Park Hill

Park Hill is a council housing estate, originally designed by two architects, Jack Lynn and Ivor Smith. It was important for meeting the demands for housing after the war, overall creating homes for over 3000 people. The scarcity of bricks at the time meant that concrete was  used, leading to a rise in Brutalism, a style that preferred to expose the structure of the building rather than to conceal them.

Park Hill was officially opened in 1961, being an alternative to back to back slum housing. When first opened, this estate was extremely popular, with residents of all ages and backgrounds. As well as providing around 1000 new homes to Sheffield, the inclusion of shops, bars, schools, and even a keep fit place provided residents with essentials and improved health and wellbeing.

By the 80s, Park Hill declined in popularity, becoming more prone to crime, drugs, and violence. For Park Hill to survive, it needed high maintenance, which was costly, leading it to become unpleasant, dull and, according to residents, prison-like.

In 1998, Park Hill became a Grade II* listed building, despite its state of disrepair. This brought on outrage by many, including the Liberal Democrats who campaigned to have it demolished. In 2005, it was taken on by Urban Splash who aim to restore Park Hill to a thriving residential area, more suited to contemporary styles and needs.

Park Hill was known as the ‘Streets in the Sky’, the concept being that it brought the streets skyward, creating quieter streets within the city and allowed residents to walk the streets under cover from rain, as well as providing enough room for a milk float to travel through.

This estate has potential to become key to Sheffield. The return of shops, bars, and other facilities that were once a huge part of the estate, could make Park Hill a model of good health and wellbeing, as well as providing affordable housing for the increasing demand.

Location
Park Hill is located 5 minutes from Sheffield City Centre and 2 minutes away from the train station, making it an ideal location for new potential homeowners. It is situated on one of the 7 hills of Sheffield to the east of the city centre within a park, providing a more calming environment, despite its city location.
In terms of shops and facilities, it takes around 15 minutes to walk to the nearest shop, 5 minutes to the nearest bus station, 5-10 minutes to the nearest church and 15 minutes to the nearest gym.