Developing A Vision for Sheffield City Region

27th January 2016

I'm writing to invite you to participate in an important and exciting initiative SCR Vision which I've been asked to facilitate.

Building on the work already being undertaken by the region's Local Authorities and Local Enterprise Partnership, the leaders of some of the major institutions in the city region, including the universities and hospitals, have come together over recent months to consider what more they could do to support the articulation and promotion of the long term strategic development of the Sheffield City Region (SCR).  (SCR covers the administrative areas of Barnsley, Bassetlaw, Bolsover, Chesterfield, Derbyshire Dales, Doncaster, North East Derbyshire, Rotherham and Sheffield.)  The focus has been on ways of complementing the existing initiatives, policies and plans as well as helping to explore possible new initiatives. The SCR Vision project will aim to generate a refreshed and compelling long-term vision for our City Region. We wish to draw on knowledge, expertise and vision from across the region's communities, and business, public and civic sectors. Specialist consultants from Kevin Murray Associates have been commissioned to help us look at the region's strengths and opportunities, as the basis for developing this long-term (25 year) vision for the Sheffield City Region. They will work with Professor Heather Campbell from the University of Sheffield, who is acting as strategic advisor for this work. Over the coming months our team will be gathering evidence, holding in depth discussion meetings and developing and testing scenarios with key stakeholders and partners across the region. As the first stage in this process you are invited to submit ideas and evidence based on a series of prompt questions which are provided on our dedicated website www.scrvision.com, and copied at the end of this letter. I appreciate the demands of such a request but do hope that you will contribute and become actively involved in the subsequent stages of this important initiative. This is an open process and we would very much welcome you cascading this letter and encouraging others within your organisation and networks to participate. Please send your contributions to info@scrvision.com by 5pm on 15 February 2016. I am very pleased to have been asked to act as facilitator for this project and I would be happy to discuss it with you if you wish. If you have any immediate queries or suggestions please contact the team on: info@scrvision.com, with whom Heather and I will be in close contact throughout the project. I know that the future well-being of the city region and its communities is a priority for all of us and hope that this initiative can make a significant contribution to achieving that end. Yours sincerely, Tony Pedder, Chair of Council, University of Sheffield and Chair of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals SHEFFIELD CITY REGION VISIONING QUESTIONS Introduction This series of questions seeks information, evidence and ideas to help inform the development of a long term vision for the Sheffield City Region (SCR). It provides an initial outline guide in the form of a series of prompts. Issues and ideas beyond these prompt questions are also welcome. It is not necessary to answer every question. Please feel free to encourage others within your organisation and networks to contribute. If there is supporting evidence by way of reports, studies, plans, etc, please provide as a link or as a pdf, so they may be considered. The information supplied may be used to generate subsequent stages in the development of the vision.  Please therefore advise of any confidential material that should either not be re-published, or requires very specific attribution. The questions are available to download in a Word document here. Please complete and upload your response by email info@scrvision.com with this document as an attachment, by 5 pm on 15 February 2016. If you have any queries you can get in touch with us at info@scrvision.com Prompt questions: Economy 1.     What major economic opportunities do you envisage for the Sheffield City Region? (ie what and from where will future jobs come?) 2.     What do you consider is necessary to support the growth of new enterprises in the Sheffield City Region area, and, if this might involve new facilities, where do you think these should be placed, and why? 3.     If you're aware of the developments associated with the proposed Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District,how does this fit with your thoughts about the future of the city-region? Education and Skills 4.     What are the major skills challenges for the region? 5.     How do you think the growth in further and higher educational opportunities in Sheffield City Region might be developed to the benefit of all communities? Town and city centres 6.     The city region has many town, district and retail centres that serve different populations but also different purposes. Do you see key roles - particularly in terms of unmet needs or unrealised opportunities - for specific centres within the area? Health and Social Well-being 7.     Are there real spatial inequalities or conflicts in the Sheffield City Region area?  If so, how should they be remedied? 8.     What interventions, including possible spatial interventions, might make a positive impact on the health and well-being of the different Sheffield City Region communities? Housing 9.     To what extent does the area have the right housing mix for current and future needs? Do you see a particular need or opportunity for more housing of a specific type in a particular part of the Sheffield City Region? Environment 10.  What are the environmental challenges facing the city region?  And how might they most effectively be addressed? 11.  How might the benefits of the high quality environmental setting be more effectively brought  into the heart of the Sheffield City Region communities? Infrastructure and connectivity 12.  What key developments or improvements in connectivity, both within and beyond the SCR area, would you wish to see, and what might their effect be? 13.  What might the benefits be of higher speed rail to the region?  To where is it most important that the region is better connected by rail and why? Culture and Tourism 14.  What, if anything, is required to make the range of cultural and visitor attractions more appealing to the future Sheffield City Region population and visitors? Governance 15.  In terms of the various public sector institutions that serve the SCR area, are there any changes which would assist in the provision of more efficient or more equitable services? If yes, which, and in what way? Image, brand and reputation 16.  How might the character and image of the Sheffield City Region be enhanced? Are their specific interventions or programmes that would bring benefits for all? 17.  What new features - however you care to define it - would you most like to see in the area and what contribution would this make? Thank you for your contribution. The SCR Vision team will also be holding discussion hearings, the output from which will be loaded onto the website www.scrvision.com