Historic England gives £500,000 to Park Hill redevelopment

£500,000 has been awarded by Historic England towards the second phase of the redevelopment of Park Hill in Sheffield.

The funding is for structural repairs to parts of the concrete frame, some of which is crumbling. John Paul Walker, from Historic England, said: “After years of decline and neglect, this housing estate is once more becoming a symbol of Sheffield’s pride, innovation and ambition.

“Phase one has given Park Hill a new lease of life and restored its reputation. We hope phase two will continue this rejuvenation.”

Developers Urban Splash started work at the site in 2007, with 260 new homes built in phase one of the project. Shannon Maclaughlan, Urban Splash, said: “Park Hill is known worldwide for its Brutalist structure and signature concrete, so this support from Historic England is invaluable.”

The iconic listed building has overlooked Sheffield since it was opened in the early 1960s, eventually falling into disrepair in the 1980s and 90s. It has been used in popular culture a number of times since, including the set for numurous scenes from This Is England, the set for the video of Arctic Monkeys’ ‘View From The Afternoon’ and the 2019 acclaimed musical written by Chris Bush ‘Standing at the Sky’s Edge’, the soundtrack of which was written by Richard Hawley.

Work on the second phase of the project is due to be completed by June 2021.

Standing at the Sky’s Edge | Park Hill: Looking Forward, Moving Back