An evaluation of the retail-led regeneration in Sheffield city centre Author: Christopher Samuel Binns 26006795
SHEFFIELD HALLAM UNIVERSITY BSc (Hons) Geography Department of the Natural and Built Environment Word count: 12,000
Abstract Sheffield’s city centre has been in steady decline since the early 1990s with a record amount of retail units lying vacant as well as residents out of employment. The area has become increasingly aesthetically unappealing to both the public and businesses leading to a large decline in interest in the area and therefore, lack of investment. With local consumers turning to online shopping, Meadowhall or even alternative cities in the North of England for their shopping needs, the necessity for regeneration works in Sheffield city centre was noticed by the city council in 2006. Developers released plans to regenerate many different areas of Sheffield city centre, which would’ve put the city in line with other such as Manchester and Leeds. Plans fell through in 2013 and were then resurrected by the council in 2015 with plans spanning through to 2028. Public perception and professional opinion and statistics have been used throughout this investigation to evaluate the retail-led regeneration of Sheffield city centre and the approach which has been taken by the council to manage the project themselves.
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Contents Abstract....................................................................................................................... 1 List of figures............................................................................................................... 4 List of tables ................................................................................................................ 5 Acknowledgements .................................................................................................... 6 Declaration.................................................................................................................. 6 1.0 Introduction.......................................................................................................... 7 1.1 Objectives ............................................................................................................. 7 1.2 Research Questions .............................................................................................. 8 1.3 Background ........................................................................................................... 8 2.0 Literature Review ................................................................................................. 9 2.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 9 2.2 Retail-led Regeneration ...................................................................................... 10 2.3 Regeneration....................................................................................................... 11 2.4 Benefits? ............................................................................................................. 12 2.5 Decline of city centres......................................................................................... 14 2.6 Change in retail ................................................................................................... 16 2.7 Online .................................................................................................................. 17 2.8 Consumer habits ................................................................................................. 18 2.9 Example - Liverpool ............................................................................................. 19 2.10 Conclusion......................................................................................................... 21 3.0 Research Methodology ...................................................................................... 21 3.1 Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods................................................ 21 3.2 Qualitative Research ........................................................................................... 22 3.3 Quantitative Research ........................................................................................ 22 3.4 Primary and Secondary Data............................................................................... 23 4.0 Proposed Research Methods ............................................................................. 24 4.1 Interviews ........................................................................................................... 25 4.2 Questionnaires .................................................................................................... 25 4.3 Secondary Data ................................................................................................... 26 4.4 Pros & Cons of Methodologies ........................................................................... 27 5.0 Limitations and Potential Ethical Issues ............................................................ 28 6.0 Contingency Plan ................................................................................................ 29 2
7.0 Case Study .......................................................................................................... 30 7.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 30 7.2 Decline ............................................................................................................................. 30 7.3 Initial Plans ....................................................................................................................... 31 7.4 Final Plans ........................................................................................................................ 32 8.0 Results ............................................................................................................................. 33 8.1 Background ...................................................................................................................... 33 8.2 Participant Knowledge ..................................................................................................... 37 8.3 Participant Perception ..................................................................................................... 38 8.4 Consumer Habits.............................................................................................................. 42 8.5 Interview .......................................................................................................................... 44 9.0 Analysis............................................................................................................................ 44 9.1 Objectives 1 & 2 ............................................................................................................... 44 9.2 Objective 3 ....................................................................................................................... 46 9.3 Objective 4 ....................................................................................................................... 47 10.0 Limitations & Recommendations ................................................................................. 48 11.0 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 49 12.0 References ..................................................................................................................... 51 13.0 Appendix ........................................................................................................................ 56 13.1 Sheffield Retail Led Regeneration Questions................................................................. 56 13.2 Interview ........................................................................................................................ 60 13.3 Application for Research Ethics Approval (SHUREC8A) ................................................. 60 13.3.1 SECTION A: Research Protocol ............................................................................ 60 13.3.2 SECTION B: Ethics Proforma................................................................................ 62 13.3.3 SECTION C: Health and Safety Risk Assessment for the Researcher ................... 64
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List of figures Figure 1 The wider benefits of regeneration (Fernรกndez & Pinto, 2014) ................. 13 Figure 2 Unemployment levels in Sheffield city centre shown to be above the UK average (nomis, 2019) .............................................................................................. 14 Figure 3 Empty retail units in Sheffield city centre (Walker, 2019) .......................... 15 Figure 4 Percentage increase in UK households with access to the internet (Office for National Statistics, 2016)..................................................................................... 17 Figure 5 Highlighted buildings showing the new Liverpool ONE buildings connecting the city centre to the waterfront (UKMalls, ND) ...................................................... 20 Figure 6 The comparisons between primary and secondary data (Surbhi, 2016) .... 24 Figure 7 shows the two main retail areas in Sheffield city centre; The Moor and Fargate ...................................................................................................................... 31 Figure 8 final plans for Sheffield City Centre (Burn c. , 2018) ................................... 32 Figure 9 A graph showing the number of respondents who do/ do not live in Sheffield (Qualtrics, 2019) ........................................................................................ 34 Figure 10 A graph showing the number of respondents who live in each area within Sheffield (Qualtrics, 2019) ........................................................................................ 35 Figure 11 A graph showing how long respondents have lived in Sheffield (Qualtrics, 2019) ......................................................................................................................... 36 Figure 12 A graph showing the gender of respondents (Qualtrics, 2019) ................ 36 Figure 13 Table showing how many times respondents pass through the city centre of Sheffield per week (Qualtrics, 2019) .................................................................... 38 Figure 14 A graph showing how happy residents are with the selection of shops in the city centre of Sheffield (Qualtrics, 2019) ............................................................ 39 Figure 15 Graph showing public perception on the ratio of independent and chain brands in the centre of Sheffield (Qualtrics, 2019) ................................................... 39 Figure 16 Graph showing whether residents believe the work being conducted is in line with what was promised (Qualtrics, 2019) ........................................................ 40 Figure 17 Showing whether respondents believe the regeneration work will have a positive impact (Qualtrics, 2019) .............................................................................. 41 Figure 18 Graph showing participant perception on the impact of Meadowhall on Sheffield city centre (Qualtrics, 2019) ...................................................................... 42 Figure 19 A graph showing whether respondents have changed their main location of shopping in Sheffield city centre (Qualtrics, 2019) ............................................... 43 Figure 20 A graph showing whether respondents shop more online or on the high street (Qualtrics, 2019) ............................................................................................. 43
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List of tables Table 1 Pros & Cons of Methodologies ……………………………………………………………….. 27
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Acknowledgements I would like to thank the staff from the ‘Department of the Natural and Build Environment’ at Sheffield Hallam University for their ongoing support throughout my studies. I would also like to thank everyone who took the time to respond to my online questionnaire. Particularly, I would like to thank the ‘Friends of S11’ Facebook group for their substantial contribution to the amount of responses received. The number of respondents who took part was outstanding and without these, the conclusions drawn in this investigation wouldn’t have been made. Finally, a huge thank you to my family and friends for their support throughout my three years at university and this dissertation process.
Declaration I declare that the work contained within this dissertation be my own innovative work and that no part has been plagiarised from any source whatsoever. Where work and theory or concepts have been taken or adapted from other authors, there have been properly cited or referenced. This dissertation stands at _______ words approximately. Signed:
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Print name:
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Date:
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1.0 Introduction This investigation concentrates on the decline of Sheffield city centre as a modern and exciting retail hub and the exploration of the council driven retail-led regeneration, which has already taken place, in order to tackle the city centre’s degeneration. The approach which has been taken by the Local Authority, whereby they have concentrated on a council led regeneration programme, rather than outsourcing to an external provider, will be discussed. The impact that this regeneration has had on the city centre, economically and socially, will be analysed. Public perception and knowledge of the plans, existing and future work will be analysed under a variety of categories for example: age range and gender; time lived in Sheffield and where respondents reside in and around the area of Sheffield. Furthermore, the impact of online shopping and out of town shopping centres on the retail viability of the city centre will be analysed using the opinion of the general public who reside in Sheffield. Finally, the shopping habits of consumers in Sheffield will be investigated to determine the impact that these retail practices have had on the city centre and how these behaviours can be accommodated in the modern city centre.
1.1 Objectives To refine my research in to three main research questions, four research objectives have been created. These objectives will be studied and referenced back to throughout this investigation. The objectives are as follows: 1. Evaluate the reasons for the decline in Sheffield City Centre and analyse the way Sheffield City Council have accomplished the regeneration of Sheffield City Centre in comparison to recent projects such as Liverpool One. 2. Evaluate the way that Sheffield City Council has managed the project themselves rather than outsourcing managerial responsibility to a developer and whether this has been a success.
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3. Evaluate the public’s perceptions of the regeneration that has taken place so far and their opinion on the projects yet to happen. 4. Analyse figures such as footfall and increase/decrease of turnover since the start of the regeneration to determine whether it has had a positive economic impact on the area.
1.2 Research Questions Three research questions have been outlined in order to keep the investigation disciplined throughout. They are as follows: 1. What impact has the existing retail-led regeneration of Sheffield city centre had on the area, both economically and socially? 2. To what extent are the residents of Sheffield aware of the plans for the future of the city centre and what is their perception of the work that has been conducted so far? 3. How have the consumer habits of Sheffield residents changed and has this impacted the success of the city centre?
1.3 Background Retail-led regeneration is a type of urban regeneration which sets out to revive ailing city and town centres through the construction of new infrastructure and refurbishment of existing building stock in order to provide the area with a successful range of retail, dining and leisure facilities (Lowe, 2005). This type of regeneration has a profound impact on improving the economy of an area through the creation of jobs and making a more attractive place for people to live, thus the influx of people to the area both to live and to shop. Retail developments are vital to an area because consumer spending drives a large part of the economy. Consumer spending in retail, food and leisure stores has a monopoly effect on both the local economy and also the surrounding area. For example, the more money is spent in a store, the more staff that are required to support the increase in turnover. Therefore, the more people employed means more taxes are paid to fund
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local councils and in turn this generates more spending in the local area. Furthermore, the more goods that are needed to stock retail outlets consequently means more designing, producing and distributing will also be required, therefore creating more jobs further down the line (Little, 2018). In 2017 in the UK, the retail industry was responsible for 2.9million jobs whilst retail sales were worth ÂŁ395billion (Retail Economics, ND). However, in 2018, 28 retailing companies in the UK closed, with the loss of 2085 stores and 39,000 jobs (Rhodes, 2018). Therefore, retail-led regeneration is key to the success of the high street and the wider surrounding areas in city and town centres. The decline and regeneration of Sheffield city centre has been chosen for this investigation because Sheffield is a major city sited in the north of England, yet has one of the worst city centre retail platforms. Cities surrounding Sheffield such as Manchester and Leeds both offer successful and modern retail, dining and leisure facilities both in the city centre and at out of the city shopping centres; the Trafford Centre and White Rose Shopping Centre. Furthermore, from a personal perspective, as a resident of Sheffield city centre, I have personally witnessed the ongoing regeneration of Sheffield city centre during the three years I have lived here, bringing the city in line with its competitors in the North West of England. Therefore, I have an insight and interest in this current and interesting topic.
2.0 Literature Review 2.1 Introduction This research is aiming to discuss the decline of Sheffield city centre and how retailled regeneration has played a part in the turnaround of the city thus far, as well as how this regeneration will continue to revive the city in to the future. This paper will discuss the literature published on regeneration, and retail-led regeneration as a sub-topic. Themes such as the decline of city centres, regeneration and retail ledregeneration, change in retail practices throughout the years and examples of
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already completed successful retail-led regeneration will be discussed in depth in this literature review. Urban regeneration can be defined as an attempt to revive a run-down urban area. The area can either be aesthetically run down or suffering a negative economic downturn due to lack of jobs and investment in the area. Regeneration can take place through the demolition and rebuilding of an area, development of brownfield sites, revival of existing buildings and the improvement of public spaces (Oxford Dictionary, 2015). Retail-led regeneration is the revival of disused areas in city centres or towns as part of a wider regeneration scheme to bring life back in to an area by providing modern retail, dining and leisure facilities. These schemes often bring physical regeneration of an area through the construction of new infrastructure as well as the creation of jobs, therefore improving the economy of the area (Instone & Roberts, 2006). It must be remembered that an area can be physically regenerated, however it must be sustainably regenerated to improve the economy of the area. Sustainable regeneration is action which brings about the solution of urban problems whilst forming a lasting improvement of economic, physical, social and environmental condition on a run-down area (Sykes & Roberts, 2000).
2.2 Retail-led Regeneration Retail-led regeneration is the regeneration of previously underused areas, often in city and town centres where they are brought back to life by turning them in to modern retail, leisure and dining areas which are inviting both to the public and to ongoing investment from other developers (Hammerson, 2017). Previously conducted research has shown that retail-led regeneration works best when it is conducted as part of a holistic regeneration approach. Furthermore, retail regeneration works best when deprived areas are selected as a market for work, when issues are outlined by retailers and solved and when both private and public funding is found. The main impacts of retail-led regeneration are: •
Improved employment levels;
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Better quality of life;
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Improved pride of place;
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Accessibility and connectivity;
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Social integration;
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Cleaner, safer and more aesthetically pleasing surroundings (gov.scot, 2011).
2.3 Regeneration The definition of Regeneration is: to develop and improve something to make it more successful or important after a period of time where it has been in decline (Collins Dictionay, 2019). Regeneration can take place for a number of reasons: 1. Local economic development - the regeneration of an area which has been in economic decline. There may have been a decline in jobs available and also a lack of investment in to the area; 2. Property-led - an area that is regenerated through sourcing financial backing, land and materials to improve buildings for occupation by both businesses and residents, thus creating an inward movement of people (Imrie & Thomas H, 1993); 3. Retail-led regeneration is the regeneration of previously underused areas, often in city and town centres where they are brought back to life by turning them in to modern retail, leisure and dining areas which are inviting both to the public and to ongoing investment from other developers. A successful example of this could be the Birmingham Bullring which was previously an area in decline in the 1960s and is now a pivotal area of the city centre (Hammerson, 2017); 4. Event-based regeneration is the regeneration of an area which takes place as the result of a large event taking place in the future. This usually happens in areas which were previously wasteland and therefore these types of areas are generally a source of inexpensive land. For example, the 2012 London Olympic Games saw the regeneration of a former industrial area in Stratford with the hope it would have social, housing, educational and economic benefits on the area (Burdett, 2018). However, it is often argued that event-
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based regeneration favours wealthier people who can move in to the area and not existing residents; 5. Entertainment-led regeneration is the regeneration of areas which are designated for entertainment purposes and is a way to persuade investment from developers by improving the city's global image by the impact of media entertainment and sports coverage and therefore improve social, economic and environmental benefits to the area. An example of this type of regeneration is Detroit, in the USA, a city in decline due to the downturn of the motor manufacturing industry which experienced entertainment –led regeneration following the introduction of a new Mayor who changed the focus of resource spend towards leisure areas and sporting stadiums . Whilst regeneration can take place due to many different reasons, all types of regeneration have the same underlying reasoning's; attracting new investment; new businesses; creating jobs and lowering unemployment; improving the image of the area through infrastructure development and also improving the quality of life for the area's current residents (gov.scot, 2011).
2.4 Benefits? There are many benefits associated with the regeneration of an area. This can range from the improvement of the aesthetics of an area, to the preservation of communities, the decrease in unemployment and the overall improvement of the area’s economy (Akotia et al, 2016). For example, in Glasgow, the Gorbals regeneration project saw a 31% fall in unemployment and a 35% fall in income deprivation (RTPI, 2015). Furthermore, restoration of listed or abandoned buildings as well as the building of new infrastructure can be seen as a benefit of city regeneration as it can provide the area with a feeling of improved safety and therefore provide a decrease in criminal activity. This can in turn increase the influx of business in to the area, improving the economy. In addition, regeneration can improve the quality of life for local residents as it can provide them with more physical facilities such as doctors surgeries, dentists, schools and leisure facilities such as stores and bars (Tyler et al, 2013). However, whilst almost all regeneration
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projects make the area more aesthetically pleasing and reduce unemployment during the regeneration, a long term decrease in unemployment and improvement in the local economy, is not always the case. The ‘What Works Centre for Local Economic Growth’ conducted a study of 1050 regenerated areas and concluded that only 21 of these areas saw long term economic growth large enough on the ‘Scientific Maryland Scale’ to show a positive economic outcome as a result of the regeneration. As a result of this, it can be seen that planners need to allocate more time on considering the sustainability of the regeneration of an area and not just the physical regeneration. Furthermore, the regeneration of an area can displace existing residents from the specific region. These displaced residents are often on low incomes and are forced to move to another deprived area as they can no longer afford the increased price of living in the regenerated area. As previously stated, this aspect of resident displacement is a characteristic of regeneration that urban planners need to consider in order to create sustainable regeneration. For an area of regeneration to be successful, the housing stock for low-income residents should be refurbished/rebuilt and incorporated in to an area of mid-income housing in order to avoid segregation or displacement (Williams, ND).
Figure 1 The wider benefits of regeneration (Fernández & Pinto, 2014)
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2.5 Decline of city centres Decline can be defined as growing smaller, deteriorating or moving downwards. The decline of a city centre can be apparent through a number of different indicators. The main indicator for decline in a city centre is population decline. Other factors such as unemployment levels, housing vacancy rates, birth rates and migration trends are also key performance indicators that an area may be in decline. This can be seen in figure 2. A city can either be in absolute or relative decline. Absolute decline is present when there is a complete reduction in indicators for a specific city over a period of time, whereas relative decline is when a city is compared to another city or the national average and is shown to be below average (Whysall, 2011).
Figure 2 Unemployment levels in Sheffield city centre shown to be above the UK average (nomis, 2019)
Reasons behind the decline of a city centre include rising business rates, falling wage rates, parking problems, lack of infrastructure, out of town malls and the significant growth of online shopping. Sheffield city centre has been a victim of many of these issues, especially since the opening of Meadowhall shopping centre in 1990 (Whysall, 2011). Out of town shopping centres are strategically located in an area with a large population outreach and transport connections, often located next to motorways, and large land areas for free parking. With this in mind and the large amount of facilities out of town shopping centres offer, customers are immediately drawn away from city centre high streets. Out of town shopping centres often offer customers the large retailer stores, food and beverage outlets, leisure activities such as a cinema, as well as safe parking, protection from all weather conditions and often late-night opening times. In the United Kingdom, 30% of shopping takes place outside of a city centre and with online shopping ever
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increasing, the amount of shopping taking place on the high street is ever decreasing, leaving inner city retail areas to decline (Tselios, Lambriri, & Dolega, 2018). The average UK high street have closed 8% of their retail units in recent years, however Sheffield city centre has lost 17.8%, which now remain vacant and can be witnessed in figure 3. Clothing stores and restaurants have been affected the most, whilst cafes, tattoo parlours and hair and beauty salons have increased their presence. A new ÂŁ35million retail park in Meadowhead has also added to the competition Meadowhall provides for the city centre (Walker, 2019). However, whilst the responsibility for the decline of Sheffield city centre has always been placed on the development of Meadowhall, its biggest decline has been since 2014; a considerable time after Meadowhall was opened to the public in 1990.
Figure 3 Empty retail units in Sheffield city centre (Walker, 2019)
The decline of Sheffield city centre can be attributed to several other factors. These factors include Sheffield’s poor road and rail infrastructure and the lack of direct access to major airports such as Manchester Airport are often blamed for Sheffield’s decline. Sheffield city centre has a poor road infrastructure, with no outer ring road and only half of the city is served by a motorway, the M1. Furthermore, Manchester
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is located only 40 miles away, yet can only be accessed by three single carriage routes which take roughly an hour and a half. Sheffield is home to only one relatively small railway station to the east of the city centre, whilst neighbouring cities such as Manchester have three large stations in the city centre. In addition, Doncaster Sheffield Airport is one of the smallest in the country, meaning that most South Yorkshire residents opt for Manchester Airport which can’t easily be accessed by road or rail from Sheffield (White, 2018). The improvement of transport links is essential to improving the city’s economy. Whilst road and rail infrastructure are leading causes for Sheffield’s economic decline, online shopping is at the forefront of all literature regarding the topic. Across the UK, 11,000 high street retailers have shut down since 2008 with 35,000 retail jobs lost or at risk in 2018 alone (Duckworth, 2018). In 2017, there was a total decrease of 167 shops in Yorkshire and the Humber, with 452 closing and 285 opening. Sheffield city centre saw the opening of 19 outlets and the closure of 49, meaning there was a total decrease by 30 outlets within the space of one year ( PWC Yorkshire & North East, 2018). Whilst units on the high street are closing each year, online shopping is continuing to rapidly increase. Between December 2012 and December 2017, online sales have increased from 11.65% of total market sales to 24.1% (Financial Times, 2018). This rapid growth in sales can be blamed on the convenience of online shopping, with next day delivery and some retailers such as Amazon starting to provide same day delivery. Furthermore, consumers can compare several items from the comfort of a sofa and then return whichever do not suit. However, it is believed that the online shopping rate will maximise at around 25% (Financial Times, 2018). This maximum level of 25% online retail has proven to be the case in Germany, where the online shopping market is more mature than the United Kingdom’s. Therefore, high streets are still the leading component for the business of retail and thus their regeneration is paramount.
2.6 Change in retail In 2017, 5855 stores or restaurants closed on British high streets and over 10,000 closures have been predicted for 2019 (Crowe, 2018). Since 2008, 409 large or
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medium retail companies have gone bankrupt, closing a total of 23,378 stores and subsequently there has been the loss of 280,425 jobs (Rigby, 2018). Furthermore, in 2017, only one town in the United Kingdom had no vacant retail units. High streets in Yorkshire were worst hit by closures as 1 out of every 5 units was empty on an average Yorkshire high street. It is also expected that most high streets will exceed the current average of 15% empty units in the near future (The Telegraph, 2018).
2.7 Online One major reason for the decline in the British high street is the increase in online sales. In 1994, 0.5% of the British population had access to the internet however the office for national statistics now states that in January to March 2017 89% of adults in the UK had recently used the internet and virtually all adults aged 16 to 34 years (99%) were recent internet users, as seen in figure 4 (Office for National Statistics, 2016). Households with access to the internet, 1998 to 2017, UK
Figure 4 UK households with access to the internet (%) (Office for National Statistics, 2016)
Over ÂŁ80billion is spent online today which had previously been spent on our high streets. The decrease in sales in physical high street stores, combined with higher rent costs has led to the significant increase in retailers closing down (Crowe, 2018). Furthermore, 6.3% of food shopping takes place online whilst 26% of non-food sales also takes place online, meaning that online shopping is the leading reason for a decline in clothing and shoes retailers, department stores and independent high street retailers. Online sales are expected to rise to a total of 22.7% by 2022, with 33.9% of non-food purchases made online (Rigby, 2018). However, as stated
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previously, when studying online shopping trends in Germany, online sales peaked and balanced out at 25% (Financial Times, 2018) . If this is the case for the UK, online shopping will not continue to increase and high street decline will slow down and strategies can be put in to place in order to revive the high street and maintain the standard of services and facilities provided. Furthermore, many retailers have implemented ‘click and collect’ to its stores, meaning consumers can purchase online and collect from store when convenient to them. ‘Click and collect’ offers a way for retailers to utilise both online and physical stores, whilst offering convenience. This collection option generates purchasing potential as many customers collecting an item will then go on to purchase more items whilst in store, thus increasing sales (Macfarlane Packaging, 2017).
2.8 Consumer habits A change in consumer habits for people in the UK is also a leading factor behind the transformation of the retail industry which has been seen over the past decade. In recent years, UK consumers have become more unwilling to spend their disposable income due to financial issues or due to indecisiveness; consumers can spend on average an hour debating small purchases such as a single item, two weeks deciding medium sized purchases such as a holiday and up to three and half months for large purchases such as a house (checkout.com, 2018). In addition, consumers favour convenience due to their limited free leisure time, drawing them further towards the internet for their shopping needs. Therefore, retailers need to make sure their stores and online platforms are fully integrated to ensure maximum convenience for their customers. Therefore, a change in consumer habits can be blamed for the decline of the high street as people use stores to window shop and deliberate their decisions before making their purchase online (Rogers, 2016). Because of this, retailers must begin to utilise their physical stores to the best of their ability in order to advertise their product to the consumer. High streets will never disappear from the United Kingdom, however, their purpose and their value to customers will change significantly. Whilst consumers wanting clothes, food and music will shop online, the high street will become a more 18
sociable area, focussing on beauty salons, hairdressers, restaurants and cafes, bars as well as the larger retailers who have had the financial backing to remain in business (Crowe, 2018). Small independent shops will be replaced by supermarkets and larger retailers as well as lower priced stores such as ‘Poundland’ and ‘B&M Bargains’. Furthermore, services such as estate agents and building societies have a much smaller presence on the high street as people turn to online holiday sites and online banking (The Telegraph, 2018).
2.9 Example - Liverpool Another excellent example of retail-led regeneration is the city of Liverpool. During the 1990s the city centre fell in to decline whilst cities around it, such as Manchester, were being injected with investment. This is a similar case with Sheffield today. Sheffield city centre has fallen in to disrepair whilst surrounding cities, such as Leeds and Manchester, are continuing to see substantial growth. However, after Liverpool was awarded the 2008 Capital of Culture, investment in to the city began to flow. The goal for Liverpool was for it to become “a premier European city with a competitive economy enhanced through the development of healthier, safer and more inclusive communities” (Parker & Garnell, 2006). Development company ‘Liverpool Vision’ secured an initial £1billion to invest in to the city centre of Liverpool on several projects. These include Echo Arena, the Baltic Triangle and Liverpool ONE, the leading area of retail-led regeneration in the city centre of Liverpool. 40% of retailers in the area were completely new to Liverpool and footfall increased to 13 million in its first year with 4450 permanent jobs expected to be created, placing Liverpool city centre in the top 5 shopping destinations in the UK (One Touch, ND). Similarly to Sheffield, Liverpool city council wanted a new development which would be built on the existing street pattern of the city centre as well as bringing derelict buildings back in to use (Parker & Garnell, 2006). This is also the case in Sheffield where the phases are being built on existing streets and phase 2 incorporates existing buildings in to the new development. Dissimilarly to Sheffield, Liverpool ONE took only five years from initial plans in 1999 to building work taking place in 2004. This time frame included public enquiries, planning permission, demolishing of old buildings and obtaining road closures 19
(Parker & Garnell, 2006). This is not the case with retail led regeneration in Sheffield, where it has taken almost two decades from when the original plans were conceived in 2001 under the original city centre master plan, to 2019 when the first phase of retail and office space will open.
Figure 5 Highlighted buildings showing the new Liverpool ONE buildings connecting the city centre to the waterfront (UKMalls, ND)
Retail-led regeneration in Liverpool city centre can be seen as a huge success. £920 million was invested in to the area which in turn created 5000 permanent jobs, over 500 more than expected. Furthermore, annual visitors have risen to more than 28million, changing Liverpool’s ranking from 17th to the fifth busiest shopping centre in the UK behind Newcastle’s Metrocentre, Manchester’s Trafford Centre, Westfield in Stratford and Bluewater in Kent. In the past ten years, footfall in the area has increased by 53% and total sales by 110% which has created an extra £3.3billion for the local economy. Liverpool ONE is now responsible for £1.20 of every £100 injected in to the Liverpool economy. Furthermore, whilst the average UK high street has seen a 2.5% decrease in footfall, Liverpool witnessed an increase in 2.4% in 2018, demonstrating that the regeneration continues to be a success ten years after opening (Ijeh, 2019).
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2.10 Conclusion To conclude, a large volume of literature was available on the topic of regeneration and the benefits that it has on an area and the local economy. However, whilst literature was readily available, there was much less information present on the sub topic of retail-led regeneration. Furthermore, whilst literature was available on the topic of the decline of Sheffield city centre, much less was available for the regeneration which is currently taking place. However, a large amount of literature was available for the regeneration of neighbouring cities such as Liverpool and Leeds, meaning this information can be used as a basis for comparison with Sheffield. Finally, a large quantity of literature was available about the changes in retail and consumer habits and the decline in city centres across the UK. This may be potentially due to the increasing concern over the current state of Britain’s high streets, which has been heavily highlighted in the media.
3.0 Research Methodology Research is an investigation in to and the study of materials, sources and participants with the intention of finding out facts and new information (Oxford Dictionary, ND). Research can take place with humans, plants, animals, organisms and inorganic matter. The National Academy of Sciences states that research is used to “extend human knowledge of the physical, biological, or social world beyond what is already known� (The Office of Research Integrity, ND).
3.1 Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods Types of research methods are split in to qualitative and quantitative. Quantitative methods collect numerical data which can be analysed mathematically to show fact whilst qualitative research collection focuses on collecting in depth data which delivers reasoning behind the findings (SkillsYouNeed, ND). Both forms of data collection have positives and negatives aspects and are each suitable for different types of research.
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3.2 Qualitative Research Qualitative research is used to explore the underlying reasons, opinions and motives behind a decision, fact or statistic. This research helps to provide the researcher with insights which would not be discovered using quantitative research and can be used as a preliminary investigation in order to help produce a hypothesis for a larger, more in-depth investigation. Qualitative research is normally conducted through interviews, focus groups, questionnaires with open questions and through naturalistic or participant observations. The sample size for qualitative research is usually small as it takes longer to collect and analyse the information (DeFranzo, 2011). It can be argued that qualitative research can be used to explain the reasoning behind statistics concluded from quantitative research. An advantage of qualitative research is that the researcher can understand the meanings and perceptions behind a participant’s opinion, rather than simply understanding the participants opinion via quantitative data. Furthermore, conclusions which reflect reality can be found rather than assumptions based on quantitative data (Atieno, 2009). Moreover, whilst conducting qualitative research such as interviews, focus groups or observations, body language, voice intonation and interaction can be observed as well as transcribing the conversation which can give the researcher extra information (Opdenakker, Advantages and Disadvantages of Four Interview Techniques in Qualitative Research, 2006). However, there are many disadvantages to qualitative data. As this type of research is often carried out with small numbers of participants, the findings cannot be said to be representative of the wider population (Atieno, 2009).
3.3 Quantitative Research Quantitative research is a more structured way of collecting hard statistics rather than qualitative research. Quantitative data can be used to quantify opinions and attitudes as well as many other variable factors. This helps to provide a definite answer for researchers, such as the extent to which something has been a success. Quantitative research is conclusive and therefore easier and quicker for an individual to collect and analyse (Sis International Research, ND). Qualitative data
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can be collected through questionnaires, surveys, interviews with closed questions and systematic observations (DeFranzo, 2011). An advantage of quantitative research is that, unlike qualitative, a much larger sample size can be reached and therefore, any data collected can be representative of a wider population. Furthermore, data can easily be analysed and interpreted through graphs and statistics, whereas qualitative data takes longer to analyse. Quantitative data is useful when making comparisons between different sets of data or between different age/gender groups within the same set of data, for example (Lancaster University, 2016). However, quantitative data does not give the researcher the full story behind the respondent’s answers. Therefore, the reasoning for the statistics cannot be discussed in detail and assumptions may be made, potentially producing bias findings (Lancaster University, 2016). Furthermore, it can be argued that quantitative research can limit the depth of an investigation. Questionnaires and surveys usually consist of closed questions, meaning that limited information can be learnt and therefore, research may not represent reality (Chetty, 2016).
3.4 Primary and Secondary Data All data collection falls in to two categories. Primary data is data which is being collected for the first time by the researcher and is designed to specifically answer the researcher's question. This therefore makes primary data original and factual, whereas secondary data is the exploration of another set of primary data. Primary data can be collected through interviews, focus groups, case studies and questionnaires (Surbhi, 2016). Secondary data is data which has been previously collected by someone else. Therefore, it could be bias. Secondary data could be data which has been collected by someone else for the use of their research or administrative data such as store footfall statistics or a percentage increase/decrease in revenue. Secondary data is much easier to collect than primary as it is already available and often collected over a long period of time (Institute for Health and Work, 2015). However, a disadvantage of this type of data is that its
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purpose for collection is not the same as it would be for a new study. Therefore, the relevance may be inadequate (Surbhi, 2016).
Figure 6 The comparisons between primary and secondary data (Surbhi, 2016)
4.0 Proposed Research Methods The research needed for this project will be both primary and secondary. My primary data will be collected through questionnaires completed by the general public. These questionnaires will be shared on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram to engage with a large audience and extra will be carried out in Sheffield city centre if less than one hundred responses are received. These questionnaires will provide me with quantitative data which I can use to evaluate the public's perception of the regeneration of Sheffield using statistics. Furthermore, whilst the questionnaires will be mainly for collecting quantitative data, several questions will be used to gain an understanding of the respondents reasoning behind their opinion as well as what they already know about the regeneration of Sheffield, therefore collecting qualitative data. Interviews with council members and business owners/managers will be used to collect in depth information regarding the regeneration to help me analyse the underlying reasons 24
behind the plans and whether they have been successful. However, if individuals are not available for an interview, individual questionnaires will be sent to them for them to fill out at their convenience.
4.1 Interviews Interviews will form the basis of my qualitative research. Interviews are a technique which includes face to face verbal communication through which the interviewer collects information from the interviewee (Rowley J. , 2012). My research will consist of semi-structured interviews. By using this type of research, I will have set questions which will be asked to all interviewees as well as certain questions which will be more applicable to different organisations. Semi-structured interviews also give me the ability to expands on answers I receive to get more in-depth information on certain issues. Interviews are a useful way to collect qualitative data as they establish in depth answers to the issue at hand as well as giving detailed responses behind people’s opinions, feelings and perceptions. Interviews allow for any uncertainties which may arise to be clarified by both the interviewer and interviewee. Furthermore, interviewees will not be influenced by others as they are not in a group setting and all words recorded will be those of the participant (Opdenakker, Advantages and Disadvantages of Four Interview Techniques in Qualitative Research, 2006). Whilst interviews give me these advantages, disadvantages include the longer amount of time they take to conduct. Interviews need to be prepared, times need to be arranged to conduct the interviews as well as travel to and from the participant and the interviews then need to be transcribed before they can be analysed and written about (Rowley J. , 2012).
4.2 Questionnaires A questionnaire is a method for collecting data. Questionnaires always ask a respondent to answer written or oral questions (Rowley J. , 2014). Questionnaires are the cheapest and quickest way to collect quantitative data if the sample being questioned is large or widely dispersed (Mathers, Fox, & Hunn, 2007). Online questionnaires are the cheapest form as there are no printing/postal costs involved and time/money does not need to be spent to conduct them face to face.
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Furthermore, they can reach a whole country/city depending on the sample needed. Because of this, the response to online questionnaires can also be quick as they can reach a large sample within a shorter period of time. Online questionnaires also allow respondents to maintain anonymity as well as not feeling under pressure to answer the questions face to face, whilst giving the respondent the time to consider answers before answering (Rowley J. , 2014). Questionnaires are simpler to analyse and interpret than interviews as they often only include quantitative data. Furthermore, questionnaires can be used for sensitive topics which would make the researcher/respondent feel uncomfortable if the research were to be completed face to face (evalued, 2006). However, questionnaires do have disadvantages. Respondents may interpret the questions in different ways, meaning answers will not necessarily be answering the question that the researcher is asking. Also, questionnaires do not allow respondents to portray emotion towards the topic, meaning that answers will show a lack of personalisation. This may stop some people from wanting to take part, especially if they are not interested in the topic. Furthermore, some respondents may ignore some of the questions or not finish the questionnaire. Some respondents may be bias towards the topic, meaning that they could cause inaccuracies in the data collected (Rowley J. , 2014). Finally, questionnaires may require the researcher to carry out follow up research in order to get more in-depth answers to the issues which have arisen from the questionnaires (evalued, 2006).
4.3 Secondary Data Secondary data is data that has already been collected by a previous researcher and can be used to increase the sample size of a researcher's new study. Secondary data is useful for showing the researcher gaps in previously conducted research so that their focus can be narrower as well as giving them an understanding behind their topic (Hox & Boeije, 2005). It is also a fast way of being able to expand your sample size as you do not need to conduct the research yourself. Secondary data can include government documents, censuses and also social media platforms where opinions are readily available. A benefit of using secondary data is that all of the
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data will already be presented and analysed with relevant case studies. Furthermore, due to the large amount of exposure that secondary data receives, this data can be more legitimate than primary research. Moreover, secondary data can be compared with any primary research which is conducted to determine the reliability of the new research (Hox & Boeije, 2005). However, secondary data may not directly fit the question that the new researcher is intending to answer, so can only be used for background information. Also, it may also become outdated if the topic hasn’t been investigated for a number of years (Rouse, secondary data, 2017). Furthermore, the accuracy of the data is unknown as the original researcher may have been bias (Hox & Boeije, 2005).
4.4 Pros & Cons of Methodologies Interviews
Pros • • • • •
Questionnaires
• • • • •
In depth answers to the issue. Feelings, opinions and perceptions. Exact words of respondents. Any uncertainties can be clarified. Interviewees will not be influenced by others. Inexpensive A large sample can easily be accessed Quantitative data is simpler to analyse than qualitative Quick and simple for respondents to fill out Respondents have time to consider answers
Cons • Time consuming process – writing, interviewing and transcribing • Limited sample size due to time constraints.
• • •
• •
You cannot re-visit respondents to collect more data Can be difficult to receive enough responses Only those who are interested in the topic will take the time to answer the questions Respondents can ignore or not finish the questions Respondents may not understand the 27
•
Secondary Data
•
•
•
•
•
Collecting secondary data does not require any costs Often time saving as research does not need to be conducted by the researcher Secondary data shows the gaps in research which narrows the topic of primary research Helps to give more of an understanding behind the topic being investigated Can be compared with the primary research that the researcher produces
• •
•
wording of questions May require follow up research to get more detailed data The data may be out of date Accuracy is unknown as the original researcher may have been bias Could be time consuming to find secondary data
5.0 Limitations and Potential Ethical Issues There are limitations and potential ethical issues which may be faced during this investigation. A limitation of primary data collection such as questionnaires and interviews are the time constraints that participants face. This is due to having to plan times to conduct the interviews as well as distributing and analysing the questionnaires. Another limitation of primary research is not having enough participants to answer the questionnaires which will not provide enough data to analyse. To combat this, questionnaires will be shared via social media as well as being conducted in Sheffield city centre.
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Ethical issues which may arise are: •
Right to refuse o People may refuse to participate in research, and this must be accepted
•
No deception o Participants must not be led to believe they are taking place in something which they are not
•
Anonymity o Participants responses should remain anonymous
•
Privacy o Privacy should be safeguarded. Responses should not be available to others and should be kept private
•
Carrying out the research- Risk Assessment o My university peers should know when and where I am going to collect data and the times I will arrive and leave. They should know my journey to get to where I am going. I should contact them to tell them I am home following data collection sessions and I should always have a fully charged phone.
6.0 Contingency Plan A contingency plan is a course of action designed to help a company or individual respond in the correct way to an event which may or may not happen (Rouse, contingency plan, 2015). The main risks that the research being conducted may run are: •
Respondents not willing to take part in an interview
•
Not enough responses to questionnaires
•
Not having enough suitable data to analyse from my primary research
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Respondents not willing to take part in an interview
Not enough respondenses to questionnaires
Not having enough suitable data to analyse from my primary research
•Have back up particiapnts who could take part in an interview •Give them a different questionnaire to the standard participant one
•Share the questionnaire across social media platforms •Conduct questionnaires in Sheffield city centre
•Conduct more questionnaires to hopefully collect enough information to analyse sufficiently •Use secondary research in order to draw conclusions.
7.0 Case Study 7.1 Introduction This section will explain the decline of the retail areas in Sheffield city centre and discuss the reasoning behind this, as well as giving an insight in to the previous and current plans which have been put in place to resolve issues in the city centre. This information was collected using secondary data.
7.2 Decline During the 1990s, approximately 500,000 people resided in the city of Sheffield. The 1990s saw Sheffield City Centre fall in to disrepair due to the recent £240million opening of the regions new shopping centre, Meadowhall, which generated additional retail competition to the area. Meadowhall was completed in 1990 and between 1990 and 1991 trade in Sheffield City Centre dropped by a sixth. As a result of this, expenditure in the area declined, equating to roughly 70 million pounds. This lack of funding, as well as cancelled projects, led to the area experiencing significant decline, quickly becoming one of the countries least attractive retail centres (Lawless, 1993). In 1994, Sheffield city council conducted a study of the retail offering in the city centre which brought to light the “inadequacy of Sheffield’s retail offer” and called for “significant new investment in a major new
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1
retail scheme” (Burn C. , 2018). Retail in Sheffield city centre has long been split in to two areas; The moor to the south of the city centre and 2
Fargate to the North, as seen in figure 7. Both areas have
Figure 7 shows the two main retail areas in Sheffield city centre; The Moor and Fargate
witnessed excessive decline.
Key 1- Fargate 2- The Moor
7.3 Initial Plans Sixteen years later plans were released to demolish a part of the city in-between West Street and The Moore to provide space to develop ‘Sevenstone’, a £600m, 80,000m² project which would include office space, retail space, housing and leisure activities whilst redeveloping Sheffield’s city core. The project was planned to accommodate 100 shops and 250 apartments. The development was scheduled to open in 2011 and offer significant competition to neighbouring cities Manchester and Leeds (Waite, 2008). However, Sevenstone was placed on hold indefinitely in 2009, leaving the future of the city centre up in air and residents unhappy. In 2013, Hammerson, the developer behind the project pulled out stating that after reviewing their UK projects, they had made progress on many projects, whilst none had been made on Sevenstone. The developer blamed the fact that the development was too large following the recession, stating “We have worked very hard to achieve a retail scheme which creates a thriving city centre environment in
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Sheffield. Through this process we have looked at various options to redesign the original large-scale scheme, which was conceived pre-recession” (Pitcher, 2013).
7.4 Final Plans In August 2015, Sheffield City Council submitted plans for the new and final £480 million development to revive the city centre, as seen in figure 8. This plan included 900,000 square feet of leisure, retail, office and residential space with the intention of creating 2500 permanent jobs and bringing an extra £300million to the city centre’s economy each year (UK Construciton Online, 2015). This new development would not see the demolition of old buildings and the redesigning of the city centre layout, it would instead utilise the current street layout and regenerate/build on existing plots between The Moor and West Street. Work on The Moor to build the Moor Market, new cinema and several retail/restaurant units as well as the regeneration of several older buildings has already taken place, whilst the building of phase one of the Heart of the City regeneration plan is almost complete. This will house HSBC offices as well as eight retail units (Burn C. , 2018).
Figure 8 final plans for Sheffield City Centre (Burn c. , 2018)
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8.0 Results 8.1 Background The aim of the results from the questionnaires was to gain an understanding of the public perception of the retail-led regeneration which has already been carried out in the city centre as well as the plans for the future. Furthermore, the aim was to determine how much knowledge the residents of Sheffield have about the work that is being carried out in their city. A store manager of a major retailer in the city centre was also contacted for an interview. A suitable time could not be arranged for an interview, so a questionnaire was sent to the interviewee over email to discuss the improvement works and the impact it has had on the store, from a city centre retail professional perspective. The quantitative data which has been collected can be used to answer the following research objectives: 3. Evaluate the public’s perceptions of the regeneration that has taken place so far and their opinion on the projects yet to happen. And the following research questions: 2.To what extent do the residents of Sheffield know the plans for the city centre and what is their perception of the work that has been conducted/will be in the future? 3. How have the consumer habits of Sheffield residents changed and has this impacted the success of the city centre? The qualitative data which has been collected can be used to answer the following research objectives: 3. Evaluate the public’s perceptions of the regeneration that has taken place so far and their opinion on the projects yet to happen.
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4. Analyse figures such as footfall and increase/decrease of turnover since the regeneration started to determine whether it has had a positive economic impact on the area. And the following research questions: 2. To what extent do the residents of Sheffield know the plans for the city centre and what is their perception of the work that has been conducted/will be in the future? 3. How have the consumer habits of Sheffield residents changed and has this impacted the success of the city centre? The online questionnaires were shared on several social media platforms with the intended audience being Sheffield residents who have lived in the area for longer than a year and therefore, should have some understanding of the regeneration taking place. The questionnaire was shared on a Facebook site called Friends of S11, a group with over 4000 members, who welcome debates on local issues. Of the 159 responses, 147 respondents live in Sheffield, whilst 12 do not, as seen in figure 9.
Figure 9 A graph showing the number of respondents who do/ do not live in Sheffield (Qualtrics, 2019)
Due to the large amount of responses and the spread of age ranges of the respondents it can be said that the findings from these questionnaires are representative of the wider population of Sheffield. The only age bracket that is not
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widely represented is the 65+ age bracket, however this was as expected as the questionnaire was shared via social media. Furthermore, 156 respondents answered question 4 which identified the area within Sheffield that each respondent lived in. 56.41% of respondents live in the suburbs of Sheffield, 37.18% lived in the city and 6.41% were not residents of Sheffield. This means that the responses were representative of people living both in the city centre and suburbs, as seen in figure 10.
Figure 10 A graph showing the number of respondents who live in each area within Sheffield (Qualtrics, 2019)
155 respondents answered question 5 which sought to identify the length of time each respondent had lived in the area of Sheffield. 48 respondents, 30.97%, have lived in Sheffield for 1 to 5 years. 9 respondents, 5.81%, have lived in Sheffield for 6 to 10 years. 16 respondents, 10.32%, have lived in Sheffield for 11 to 15 years. However, a total of 74 respondents,47.74%, have lived in Sheffield for over 16 years and therefore, interestingly, will have experienced the decline and regeneration of Sheffield over the years. 5.16% of respondents to question 5 did not live in Sheffield. This can be seen in figure 11. Whilst this shows that a range of people who have lived in the area for different amounts of times answered the questionnaire, if the research was to be repeated, an option for under 1 year could be included in order to establish if people who
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have lived in the area for under one year have less of an understanding or care about the regeneration of Sheffield.
Figure 11 A graph showing how long respondents have lived in Sheffield (Qualtrics, 2019)
However, out of the 159 total responses, 133 were female, whilst 25 were male and 1 identified as ‘other’, as seen in figure 12. Therefore, it could be argued that the data sample is not representative of the gender demographic of Sheffield due to the high ratio of female to male responses.
Figure 12 A graph showing the gender of respondents (Qualtrics, 2019)
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Unfortunately, as the questionnaire progressed through the 21 questions, the amount of responses reduced from 159 at the start of the questionnaire to 118 at the end of the questionnaire, meaning that 41 respondents did not complete all of their answers. This could have been because of the qualitative questions in the questionnaire. For example, question 7 was the first question which required a written response from the participant as it asked “what knowledge do you have of the regeneration of Sheffield City Centre?” There were no optional answers to choose from at this point and only 118 respondents completed feedback at question 7. Question 6 had 153 responses, question 7 had 118 responses and question 8 had 107, meaning that 52 respondents began to leave out answers once they had reached question 7.
8.2 Participant Knowledge Question 7 was used to gain an understanding of the knowledge that participants have regarding the regeneration of Sheffield city centre. Of the 118 responses, 48 claimed they knew nothing or very little about the work. Respondents commented on the improvements to the Moor as well as the new retail quarter which is planned behind phase two. Many participants also commented on how long it has taken to get to the stage of construction, with previous plans being scrapped due to the recession. Question 9 and 10 were then asked to establish what respondents knew about what work had already been completed and what work was planned for the future. Similar to question 7, 34 out of 106 responses were not aware of what work had already been completed. Again, participants commented on the revival of the Moor, the move of Castle Market to the Moor and phase one of the Moor which incorporates the new dining and leisure area as well as retail units. When asked about future plans, 74 out of 108 respondents were unaware of any future plans. Those who were aware commented on the movement of retailers to the Moor, the construction of a new retail area behind phase 2 of ‘Heart of the City II’, China town and the regeneration of Castle square.
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8.3 Participant Perception The aim of a number of the quantitative questions was to gain an understanding of the public perception of the work which has already been carried out in Sheffield city centre and the work which will be conducted in the future as well as opinions on the retail offering which Sheffield city provides. Question 6 was used to gain an understanding of how many times participants pass through the city centre to determine whether the area is utilised well. Out of 153 respondents, 4.58% claimed to never pass through the city centre, 41.83% claimed to only pass through the city centre 1-2 times per week, with 18.95% and 16.99% passing through 3-4 and 5-6 times respectively.11.76% pass through the city centre more than 7 times per week.9 respondents do not live in Sheffield-see figure 13. If this data were to be representative of the wider population of Sheffield, it could be concluded that only approximately 50% of residents pass through the city centre on a regular basis, more than 3 times per week, which could therefore be a leading contributor to the decline of the area.
Figure 13 Table showing how many times respondents pass through the city centre of Sheffield per week (Qualtrics, 2019)
Furthermore, these results correlate with questions 18, 19 and 20. Question 18 shows that of 119 respondents, 73 ,61.34%, are not happy with the selection of shops which are currently present in the city centre of Sheffield, as seen in figure 14. Moreover, question 19 shows that of 119 respondents, 67, 56.3%, of residents are not happy with ratio of independent shops to chain brands in the city centre, seen in figure 15. Therefore, these results and opinions on the selection and range 38
of shops available in Sheffield may be one of the key reasons why 4.58% of respondents never pass through the city centre and a significant 41.83% of respondents only pass through the area 1-2 times a week, once again contributing to the decline of the area.
Figure 14 A graph showing how happy residents are with the selection of shops in the city centre of Sheffield (Qualtrics, 2019)
Figure 15 Graph showing public perception on the ratio of independent and chain brands in the centre of Sheffield (Qualtrics, 2019)
Question 20 required a qualitative response from participants with the aim of gaining a deeper understanding on people’s perception of the ratio of independent
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to chain stores in Sheffield city centre. Whilst residents do like having branded chains in the area, respondents clearly state that the area needs more independent establishments in order to make the city centre a more unique shopping experience, offering a different retail portfolio to Meadowhall and neighbouring cities such as Manchester and Leeds. In terms of the regeneration work which has been conducted and will be conducted in the future, 71 of 107 respondents, 73.2%, to question 8 stated that they do believe the work which is being carried out is what the residents have been promised, “A dynamic mixed-use district at the heart of Sheffield. Delivering high quality retail, leisure, offices, residential space, restaurants and public realm� (Sheffield City Council, 2019). Furthermore, in response to question 11, 87.5% of respondents answered that they do believe that the work will have a positive impact on the city centre with only 12.5% disagreeing, as seen in figure 17.
Figure 16 Graph showing whether residents believe the work being conducted is in line with what was promised (Qualtrics, 2019)
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Figure 17 Showing whether respondents believe the regeneration work will have a positive impact (Qualtrics, 2019)
Question 12 was used to gain a deeper understanding of respondents reasoning behind their opinion on the positive impact of regeneration. Many responses referred to the positive impact regeneration has on the creation of jobs and how it creates further investment in to the area, with many respondents claiming that any improvement to the area is welcomed due to the decline of the area and also the long wait for any regeneration work to take place. Furthermore, many responses detailed the need for the city centre to be able to compete with Meadowhall as well as making the area a more modern and attractive place for people to shop, whilst making the area feel safer and more enticing to residents. In order to investigate how the respondents felt about local competition to the city centre, question 21 asked whether they believe Meadowhall has had a negative impact on the city centre. Out of 118 responses, 99, 83.9%, claimed that it has had a negative impact, whilst only 19, 16.1%, claimed it had not. This can be seen in figure 18.
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Figure 18 Graph showing participant perception on the impact of Meadowhall on Sheffield city centre (Qualtrics, 2019)
When asked what participants would change regarding the retail-led regeneration of Sheffield, responses included the need for Sheffield to retain its unique identity through encouraging independent retailers and the respondents felt that cheaper parking and the need for the bus and tram station to be closer to the retail area should be considered. Furthermore, the connectivity between different areas such as West Street and Division Street to the city centre needs to be strengthened as they feel disconnected.
8.4 Consumer Habits The aim of question 13 and 15 was to gain an understanding of whether people’s shopping habits in Sheffield have changed over time. 118 people responded to question 13, asking whether where they shop in Sheffield city centre has changed over time. 66 responded ‘yes’ and 52 responded ‘no’, showing that 56% of respondents have changed their main location of shopping in Sheffield city centre, as seen in figure 19. The reasoning behind this was asked in question 14. Responses to this question highlighted peoples growing dislike for the ‘Fargate’ area of the city centre due it becoming “scruffy” and inundated with charity shops. Instead, respondents claim to now shop more on the Moor or at Meadowhall due to free parking. Furthermore, when asked what reasons participants would choose to shop on the high street, responses included the ability to try on clothes before 42
purchasing, cheaper parking would entice customers as well as an increase in independent retailers to support the local economy.
Figure 19 A graph showing whether respondents have changed their main location of shopping in Sheffield city centre (Qualtrics, 2019)
Question 15 was used to gain an understanding on whether respondents do more of their shopping on the high street or online, and to determine whether this could be a leading cause for the decline of the high street in Sheffield city centre as previously discussed in section 5.0. Out of 118 respondents, 76 claimed to do more of their shopping online, suggesting that only 35.59% of respondents do more of their shopping on the Sheffield city centre high street, as seen in figure 20.
Figure 20 A graph showing whether respondents shop more online or on the high street (Qualtrics, 2019)
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8.5 Interview An interview was conducted with the store manager of H&M on “Fargate�, a store that predates the regeneration of the city centre. This interview was conducted to gain the perspective on the retail-led regeneration from a retail professional in the city centre. She states that she is happy with the work that is being conducted as it will help Sheffield compete with cities such as Manchester and Leeds. Since the work has begun in Sheffield city centre, the interviewee stated that footfall has seen a slight increase, averaging at +4% on last year; turnover has also increased annually with some months fluctuating. Furthermore, the average amount of items per transaction increased by 3% whilst the overall number of transactions has increased by 8%. All of this retail led data, that the interviewee provided, indicates that there is already a positive impact on retail sales and business turnover in the city centre due to the regeneration, with the assumption that this will only increase as the plans are completed. When asked about any future plans for the store in line with the regeneration in the area, the current store will remain whilst a new, larger store will be opening on the Moor in 2019. Plans are in place to work with both stores to try and offer the full H&M product in Sheffield city centre. This could include the introduction of more high- end concepts as well as H&M Home and Beauty; however no changes have yet been confirmed.
9.0 Analysis The overall aim of this investigation was to evaluate the success of the retail-led regeneration of Sheffield city centre in terms of public perception and also the changes in the key performance indicators such as changes to footfall in the target area and retail turnover rates. This chapter will discuss whether the research carried out has answered the research objective outlined at the start of this investigation.
9.1 Objectives 1 & 2 It can be concluded that a number of different reasons have led to the gradual decline of Sheffield city centre, and that little has been done to resolve any issues
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until recent years. This objective was answered through the secondary research I conducted in order to complete the literature review and case study. Sheffield’s poor rail and road infrastructure is a significant contributor to the gradual decline of Sheffield. This is because of a lack of connectivity to areas such as Manchester and Manchester Airport and the impact that this has on bringing the public in to the city. Furthermore, only half of the city centre is connected to the M1 motorway and the city only has one small railway station, both of which impact on the city centre footfall rates. However, online shopping, a change in retail and consumer habits and the opening of Meadowhall are the leading causes for the decline of Sheffield city centre. In the UK, between 2012 and 2017, online sales rose from 11.65% to 24.1% of total market share, thus reducing the footfall rates on our high streets (Financial Times, 2018). Sheffield, however, has seen a significant decrease in footfall rates in the city centre high street, compared to other cities, and consequently this has an impact on the occupancy rate of retail outlets in the city. In the Yorkshire and the Humber region, Sheffield city centre was the worst area affected, with a total decrease in open outlets by 30 in 2017 (East, 2018). The opening of Meadowhall in 1990 saw trade in the centre of Sheffield drop by one sixth and this trade has continued to shop at Meadowhall ever since. This transfer of trade from the city centre to Meadowhall linked with the lack of connectivity and the impact of online shopping have all contributed to the decline of Sheffield city centre at a faster rate than many other areas that surround it. Furthermore, projects to revive the area have been cancelled due to a lack of interest in the city centre as well as the impact of countrywide economic issues, leading to the area being in a constant state of decline until recent years. Similar to successful retail-led regeneration schemes such as LiverpoolONE, Sheffield has also taken the approach of redeveloping the area on the existing street structure whilst bringing disused buildings back to life through gentrification. However, dissimilarly to Liverpool, the regeneration in Sheffield city centre has taken almost four times as long. LiverpoolONE took five years form the initial plans to competition whilst plans for Sheffield were released in 2001 and still aren’t complete in 2019. This could be blamed on the council taking managerial 45
responsibility of the project themselves, rather than outsourcing to developers as was the case for LiverpoolONE.
9.2 Objective 3 Public perception on the regeneration which has already taken place, as well as work which is planned for the future, does vary. This objective was answered through the primary research conducted through the questionnaire and the interview with a store manager. With 73.2% of participants believing that the regeneration work that is being conducted is in line with what has been promised and 87.5% believing that it will have a positive impact on the city centre, it can be argued that public perception of the regeneration schemes in place is extremely positive. Many respondents commented on the increase in jobs and ongoing investment in to the area that will result because of a direct link to the regeneration, as well as aesthetically improving the area. However, currently 41.83% of respondents pass through the city centre only once or twice a week. Therefore, this shows that whilst residents are happy with the work that is taking place in the city centre, more still needs to be done to entice people back to shopping in the city centre. This could be done by creating a unique shopping experience that differs from Meadowhall and surrounding cities such as Manchester and Leeds, through the encouragement of independent retailers, as requested by participants in both questions 17 and 20 when asked what they would improve about the regeneration and also when asked about their opinion on the ratio of independent to chain brands in the area. 61.34% said they were not happy with the selection of shops available, whilst 56.3% disliked the ratio of independent to chain retailers. Additionally, respondents commented on the necessity for cheaper parking and improved transport facilities in the area. Furthermore, question 10 highlighted a significant lack of knowledge amongst participants regarding future plans for the rest of the city centre, suggesting that there is not enough interaction between the public and the council when it comes to the sharing of plans and the council’s awareness of public perception and knowledge. Moreover, question 10 highlighted that participants worry about 46
Sheffield city centre losing its heritage through demolition of old buildings. The new regeneration plans now incorporate the original street design and disused buildings and the respondents did not appear to be aware of this. Therefore, the council appear to have failed to convey this to the public.
9.3 Objective 4 Unfortunately, due to the majority of store manager’s that I approached not being willing to share statistical information, as well as organisations not replying regarding their footfall statistics for the Moor since regeneration began, it is difficult to analyse this objective. However, one store manager of H&M was willing to co-operate. As a result of this one interview, it can be concluded that both the overall turnover and footfall for the relevant H & M store have increased since the regeneration work began. Furthermore, total transactions, number of employees and items sold have increased. Therefore, it can be concluded that the regeneration works currently being undertaken in Sheffield city centre have had a positive economic impact on the area and will continue to do so as more phases of work are completed. H&M is one of the larger stores in the city centre, therefore it could be argued that these statistics are representative of larger chain retailers which are present in the city centre. Furthermore, H&M is located on ‘Fargate’, away from the regeneration schemes of the Moor and phase II of the Heart of the City scheme. With footfall and turnover statistics increasing in this location since regeneration began, it can be presumed that footfall and turnover for businesses on the Moor will be even higher. However, it must be remembered that this is only a presumption. Also, it must be remembered that this is one lone store and it is unknown how other branded retailers in the area are performing. H&M may be performing well in line with other stores in the area, or, it could be performing better due the impact of its own internal performance management and may not be representative of the trend. Without interviews from other stores, it is difficult to come to a definite conclusion on this objective.
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10.0 Limitations & Recommendations Several limitations were experienced throughout this investigation. Firstly, whilst literature was readily available about the decline of Sheffield, many of the sources I found with reference to the regeneration of Sheffield city centre were online sources such as news articles or architecture websites. Furthermore, many online sources were found to be more up to date in terms of statistics regarding the high street rather than about regeneration. Another limitation was with the questionnaire responses. Some respondents did not answer the full set of questions by either ignoring any which required a written response or dropping out of the questionnaire half way through. This could have impacted my results by making them inconclusive as peoples reasoning behind their answers were not always explained. Therefore, this could make the data not representative of the wider audience. If the investigation were to be repeated, incomplete responses should be removed to ensure only complete questionnaires were analysed. Furthermore, interviews with store managers in the city centre were limited to just one. More professionals in the industry were approached but would not give statistical information for confidentiality and data protection reasons. Statistics were gained from H&M through my employment connections. If more statistics were obtained, objective four would have been answered in more detail. Furthermore, if this investigation were to be repeated, interviews should also have been conducted with independent retailers in the city to determine whether regeneration has improved their statistics to the same extent as chain retailers. I approached organisations to try and gain overall footfall statistics for the Moor since the regeneration of this area began to the present date, however no responses were received. Therefore, this limited the extent to which objective four could be investigated. However, the footfall statistics which were given by the store manager of H&M help to give an insight in to the increase in footfall since the regeneration began.
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11.0 Conclusion The investigation has allowed for the three research questions initially set out to be answered. 1. The retail-led regeneration of Sheffield city centre has had a positive impact both socially and economically. Whilst statistics for this research question were limited, the turnover, footfall and amount of staff at a major tenant, H&M, have all increased since the regeneration began, thus showing an economic improvement. Furthermore, the regeneration has had a positive social impact as residents are now happier with their city centre and look forward to future developments. 2. Residents have an extremely positive perception of the work which has already been completed as well as the plans for the future. However, it could be argued that some residents are just happy to see any improvements at all. Furthermore, when questioned, many residents were not aware of the specific plans for the future but were aware that work would be taking place. 3. When questioned, consumer habits within Sheffield have changed. Over 55% have changed where they shop as a result of improvement works in the area, with most claiming to have shifted from Castle Square and Fargate to the Moor. However, over 64% still claim to do most of their shopping online which can be to blame for the decline of the area. However, this is a national trend, not specific to Sheffield. A repetition of this research question once all phases of redevelopment have been completed will hopefully show a decline in the percentage of residents completing their shopping online. From the conclusions drawn from the four research objectives, it can be summarised that the retail-led regeneration of Sheffield city centre has been a success since the work originally started in 2013 to redevelop the Moor. Public perception of the area as well as the work being conducted has considerably improved, however, many residents still believe more can be done to make Sheffield a key shopping destination in the North of England. Furthermore, footfall 49
and turnover statistics which were available for use show the regeneration works to have had a positive economic impact on the area. It can be concluded, however, that the management of the schemes by the council rather than by an external developer, has not been successful due to the long period of time it has taken for schemes to advance from initial conception in 2001, to completion of the full project by 2028.
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12.0 References PWC Yorkshire & North East. (2018). High street store closures on the increase across Yorkshire & the Humber in 2017, says PwC and The Local Data Company. Retrieved from PWC Yorkshire & North East: https://www.pwc.co.uk/who-we-are/regionalsites/yorkshire-north-east/press-releases/high-street-store-closures-on-theincrease-across-yorkshire---th.html Akotia, J., Opoku, A., Fortune, C., & Egbu, C. (2016). Developing a conceptual framework for assessing the socio-economic benefits of regeneration projects in the UK. Journal of urban regeneration and renewal. Atieno, O. P. (2009). An analysis of the strengths and limitations of qualitative and quantitative research paradigms. Problems of Education in the 21st Century. Burdett, M. (2018, January 17). Cast Study: London Olympics 2012. Retrieved from Geography Case Studies: https://geographycasestudysite.wordpress.com/casestudy-london-olympics-2012/ Burn, c. (2018, March 11). Sheffield's 24-year wait for retail revamp: Can revised £469m plans finally allow city to compete with Leeds and Manchester? Retrieved from Yorkshire Post: https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/sheffield-s-24-year-waitfor-retail-revamp-can-revised-469m-plans-finally-allow-city-to-compete-with-leedsand-manchester-1-9058207 Burn, C. (2018, March 11). Sheffield's 24-year wait for retail revamp: Can revised £469m plans finally allow city to compete with Leeds and Manchester? Retrieved from Yorkshire Post: https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/sheffield-s-24-year-waitfor-retail-revamp-can-revised-469m-plans-finally-allow-city-to-compete-with-leedsand-manchester-1-9058207 checkout.com. (2018, July 22). 2018 UK Consumer Spending Habits: Convenience and Confidence. Retrieved from checkout.com: https://www.checkout.com/company/blog/post/2018-uk-consumer-spendinghabits-convenience-and-confidence Chetty, P. (2016, September 7). Limitations and weakness of quantitative research methods. Retrieved from Project guru: https://www.projectguru.in/publications/limitationsquantitative-research/ Collins Dictionay. (2019). Definition of 'regenerate'. Retrieved from Collins Dictionary: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/regenerate Crowe, V. (2018, June 23). Is this the end for the British high street? Retrieved from Which: https://www.which.co.uk/news/2018/06/is-this-the-end-for-the-british-highstreet/ DeFranzo, S. E. (2011, September 16). What’s the difference between qualitative and quantitative research? Retrieved from Snap Surveys: https://www.snapsurveys.com/blog/qualitative-vs-quantitative-research/
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Duckworth, T. C. (2018, October 16). The Furture of the High Street. Retrieved from LocalGov: https://www.localgov.co.uk/The-future-of-the-high-street/46191 East, P. Y. (2018). High street store closures on the increase across Yorkshire & the Humber in 2017, says PwC and The Local Data Company. Retrieved from PWC Yorkshire & North East: https://www.pwc.co.uk/who-we-are/regional-sites/yorkshire-northeast/press-releases/high-street-store-closures-on-the-increase-across-yorkshire--th.html evalued. (2006). Questionnaires. Retrieved from evalued: http://www.evalued.bcu.ac.uk/tutorial/4a.htm Fernรกndez, M. E., & Pinto, H. (2014). The Role of Universities in Urban Regeneration: Reframing the Analytical Approach. Financial Times. (2018, January 11). Online Retail Sales Continue to Soar. Retrieved from Financial Times: https://www.ft.com/content/a8f5c780-f46d-11e7-a4c9bbdefa4f210b gov.scot. (2011). Literature Review. Retrieved from Scottish Government: https://www2.gov.scot/Publications/2011/09/20143813/2 Hammerson. (2017, February). Retail's role in urban regeneration. Retrieved from Hammerson: https://www.hammerson.com/media/insights/retails-role-in-urbanregeneration/ Hox, J. J., & Boeije, H. R. (2005). Data Collection, Primary vs. Secondary. Encyclopedia of Social Measurement. Ijeh, I. (2019, February 6). How Liverpool One is bucking the trend in the retail sector. Retrieved from Building.co.uk: https://www.building.co.uk/buildings/howliverpool-one-is-bucking-the-trend-in-the-retail-sector/5097757.article Imrie, R., & Thomas H. (1993). The limitations of property-led regeneration. Institute for Health and Work. (2015, November). Primary Data and Secondary Data. Retrieved from Institute for Health and Work: https://www.iwh.on.ca/whatresearchers-mean-by/primary-data-and-secondary-data Instone, P., & Roberts, G. (2006). Progress in retail led regeneration: Implications for decision-makers. Journal of Retail & Leisure Property. Lancaster University. (2016). Qualitative and Quantitative Research. Retrieved from Lancaster Univeristy: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/media/lancasteruniversity/content-assets/documents/learningskills/quantitativevqualitativeresearchanswers.pdf Lawless, P. (1993). Partnership in Urban Regeneration in the UK: The Sheffield Central Area Study. Little, K. (2018, May 31). Why retail sales are important. Retrieved from the balance: https://www.thebalance.com/why-retail-sales-are-important-3141223
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Lowe, M. (2005). the regional shopping centre in the inner city: a study of retail-led urban regeneration. Urban Studies. Macfarlane Packaging. (2017, June 26). Embracing the benefits of Click and Collect. Retrieved from Macfarlene Packaging: https://www.macfarlanepackaging.com/blog/embracing-benefits-click-collect/ Mathers, N., Fox, N., & Hunn, A. (2007). Surveys and Questionaires. The NIHR Research Design Service for the East Midlands. nomis. (2019). Labour Market Profile - Sheffield City Region. Sheffield: Local Enterprise Partnerships for Sheffield City Region. Office for National Statistics. (2016). Internet users in the UK: 2016. One Touch. (ND). Regeneration of Liverpool - The City's Changing Skyline. Retrieved from One Touch Property Investment: https://www.onetouchinvestment.co.uk/news/advice/why-invest-inproperty/regeneration-liverpool-citys-changing-skyline/ Opdenakker, R. (2006). Advantages and Disadvantages of Four Interview Techniques in Qualitative Research. forum: Qualitative Social Research. Opdenakker, R. (2006). Advantages and Disadvantages of Four Interview Techniques in Qualitative Research. Forum: Qualitative Social Research. Oxford Dictionary. (2015). Urban Regeneration. Retrieved from Oxford Reference: www.oxfordreference.com.hallam.idm.oclc.org/view/10.1093/acref/97801996808 56.001.0001/acref-9780199680856-e-3232 Oxford Dictionary. (ND). Retrieved from Oxford Dictionary: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/research Parker, C., & Garnell, C. (2006). Regeneration and retail in Liverpool: A new approach. 7. Pitcher, G. (2013, July 29). Developer pulls out of Sevenstones scheme. Retrieved from ArchitectsJournal: https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/developer-pulls-out-ofsevenstones-scheme/8651376.article Qualtrics. (2019, April 18). Reports. Retrieved from Qualtrics: https://shusls.eu.qualtrics.com/results/?surveyId=SV_9QrUomcNxLNDSG9#/survey s/SV_9QrUomcNxLNDSG9/containers/5c94fb3f8e8c70000d2beaea/pages/Page_59 823e95-7f33-4578-9bcb-e2bae5af1f7c Retail Economics. (ND). UK Retail Stats & Facts. Retrieved from Retail Economics: https://www.retaileconomics.co.uk/library-retail-stats-and-facts Rhodes, C. (2018). Retail Sector in the UK. House of Commons Library. Rigby, C. (2018, June 1). How the high street has changed in the last five years – and why 2018 looks set to be the worst year for retail in a decade. Retrieved from Internet Retailing: https://internetretailing.net/industry/industry/how-the-high-street-haschanged-in-the-last-five-years--and-why-2018-looks-set-to-be-the-worst-year-forretail-in-a-decade-17838 53
Rogers, C. (2016, May 12). Why retailers are turning shop fronts into high-impact outdoor ads. Retrieved from Marketing Week: https://www.marketingweek.com/2016/05/12/why-retailers-are-turning-shopfronts-into-high-impact-outdoor-ads/ Rouse, M. (2015, September). contingency plan. Retrieved from whatis.com: https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/contingency-plan Rouse, M. (2017, July). secondary data. Retrieved from whatis.com: https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/secondary-data Rowley, J. (2012). Conducting Research Interviews. Rowley, J. (2014). Designing and using research questionnaires. RTPI. (2015, July 13). Valuing the Economic Benefits of Regeneration. Retrieved from Royal Town Planning Institute : https://www.rtpi.org.uk/briefing-room/rtpi-blog/valuingthe-economic-benefits-of-regeneration/ Sheffield City Council. (2019). Sheffield Heart of the city II. Retrieved from heartofcity2: https://www.heartofcity2.com/ Sis International Research. (ND). What is Quantitative Research? Retrieved from Sis International Research: https://www.sisinternational.com/what-is-quantitativeresearch/ SkillsYouNeed. (ND). Retrieved from SkillsYouNeed: https://www.skillsyouneed.com/learn/quantitative-and-qualitative.html Surbhi, S. (2016, April). Difference Between Primary and Secondary Data. Retrieved from Key Differences: https://keydifferences.com/difference-between-primary-andsecondary-data.html Sykes, H., & Roberts, W. P. (2000). Urban Regeneration: a handbook. London: SAGE. The Office of Research Integrity. (ND). Retrieved from The Office of Research Integrity: https://ori.hhs.gov/module-1-introduction-what-research The Telegraph. (2018, October 20). Focus: Britain's changing high streets. Retrieved from The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/8837402/FocusBritains-changing-high-streets.html Tselios, V., Lambriri, D., & Dolega, L. (2018). Performance within a recession: the converging trajectories of retail centres in the UK. Regional Science Policy & Practice. Tyler, P., Warnock, C., Provins, A., & Lanz, B. (2013). Valuing the Benefits of Urban Regeneration. Urban Studies. UK Construciton Online. (2015, August 17). Plans for new Sheffield retail quarter submitted. Retrieved from UK Construciton Online: https://www.ukconstructionmedia.co.uk/news/plans-for-new-sheffield-retailquarter-submitted/
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UKMalls. (ND). Liverpool One. Retrieved from UKMalls: https://www.ukmalls.co.uk/shopping-centres/england/northwest/liverpool/liverpool-one Waite, R. (2008, March 6). Foreign Office, Hawkins\Brown and fellow stars reveal Sheffield development. Retrieved from ArchitectsJournals: https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/foreign-office-hawkinsbrown-andfellow-stars-reveal-sheffield-development/875791.article Walker, A. (2019, February 1). 'Everything’s leaving': Sheffield's high streets gutted by vacancies . Retrieved from TheGuardian: https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/feb/01/everythings-leaving-cansheffields-high-street-survive White, P. (2018, July 27). Some thoughts on why Sheffield's econmy has struggled. Retrieved from City Metric: https://www.citymetric.com/business/some-thoughtswhy-sheffield-s-economy-has-struggled-4089 Whysall, P. (2011). Managing decline in inner city retail centres: From case study to conceptualization. Local Economy: The Journal of the Local Economy Policy Unit. Williams, T. (ND). What are the pros & cons of urban development? Retrieved from The Classroom: https://www.theclassroom.com/what-are-the-pros-cons-of-urbandevelopment-12079447.html
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13.0 Appendix 13.1 Sheffield Retail Led Regeneration Questions Q1 What is your age range?
o 16-25 o 26-35 o 36-45 o 46-55 o 56-65 o 65+ Q2 What gender do you identify as?
o Male o Female o Other Q3 Do you live in Sheffield?
o Yes o No
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Q5 If you have answered yes to Q3, how long have you lived in Sheffield?
o 1-5years o 6-10years o 11-15years o 16years+ o I answered no to Q3 Q4 If you have answered yes to Q3, do you live close to the city centre or in the suburbs of Sheffield?
o City o Suburbs o I answered no to Q3 Q6 If you have answered yes to Q3, how many times a week do you pass through Sheffield city centre?
o Never o 1-2 o 3-4 o 5-6 o 7+ o I answered no to Q3 Q7 What do you know of the regeneration of Sheffield city centre? ________________________________________________________________
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Q8 As far as you are aware, do you think the work being conducted is in line with what you, as residents, have been promised?
o Yes o No Q9 What do you know of the retail led regeneration work that has already been completed in Sheffield city centre? ________________________________________________________________
Q10 What do you know of the plans for the rest of Sheffield city centre? ________________________________________________________________
Q11 Do you believe the work will have a positive impact on the city centre?
o Yes o No Q12 Why? ________________________________________________________________ Q13 Has where you shop in Sheffield city centre changed over time?
o Yes o No
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Q14 If yes, where? ________________________________________________________________
Q15 Do you shop more online or on the high street?
o Online o High Street Q16 For what reasons are you more likely to shop on the high street? ________________________________________________________________
Q17 Would you change anything about the retail regeneration in Sheffield? ________________________________________________________________
Q18 Are you happy with the selection of shops in Sheffield city centre?
o Yes o No Q19 Do you think the ratio of independent stores to chains in Sheffield city centre is okay?
o Yes o No Q20 If no, why? ________________________________________________________________
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Q21 Do you believe Meadowhall has had a negative impact on Sheffield city centre?
o Yes o No 13.2 Interview Conducted 21st March 2019 1. Are you happy with the work that is being conducted in Sheffield city centre? Yes, Sheffield really needs to have regeneration, especially when we are surrounded by cities such as Leeds, Manchester etc .. It’s nice to see that they are investing more money in to Sheffield to bring it hopefully up to speed with these other cities! 2. Footfall % increase/decrease since regeneration began Visitor wise we have seen a slight increase since – averaging around +4%. However, January was a quieter month for us. 3. Turnover % increase/decrease since regeneration began Turnover has increased. December was on an increase, however January was quiet. February and March have also been on increases, I think that would be due to the warm weather we had in 2019 to the weather last year 4. Is there any information you can give me regarding performance since the regeneration began. Eg transaction value, pieces sold per receipt, number of employees etc PPR +3% Transactions +8% Currently 40 employees which has slightly increased 5. Are there any plans for your store to move in to the new part of town? As it stands no. We are opening another H&M on the Moor and the Fargate store will remain. Plans are in place to look at how we can work better with our layout and concepts to provide the city centre with the full H&M product but nothing is set in concrete at the minute. Potentially trend which his aimed at a higher price margin. Home and beauty are potential but not much has been said. As for the future we don’t really know and we will have to see how the selling goes with 2 stores so close together, it may work! But again we can’t predict anything. It’s just a matter of seeing what happens.
13.3 Application for Research Ethics Approval (SHUREC8A) 13.3.1 SECTION A: Research Protocol
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1.
Student Name: Christopher Binns Faculty: Development and Society Email address: b6006795@my.shu.ac.uk
2. Title of research: Retail led regeneration in Sheffield City Centre; a different approach. Successful or unsuccessful? 3.
Supervisor: Rob Stevens
Email address: sedrs2@exchange.shu.ac.uk 4.
Proposed duration of project
Start date: 25/11/2018
End Date: 30/04/2019
5.
Location of research if outside SHU: My home and Sheffield City Centre I will carry out my research using questionnaires for the general public which I will share on different forms of social media as well as spending a few days in the centre of Sheffield asking the public if they can take a few minutes to fill one out. I will also create a separate questionnaire/interview aimed at professionals from the Sheffield City Council which will enable me to get a more in depth understanding on the plans/changes that have been made to the city centre.
6.
Background to the study and scientific rationale Incomplete
7.
Main research questions 1. Evaluate the way that Sheffield City Council have gone about the regeneration of Sheffield city centre in comparison to other recent projects such as Leeds Trinity and Liverpool One. 2. Evaluate how the council have carried out the project themselves, without the input of organisations and whether this has been a success. 3. Evaluate the public’s perceptions of the regeneration schemes and whether the public believe it has been successful. 4. Analyse figures regarding footfall and turnover of businesses to determine whether it has had a positive impact on the area.
8.
Summary of methods including proposed data analyses
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The data I will collect will be both quantitative and qualitative. I will then use this data to produce graphs with the quantitative data and in depth conclusions using the qualitative. I will use this to look at trends and patterns which I can then discuss in my dissertation.
13.3.2 SECTION B: Ethics Proforma 1.
Describe the arrangements for selecting/sampling and briefing potential participants. When carrying out questionnaires in Sheffield City Centre, I will select my participants through random sampling. This will ensure that my results will not be biased. My participants will be briefed about the project through conversation and also through a letter attached to each questionnaire outlining the purpose of the research, what it will be used for and how they can withdraw in the future. The letter is incomplete.
2.
What is the potential for participants to benefit from participation in the research? My research can be looked at by Sheffield City Council who are overseeing the regeneration of Sheffield and they can determine whether the residents of Sheffield consider the regeneration to be a success.
3.
Describe any possible negative consequences of participation in the research along with the ways in which these consequences will be limited. Participants might end up wanting to withdraw from my project as they may feel too strongly about the topic.
4.
Describe the arrangements for obtaining participants' consent. For questionnaires that will be filled out online, the questionnaire will begin with a tick box section where they will agree to giving consent for their questionnaire to be used in my data analysis. For questionnaires that will be filled out in the street, the same section will be on the form and will require a signature from the participant.
5.
Describe how participants will be made aware of their right to withdraw from the research. Participants will also be made aware of this through the first part of the questionnaire where they will be told the date until which they can withdraw from the project and how they can.
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6.
If your project requires that you work with vulnerable participants describe how you will implement safeguarding procedures during data collection. N/A
7.
If Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks are required, please supply details N/A
8.
Describe the arrangements for debriefing the participants. I will debrief participants through a letter explaining the purpose of the research, how their questionnaires will be used to help with my project and how they can withdraw from the research at a later date. The letter will also explain that their responses to the questionnaires will remain anonymous and their information will not feature in my dissertation.
9.
Describe the arrangements for ensuring participant confidentiality. The data from my research will be stored on Shu server which only myself and my tutor will know the password for. I will store no personal information of my participants on my phone, laptop or email. My results will be presented in my dissertation in a way that makes my participants remain anonymous, besides professionals from the council that I will interview which will require permission form them in order to do so. My data will be disposed of when I graduate and the information will no longer be needed. This will be done in a way where, if found, they cannot be read. For example, through shredding the documents.
10.
Are there any conflicts of interest in you undertaking this research? N/A
11.
What are the expected outcomes, impacts and benefits of the research? The expected benefits of my research is that Sheffield City Council can use my work to determine the success of the completed regeneration of Sheffield City Centre and what the public perceptions of the work are.
12.
Please give details of any plans for dissemination of the results of the research. No plans.
Dear Participant,
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Thank you for taking the time to complete this questionnaire in order to help me write my dissertation. The title of my dissertation is: Retail led regeneration in Sheffield City Centre; a different approach. Successful or unsuccessful?
Your responses are anonymous and the only two people that can read them are myself, Chris Binns, and my tutor, Rob Stevens. If you would like to contact me regarding this research my email is b6006795@my.shu.ac.uk.
Please be aware that if you wish to withdraw from this research, you can do so until the 1st April 2019. To withdraw, contact me via email and your response to this questionnaire will be destroyed.
Thank you for your time, Chris Binns
13.3.3 SECTION C: Health and Safety Risk Assessment for the Researcher 1.
2.
Will the proposed data collection take place on campus? Yes
(Please answer questions 4, 6 and 7)
No
(Please complete all questions)
Where will the data collection take place? (Tick as many as apply if data collection will take place in multiple venues)
Location Researcher's Residence
Please specify Questionnaires will be sent/received to my email at my residence.
Participant's Residence Education Establishment Other e.g. business/voluntary organisation, public venue Outside UK 3.
Sheffield City Centre
How will you travel to and from the data collection venue? On foot
By car
Public Transport
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Other (Please specify) Please outline how you will ensure your personal safety when travelling to and from the data collection venue I will tell my housemates exactly how I am travelling to and from my point of research and the times I should arrive home. I will pay full attention to my surroundings during my travel. 4.
How will you ensure your own personal safety whilst at the research venue? I will ensure someone knows where I am at all times and I will tell my housemates when I am leaving and when I am home, as well as how I will be travelling to the location where I am carrying out my research. Also, I will not ‘pester’ any members of the public who do not want to answer a questionnaire.
5.
If you are carrying out research off-campus, you must ensure that each time you go out to collect data you ensure that someone you trust knows where you are going (without breaching the confidentiality of your participants), how you are getting there (preferably including your travel route), when you expect to get back, and what to do should you not return at the specified time. My housemates will be informed of where I am going, the times I should be there/going home and my intended routes of travel every time I go to collect data. If I do not return home at my intended time, then they will take further action such as try to contact me, and if unsuccessful, contact the police.
6.
Are there any potential risks to your health and wellbeing associated with either (a) the venue where the research will take place and/or (b) the research topic itself? None that I am aware of Yes (Please outline below including steps taken to minimise risk) N/A
7.
Does this research project require a health and safety risk analysis for the procedures to be used? Yes No (If YES the completed Health and Safety Project Safety Plan for Procedures should be attached)
Adherence to SHU policy and procedures Personal statement I confirm that: 65
• •
this research will conform to the principles outlined in the Sheffield Hallam University Research Ethics policy this application is accurate to the best of my knowledge
Student: Christopher Binns Signature Date 10/12/2018 Supervisor: Rob Stevens Signature Date Other signature (if applicable) Signature Date Please ensure the following are included with this form if applicable, tick box to indicate: Yes Research proposal if prepared previously
No
N/A
Any recruitment materials (e.g. posters, letters, etc.)
Participant information sheet
Participant consent form
Details of measures to be used (e.g. questionnaires, etc.)
Outline interview schedule / focus group schedule
Debriefing materials
Health and Safety Project Safety Plan for Procedures
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GENERIC RISK ASSESSMENT TEMPLATE FOR STUDENT USE Description of the Process/Activity: Carrying out research for my final year BSc Geography dissertation on the retail-led regeneration of Sheffield city centre.
Myself
Traffic lights
Low
Stranger danger
Myself
• •
The police
Low
•
•
Revised risk level
Look left and right Use zebra crossings and pelican crossings Don’t approach anyone who looks suspicious Don’t pester anyone who doesn’t want to cooperate
Date completed
Crossing the road
Additional safety precautions needed to reduce the risk level?
By when?
Risk level
Action by whom?
Existing safety precautions
Low
Myself
Who could be harmed?
RA Ref: LEAVE BLANK
Low
Myself
Hazard
Location(s): Sheffield Hallam University libraries
Communication of significant findings Method of communication (describe): E-mail
Person/people to communicate findings:
Target date(s): 20/04/2018
Supervisor / Technician / Faculty Health and Safety Coordinator (Paul Flanagan)
Approval Carried out by: Chris Binns
Post: Student
Signature:
Date: 11/12/2018
Approved by:
Post:
Signature:
Date:
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Review of risk assessment The frequency of the review is (refer to guidance): 4 months
Review date : 11/04/2018
Carried out by: Chris Binns
Signature:
68