Tightening planning controls, ensuring protection for the historical site and high quality development are at the top of the list for Kelham Island after Sheffield Council approved the area’s first ever management plan.

Following the authority’s successful bid to the Government’s Planning Skills Delivery Fund, allowing it to review six of the city’s conservation areas in 2023, Kelham Island will now be getting what campaigners say is a long overdue upgrade.

Micheal Pilkington, a volunteer at the Kelham Island Museum, said: “Kelham Island is a particularly popular area of Sheffield, because unlike other areas, industrial changes have never required the land of Kelham Island to be flattened down.

“It makes it one of the best places in Sheffield to find lovely viewpoints of the city. It was also recently named the 51st coolest place in the world.

“It’s brilliant that the council is trying to keep the original and historic character of the area, rather than overloading it with modern houses, flats and buildings.”

Part of the management plan is to clean up the area.

Mr Pilkington said: “People don’t want to see rubbish and graffiti tarnishing what is such a great area.”

The council is instating a management plan in both Kelham and the city centre that aims to tackle issues involving quality residential development, greenspace, parking, preservation of historic elements, maintenance and design elements of apartment blocks and shopfronts.

This will be the first time Kelham has had an official management plan since its original designation in 1985 and the city centre in 1996.

Alison Pickard- Palmer, a Kelham Island resident, said “Kelham island is an important heritage area of Sheffield. By investing and reforming the area we are persevering the history of our city.

“Also it is an area of conservation, so many animals and wildlife use this area. It’s important to preserve this for their habitats but also for our mental health. Revamping this will have a big impact on our city.”

Once implemented this management plan will have a physical effect on both conservation areas with any future planning applications and commercial projects for this area having to comply legally with greater expected standards.

A council document explains that these new tighter standards aim to ensure that the heritage and nature of Kelham Island, an area steeped in history, is protected while ensuring it is able to further economically flourish in the future.

The plans themselves are the result of Conservation Area Appraisals which were reported to the council last year and detail how the character and appearance of these conservation areas should be nurtured and enhanced.