'Impatient for better because our city deserves more'

These are difficult times and that makes us all re-examine what we want for ourselves, our families and our city.

The first and second will be different for everybody and the latter one is clearly driving Sheffielders crazy, even more than usual.

So today’s confirmation that Sheffield Castle was a powerhouse in Medieval Britain just adds fuel to our fury that the site is still empty with no viable plan on the table. It is an incredible site and things are slowly – very slowly – improving around it but where is the masterplan and when can we be told there is something on the way that is not only incredible but also financially viable? You could say I’m being impatient. If you were in the town hall you probably would but if you were any other Sheffielder you would join me in screaming that we have waited, literally, for decades and it is too long.

I defy anybody who holds any position of power or responsibility in this city to try and persuade me that this isn’t another example of Sheffield not seizing hold of what other cities would die for – and have made work for them many moons ago. I won’t take you on a virtual walk through the city centre to remind you of the other spots where the same could be said. That would only depress us and bring us back to the same old questions. Instead, let’s hope against hope that the details from our Medieval leaders give our very modern leaders a kick up the backside and into action. That’s all we want … for our beloved city to be the best it can possibly be and to make us all incredibly proud. So, if Covid has made us impatient then perhaps that is a good thing. We need everyone to be focused on pushing for better and we must not accept failures which will be all too easy to blame on the pandemic. We had sadly laid many of those foundations much earlier.

One final thought. Yesterday in the office we were talking excitedly about Chapel Walk and its potential now the scaffolding has finally – yes, finally, finally – been removed. It is great news but it let’s never forget what a complete farce it was has been for so long. We know the context and Sheffielders have long memories ...