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Political leaders join for talks to shape city over the next decade
POLITICAL leaders are set to gather in Sheffield tomorrow to debate plans to shape the city during the next decade.
Delegates attending the Sheffield First Partnership Leadership Summit at the St Paul's Mercure Hotel include former Home Secretary and Sheffield Brightside MP David Blunkett, Sheffield Council leader Paul Scriven, council chief executive John Mothersole and an as-yet unnamed Minister from the coalition Government.
The event is also set to attract business leaders and representatives from the voluntary sector who, together with the politicians, will discuss the findings of a survey that was carried out to discover how people in Sheffield view their city.
Findings so far suggest that improving public transport, maintaining Sheffield's "green city" reputation and continuing the regeneration of the city are among people's top priorities.
Coun Scriven, who in addition to being council leader is also chairman of the Sheffield First Partnership, said: "Sheffield is a city that has ambition and it is important over the next decade that we continue to deliver a more enterprising society with more local jobs.
"There is no doubt there will be challenges ahead as public finances are squeezed, but we are listening to local people's own priorities so we can together ensure the city is in the best possible position to benefit from future opportunities at a community and individual level."
Between October last year and January, the Sheffield First Partnership organised a number of events to consult people on the 10-year City Strategy, which sets out the vision for Sheffield from 2010 to 2020.
The consultation included a public event, questionnaires and workshops with particular groups such as the Faith Forum, the Youth Council, small to medium-sized enterprises and the disabled community.
Findings from that consultation will now make up a large part of what is set to be discussed at tomorrow's Leadership Summit.
The director of the Sheffield First Partnership, Sharon Squires, said: "Sheffield has a community spirit that we want to build on whilst we improve the business and economic prospects for the city as well as the social and environmental aspects.
"Our consultation demonstrates that people are very clear and have definite views on what they want from their city. This is a tough period for the economy and we need to be constructive.
"I am looking forward to a hard-working, solution-focused debate that will seek to look at the opportunities we can create."
She added: "This is the chance for those in positions of influence to really listen to the suggestions made by people of Sheffield to see what we can all do with our resources to make the city a better place to live, work and play."
Set up in February 2002 as the Local Strategic Partnership for Sheffield, the Sheffield First Partnership aims to bring a wide range of organisations together to work towards a shared, long-term vision for the city.
The partnership's board is responsible for setting both the City Strategy and goals for the regeneration of Sheffield.
Mr Blunkett said: "Uniting behind ideas on which we can agree and defining those threats to our future on will be crucial to maintaining that unity which has stood the city in good stead, through good times and bad, over the last century."
Tomorrow's meeting at the St Paul's Mercure Hotel in the Peace Gardens runs from 11am to 3pm and will include speeches from Coun Scriven, Mr Blunkett and Mr Mothersole, as well as a round-table discussion and buffet lunch.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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