Hundreds of people have taken up the opportunity to have their say and find out more about the Town Deal projects for Stocksbridge in a consultation roadshow which has taken place over the last few weeks.
Residents turned out in good numbers with between 350-400 people attending across four sessions which were held in October at venues across the town.
The drop in consultation roadshow event visited Fox Valley, Stocksbridge Community Leisure Centre, Smithy Moor Community Centre, and Stocksbridge Library – sharing plans, visuals, and information about the fund.
The Towns Fund team have also attended a range of local community group meetings and sessions in recent weeks to update residents on the projects and the next steps in the £24.1 million investment for this part of North Sheffield.
Feedback received at the sessions will now inform the next stage of the process which is to develop and submit the business cases for the Town Deal projects.
The projects are aimed at transforming the fortunes of Stocksbridge and helping to build a sustainable future for residents and businesses as well as building on the town’s location at the gateway to the countryside. Projects include:
The key issues facing the town were highlighted in the first phase of local consultation in October 2020, including the need to improve local facilities, job opportunities and connectivity as well as the regeneration of the Manchester Road area.
Co-chair of the Towns Fund Board Miriam Cates MP said: “It has been great for the board to have the opportunity to speak to people in Stocksbridge about the Towns Fund projects and what their priorities and aspirations are for their community. I was really pleased to see the level of interest and enthusiasm in the town for this fantastic investment for Stocksbridge.”
Deputy leader of Sheffield City Council and Towns Fund Board member Cllr Julie Grocutt said: “I’d like to thank everyone who came to our consultation sessions and gave their thoughts and ideas about the Towns Fund projects.
“This is a really exciting time for Stocksbridge and we’re looking forward to continuing our work with local residents and stakeholders as the plans for the town progress to the next stage.”
The consultation findings will be reported to the Towns Fund Board and shared on the Stocksbridge Towns Fund website www.welcometostocksbridge.co.uk
To keep up to date with news about the projects, you can sign up for the newsletter by following the link here Sheffield City Council - Get news, updates and alerts about the Stocksbridge Town Deal direct to your inbox. (govdelivery.com) Or follow Stocksbridge Town Deal on Facebook and @TownDeal4Stocks on Twitter.
For more information contact Amanda Holmes on Amanda.holmes@sheffield.gov.co.uk or 07747 621902.
ABOUT THE TOWNS FUND
On 27 July 2019, the Prime Minister announced that the Towns Fund would support an initial 101 places across England to develop Town Deal proposals, to drive economic regeneration and deliver long-term economic and productivity growth. See further details of the announcement. PM speech at Manchester Science and Industry Museum - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
A Town Deal is an agreement in principle between government, the Lead Council, and the Town Deal Board. It sets out a vision and strategy for the town, and what each party agrees to do to achieve this vision. See the 101 places being supported to develop Town Deals. list-of-100-places.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk)
Each of the 101 towns selected to work towards a Town Deal also received accelerated funding last year for investment in capital projects that would have an immediate impact and help places “build back better” in the wake of Covid-19. View a list of accelerated funding by place towns-fund-accelerated-funding-grants.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk)