Greens promote a different kind of city centre

Sheffield’s Green Party Councillors are putting a motion to next Wednesday’s Full Council meeting supporting a range of measures to support vibrancy in the city centre.

Green Activist Anne Barr said “It’s clear that lots of us really care about making sure that there’s space for small local businesses in Sheffield City Centre.  Thousands of people have signed the petitions to keep small units in the CIQ and near Devonshire Green.”

The motion also supports a number of activities that have been taking place in the city centre, including the Love Square wildflower meadow and the Sheffield City Centre Residents Action Group Inside-Out event.  The Greens also call for better ways of measuring ‘vibrancy’ in the city centre and support the Sheffield Star’s campaign to reduce business rates for small businesses.

Councillor Jillian Creasy commented “We need a more balanced approach to the city centre.  Vibrancy isn’t just about big business and income, it’s about the types of businesses we have, what they sell, when they’re open, and how well they service the people who live, work and shop in the city centre.”

The picture shows Cllr Jillian Creasy (left) and Anne Barr (right) on Devonshire Street.
To find out more about SCCRAG (Sheffield City Centre Residents’ Action Group) go to www.sheffieldccrag.org
NOTES :

Full wording of Motion (Motion 13):
Motion to support genuine vibrancy in the City Centre

1. Welcomes the ongoing public debate about the future of the city centre which is important to the people who live and work in it as well as visitors from the rest of Sheffield, the city region and beyond;
2. Recognises the calls for

• a greater focus on micro and small independent businesses
• more residential development which caters for a wider mix of households
• more green spaces
• a more coordinated approach to balancing the night time entertainment with the need to sleep
• ongoing support for the vulnerable people who gravitate to the centre;

3. Notes that the Cultural Industries and Devonshire Quarter Action Plans set out just such a vision and specifically sought to protect and promote the businesses and communities which created them;
4. Notes that elements of these plans have been carried through into the 2010 draft City Policies and Sites and 2013 draft City Centre Masterplan, both of which have been approved by Cabinet;
5. Therefore welcomes recent initiatives which foster these aims, for instance:

• the support by council and Sheffield University for “meanwhile” use of buildings in the city centre
• the Star’s call for an overhaul of the business rates system which is crippling small traders
• the Inside-Out festival on 25^th October organised by Sheffield City Centre Residents Action Group to celebrate community in the city centre
• the proposed development and application for funding for a wildflower meadow at Love Square on West Bar
• the efforts to improve joint working between Planning, Licensing and the public to ease issues around late night opening and alcohol related problems including the Central LAP public meeting on 4^th November;

6. Asks officers to reconsider the City Centre vibrancy measures used by Sheffield City Council in order to broaden the definition of vibrancy.  Currently these measures focus on spend and visitors including footfall in the main shopping streets, visits to the largest galleries and hotel occupancy.  We suggest that they be broadened to include measures around the variety of businesses, for example measuring size by turnover, “localness” (i.e. registered in city region or outside) and at what times the organisations are open for business.

CIQ petition:

www.change.org/p/sheffield-city-council-save-our-cultural-industries-quarter

Devonshire Street petition:

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-the-demolition-of-devonshire-street-sheffield-1

Love Square Information:

http://lovesquare.group.shef.ac.uk/