Revealed: £28bn plan to spearhead economic growth of Sheffield City Region

The economic growth of the Sheffield City Region (SCR) will be supported by a £28bn masterplan.

Creating 70,000 new jobs and 6,000 new businesses in the city region, the ‘Integrated Infrastructure Plan’ – known as IIP - will be unveiled on Wednesday 19th at MIPIM UK, the country’s largest property and development showcase.

IIP, which is the first of its kind outside London, details how the SCR will speed up improvements to infrastructure for key projects across the region’s nine districts.

Transport, investment-ready commercial space, digital connections, new homes, improved flood defences and sustainable energy are all featured in the package.

Projects identified as priorities include the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District; Doncaster Sheffield Airport and the surrounding area; maximising the benefits of HS2 in the region; and regeneration in town and city centres.

The SCR launch comes as the Government has created a permanent National Infrastructure Commission. It will come into force in January 2017 and help plan, prioritise and ensure efficient investment.

A robust infrastructure is seen as a critical aspect to attracting the private sector investment needed to achieve the plan’s targets. A team of private and public sector leaders and senior officers from Sheffield City Region are at MIPIM UK this week to highlight its benefits.

Ros Jones, Mayor of Doncaster and Chair of the Combined Authority Infrastructure Executive Board, said: “Our region is a great place to do business and we already have a track record of delivering new infrastructure projects that bring economic growth, job creation and new housing.

“Schemes like Great Yorkshire Way, which opened earlier this year, linking Doncaster Sheffield Airport to the motorway network, demonstrate that putting the right infrastructure in place can have a huge impact.

“Since it opened, the airport is enjoying a record year, with new operators and routes, the £500m iPort has already announced three tenants and the first tranche of new homes are being built. It’s a £56m road that is enabling and securing around £1.7billion of new private sector investment.

“This plan is a visionary way forward, and is designed to help the region achieve its ambitious key targets. I am very proud to have been involved with it and will be working hard with all our partners to ensure its success.”

Martin McKervey is a partner at international law firm Nabarro LLP. He is also the Chair of the SCR’s Infrastructure Development Group, and a private sector board member of the SCR LEP.

Martin added: “The IIP has been constructed to be outcome focused and aligned with the objectives set out in the region’s Strategic Economic Plan.

“Delivering this Plan will help make SCR ready for investors, and play a key part in the Northern Powerhouse.

“Thanks to Devolution, and the funding it will bring, the plan can underpin our path as we take greater control over our future economic prosperity. We have the freedom to choose the solutions that work for our area.

“It’s an exciting time for the Sheffield City Region and we can look ahead confident that we have a robust and pragmatic plan for achieving economic growth and jobs.”