Source: Sheffield Star
An Economic Masterplan that will drive Sheffield’s regeneration forward over the next 15 years and is the first of it’s kind Britain, could be unveiled before the autumn.
Ian Bromley, head of new city regeneration company, Creative Sheffield, says the new plan will build on physical improvements to the city and lay the foundations for its economic transformation.
‘There are lots of studies and strategy documents around. One of the thing we are trying to accomplish with the Economic Masterplan is to say ‘lets stop talking and lets start doing’.
‘This has to be the plan to end all plans’ says Mr Bromley.
Although there are months of analysis and discussions ahead, Mr Bromley anticipates the Sheffield’s image, the city’s infrastructure and encouraging entrepreneurship will be among the key issues.
He says Sheffield hasn’t promoted itself in recent years, but that is about to change.
‘It is a big part of our business plan to rebrand and update the image of Sheffield,’ says Mr Bromley. ‘The city’s reputation is far behind the reality. Everybody who comes here says that. We’ve got to get that out to the world and bring the world here to see how it’s changed.’
Creative Sheffield is bringing together a team of experts from inside and outside the city to draw up the Masterplan.
They include international development advisor Greg Clark, who has worked as a consultant for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, the British Council and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. He believes the city has a lot going for it.
Sheffield, he says, sits in a metropolitan region of 10 million people, surrounded by a superb environment and smaller cities which contribute to, and benefit from, the city.
It has good access to the UK’s second biggest international airport, Manchester, and is within easy reach of ten leading universities.
‘Sheffield has a superb natural environment that, in the 21st century, will appeal to the lifestyle choices of many young people in the industries you want to attract,’ says Mr Clark. That environment combined with the rapidly improving city centre, creates the right platform on which to build the diverse economy which modern cities around the world need to succeed.
Sheffield’s Council enjoys a ‘vastly improved reputation’ as a business friendly organisation that was performance orientated and had got its house in order.
The city also benefits from being part of an economic triangle that includes Manchester and Leeds as potential customers; has opportunities for good economic collaboration with Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham and is well placed to pick up business spilling out of London as the capital’s growth continues.
‘Sheffield has an historical reputation fir quality. In the rest of the world, there is still some resonance with the idea of Sheffield and quality are associated with each other,’ adds Mr Clark.
‘The last thing is a higher education offer, which I think that potentially is very very important as a means of recruiting, attracting, retaining and developing the population base of the city