Sheffield’s historic High Street and Fargate have been shortlisted for part of a £675m fund designed to improve its vibrancy.
Sheffield city council, together with the University of Sheffield, has made an application to improve the High Street, Fargate, Castle Square and the top of Angel Street via the government’s Future High Streets fund. It has now been shortlisted as one of 50 bids.
The government has committed £675m to help local high streets become even more vibrant town centres where people live, shop, use services, and spend their leisure time. The Future High Streets Fund will support and fund local areas’ plans to make their high streets and town centres fit for the future.
Councillor Mazher Iqbal, cabinet member for business and investment at Sheffield city council, said: “It’s excellent news to make the second stage of this process. Our city is transforming into a world-leading mix of retail, residential and leisure as evidenced by our Heart of the City II scheme and the improvements on the Moor. But we don’t want change to happen in silos, or the Heart of the City’s obvious benefits to detract from other proud and historic parts of our city.
“That’s why it is important that we now work with government to develop a compelling business case that shows how much pride we have in these streets and our future plans for them. Although there are no guarantees, we are confident that the huge progress we have already made to develop new vibrancy in this part of the city centre will stand us in good stead and, if successful, the Future High Streets fund will help us to do much more.
“If we are successful in the next stage, this financial stimulus for the historic heart of the city centre will help to future-proof it for the generations to come. We have so much more we wish to accomplish and these funds could be one way of helping us to achieve these ambitions.”
