Watch more of our videos on Shots!
and live on Freeview channel 276

Traders in Sheffield’s troubled shipping container attraction have urged councillors not to ‘write it off as a failure’ – and to relocate it outside the station.

Business owners say it would be a ‘real injustice’ to scrap the £540,000 project after they had endured so much. And a thriving independent hub outside a main entry point to Sheffield ‘will certainly improve that first impression of the city’, they believe.

Adam France, owner of Heist Brew Co, said it wasn’t about trying to cling on to additional revenue but trying to provide the city with a ‘much-needed success story’.

His appeal, ‘on behalf of all businesses involved’, is in a letter to councillors set to decide the fate of the scheme. Container Park was supposed to open in July offering street food, bars and shops. But it was delayed for months, ran over budget and never fully opened. Officials are recommending it goes into storage before being broken up and used as toilets or for catering in parks.

Adam France, owner of Heist Brew Co, is urging councillors not to scrap Container Park.

But Mr France is confident that with the 'exclusion' of certain unnamed people and in consultation with the businesses involved there is 'no reason why a container project cannot thrive in Sheffield like it has in other cities'.

He wrote: “We write this letter as a collective, a community, and a resilient group of businesses who have stood by a failed project throughout its longevity. There has no doubt been a huge failing in part of this project, but this has not been down to the vendors or businesses, nor has it been due to a lack of support from the council.”

He added: “As soon as it became apparent the project was taking a negative turn we gathered together to combat the issues...this resulted in us all taking responsibility for resolving them. We have facilitated maintenance, litter picked, performed electrical and plumbing repairs, and even cleaned up human excrement.”

It ends with an appeal to councillors: “You have a real opportunity to utilise the ideas and experiences of successful Sheffield independent business owners that are already invested in the project and that can bring so much, not just to this project but to the city of Sheffield itself.”

The Strategy and Resources Committee meets on Tuesday, January 24. The development will close on January 29.

Container Park Sheffield: Traders urge councillors not to scrap £540,000 project