Decision to be made on the Fargate Container Park

The Fargate Container Park will likely be dismantled and stored for future use in Sheffield's communities and parks, according to a report coming to the Council's Strategy and Resources Committee.

Tenants were told on Friday that the containers would be dismantled from Monday, January 30th, and removal must be completed by the end of February to allow resurfacing and beautification of Fargate to begin.

So far, the Council has spent a shocking £500,000 on the project, £140,000 more than was originally budgeted for the project, which missed its opening date by three months.

The project also reportedly required up to £10,000 a month to hire a diesel generator, due to a missing power outlet that was only discovered once construction had begun.

Furthermore, the first floor bar was never approved to open, due to delays around fire safety access and the installation of a lift.

Despite being the least expensive option, the option of placing the containers in storage will still cost the council a further £46,000, with the future costs of moving the containers to another location in parks and communities still unknown.

Councillors have alternative options open to them, including to sell the containers or to move them to two possible sites near the train station – however, these options present even higher costs and challenges for the Council.

Councillor Martin Smith, Lib Dem chair of the Council's Economic Development and Skills committee, said:

"This project has been a huge disappointment and I feel sorry for the tenants who have got caught up in this mess.

The money to build these containers came from the Government’s ‘Get Building Fund’, and I think the  real question is what else could the Council have spent that money on?

I've also got major concerns about the proposal for an internal audit.  For such a high profile project that's 50% overbudget and not even complete, it's not good enough for the Council to mark its own homework."