COMMENT Levelling up. We have heard it thousands of times now, but what does it really mean for a city like Sheffield?
We learnt last month that HS2 will not be coming to Sheffield, which was a significant blow, not just for the city but for the region. Agreeing to progress the southern leg of HS2 imminently, but only proceeding with half of the scheme in the North seems to fly in the face of any serious levelling-up intentions.
But HS2 was never just about the trains, it was also about kick-starting regeneration around our regional cities, and Sheffield certainly needs that. As a case in point, consider how the area around St Pancras and King’s Cross has been transformed by Argent and LCR; the railway upgrade is almost incidental to how that part of the city has changed.
Losing HS2 is a missed opportunity for Sheffield, but we can still pull things back if the same investment goes into that part of the city, no matter what the project is called. But we need that investment now; there can be no more delays. Sheffield needs to keep shouting about this, along with the other key northern cities. The collective response from the North about these recent transport disappointments has been encouraging – speaking with one loud voice may be what it takes for the government to take the sentiment of the North seriously.
Post-pandemic world
The pandemic has made everyone reimagine their lives and consider what really matters to them. Factors such as the length or existence of a commute and the availability of outdoor space have shot up the priority list, and this creates an amazing opportunity for Sheffield.
Before the pandemic, the fact that more than one-third of Sheffield is located in the Peak District (pictured), that it has more trees per person than any other European city and has some 250 parks, woodlands and gardens, would have been a nice throwaway line when talking about the city. But heading into 2022, these are often the key drivers of what makes people decide to move here, stay here and start a business here. All wrapped up with Sheffield’s excellent slogan of being the “Outdoor City”.
Attracting inward investment
Put the “Outdoor City” alongside great-value housing, a thriving independent cultural scene and two leading universities, as well as it genuinely being a “15-minute city”, and you have all the ingredients necessary for Sheffield to thrive over the next decade. Its “liveability” is its greatest strength. What we need from levelling up is the infrastructure glue which holds it all together – improved transport and greater investment in education and skills.
We need to see the regeneration of a city as a cycle, and that has to start with people. People bring the skills, the skills bring the jobs and the jobs create the demand for new investments. Sheffield is now in a prime position to capitalise on attracting the best people to come to the UK’s most liveable city.
To succeed, a city needs to know what it is good at and then tailor its investment programme around that strategy. Sheffield is excelling at this now – we are a city of makers and creators, home to some of the world’s greatest innovations. And building on its heritage as a world-class steel producer, the city has pivoted well into advanced manufacturing and the creative industries.
Setting up for the future
The new UK Atomic Energy Authority’s facility on the edge of the city houses a world-first facility in which we will be able to simulate the extreme conditions found within a fusion power plant, but without any nuclear reactions taking place. While the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre is supporting projects at the cutting edge of health and wellbeing innovation, including developing robotics for children with special needs and research into the challenges of managing physical activity alongside the extended symptoms associated with long Covid.
These innovations need market-leading facilities, and that’s where the real estate industry comes in, to provide innovative spaces to support economic growth.
Differentiating ourselves in this way is what will set Sheffield apart from other UK cities and give people a specific reason to invest in Sheffield. We don’t need to compete with Manchester and Leeds; we have set the agenda on our own terms and it’s working.
Kellie Hatton is a partner at Shoosmiths
