Sheffield Council invites bids for ill-fated Fargate shipping containers

Councillors decided the containers should be repurposed for community use

Sheffield Council has invited applications to rehome the shipping containers used in an ill-fated city centre complex.

The local authority said it wanted the eight units to have "community uses".

The containers formed a pop-up space for food stalls and shops which opened in Fargate in October last year but closed just three months later after costing more than £420,000.

They were put into storage after being dismantled in January.

The handling of the project was cited as one reason why Terry Fox, the council's former leader, was forced by Labour to resign on the eve of May's local elections.

Councillors considered reopening the complex in a different location or selling off the units before deciding to repurpose the containers for community use.

Groups interested in using one of the containers for free have been given until 10 September to apply.

A steering group will consider all applications before making recommendations to the Strategy and Resources Committee later this year, the local authority said.

The council has asked applicants to show how their proposal meets objectives such as "fair, inclusive and empowered communities", tackling inequality, supporting people through the cost-of-living crisis and healthy living.

Current council leader Tom Hunt said: "We're committed to ensuring the containers find new homes in communities across Sheffield.

"I'm looking forward to hearing about the proposals and to seeing the containers repurposed in new locations across the city".

The council said it would not provide any funding towards the use of the containers, including transportation to their new sites.

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