Story by Douglas Johnson | Photography by Steve Barnard
Forum House, at the bottom of Spital Hill, is to be sold by the Council for £400,000.
The building has been a key property in Burngreave since the Black Community Forum (BCF) obtained European funding for a major refurbishment.
New Deal bought the building from BCF in 2006 for £450,000.
The building then housed a number of community organisations – the Burngreave Community Learning Campaign, Burngreave Opportunities, Apprenticeships for All, Supporting Business, and StreetworX – as well as BCF itself.
It was one of New Deal’s three main building projects – along with the Vestry Hall and Sorby House.
When New Deal ended, the Council took the building over and it stayed empty for a while.
In 2013, the Council leased it to AA Hamilton College, a London-based business, for ten years. The Council spent an extra £100,000 for improvements as an incentive. The College struggled to maintain its business and ceased operating.
Since then some employees have set up a new company, ETL Sheff Properties Ltd, and want to buy the building “to continue to provide an educational and community based facility.” A price of £400,000 has been agreed.