Sheffield city centre shopping boost with £21m investment approved

Artist's impression of Pinstone Street, Sheffield
-Credit: (Image: Sheffield City Council)


Sheffield city centre businesses are set to receive a £21m boost under new plans approved by the council.

South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard, together with local leaders, has approved £21 million of investment into the Connecting Sheffield: City Centre project.

The project is set to provide more space for people in the centre, and will allow businesses to use more outdoor space for people to shop, eat and spend time, subject to licences. It is part of the council’s plans to boost the city centre.

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Cllr Ben Miskell, Chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee, said, “Sheffield is changing. It’s transforming into an incredible city offering something for everyone whether you’re a resident here or visiting from further afield. Our Connecting Sheffield: City Centre project links up all the key areas in the city centre.

“From the Heart of the City’s great shops, services, dining, and entertainment to our fantastic shopping experience at The Moor and the new Fargate project as it nears completion. This investment will contribute further to the ongoing transformation of our cleaner, greener, more thriving city centre.”

It will provide new, connected walking, wheeling (using wheelchairs, pushchairs and mobility scooters) and cycling routes in the city centre which, coupled with changes to make bus journeys more reliable, will give people more choice in how they travel.

How the Dutch roundabout could look
How the Dutch roundabout could look -Credit:Connecting Sheffield

Connecting Sheffield is a long-term programme of improvements, aiming to transform the transport infrastructure that people use to get around the whole city. This funding, specifically for the city centre part of the project, will help Sheffield City Council deliver the project, improve public spaces and connect key developments.

Cllr Miskell added: ““By giving you more space in the city centre, and more choice in how you travel, we can reduce congestion on the roads to make bus journeys more reliable. We’re also introducing safer walking, wheeling, and cycling routes that will connect to other parts of the city. The changes we’ve already made to improve reliability of bus journeys mean the Connecting Sheffield: City Centre project will make travelling into the city centre by bus an even more realistic option too.”

The scheme proposals will also create new green streets with “high-quality planting and landscaping”, and sustainable urban drainage to slow the flow of water and reduce the risk of flooding.

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Oliver Coppard, South Yorkshire’s Mayor, added: “Building a healthier, wealthier and happier South Yorkshire is central to my ambition as South Yorkshire’s Mayor.

“This important city centre project will not just give us greater freedom and choice about how we travel and move, but will also support our plans to make South Yorkshire the healthiest region in the country.

“It is part of the steps we are taking across our region to build new walking and cycling routes over the next three years - creating better places and more opportunities for us all to move more and move differently.”

Funding was approved by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) Board earlier this month and forms part of SYMCA’s £166 million Transforming Cities Fund investment across South Yorkshire.

Construction is due to start on the project in January 2025, and the Traffic Regulation Orders to make the required changes to roads are being advertised until Thursday, October 17. To view the orders and comment, click here.

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