Background

Sheffield City Council established the Southey Owlerton Area Regeneration Partnership after identifying this part of north Sheffield as a regeneration priority in the late 1990s. After residents rejected initial proposals for large-scale demolition in the area, Sheffield City Council decided to develop a new approach.
From 2002, the SOAR project team worked in partnership with Sheffield City Council, CABE enabling and others to produce community-led strategies. These included redevelopment sites, parks and green spaces, hub buildings and centres, and streetscene projects.

To support this approach, two community representatives joined the SOAR board from each of the six constituent neighbourhoods - Foxhill, Longley, Hillsborough, Winn Gardens, Parson Cross, Shirecliffe and Southey.

Through this new strategy, the SOAR partnership involved local people much more closely in the regeneration of their communities, leading to a new, shared vision based on the long-term sustainability of the area. Southey Owlerton would become a place to be proud of, with “a high quality of life and future opportunity for all; a place that has a reputation within the city and beyond for creativity and innovation”.