Dear readers — For years, the Sheffield Ski Village has been a running joke. “Is the Ski Village on fire,” one website asks mockingly. “Probably,” is the evergreen answer. But now change is afoot. The notoriously flammable site is due to be reborn, like a phoenix from the flames, as a downhill karting track or “street luge” experience.
Last week, Dan spent some time in the company of two amiable Kiwis at Parkwood Springs to learn more about their plans, and how they plan to convince local people to part with their cash to fling themselves down a hill. That’s today’s big story.
As well as that, we have news of Sheffield council's newest political grouping, details of what’s on at the Castlegate Festival, and a stunning house in Heeley.
In case you missed it
For our weekend read Victoria dug into the Sheffield charity CADS, who are the council’s preferred choice to run the multi-million Event Central venue on Fargate. Earlier this month, CADS abruptly shut its existing venue to evade debt collectors — who are being instructed by none other than the council itself. Sheffield council is “in a bit of a Catch 22,” one source told us: “They can’t close down their only possible option to run this brand new venue, which they’ve already caught a lot of flak for spending lots of money on, or they’ll look pretty stupid.”
On Wednesday, theatre critic Matt Barton reviewed The Crucible's production of William Shakespeare’s King Lear for us. The play, which stars Ian McDiarmid from the Star Wars films, had been well reviewed by other titles, but left our reviewer cold. Indeed, his review was so controversial that many Tribune members left their own reviews of Barton’s review, with one describing it as “predictably waspish” and another as “warped”. You can join the debate here or, better still, see the play and decide for yourself.
And on Thursday, Dan returned to the subject of freeholds and the shadowy (and strangely named) company Tixerbon — which spells “No Brexit” backwards. We covered the firm earlier this year when they started sending letters demanding money from homeowners for their freeholds. However, in just the last few weeks they have sent more letters saying homeowners will have “FOR SALE” signs put up in their front gardens, whether they like it or not. Sheffield MP Abtisam Mohamed has written to the housing minister to decry the company’s “incredibly misleading” tactics.
The Tribune can only cover stories like those above because of the support of our paying members. They are the ones who have enabled us to grow from just one member of staff in 2021, to a team of four today. If you value what we do and want us to grow and thrive in the future, you need to pay for it. It costs just £8.95 a month or £89 if you pay for the year up front. For that you will get eight extra editions of The Tribune every month, plus the right to comment on all our stories and invitations to exclusive members' events.
The big picture: Sow do you do? 🐖
Heeley City Farm has some very cute animals, but we think we might have found the cutest. Vivienne Junior, a critically rare Large Black pig, has just become a mum for the first time, welcoming four piglets, one of which is pictured above.
The big story: ‘Unnecessary overdevelopment’: Ski village plans divide opinion
Top line: New Zealand firm Skyline have committed to regenerating the former Ski Village site, after protracted negotiations with Sheffield council to ensure it’s worth their while. As a result, they’ve finally unveiled their plans to the public – and are keen to hear your opinions by 27 September.
It’s bloody fantastic, eh? On Wednesday, The Tribune met Geoff McDonald and Sam Goddard from Skyline at Parkwood Springs, which they described — in typical Kiwi fashion — as “bloody fantastic, eh?”. The first phase of their plans will see a chair lift and two downhill tracks built, as well as a playground, a cafe, an educational attraction and a 339-space car park. Plans for phase two would include a wave experience, an extra downhill track and (possibly) the reopening of the site’s ski slopes, although Skyline say another firm would have to develop this for them. McDonald said that, if everything goes to plan, people could be using the first phase attractions by mid-2028.
Background: Almost from the moment the old Ski Village burned to a crisp in 2012, snow sports fans have been desperate for someone to bring it back to life. However, given the abandoned remains have continued to catch fire at surprisingly regular intervals for the last 14 years, many began to assume it would remain a charred husk forever.
- In 2016, the council began looking for someone to redevelop, eventually selecting a consortium led by EXTREME Destinations. Their £22.5 million vision, revealed two years later, promised snow sports, an indoor sky-diving facility, a live music venue, a Virtual Reality hub and themed accommodation.
- But, in 2021, the council terminated its agreement with EXTREME, citing a lack of progress. According to Kevin Pullan, the last owner of the Ski Village, this was ultimately for the best. “Their scheme was naff,” he told us previously, “it was not a patch on what was burned down.”
- To ensure the next attempt didn’t fall through, the council successfully applied for a £19.1m grant from the government’s Levelling Up Fund, in order to improve access and clear the site. This work included the creation of a new road, which meant the Inkerman Silver cutlery firm had to be relocated elsewhere.
Geoff McDonald from Skyline Enterprises at Parkwood Springs and one of the luges. Photos: Dan Hayes/The Tribune.
‘A permeable boundary’: Geoff McDonald was very keen to stress that people won’t be kept out of the site with high fences, meaning dog walkers and mountain bikers will still be welcome at Parkwood Springs, although a few mountain bike trails will have to be relocated. “We've had to juggle things like chairlifts and luge tracks around to fit within the existing rights of way,” he said. “But that also means we’re going to retain the park-like feel, which we really like. The boundary will remain permeable.”
Concerns: The first public consultation event was held last Wednesday, at Heist in Neepsend. While most of those present were generally positive, some did express concerns about the loss of public land, the possible destruction of mature trees, and whether the attraction would be affordable for people in the local area.
- The former Ski Village took up just 6% of the total area of Parkwood Springs, while Skyline plan to commandeer 10%. At the event, Skyline’s PR representative said this encroachment was unavoidable given what they plan to create.
- Arbourist Matthew Crawford said he would be objecting to the future planning application, as it would lead to the destruction of around 30 mature oak trees. Planning consultant Charles Dunn from Urbana said the exact location of the karting tracks were not yet set in stone, and that mature oak trees have special protection in the planning process.
- McDonald told The Tribune that using the luge track would cost around £4-5 per run, plus around £1-2 just to use the chair lift. He added that, at the company’s other sites worldwide, visitors normally spend around four hours, with package deals available for groups.
Computer generated images of how the completed attraction will look. Image: Skyline.
Unnecessary expansion? A petition has been launched to protect Parkwood Springs from “overdevelopment,” arguing the land is “more than a development opportunity” and that greater consideration should be given to wildlife and those that currently use the park. “We are not against the old Ski Village site being redeveloped. After years of dereliction, we understand that development there is likely to happen,” the petition reads. “What we are against is unnecessarily expanding development into the surrounding green space and taking land that local people and wildlife already use and value.”
Our take: There is still a long way to go, but it’s great to see something finally happening on Parkwood Springs. In our view, the plans look exciting (indeed, several team members are very keen to have a go themselves) but some legitimate concerns do remain. Hopefully, these issues can be addressed to the satisfaction of local residents during the planning process. We await further developments with interest.
The weekly Whitworth ✍️
Cartoonist James Whitworth with his take on the freehold feeding frenzy, as, in the words of Sheffield MP Abtisam Mohamed, “bad actors” seek to “exploit an outdated system” for cash.
Your Tribune briefing 🗞️
🗳️ Sheffield has a brand new political group! Shiregreen and Brightside councillor Mick Lee and Firth Park councillor Robert Hanson have officially formed the New Chartist Reform Group, after leaving Reform UK due to differences with the local leadership. The name evokes the Chartist movement, which campaigned for universal democratic rights in the mid-19th century. One of its leaders, Samuel Holberry, even tried to start a revolution in Sheffield in 1840, but was apprehended and died in prison two years later. Holberry, who The Tribune wrote about in January, is commemorated with a plaque in the Peace Gardens.
Councillor Lee told us that, while he and Councillor Hanson still need to sit down and decide their policies and positions, they plan to honour both parts of their name: chartism and reform. “We believe in fairness and we want to create a better deal for the people of Sheffield,” he told us. “The Chartists were a great cause for change within the country at the time — but, yes, I am aware of what happened to their leader.” As well as focusing on disability issues, which personally affect them both, he said they will also be fighting to save the green belt. “Independents have very little power and say,” he added. “Forming a working group allows us a bit more clout and the ability to support each other.”
💰 If we had a nickel for every time a Sheffield-born crypto billionaire donated millions to Reform UK, we’d have two nickels — which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice. So far this year, Christopher Harbourne and Ben Delo have collectively pledged £72 million to the party. Delo, who was found guilty of breaching money laundering laws in the US four years ago, said he hopes his gift of £36m will “level the playing field” at the next general election. This inspired Harbourne, who previously gave Farage £5m to restart his political career, to match him. If anyone has theories on why Sheffield seems to produce so many right-wing cryptocurrency billionaires, please let us know.
🎂 Many happy returns to Ben’s Centre, the Sheffield centre for rough sleepers and people struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, which has just celebrated its 30th birthday. Ben's Centre was launched by city centre policeman Ian Sherman in 1996, and has since gone on to help thousands of people in the city. The BBC reports that Sherman, who was nicknamed Ben by his clients, set up the centre after becoming frustrated with seeing the same people getting into trouble for street drinking in Sheffield city centre. Last year, Ben’s Centre helped 462 people. CEO Sarah Batty said many of their clients are often ignored on the street but, at the centre, they have company and someone prepared to listen to them.
🚨 And finally, Sheffield’s famous 1 o’clock siren has fallen silent permanently. The siren, which has sounded since 1874, was originally installed by jeweler H. L. Brown to prove how accurate its timepieces were. However, when the firm left earlier this year, its replacement Loupe removed the siren and donated it to H.L. Brown’s management. “I think it’s very sad that it’s gone,” Craig Broadwith from the Sheffield Historic Building Trust told The Star.
Home of the week 🏡
This Victorian mid-terrace in Heeley is set over four floors and has five large double bedrooms, plus three reception rooms and three bathrooms. It also has a large private garden and outbuildings with ample storage space, and a basement level studio bedroom with kitchenette, shower and WC perfect for hosting guests. It is on the market for £375,000.
Things to do 📆
Talk 💬 On Wednesday, join Sheffield Museums to explore the restitution and repatriation of museum objects to the their original communities. The return of objects to their communities of origin can be a powerful cultural, spiritual and symbolic act which recognises past wrongs, and can help foster cultural justice and contribute towards healing for the diaspora and those source communities. The 45-minute talk at Weston Park Museum is free and begins at 1pm.
Festival 🏰 On from now until 20 September is the Castlegate Festival, a celebration of the heritage, arts, music and market scene in Castlegate, Sheffield’s oldest quarter. This year’s edition includes tours of the award-winning urban regeneration and sustainable drainage scheme Grey to Green, exhibitions at S1 Artspace, Harmony Works and the former Tap and Barrel pub on Waingate, and an Exchange Street Music Party on Saturday, 19 September.
Conference ✍️ On Saturday at the Showroom Workstation, join the Society of Authors for their 2026 conference. This year’s edition is about AI and the creative workforce, and seeks to equip members with practical tools and advice for professional life in the age of AI, while celebrating the importance of human connection. Speakers include several Sheffield-based creatives including poet and author Helen Mort, illustrator Lisa Maltby and writer Anna Caig.
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