Sheffield City Council has approved plans to redevelop the former John Lewis building on Barker’s Pool, despite heritage bodies’ opposition.

Built in 1963, the Grade II listed building is a landmark of post-war architecture in Sheffield but has unfortunately been vacant since 2021.

Developers Urban Splash intend to transform the building into a “vibrant commercial ecosystem” with a modern design combining leisure, work and retail spaces.

The plans were originally proposed in September 2025 but were rejected as they were said to stray too far from the buildings historic appearance.

The buildings condition has deteriorated since becoming vacant, with much of the interior significantly damaged due to water ingress, which some worry could lead to the building becoming hazardous.

Although the latest plans have been approved by the council, heritage bodies such as Historic England and Twentieth Century Society have still raised their concerns.

Historic England are in favour of regenerating the building, but were ultimately unable to support the application, saying “The current proposals for the exterior of this building would fundamentally alter the character of its exterior by removing key architectural element that contribute to the significance as a whole.”

Twentieth Century Society were strongly opposed to the application, citing the removal of the brown mosaic tiles as a major reason.

“The layout of the mosaic panels and glazing is a key component of the architectural composition of the building as originally designed.

“This is a loss of a significant amount of the original historic building fabric, with the replacement panels disrupting the buildings architecture composition.”

Designed by Yorke, Rosenberg and Mardall (YRM), one of Britain’s most prominent post-war architect firms, the building was granted grade II status in 2022 by Historic England.

The building sits within the City Centre Conservation Area and is surrounded by The City Hall, Sheffield War Memorial and Leah’s Yard, all of which are Grade II buildings and significant parts of Sheffield’s rich architectural and cultural history.