Sheffield City Council has been successful in its bid for more than £15m of funding as part of the Government’s Future High Streets Fund, which will be used to rejuvenate Fargate and establish the area as a huge events space within four years.
The new funding will be focussed on plans to create a new multi-use space ‘Event Central’, which will be used to host events and exhibitions, as well as offering co-working space and a café. Under the funding requirements, the plans must be delivered by March 2024.
Councillor Bob Johnson, leader of Sheffield City Council, said: “Our ambition is to create a future-proof city centre, where people can live, work and spend quality time with friends and family in a safe and pleasing environment. To help us achieve this, our Future High Streets Fund proposals focus on adapting the underused upper levels of buildings on Fargate and High Street to become much-needed homes and workspaces, as well as improving our city centre spaces so that they are better placed to host quality events and in turn support our local hospitality, retail and leisure businesses.”
Councillor Mazher Iqbal, cabinet member for business and investment at Sheffield City Council, added: “This is really exciting news for Sheffield and our businesses, and comes in addition to our ongoing investment in our Heart of the City regeneration scheme and that of Aberdeen Standard on The Moor. It has been a fantastic team effort and I’d like to thank our partners at University of Sheffield and all the retailers and property owners who collaborated with us on this bid.”
Professor Vanessa Toulmin, Director of City and Culture at the University of Sheffield, said:
“The University is delighted that the support and academic expertise we brought to the Future High Street Fund has made it one of only 15 bids that has been funded in its entirety and that demonstrates the innovative nature of the proposal and also the partnership elements that shine through the bid. We are also delighted that our architectural and Urban Planning students helped visualise a high street that is as much for the young generation as it is for long term residents and reflects all the elements of the feedback we received from partners and businesses in the City. I never doubted that the uniqueness of our partnership and the amazing abilities of council officers in urban development would result in a unique, creative and very grounded bid that presents a city centre that Sheffield will be proud of.”
