Sheffield Council’s response to claims that ‘everyone is leaving’ the city centre

The authority has posted a thread on Twitter in response to a story by the Guardian, which said the city centre had lost 18 per cent of its shops in five years.

It said it was ‘just not true’ to state that everyone was leaving and highlighted that restaurant chains Turtle Bay, Pitcher Piano and Pieminister had opened in the city in the last year.

In another tweet, the council said: “Everything is arriving in #Sheffield, from @McLarenAuto and @BoeingUK to the new Heart Of The City II development, a council-funded transformation valued at £469m.”

It also pointed out that the 17.8 per cent figure included the spaces for high-end retail in the new development and added that Next and H&M on The Moor.

Its final tweet in the thread said: “In short, we're proud of #Sheffield. Maybe the @guardian should hang around a bit longer next time.”