City centre cinema on the cards next year

Work on the market building is already underway on the Moor in Sheffield, an area once a major attraction to shoppers, but parts of which have become run down in recent years.

Yesterday, the Scottish Widows Investment Property Partnership Trust, which now owns the area, revealed its plans for an area next to the city’s branch of Debenhams.

It said its blueprints showed 18,000 sq m (190,000 sq ft) of “mixed retail and leisure” which could include a 10 screen cinema and six restaurants. The new scheme will also provide a pedestrian route through to Charter Square.

Ranald Phillips, director of Scottish Widows’ agents Ashcroft, said; “This is another phase of Scottish Widows’ rolling programme of regeneration and investment in The Moor which demonstrates its commitment to developing Sheffield’s city centre.

“Retailers and leisure outlets want to come to Sheffield and we are aiming to provide them with the right environment and facility to do this. If planning consent is granted then we hope to start on site in 2013.”

Next year should see the completion of improvements to paving on the Moor and the £16.5m markets project.

Another building, the former McDonald’s restaurant on the corner of the Moor and Furnival Gate, is also due for redevelopment next year.

The Moor project is completely separate to the troubled Sevenstone new retail quarter scheme, which focuses on a neighbouring area of the city centre.

Sheffield Council’s planners will examine the Scottish Widows’ proposal in the next few weeks. The plans were welcomed by the authority’s chief executive, John Mothersole.