Sheffield City Council has agreed to lease out a historic Endcliffe Park lodge, with the intention of converting it into a restaurant or bistro.

The decision was made by the charity sub-committee on Monday 9 March, with Councillor Richard Williams agreeing that “it is in the best interest of the park charity to do so.”

The 19th-century building is located on the east side of the park off Ecclesall Road and is adjacent to the park’s famous weeping beech tree.

The lodge is a designated grade II listed building due to architectural interest, but has began to show signs of deterioration.

The aim of the lease is to generate income which will allow the park charity to “restore this beautiful building” and bring it back into public use as a “welcoming place” and a “high quality hospitality venue,” said Jo Pearce, the council’s parks and countryside business and partnerships manager.

Endcliffe Park is one of many parks in Sheffield which is owned by a charitable trust, of which the council is the sole trustee.

In the sub-committee’s decision report, Jo Pearce wrote: “The council has a duty to manage the resources of the charity… ensuring that its land and buildings are properly maintained and correctly used.”

The sub-committee said the income generated from the lease arrangement will be returned directly to the charity, “contributing to the upkeep and management of the park.”

Ava Lewis, 26, who lives locally, expressed her concerns with the affordability of the future restaurant: “Anything above £20 for a main would be getting a bit crazy – you might as well just go up Ecclesall Road and pick somewhere that’s more fine dining.”

The property lies within a section of the park which was acquired by council in 1888, but has remained vacant since July 2023.

Miss Lewis also agreed that it was important to preserve the historic elements of the building. She said: “They shouldn’t do some silly modern render of it. Everything’s Victorian terrace, so it would look really silly if they did something modern with it.” 

The council already works closely with the beloved, “family-focused” café within the park, and will ensure that the new establishment “compliments, rather than competes with, the existing operator.”