Sheffield Waterways Strategy

The Sheffield Waterways Strategy provides a strategic holistic vision for waterways in Sheffield, UK and is accompanied by an action plan with short, medium and long term options which enhance and build on existing successful projects. The Strategy, which was published in 2014, outlines a vision that Sheffield's waterways and river corridors will be the defining features of a modern, competitive, sustainable and attractive city by 2022 which is rich in wildlife, provides a better quality of life for its residents, workers and visitors and contributes to climate change adaptation. The Strategy includes eight goals relating to people, economic opportunity, climate change, promotion, heritage, access, stewardship and wildlife. The strategy integrates a range of joined-up measures (governance, infrastructure, design, activity, strategy, and policy) to coordinate capacity-building with communities and includes lasting cross-sector actions at multiple levels, enabling impacts to be scaled up.

Overview

Type of instrument:

Legislative, regulatory and strategic instruments›Dedicated strategy, plan, or law

Challenges addressed

Ecologic connectivity
Water management (e.g. reuse)
Watershed restoration/water quality
Flood risk: pluvial and fluvial / soil permeability
Human health, comfort and well-being

Consideration of nature-based solutions:

The Strategy aims to ensure that habitat connectivity is maximised and that biodiversity and wildlife corridors are an integral part of a wider strategy. The natural water processes of urban rivers are to be restored as far as practicable in order to combat the challenges of flood risk management besides and for provision of other societal benefits. The Strategy also entails river daylighting and regeneration of river trenches, removal of obstructions to fish passage, improvement of wetland habitat, restoration of former land fill sites and installment of so-called ‘riverside parkways’, blue-green corridors in a proposed radial park system for Sheffield. These linear parks would be established along the city’s major watercourses and rivers.

Targeted (peri-)urban areas:

Blue areas

Green areas for water management

Good practice characteristics:

Effective

Support multifunctional NBS

Sustainable in the long-term

Locally appropriate

Potential to be replicated / upscaled

Inclusivity

Governance

Government body/bodies

Initiating body:

none

Instrument design:

Details about how the instrument was designed:

The Sheffield Waterways Strategy Group was established in 2003. A consultant was brought in to draft a strategy, in consultation with high-level stakeholders and statutory bodies. This document, drafted in 2006 was finalised in 2008. However, the contract proved problematic due to the complexity of the issue, long-term ill health issues, and an overly top-down model. A knowledge-transfer grant was secured to explore new approaches, building on research to develop a more deliberative approach, based on collaborative planning principles. In 2013, the local authority approved the Strategy and then launched it officially in 2014.

Involvement of non-governmental actors:

Private sector, corporate, business

Researchers, university

Citizens or community groups / NGOs

Type of actor involvement:

Co-planning or co-design of instrument (e.g. boards, advisory role)

Instrument implementation:

Type of involvement:

A cross-sector partnership evolved, which developed a holistic approach to coordinate efforts to tackle the complex river challenges. An open and inclusive approach was used to extend and strengthen social networks, and move away from central control and towards a more resilient social capital model. Public workshops were held in community and arts venues, engaging people from all backgrounds in celebratory events and happenings. Advanced 3D-visualisation software was used to ignite excitement and create a sense of possibility about future scenarios and achievable options. A range of complementary techniques was used to create opportunities for people to express their views and passions, and to mobilise these shared strengths into effective action. Simple social media platforms were used and connected together to create a dynamic movement and to associate interests, to support on-the-ground action touching people’s lives locally. This enabled the people and businesses of the city to support and get involved in furthering the process themselves. By first seeking to understand the values of different stakeholders and then going on to establish their shared principles, it was possible to co-create clear, agreed partnership solutions (practical projects through to policy measures). One of the key delivery partners in the Sheffield Waterways Strategy is local The River Stewardship Company who work to improve the waterways for people and wildlife in and around Sheffield. Submissions for awards were made, and links established with national policy, to raise awareness, maintain momentum and celebrate success. In 2014, for example, individuals and community groups around the city delivered ‘One Big River Week’ - a series of events and happenings to celebrate waterways and to promote more sustainable water use.

Targeted actors:

Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)

Private: household, real estate developer, business , financial

Citizens or community groups (CBOs), NGOs

Financing

Sources of funding:

Public regional budget

Corporate investment

Budget:

Unknown

Details about instrument financing:

The Strategy has received political and private sector support and broadened its involvement at ‘grass roots’ level through the engagement and representation of community groups. For example, a business improvement district focused on flood resilience was created in response to the activities of the Sheffield Waterways Strategy Group that had raised private sector funds in addition to public investment. Funding to augment the initial outlay by partners was sought in the form of bids for support by the European Union under various schemes and from sub-regional funding allocations and of a range of charitable foundations and trusts having an emphasis on environmental quality, social cohesion and local governance.

Monitoring, evaluation and impacts

Achieved outcomes and impacts:

The Strategy underpins successful proposals and bids for millions of Euros (pounds) worth of funding from charities, lotteries, businesses, the EU and central government. The Sheffield Waterways Strategy Group was instrumental in setting up the River Stewardship Company, a social enterprise which conserves, protects and improves the environment of waterways. It has provided river “place-keeping” services for over 100 businesses over six years, creating eight new jobs, 22 work placements for unemployed people and two apprenticeships. In 2014, Sheffield achieved a global first: a Business Improvement District with the focus to improve flood resilience. This €20 million (£20m) initiative raised private sector funds alongside public investment, to protect 500 businesses and thousands of jobs. In 2015 the Group’s work was highlighted as a good practice case study, highlighting how to bring together top-down strategic priorities with bottom up local community engagement; this documented the strategy development process, giving seven key lessons learned for other cities. The Group has strengthened a range of funding bids for climate proofing, walking and cycling routes, river restoration and open space investments. Several of the partnership projects started under the auspices of this bottom-up strategy won prestigious awards, e.g. Porter Brook 2016 Living Waterways Award.

Success factors and lessons learned:

The Sheffield Waterways Strategy demonstrates good practice in the integration of bottom-up local community participation with top-down strategic priorities, e.g. biodiversity and climate adaptation. It provides a solution to bring people together, to deliver integration geographically, across sectors and horizontally in terms of hierarchies and policy levels. The biggest difference that the Strategy has made is to place people at the heart of the waterways regeneration in Sheffield. It has both championed this cause and involved citizens directly. The Strategy is unconventional for a water/catchment plan, in that it emphasises not just climate and water quality issues, but focuses on the value to people, the heritage aspects, the civic pride issues and the sense of opportunity. In 2016, the pioneering nature of the Sheffield approach was recognised in the National Flood Resilience Review, and was put forward as an exemplar for other cities to follow. It has also been reported as a case study of good practice in the catchment-based approach.

Sources and further information

Further documents

Weblinks:

https://networknature.eu/casestudy/24310

https://urbact.eu/sites/default/files/279_sheffield_gpsummary.pdf

https://urbact.eu/good-practices/urban-waterways-strategy-action-plan

https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/planning-development/sheffield-waterways-strategy

Photos

@David Marsh