned with the reformed ideas on military accommodation developing before the Crimean War, to include schools and institutes. Also it is one of the earliest instances of an historicist, castellated style applied to barracks, following its contextual use in the Tower of London.

“Despite conversion, much of the original site survives including, barracks, stables, riding school, magazine and guard house. The existing building was the former head office of SIG. The development seeks to change the use of a section of the building into two six bedroom houses and six one and two bedroom apartments.”

The application says the building has undergone extensive refurbishment and re-modeling since its construction and little to no original features can be found inside other than the positioning of original wall and staircases.

The staircase would remain and there would be no changes to the scale of the building, no extensions or demolitions.

The changes have been kept to a minimum to respect and preserve the character and design of the building’s appearance.

Planning officers are considering the application