Sheffield

What are the advantages of investing in the steel city

Overview

Sheffield, England’s fourth-largest city, is an exciting and modern place, with a population of over 500,000. It is one of the UK’s most popular destinations for students, playing host to over 57,000 domestic and overseas students, a high proportion of whom choose to stay, or return, and settle there. *

The presence of two large universities and one of the largest further education colleges in Britain mean Sheffield has a distinctly youthful population throughout the year and therefore massive rental demand from the high number of students.

Location

Sheffield lies at the centre of the UK, so no matter where you are travelling from, the city is easily accessible. With 4 airports, including the UK’s newest international airport, within less than an hour's drive from Sheffield, it is easy to get to from overseas destinations.

The recently-refurbished mainline train station in Sheffield now offers an impressive entry to the city, with fast direct links to and from London and Scotland.  A number of cross-country routes link Sheffield directly with cities and towns in all 4 corners of the country.

Rental Market

In Sheffield, rental property is being snapped up faster than it can be provided. In a financial climate where purchasing a property is out of reach for many consumers, people are relying on the rental sector to provide homes for them.

According to Knight Frank, Sheffield’s rental market is providing optimism for the city’s property sector. Rental properties in Sheffield city centre are snapped up in an average of three days with up to five tenants vying for each available property.

The annual population of students migrating to Sheffield reaches around 57,000 a year, whilst a recent survey found that there was a shortage of accommodation for students in Sheffield, outside the main university halls.

Knight Frank also commented “Sheffield is at a massive advantage over other major northern cities, benefitting from its location, strength of the rental market and relative undersupply of city centre residential units. The strength of the rental market can also be attributed to the limited number of high-quality centrally-located schemes in Sheffield, especially when compared with other regional centres across the UK.”

Economy

• The city’s fast-growing economy is worth over £7bn a year
• Sheffield Hallam is one of the country’s top 10 richest towns.

Sheffield's GVA has increased by 75% since 1995 and is now almost £9 billion. The economy has been enjoying steady growth averaging over five per cent annually, and has been growing at a higher rate than has been experienced in Yorkshire and Humberside.*

With key sectors in advanced manufacturing materials, business and financial services, digital and new media and energy and environmental technology, the evolving economy continues to bolster the city's international reputation.

The city's economy was built on steel, engineering and cutlery, all of which have established a worldwide reputation. Yet while Sheffield remains one of the country's foremost manufacturing areas and a centre for advanced engineering, the predominant feature of the local economy over the last 30 years has been the steady growth of service industries.†

Student

Sheffield boasts two universities with over 57,000 UK and overseas students:

The University of Sheffield’ main campus is about half-a-mile west of the city centre. The University is a member of the Russell Group, and is ranked 40th in the world and 20th in Europe.

Sheffield Hallam University, which has its main campuses 1 mile south west of the city centre, is the eighth largest university in the UK, with over 33,000 students in 2010.

• University of Sheffield: 24,000 students, 7% of which are international students.
• The university is a member of the Russell Group and has produced five Nobel Prize winners
• Sheffield Hallam University: 33,000 students, 8% of which are international students
• It is the eighth largest university in the UK**

The University of Sheffield was voted the Sunday Times University of the Year and the city has been voted the Most Popular UK Student Destination. Subjects of excellence between the two universities include Engineering, Property, Design and Dentistry.

92% of Sheffield graduates find employment, with the two universities producing around 12,000 high-calibre graduates each year, a large percentage of whom choose to stay in Sheffield, boosting rental demand.*

Summary

• It is one of the UK's most popular destinations for students
• There are 2 thriving universities with a joint total of 57,000 students
• Sheffield is one of the greenest cities, with 150 woodlands and 50 parks
• Sheffield boasts one of the lowest crime rates in the country and Sheffield people have a well-deserved reputation for their friendliness and hospitality.
• Europe's largest shopping and leisure complex, Meadowhall, is situated here with over 400,000 people through the doors every week*

*Source : yorkshireforward.org
**Source : Thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk
†Source : www.creativesheffield.co.uk

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