Birthplace of stainless steel saved

Sheffield’s Portland Works, near the city’s Bramall Lane football ground, is a complex of workshops dating back to the Victorian era.

In 1913 it was the site where Harry Brearley made the world’s first stainless steel knife, after discovering that that adding chromium to molten iron produced a metal that did not rust.

However, after being a centre of Sheffield’s cutlery industry during the height of the Steel City boom, the Grade II-listed works fell into decline and in 2009 was earmarked for redevelopment as 70 flats – a move which would have ended 130 years of manufacturing at the complex.

A group of activists established a Community Benefit Society to buy, manage and conserve Portland Works, rather than see it demolished to make way for the housing development.

After successfully blocking the planning application for the site, the aim was to redevelop the works for use as workshops by metalworkers, engineers, craftsmen, furniture makers, artists and musicians.

Community shares in the works were sold to the public and more than 500 people signed up, raising enough money to allow a sale price of £420,000 to be agreed with Portland Works’ owner.

But although that original purchase deal was struck more than a year ago, further wrangling means that it is only now that the keys have been handed over to Community Benefit Society chairman Derek Morton.

Mr Morton said: “This isn’t a financial investment in the normal sense, as no one will make a killing out of this project.

“We just need people’s cash for quite a long time, which is quite a big ask these days.  

“Thanks to these far-sighted and generous supporters we have it.

“They’ve seen it’s a valuable project and they’ve been magnificent.”

Although the sale of Portland Works was agreed last spring, it has only been completed now, after almost falling through altogether in December.

To enable the purchase to be completed, the previous owners lowered the sale price and shareholders also pledged to donate an additional £80,000 in order to 
enable a revised deal to go through.

As a result, the building has now been purchased outright, rather than in stages.

The Community Benefit Society says it plans to begin work on the building “very soon”, with a restoration programme planned out for “at least the next 10 years”.

A series of open days is planned, to enable members of the public to tour the site and see the improvement works in action.

Sheffield’s Master Cutler yesterday described the planned restoration as “much to be proud of” for the city.

Neil MacDonald said: “This is a great result in the year when Sheffield celebrates 100 years of stainless steel.

“Portland Works is where Harry Brearley brought his new ‘rustless’ material to make the world’s first stainless steel knife.

“Since then, Sheffield has become synonymous worldwide with quality cutlery. Our city has much to be proud of.”

Portland Works is already home to about 20 small businesses, artists and musicians, with many using the base to practise traditional skills such as metalworking and cutlery-making.

It is hoped that the restoration will enable several more such businesses to move in.

Now those behind the project will be launching another fundraising drive to find around £100,000 in order to pay for the first stage of essential building works.

More information on the scheme, including details of 
how to purchase community shares or lend money to 
support the project, is available online at www.portlandworks.co.uk.