Government feedback on Sheffield's Channel 4 bid due 'within next few weeks'

Project leaders behind Sheffield's bid to bring Channel 4 to the city are due to receive feedback from the Government within the next few weeks.
An artists' impression showing how the new Channel 4 headquarters could look in Sheffield.An artists' impression showing how the new Channel 4 headquarters could look in Sheffield.
An artists' impression showing how the new Channel 4 headquarters could look in Sheffield.

The Government is planning to move the publicly-owned corporation out of its £100 million London headquarters to another base elsewhere in the UK to help drive creative jobs throughout the regions.

A number of areas, including the Steel City, Bradford and the West Midlands, put forward proposals to give the channel a new home in July.

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A spokesman for the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said initial feedback would be given on these proposals "within the next few weeks."

But he added this would not be a final decision on the winning bid and this aspect would be considered "further down the line at a date yet to be decided.”

The spokesperson also told how the Government will be considering whether to move all or only part of Channel 4's operations out of London.

Edward Highfield, director of Creative Sheffield, which has led the city's bid, said they were told the Government would "take the summer to review proposals."

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He said: "We expect to hear something in the autumn and some decisions by the end of the year."

Mr Highfield added that there are "no published guidelines or timescales" yet at this stage.

Sheffield's bid leaders have previously revealed the move could be worth a whopping £1.4 billion to the city’s economy over the next 15 years and create 4050 jobs.

They have earmarked vacant land near the railway station in Sheaf Square as a potential site to build Channel 4's new headquarters.

The broadcaster is also being offered 80, 000 sq ft of office space in the nearby Digital Campus on Sheaf Street.