The creation of more people-friendly, prosperous streets in Sheffield city centre is due to get underway, helping to bring in a more open, attractive and spacious area for people to relax, enjoy and spend time in.
Construction on the Connecting Sheffield: City Centre project will begin on Monday 10 February, initially with improvements to Pinstone Street. These include replacing kerbing near the Town Hall between February and April and making some of the temporary pedestrianisation between Charles Street and The Moor permanent between February and May.
Part of a £21 million package of dedicated funding from the Department for Transport to develop connected and inclusive transport networks, the project will create more open, attractive places and spaces in the city centre. It will also deliver direct, safer and more attractive walking, wheeling and cycling routes through the city centre.
Following these initial works, Connecting Sheffield: City Centre will see improvements to the rest of Pinstone Street, Surrey Street, Charles Street and Arundel Gate. The new bus hub on Rockingham Street, the introduction of the Sheffield Connect free city centre bus service and the Arundel Gate bus gate have already been completed as part of the project, as well as rerouting bus services to make journeys by bus more reliable.
I’m thrilled that work is getting underway on this fantastic project. Not only will our city centre streets be more vibrant with more space for people to enjoy, but we’ll also create an environment that is more prosperous, where businesses can thrive too.
There’ll be more outdoor space for restaurants and cafes, more opportunities to attract large scale events which bring people into the city centre, and better transport links to ensure passengers and employees can get to where they need to be.
Councillor Ben Miskell, Chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee said
We are excited to begin this transformative Sheffield city centre project. By creating welcoming spaces and improving Pinstone Street, we'll enhance the experience for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users. This project reflects Galliford Try’s dedication to multi-modal transport schemes that deliver sustainable urban spaces for communities.
Glennan Blackmore, Managing Director for Galliford Try Infrastructure
Work will be done in phases, and the completed project will link the improvement works on Fargate, developments at the Heart of the City and The Moor – continuing the development of our thriving city centre. Walking, wheeling and cycling will be easier, public transport will be more attractive for people and there are still thousands of car parking spaces available.
Sheffield is changing, it’s transforming into a vibrant place where residents and visitors can already enjoy fantastic shops, restaurants and events. These changes we are making, alongside our construction partners Galliford Try, are only going to add to that. We are creating a city centre fit for the future, that everyone can feel proud of and somewhere we can all love now and for many generations to come.
Cllr Miskell added
Connecting Sheffield: City Centre is being delivered by Sheffield City Council and is part-funded by South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.
The funding can only be used for developments to improve transport in the city centre, and the project is not funded by council tax.