Shortly after I moved here in 2003, I heard certain rumours about Sheffield public transport. I was unsure if they were credible especially because they had surfaced on Sheffield Forum in the days when I used to spend a lot of time on that site. However, the whispers were recently confirmed by a prospective city councillor during a conversation about the bus services in Sheffield. “Well,” she said, “the council prioritise services in the less well-off areas - and quite rightly so.” Perhaps I looked a little taken aback because she then added “however it does leave some elderly folk in the wealthier areas a little isolated.”
So there it was. From a reputable source: the council prioritise public transport routes to the poorer areas. On the surface this might appear to make sense, especially if you have a little of the class warrior about you. Less well-off Sheffielders have reduced access to private vehicles and taxis. Therefore, for these individuals, public transport which serves their work and leisure needs is vital. There is a downside however - unforeseen ramifications of building an incomplete system which serves only one socio-economic half of the city. These may stymie our current efforts to revive the city centre. Personally, I have no time for intra-Sheffield class war. In my view, rich or poor, we are all Sheffielders. Some of those who now live in S17 have their origins in S9 or S5. I feel that there are cohesive ways for those with greater financial resources to contribute to the wealth of the city, and retail and leisure is one such way.
Strolling through town and marvelling at the wonderful buildings in the Heart of the City II development, I am struck by the thought that to sustain this dream of a city centre renaissance, Sheffield’s wealthier citizens will need to be encouraged to return to the central areas and to dig deep in order to keep these new enterprises afloat. However, one of the impacts of the poor public transport service to wealthier areas, is that these moneyed citizens are forced into their cars. Once behind the steering wheel they can then choose to go anywhere - Meadowhall, The Trafford Centre, central Manchester or Leeds. I know of well-off individuals who live in S17 and who do not set foot in the city centre. These were people who would once OD on the goods that were displayed behind the counters in John Lewis and the like, but no longer.
Some of these people are elderly. Their social horizons extend as far as the public transport that serves them. For instance, in Bradway the 24 and 25 bus routes would once run through the evening to and from the city centre, Now the 24 bus terminates at Lowedges and the last 25 leaves Arundel Gate at 8pm. The reliability of bus services is an additional cause for concern and in sum, many spend much more time at home instead of feeling part of the city in which they were raised. As for the Supertram, the lines only serve a small subset of the city, and they do not trouble the areas traditionally thought of as more wealthy. In many cases, these elderly folk (to say nothing of the others) have disposable income which they would probably enjoy spending in the new revamped city centre, but the public transport set up is an inhibitor.
I feel most sad for the kids from the less well-off postcodes of our city who have talent and drive. Their speciality may be catering, crafts or perhaps something else. They might only require an accessible customer base who have fat wallets and who might wander around and feel or taste the quality of their products. When you create class war-inspired, public transport black holes then - paradoxically - those that are impacted most are those ambitious kids. I speak as someone who was raised in one of the less salubrious areas of London. Thanks in part to Ken Livingstone, a man who really knew how to run a city, I and others like me had access to parts of the city where the wealth was, and knew we would get a chance to make my pitch.
Most of the better off in our city would I think, love to buy goods embossed with a literal or metaphoric Made In Sheffield stamp. They too are proud of their city, and many are fully aware of their roots. There are no Supertram routes to S10, and S11, S7 and S8 or even S17. Compare this with the 1933 Sheffield tram map above. The individuals in those postcodes feel unloved and unwanted. It’s time to include them in the vision of a new Sheffield. They have a lot to give, and those in the less well-off areas have a lot to gain. Instead of the politics of division, we need to remember that we are one. It is only through a vision of unity that Sheffield will grow and the heart of the city will really be that.