'The paint may be peeling, but surely we can preserve what we've got here'

Lying in the shadow of Bramall Lane football ground on an unremarkable back street, the red brick building has seen better days. Most of the windows on the top floor are boarded up, the advertising hoardings have all-but faded and from the outside there seems little sign of life.

However, behind the neglected facade lies a warren of still thriving workshops which not only tell the story of the city's industrial past, but are testament to the continued survival of the Made in Sheffield brand.

Built 140 years ago, Portland Works was the first forge in the city to begin manufacturing stainless steel cutlery and since then it has provided a base for successive generations of welders, engravers and metalworkers.

In the Little Mesters workshops most things are still done by hand and just as it was a century-and-a-half ago, the potholed yard remains an informal meeting room for the 20 or so businesses who call the Grade II* listed building home.

But perhaps not for much longer. The Portland Company, which owns the site, is in the process of submitting plans to turn the building into small studio apartments and modern offices. If the proposals are given approval by Sheffield City Council, the workshops would be given some much needed TLC, but in the process many fear the heart and soul of the place will end up buried beneath glass towers and minimal designs.

"I came here straight from school and it's the only place I've ever known," says Stuart Mitchell. He joined his father's knife-making business in 1985 and now operates as a one-man supplier of bespoke hunting knives. Each takes about two days to complete and while the workshop with its bare walls and cold stone floors might be devoid of the usual office comforts, Stuart finds it difficult to think of moving his company anywhere else.

"It's these kind of places on which Sheffield's industrial reputation was built," he says. "In recent years, the city has lost so many of its old buildings to apartments and to turn Portland Works into another anonymous block of flats just seems like a missed opportunity.

"The paint may be peeling and some of the windows may need replacing, but surely there has to be a way of preserving what we've got here? This was the first purpose-built stainless steel cutlery works in Sheffield and it seems somehow wrong to allow 140 years of history to come to an end without a fight."

With the next stage of the planning process due to be heard later this month, a campaign group has been set up to rally support. They know the biggest part of the battle is raising awareness among the people of Sheffield about the industrial gem on their doorstep and convincing the powers that be, that Portland Works is more than simply bricks and mortar.

While once exclusively for metalworkers, in recent years the

traditional tradesmen have been joined by a growing community of

artists and musicians. On the floor below Stuart's workshop, there's a man who makes chastity belts and a few doors down from the site of the original forge, indie band The Gentlemen have converted a small room into a rehearsal space.

"This is what's unique about the place," says Stuart, as the band launch into another session. "A lot of people don't know we exist. They probably drive past the place without giving it a second glance, but once you step through the archway and see what goes on down here, it's really hard to argue that it should be turned into flats.

"When I first started, the vast majority of the workshops were used for traditional trades, but now we've got artists and musicians working alongside the metalworkers and there is a real sense of community. It would be impossible to replicate anywhere else and I know many of the businesses would struggle to continue if they had to find new premises."

One of the oldest firms in Portland Works is Wigfull Tools. Started half a century ago, the firm still uses the traditional skills of its founder Eric Wigfull and has built a reputation for good quality workmanship. It would be difficult to relocate the forge where the chisels and hammers are made and Andy Cole who started at the firm as a young apprentice some 33 years ago isn't sure whether the business could survive the move.

"My mum and dad used to go dancing with Eric and his wife and when I was 14-years-old he offered me a job fetching the sandwiches and sweeping up," he says. "Gradually I worked my way up and when Eric retired, I bought him out.

"It's not been a bad life, but I try not to think too much about the future. Just moving the equipment would be a nightmare, I'm not even sure we could.

"I try to be optimistic. I can't believe that the council would allow this place to be lost to developers and until they tell me it is, we'll keep on working just as we always have."

It's a similar story elsewhere in the works. Many set up on their own after being made redundant from some of Sheffield's largest firms. Portland Works was an affordable way of making a living and while Stuart admits the rent they have enjoyed over the years has been low – too low perhaps – he insists a compromise is, or at least should be, possible.

"Like a lot of cities, Sheffield has seen a glut of new flat developments and a lot of them have stood empty," he says. "Adding another lot of bedsits just doesn't seem to make sense and that's not just because I work here.

"The place does need some investment, but ideally we would want it to be turned into a working museum and a real celebration of the Made in Sheffield brand.

"We've got a lot to be proud of as a city and we should be championing what's going on at Portland Works rather than getting rid of it. It's not about putting plaques on the walls, it's about building on what we've got because once it's gone, we'll never get it back."

n www.portlandworks.co.uk

PORTLAND WORKS: THE TESTIMONIALS

Jimmy Holmes: the metal finisher

"I set up this business 30 years ago with just 50 in my pocket. It's been hard and we've had our ups and downs, but it's given me a living and over the years we've built up our reputation. I don't know what we'll do if we lose this place. It might not look much to some people, but it's more than just a workshop."

Mick Shaw: the engraver

"It's not about asking for special treatment, but it is about recognising the importance of this place. There is a real lack of small affordable workshops in Sheffield and there does seem to be an element of short-sightedness about the current plans. I'm all for turning it into a working museum, to me that would seem to be the best of both worlds."

Nicholas Noble: the musician

"Rehearsal rooms tend to be anonymous spaces, but here you're surrounding by the heritage of Sheffield. It's only a small corner of a big city, but Portland Works and Stag Works next door is where so many bands started off and whenever you step inside you are really aware of that history. It's something that should be treasured, not trampled over."

Peter Ledger: the silver plater

"I only arrived at Portland Works last year after being made redundant. It can be daunting starting out on your own, but these kind of

workshops just make things that little bit easier. It's not only affordable, but there's so much knowledge and experience under one roof. We may all be separate business, but if you need help with something there's always someone on hand."