£50m boost agreed for city’s economic recovery

Sheffield is set to benefit from £50m worth of investment to help the city’s recovery and renewal from the COVID pandemic.

It comes as part of a plan agreed by Councillor Bob Johnson, leader of Sheffield City Council and the Sheffield City Region Mayor Dan Jarvis, alongside the leaders of local authorities in Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham.

Over the next 12 months, the funding will help a range of projects, including:

• Further investment in Sheffield’s high streets, including the Heart of the City project at Pinstone Street, Peace Gardens and Fargate; and developing new, green spaces in the city centre as part of the ‘Breathing Spaces’ project
• Developing housing schemes on brownfield land, including Porter Brook, Attercliffe and Cannon Brewery
• Funding to help revitalise Stocksbridge High Street
• Work to accelerate flood defence improvements for the Sheaf Catchment
• Improved bus and cycle routes to the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District
• Developing access to the former Parkwood Springs Ski Village site, to help create a world-class outdoor leisure and visitor attraction, boosting the tourism industry and creating jobs
• Major investment in active travel routes in the Sheaf Valley, Nether Edge, Crookes, and Kelham Island

Sheffield will also share in the new South Yorkshire Renewal Fund from 2022, an investment fund worth up to £500m for jobs, skills, businesses and infrastructure, to unlock the potential of the region’s people, businesses and places.

The plans will be approved by the Sheffield City Region Mayoral Combined Authority on March 22.

Cllr Johnson said: “As we begin to recover from the pandemic it is vital that we take this important step in securing investment for city-wide projects that will create long-term positive benefits for Sheffield.

“These include a rejuvenated, forward-thinking city centre designed to grow and adapt with the needs of the people who use it and an established network of active travel infrastructure that will revolutionise the way people move around the city.

“As the UK’s fourth-largest city we need to lead the way in supporting our local economy by offering a high standard of employment opportunities, homes and leisure experiences that makes Sheffield a destination for so many people.

“This plan will enable us to work with our partners in the region to deliver these key investments that will benefit the people of South Yorkshire for years to come.”

Jarvis added: “We will deliver an immediate investment of £50m over the next 12 months in the things that matter to people in Sheffield, helping the borough’s recovery from COVID.

“This is the power of devolution: it means we can protect and create jobs, build new flood defences, create stronger transport links and revitalise high streets and towns.

“We’ve started to make Sheffield an even better place to live, work and invest and we believe that our best days lie ahead of us.”

This latest investment for the region also features allocations of £26m for Barnsley and £30m for projects in Doncaster.

The money for Doncaster will support schemes such as a new high-speed bus route between Doncaster and Barnsley, flood defences at Bentley, and further improvements to Doncaster Railway Station.

Schemes set to benefit from Barnsley’s £26m include support for the transformation of the town centre at The Glass Works and a new bridge for pedestrians and cyclists linking the new town square with the railway and bus station.