In 1988 Europe's largest artificial ski slope swung open its wrought iron gates to much pomp and ceremony.

Sheffield Ski Village at Parkwood Springs played host to world class athletes from near and far.

It was where Olympic dreams were made until a fire caused it to close in 2012.

Despite the local passion for the redevelopment of the ski village, plans have faced turns and obstacles ever since.

Earlier this year, Sheffield City Council were “hopeful” of progress this Summer but once again a report has revealed that further costs "could jeopardise the affordability of the wider Parkwood programme".

These costs could be incurred due to a new access road needing to be built and the purchasing of some of the privately owned land as part of their plans.

Coun Ben Miskell, Chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee at Sheffield City Council, said: “Parkwood Springs is an incredibly important site in Sheffield and, since the Ski Village closed, the area has needed something to breathe new life into it. That is what our plans will achieve, creating a country park in the city.

“The report rightly identifies the risks to the delivery of the whole programme for elements that we do not yet have the detailed costs for. This is important information to be taken into account. It does not mean that this will happen. It only means that we need to be aware of the whole costs of the programme in taking this decision which is important to progress this significant project.

“The project will turn Parkwood Springs into a fantastic place, a once bustling area will, once again, be a leisure destination for everyone to enjoy and further enhance the city’s reputation as being ‘The Outdoor City’.”

It couldn’t come soon enough for us Sheffielders. To outsiders it the ski village may just look like an oasis for winter sport enthusiasts but the development could transform the city, writes Sophie Mei Lan.

I was born the same year Sheffield Ski Village opened. It had been the brainchild of keen skier and Steel City entrepreneur John Fleetham with a £2.5m investment.

The snake patterns of the slopes cut through the old quarry grounds, helping Sheffielders look up to the hillside rather than drowning in the grief of the former steelworks in Neepsend at the bottom of the hill.

By the end of 1990 there were eight slopes which the hillside seemed to be naturally contoured to suit.

While I wasn't from a family of skiers, it served as a stunning view point over Sheffield.

The Ski Village evolved into a leisure resort with a ski lodge, bar and shops in 1994. Later came a bowling alley, laser tag, a place to quad bike and a mountain bike track.

At its peak, it's said almost a quarter of a million people would visit the resort each year.

Visiting the Ski Village felt like a mini holiday especially for us locals who lived in neighbouring areas that had been overlooked by the more affluent.

It became a favourite place for children’s parties. There was something quite magical about entering the alpine style resort. It was the closest to the alps most of us would get.

We not only had the opportunity to escape to the resort but to ski at the side of Olympians. Granted I only made it to the nursery slope but that was thrilling enough for me. It was about being part of the dream.

Sadly that dream seemed to dwindle. In 1999 Fleetham’s Snow Project idea to develop the village was pushed back. Then in 2000 and 2003, slopes made out of real snow were built at Xscape Milton Keynes and Xscape Castleford which proved too much competition for the already limited footfall.

Eventually the Ski Village was put up for sale for £1 before it went into administration a year later.

The site was eventually bought by Kevin Pullan in 2009. He put forward plans to build one hundred homes on the site, but these were quashed. Despite attempts, he struggled to revive the Ski Village.

It seemed what had once been a wild dream-come-true had reached its peak and now the only trajectory was down hill.

The buzz had died down, more commercial competitors were now operating and many of us locals took it for granted. We didn’t have the stress of thinking about the financial stability of the place, we just wanted our peak of hope, our urban alps to remain.

Then in 2012 the Ski Village was burned down. At first it was assumed to be arson but it was later discovered that the devastating fire had been accidental.

Over the past decade however, the site has been ravished by more fires, some caused by wildfires due to soaring temperatures, but many fires have been started by humans. It’s fallen foul to vandals, fly tipping and theft.

The area is a place where dreams were made and then lost. While there’s been attempts to redevelop the site including by leisure company Extreme in 2017, such work never materialised.

A ghost of its former glory

Sheffield City Council received £19.4m in Levelling Up funding last year to make improvements to the land before the interested developer, New Zealand-based Skyline Luge, can progress.

A campaign group called Revive is also on a mission to ensure that ski and snowboarding facilities are redeveloped into the new plan.

Despite the uncertain fate of the Ski Village itself, Parkwood Springs as a piece of vast wildlife and land is a real hidden gem which campaign groups such as Friends of Parkwood Springs are keen to showcase.

It’s even been dubbed by the media as the ‘Hyde Park of the North,’ but I’d go further. While familiar references are helpful to non-Sheffielders, for many local residents who sought solace here during lockdown, it’s an incredible urban oasis on the cusp of the city centre. Perhaps it’s the wilderness and natural landscape that needs a generous hand as well as the multi million pound heart of the city project happening on the high streets of Sheffield. It was easy for people to forget this poorer side of the city, until nearby Kelham Island and Shalesmoor were regenerated as a ‘cool place to live.’

Whether it's in vogue or not, I will always cherish my childhood memories of my adventures in and around those slopes.

Sheffield Ski Village was the pinnacle of hope in an often forgotten area, and while these dreams of its reopening have faced a steep uphill slope ever since, we have to remain optimistic.