I have high hopes of the Heritage Strategy

And Sheffield is in that top 10, represented by the Firth Brown Research Laboratories and Harry Brearley’s discovery of stainless steel That is the measure of the importance of our city’s heritage in shaping the world of today.

Readers of The Star will be familiar with letters from myself and others promoting the value of heritage, (or bemoaning its neglect), and the editor and her team provide excellent support in highlighting risks and opportunities, but more is needed.

I have high hopes of the Heritage Strategy recently launched by Joined Up Heritage Sheffield.

This builds on grassroots consultation and the experience of other cities, and aims to enable community groups to act to conserve and promote heritage and shape heritage policy.

We also need a joined-up council, which places heritage and other Sheffield strengths at the heart of all its activities.

Such a council would promote a Visitor Information Centre as a way to welcome more people to the city for business, study and leisure.

They would grasp the chance to build existing assets into its Retail Quarter plans, invite investment in the city as a privilege, and refuse to engage in a race to the bottom fuelled by cheap land, low standards and easy permissions.

Easier said than done in a time of austerity? Perhaps not.

Working with the value of what we have will always be more efficient and productive than wiping the slate and trying to build new value from nothing.

J Robin Hughes

Towngate Road, Worrall, Sheffield, S35