Park Hill, Sheffield: continuity and change

Cholera epidemics hit Sheffield Park

There were several cholera epidemics in Sheffield between 1832 and 1866. ‘A putrid magma of the worst description’ (Report on the Sanatory [sic] Condition of the Borough of Sheffield, Sheffield Archives, SY235).

‘The dead were carried to their graves, four or five together upon a cart, without sides or covering, but after several complaints . . . a large hearse [was provided]’ (Board of Health member, Iris, 4 September 1832).

Insanitary back-to-back slums ready for clearance

'Courts' on Duke Street had deteriorated into slums by the turn of the century.

Approved in 1957, ‘Sheffield Replanned’ (1945) described the area as ‘an escarpment with really magnificent possibilities [to] improve out of all recognition . . . a close-packed mass of insanitary back-to-back slums and other unfit housing, clinging precariously to the hillside, mingled with outworn, industrial buildings and begrimed with the smoke of the railway and City centre [transformed to] create a public open space [to] provide a new green wedge visible from many parts of the City Centre.’ Sheffield City Archives, CA 655(15)

Unfit for human habitation

The Slum Clearance Act of 1930 gave power to Local Authorities to improve housing conditions.

“. . . the dwelling houses . . . are by reason of disrepair or sanitary defects unfit for human habitation, or are by reason of their bad arrangement . . . dangerous or injurious to the health of the inhabitants of the area, and . . . the most satisfactory method of dealing with the conditions in the area is the demolition of all the buildings.” John Rennie, Medical Officer of Health, December 1935 (ref. Sheffield Archives: CA-MIN/74, p. 221)

Back-to-back 'courts' for the industrial workers

The ‘back-to-back’ housing, also known as ‘courts’ accommodated families of the industrial workers who flocked to Sheffield during the 19th century.

Sheffield had over 16,000 such houses by the 1920s when an estimated 25% of people in England, including Sheffield, lived in appalling slum conditions. Sheffield City Council took their responsibility seriously with many proposals for innovative redevelopment to create open space as well as housing.

Map of the Park area, 1894

This map shows the extent of the ‘back-to-back’ housing, built to accommodate the industrial workers in the 19th century.

The triangular area was demolished between the 1930s and 1950s to make way for the new Park Hill developments. The demolition area was bounded by Anson Street, Duke Street, Talbot Street and South Street, high on the escarpment overlooking the railway station.

Map reproduced with permission from Cassini Historical Maps

Slum clearance plans

Members of Sheffield City Council’s Public Health Department probably produced this silent film in the 1950s to record their work. Park was the first redevelopment scheme undertaken by the City Council after World War II. It contained some of the oldest outstanding slum clearance orders and some demolition had already taken place.

The clip is reproduced with permission from Yorkshire Film Archive and Sheffield Local Studies Library. Visit the Yorkshire Film Archivewebsite to find out more about this fascinating archive film.

What do local people think?

At the turn of the millennium, 1998, Park Hill was granted Grade II* listed status, meaning Sheffield City Council had a responsibility to preserve it. A local resident told the BBC, ‘It's an eyesore and the best thing they can do is blow up the lot.’

'Any re-furbished community will only prove to be good in the long-term if the people that eventually live within it both care for it and in some ways, self police it. I would like to see this project become successful but that will be very dependant [sic] on the eventual tenants as well as outside investors.'

Craig B, contributor to the BBC local news website.

Britain's biggest Grade II* listed building

Urban Splash, property developers ‘with a difference’ and Sheffield City Council intend to regenerate the iconic, Grade II* listed Park Hill site, bringing a new lease of life to the city skyline.

Video © BBC Look North, 2009
Transcript: This is our bedroom, its a pretty big bedroom, but its not quite big enough. The listing recognised the undoubted importance of Park Hill flats, built to satisfy the post-war housing shortage, they were meant to point the way to a new utopian dream, there's no denying that somewhere along the way, we all woke up. Park Hill is in trouble and needs urgent help.

Urban Splash showhome

'Park Hill will have amazingly spacious one and two bedroom, duplex, dual aspect apartments with floor to ceiling glazing allowing the best city views Sheffield has to offer . . . Colourful anodised aluminium panels replicate the coloured brick tones of the original façade and emphasise the modular structure.'

Find pictures and information about the redevelopment on the Urban Splash website.

Poetry of Park Hill from a long-term resident

Granville Squires has been resident caretaker at Park Hill for 28 years. He's optimistic about the future, expressesing his feelings in poetry.

Video © BBC Look North, 2009
Transcript: We need someone with some foresight, who does not see it as an ugly blight, to give our flats some tlc, put back the spirit there used to be. Granville Squires sees poetry in Park Hill flats, he knows them better than most, having lived here 28 years as a caretaker. The estate has a bad reputation, but Granville says its undeserved. I look on her as an old lady, who's come on bad times, she's er, going to have her face washed, she's going to put a new frock on, and she's going to be out there plugging' again.

Will we love Park Hill again?

Video © BBC Look North, 2011
Transcript: Change is happening here, so I think people can see that for themselves now. And Park Hill has had it's fair share of changes, from slums to cutting edge design in the '60s, disrepair and neglect to listed status in the '90s and now ambitions for a bright and bold £116 million complex. It's two years into this development and it's been hard work getting here. With the shops, and everything what they're going to do, it sounds brilliant and its going to be really nice. The idea's good, no doubt about it, very very good, but are they going to carry it out, what they say? Should everything fall into place, this vision could be the new reality within the next decade. After convincing us to say 'je t'aime', the developers need a resounding 'yes' to the next question, 'Voulez vous couchez ce soir?'

Slum clearance plans

Members of Sheffield City Council’s Public Health Department probably produced this silent film in the 1950s to record their work. Park was the first redevelopment scheme undertaken by the City Council after World War II. It contained some of the oldest outstanding slum clearance orders and some demolition had already taken place.

The clip is reproduced with permission from Yorkshire Film Archive and Sheffield Local Studies Library. Visit the Yorkshire Film Archive website to find out more about this fascinating archive film.

'Streets in the sky'

The innovative design was ‘a bold and imaginative scheme’. There were street ‘decks’ ten feet (three metres) wide, with room for prams, play areas and milk floats.

‘The dwellings are so planned as to give each household privacy and quiet despite the essentially communal nature of the project. . . Each dwelling, irrespective of size, is provided with a large sheltered balcony where small children can play in the open air, where a pram can be put out and on which an occasional meal can be taken.’ JL Womersley, City Architect, 1955, Sheffield Archives: CA655/15

What’s your address?

There was considerable debate between Mr H Foster, City Engineer and Surveyor and JL Womersley, City Architect, over how to number each dwelling. The term ‘block’ was rejected for sounding too institutional whilst ‘house’ was seen as inappropriate due to the large scale of the project. ‘Deck’ was finally rejected in favour of ‘Row’ to name the ‘streets in the sky’.

This clip from a silent film made in 1961, is reproduced with permission from Yorkshire Film Archive and Sheffield Local Studies Library. Visit the Yorkshire Film Archive website to find out more about this fascinating archive film.

Architect's plan for Park Hill

Plans for Park Hill included a pedestrian precinct known as The Pavement, and a continuous system of covered decks, ten feet (three metres) wide to link all the flats. At ground level there were shops, pubs, a laundry, social clubs, a chapel and schools surrounded by parkland and play areas for children.

Compare this architect's plan with the slum clearance map in the 19th century collection.

'Proud achievement'

The first three blocks were built ahead of schedule, in just over two years, at a saving of £100,000 in actual costs.

Completing Part 1 of the redevelopment’s 996 flats represented a ‘proud achievement’ in the words of the Sheffield Public Works Department.

350 men, many of whom were apprentices, were employed at any one time during this time.

A view from the balcony

Alderman DW Gascoigne, Public Works Committee deputy chair and leader of the City Council, speaking at a civic luncheon in January 1961, said ‘A squalid area has been transformed into an area where human beings can live in dignity.’ Sheffield Telegraph, 20 January, 1961.

The flats were provided with the Garchey refuse disposal system, taking waste ‘from sink to incinerator’. ‘From the standpoint of hygiene and convenience to the housewife, the Garchay System is undoubtedly superior to any other which has come to our attention.’ ‘Refuse Disposal in Flats’, Institute of Housing, March 1954.

'Continental touch'?

In this cartoon from a local Sheffield newspaper, The Star, 15 March 1955, we see the architect's vision for the new development with a ‘continental’ touch to the public spaces.

Compare this vision with the promotional material for the 21st century developments by Urban Splash, just over 50 years later in 2009. Clothing, hairstyles and decor may be different, but how much remains the same?