Urban Splash secures approval to redevelop Sheffield’s former Cole Brothers store
Grade II-listed store to be converted into mixed-use scheme with leisure, retail and workspace.
18 March 2026
Urban Splash has secured planning approval to redevelop the former Cole Brothers department store in Sheffield city centre, marking a significant step in the regeneration of the landmark building.
The Grade II-listed property at Barker’s Pool, which closed in 2022, will be transformed into a mixed-use destination combining leisure, retail and workspace uses. Urban Splash was appointed by Sheffield City Council to lead the project, working with architects AHMM on the redevelopment proposals.
Under the approved plans, the lower ground and ground floors will be reconfigured to accommodate a mix of food, drink, retail and entertainment uses designed to reactivate the building’s street presence. The upper floors will be converted into flexible workspace aimed at supporting Sheffield’s growing business community.
The scheme also includes the creation of a rooftop venue, with the existing plant room repurposed into a restaurant or bar with an external terrace. This space will be directly accessible via the building’s main lift core.
At street level, the redevelopment will open up the Barker’s Pool and Cambridge Street frontages, introducing new outdoor dining areas and improving connections with the surrounding public realm. The approach is intended to mirror successful city centre interventions elsewhere in Sheffield, helping to increase footfall and activity.
The project focuses on retaining and repurposing the existing structure, reflecting a wider trend towards adaptive reuse of large-format retail buildings as high streets continue to evolve.
Urban Splash said it is now progressing discussions with potential occupiers as it moves the scheme towards delivery, following a period of interim uses within the building that have hosted cultural events and temporary tenants.
The redevelopment represents a key component of Sheffield’s ongoing city centre regeneration strategy, bringing a prominent but vacant building back into active use and contributing to the diversification of the city’s core.
