Meeting to be held over future of historic house in Sheffield park
Meersbrook Hall in Meersbrook Park has been closed for the past three years
The organisers of a public meeting that discussed the future of a historic building in a Sheffield park have called another meeting after volunteers came forward to offer their help.
The organisers of the meeting to discuss Meersbrook Hall in Meersbrook Park say they were “absolutely astonished” at the response to a call-out for people to get involved in helping to shape its future and bring it back into some form of community use.
An audience of 46 people gathered earlier this month (February 13) at St Paul’s Church in Norton Lees. They included Gleadless Valley ward councillor Marieanne Elliot, Couns Kurtis Crossthorn and Laura Moynahan, who are chair and deputy chair of the council’s communities, parks and leisure policy committee, and Tom Smith, council director of communites and engagement.
As a result 51 people joined a mailing list and 34 have offered their skills to help try to bring the building, which is in need of extensive repairs, back to life.
One of the meeting organisers, Andy Kershaw, said people “made it absolutely clear that we don’t want this building sold off and that it should be reopened to the public with access to toilets”.
He said that council officers and elected members pledged their support. They agreed to open lines of communication in accordance with the council’s new communities strategy.
The 18th-century hall and estate was bought by the Sheffield Corporation – forerunner to the council – and opened as Meersbrook Park in 1887.
The hall was used as the Ruskin Museum from 1890 to 1953, showcasing a collection created by Victorian philanthropist and social reformer John Ruskin. That is now on display in the Ruskin Gallery inside the city centre Millennium Gallery.
The hall was later taken over by the council parks and recreation department.
After council staff were moved out in 2015, the keys were handed over to the Friends of Meersbrook Hall and Heeley Development Trust (now Heeley Trust).
The hall has been closed for the past three years after the trust failed to secure a long-term lease for the building, where it had mainly run adult education classes.
A meeting called for Tuesday, March 10 at 6pm in St Paul’s Church, Angerford Avenue will discuss the next steps. For more information, email [email protected]