Statement from Cllr Mazher Iqbal following Levelling Up announcement

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities announced overnight a further 100 projects across the country are set to receive a share of the £2.1billion Levelling Up Fund.

In summer 2022, Sheffield City Council submitted two bids for Parkwood Springs and Heeley Development Trust. Unfortunately, no Levelling Up Fund was allocated to Sheffield on this occasion.

Cllr Mazher Iqbal has issued a statement today following the announcement.

Cllr Mazher Iqbal, Co-Chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee, said: “We are naturally disappointed to learn Sheffield will not benefit from any further Levelling Up funding from Government this time around.

"Despite the hard work of councils across our region, the latest round of funding means that the Yorkshire and Humberside region ranks only eleventh out of twelve for Levelling Up funding by population across the UK.

“Council staff put together a compelling and exciting proposal for the future of Parkwood Springs and also worked closely with Heeley Development Trust to shape their plans to improve community facilities for the benefit of residents. Despite the latest update, we remain committed to seeing through our plans for Parkwood Springs and will continue to support Heeley Development Trust with their ambitions.

“It’s an absolute priority for us to secure a bright future for Parkwood Springs and we will now begin to seek alternative funding routes to see out our vision. We are still in talks with Skyline and we reached out to them this morning to discuss next steps.

“While this is clearly disappointing, we still have plenty to look forward to in Sheffield, including our first two successful Levelling Up bids for Castlegate and Attercliffe.

“This news will not dampen our spirits in Sheffield – we are even more determined to secure the best for our city, fighting every day to bring in investment whilst focusing on getting the most out of every penny we spend.”