Sheffield Meadowhall submits plans for £300m 'Leisure Hall'

The Leisure Hall would be integrated with the front of the existing centre "to create a multi-levelled, landscaped open space"

Detailed plans have been submitted for a £300m extension of Sheffield's Meadowhall shopping centre.

The proposed Leisure Hall at the South Yorkshire centre would create up to 1,400 jobs.

The 330,000 sq ft (27,800 sq m) facility would include a new cinema, restaurants, gym and new community spaces.

Joint owner British Land said the extension would "continue Meadowhall's evolution".

A new cafe court would be built at the Leisure Hall and the existing cinema would be replaced

The plans, part of a five-year vision to extend the leisure offer at Meadowhall, include:

• an "elegant glazed roof" to "add dining and entertainment options not currently available at Meadowhall"

• new internal and external spaces for events and community use

• improved accessibility and parking, new pedestrian walkways, electric car charge points and cycle lanes

• a new multi-storey car park with "green walls" to aid biodiversity

• a replacement cinema, with solar panels on the roof to provide around 10% of the extension's energy consumption

Around 540 jobs would be created during construction, in addition to 1,400 new jobs once the leisure hall is complete.

Sheffield City Council is expected to make a decision on the application in spring.

The shopping centre, which opened in 1990, is already undergoing a £60m refurbishment due for completion at the end of 2017

Darren Pearce, Meadowhall centre director and president of Sheffield Chamber of Commerce, said the extension would be a "major milestone" for the shopping centre.

Richard Wright, Sheffield Chamber of Commerce executive director, said it would be a "jewel in the Sheffield City Region's crown".

He added: "The Leisure Hall will retain spend in Sheffield city region by ensuring residents do not need to travel out of the area to fulfil their shopping and leisure needs.

"We welcome British Land's exciting plans and lend our wholehearted support.

"They will reinvigorate Meadowhall and serve as a catalyst for further investment in the region."

Accessibility and parking will be improved with new pedestrian walkways, electric car charge points, cycle lanes and a multi-storey car park to replace parking spaces taken up by the extension

In Sheffield city centre, the current demolition of the Grosvenor House Hotel is under way.

It will be replaced by a new £90m HSBC building in the new year as part of the Sheffield Retail Quarter.

A new city centre Primark store recently opened and a nine-screen cinema is due to open in the near future.