The Wicker Arches update

19th December 2012

The Wicker Arches and the Viaduct of which it is only a part are an important visual gateway to the City Centre but many of its 42 arches are currently underused and suffering from graffiti, damp problems and overgrowing vegetation.

  The new route of the inner relief road exposed a  previously hidden and  unattractive facade of the viaduct, and since 2007, with the adoption of the Wicker Riverside Action Plan,  the renovation of the Arches has been   identified  as  a priority  to improve the area.   The monumental arch itself has actually already been cleaned three times  - first sand-blasted in the 1970s, then cleaned and extensively repaired  again  in 1991 (including new trackbed damp proofing and drainage) by the Sheffield Development Corporation, (when the work won a Rail Heritage Award ) and again by the City Council in 2009 in partnership with Network Rail, when  new feature  and flood  lighting  was  installed to highlight the 'gateway' to the City.   Some of the floodlighting of the arches, along with the feature lighting on the Wicker, is currently not operational due to problems with a change in electricity supplier, but it is hoped that it will be fully working again early in the New Year.   The Council remains keen  to work in partnership with Network Rail to clean up the listed Monumental Arch over the Wicker. We also want to renovate as many of the 42 arch voids as possible, to create affordable workspace/studios.  The arches along Walker Street are particularly suited to workspace uses, with cafés or bars at ground floor, giving the opportunity to create a dual aspect from Walker Street and the ring road/Spital Hill as shown on the attached image.   Unfortunately, due to lack of funding and the problems raised by the multiple ownerships of the arch voids (many of which have been sold off by Network Rail to private owners), we have so far been unable to progress the improvement of the arches facing the IRR any further. However the Wicker Arches still remain a priority, and we would be eager to work in partnership with local businesses and property owners to make progress on this project.   The Council welcomes the support of the campaign and hopes it will encourage the owners of the arches to talk to officers about improvements.