More cash on offer to transform empty premises in city centre

Grants of up to £50,000 are available to businesses in Sheffield to transform under-used spaces in Fargate.

The second round of funding, part of the ReNew Project, will support local businesses and organisations to revive empty shops and bring vibrancy to areas of the city centre which have struggled in recent years.

The funding is available for prime locations on Fargate. Businesses from a range of customer-facing industries are encouraged to apply, including food and beverage, retail, leisure, hospitality and arts and culture.

Fargate is at the centre of Sheffield City Council’s plans to reimagine the city centre and will soon be home to Event Central, a year-round events and exhibition space, as well as street renovations, including new pocket parks, seating areas and lighting.

The improvements and ReNew grants are funded by the £15.8m Future High Streets Fund which the council successfully bid for in 2021.

Councillor Mazher Iqbal, co-chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee, said: “We recognise the need and desire to reinstate Fargate as a vibrant and social part of the city centre and the ReNew project is one of the many ways we hope to achieve this.

“With so many exciting businesses in the city, some just starting out and others keen to expand, it is critical we work with them to inject new life into the area – encouraging them to be creative in their plans and use this opportunity to try something new, expand or move to a central location.

“We are looking for projects that will have a long-lasting positive impact on the city centre and will benefit from the regeneration taking place.”