Micropub to replace former police cells

A set of disused police cells could soon be home to bars of a different kind, after Sheffield City Council granted planning permission to adapt the building into a micropub.

A shop selling specialist bottled beers, to take away or drink on the premises, is earmarked for the site of a former electric substation on Hicks Street, in the Neepsend area of the city centre.

Before the building was turned into a substation, it provided cells for the adjacent police station.

The historic building, although not listed, includes a distinctive Sheffield Corner "and is considered of some heritage significance which is worth preserving," planning docments state.

The building - cited as "a fine example of vernacular design" - lies just inside the boundary of the Kelham and Neepsend Conservation area, approximately 1km north of the city centre.

Plans for the micropub development include proposals to build a new rear extension to accomodate kitchen and food preparation areas, as well as storage and staff facilities.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the application noted "The building is a fine example of vernacular design incorporating a traditional Sheffield corner".