What Sheffielders wish the Steel City had to make it a better place to live
We asked our readers to name one thing that they’d improve about Sheffield based on what they’ve seen in other cities
Sheffield is the sixth largest city in England and a place which also boasts two thriving universities, great sporting heritage and a whole host of excellent bars, restaurants, nightclubs and cafes.
It’s also a city that’s renowned for its retail, whether that’s in the city centre, Hillsborough, Crystal Peaks, Meadowhall or perhaps even further afield.
Plenty of people come to Sheffield to do their shopping, with a combination of locals and people from nearby in South Yorkshire being attracted to the Steel City for a nice day out.
But how does Sheffield compare to other major cities such as Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, Nottingham and London?
We asked our readers to name one thing from another city that they wished Sheffield had. Here’s a few that were mentioned.
Sid Hague mentioned a Hard Rock Cafe resturant. Currently, there are three in the UK, including two in London and one in Edinburgh but there are none elsewhere despite Sheffield’s rich history of producing top musicians such as Arctic Monkeys, Pulp and Def Leppard among others.
Lesley Nile called for free parking in the city centre and used Belfast as her example. Currently, the Northern Irish capital has free on-street car parking available in the city centre after 6pm Monday – Saturday, and all day Sunday, according to Visit Belfast.
Chris Needham mentioned the need for an airport. Something which cities like Manchester, Liverpool and London all have.
Doncaster Sheffield Airport was hugely popular with many holiday goers between 2005 and 2022, with many hoping to see it return in the near future.
Gerald Manterfield mentioned a Football Museum. This is something that many in the Steel City have been calling for for a long time based on the fact that Sheffield is the city where the rules of the game were first made.
John Lewis was another popular suggestion with readers. The physical store located at Barker's Pool closed its doors in March 2021 after almost 60 years.
Michael McCarthy called for cheaper parking - something which many of our readers in the past have also spoken about, particularly in hospital car parks.
Kate Morris mentioned an athletics track. Sheffield notably produced gold medalist Jessica Ennis-Hill, who established herself as a national treasure and a huge source of pride to many locals during the Olympic Games, but the city's facilities have taken a hit with the athletic track closing last month.