Ten city high streets set to receive £500,000 investment

Businesses in ten areas across Sheffield are to benefit from more than £500,000 worth of investment in their high streets.

Sheffield City Council has confirmed further areas which will be supported by its Economic Recovery Fund, a grant set up in the wake of the pandemic to support local high streets and hard-hit sectors.

Project groups, led by businesses, councillors and community groups, have put forward ideas to increase footfall and encourage Sheffield residents to explore their local high streets, as well as discover new areas of the city.

The successful locations are:

• Abbeydale Road
• Chapeltown
• Manor Park
• Mosborough
• Nether Edge
• Page Hall
• Spital Hill
• Woodhouse

There are also two city centre projects that have been awarded funding, led by Site Gallery and Angel Street Kinema, based at the Kommune co-working space.

Councillor Paul Turpin, executive member for inclusive economy, jobs and skills and chair of the Economic Recovery Fund Steering Group, said: “Across Sheffield we have a fantastic retail and hospitality offer but it’s been a tough time and many businesses are not out of the woods yet.

“I hope that encouraging businesses to work in collaboration in this way, with the council enabling and facilitating, is something we can continue into the future.”

The successful projects will deliver a mix of new street furniture, events, marketing and promotion, more street trees and Christmas lights – with each area designing their own project to fit local character and needs.

Sheffield City Council has also committed to funding business information officers for another year, until March 2023, through the Economic Recovery Fund.

This team of experts has been providing Covid safety guidance along with ‘business saving’ and growth advice to traders in extremely difficult conditions.

Councillor Julie Grocutt, Sheffield City Council deputy leader and executive member for community engagement and governance and deputy chair of the Economic Recovery Fund Steering Group, said: “The Business Information Officers have been an incredible resource and are really shaping how we see our business support service developing in the future – being in person and out in communities.

“They have also been pivotal in bringing businesses together and getting them to self-organise into business forums, which I think will prove invaluable as we work with them in the future.”