Part of plant nursery to be restored as parkland

By Gbam Godwin On Sep 11, 2025

Part of plant nursery to be restored as parkland.

Part of a defunct plant nursery that is currently used as a council depot and rubbish collection site will be returned to parkland.

Sheffield City Council’s Charity Trustee Sub-Committee has agreed to free up portions of the former Norton Nurseries site in Graves Park while enabling the authority to continue operations on the rest.

Friends of Graves Park, who have been campaigning for years to see the entire property turned into parkland, praised it as a “positive step forward” but expressed sorrow that trash operations would continue.

Caroline Dewar, chair of the committee, commented: “This was where the original 17th or 18th Century walled garden for Norton Hall was and it’s being used as a depot and dump – it’s so sad.”

According to Friends of Graves Park, the site currently houses the council’s parks and countryside department’s trucks and equipment, as well as trash from at least 35 other parks and green spaces throughout the city.

Following Monday’s judgement, the council may continue to utilise a limited section of the Norton Nurseries site under a formal five-year licence agreement and appropriate rates.

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Google/Friends of Graves Park A Google Maps aerial image shows the site divided into three sections, each marked with red arrows and labelled with boxes explaining their purpose. The one on the left is the new arboretum and meadow. The one in the middle is the proposed next section and the one on the right is the current are used by Sheffield City Council.

Councillor Richard Williams, chair of the Charity Trustee Sub-Committee, stated that the decision struck a compromise between financial sustainability, operational efficiency, and their responsibility to protect the park.

“This solution is not just practical, it protects the charity’s interests, ensures the park is maintained to the highest standards, and secures vital funding for improvements, with £6,300 ring-fenced each year for enhancements within Graves Park,” said Mr. Smith. “We understand how important Graves Park is to local families, friends groups, and Sheffield citizens.

“That’s why we are taking every step with care, listening to your views, and working transparently.”

Friends of Graves Park The image shows several containers on a site used for storing waste. — The site is currently used to store waste before disposal

There will be a public consultation about the site’s future usage. Once the current licence period expires on November 30, a new short-term licence will be required to continue using the complete site for up to 12 months.

The council could then function from the smaller base under the five-year licence. “We are still not happy that they are still going to use it for collecting rubbish and dumping it on there,” Mrs.

Dewar added. “They don’t perceive it as a historical landmark; they see it as a garbage. “It should be treated with respect.”

Friends of Graves Park The image shows several different types of trees and well-kept lawn. — One of the other areas has been turned into an arbor

Friends of Graves Park, who have already restored two other portions of the nursery property, plan to transform the new section into a woodland garden.

Graves Park was purchased for the citizens of Sheffield by John George Graves and is now managed by a charity trust, of which Sheffield City Council is the sole trustee. According to the Charities Act of 2011, any use of charity-owned land must benefit the charity and not the council.

According to Ms Dewar, the council attempted to sell the site, which is designated charitable parkland, for a council housing complex in 1998 and proposed building a hospice in 2008, but both bids were rejected by locals.