The new leader of Sheffield City Council has promised business in the city a new spirit of co-operation. Cllr Paul Sciven's announcement came after a survey found almost three out of four Sheffield business leaders believed they didn't get the support they deserved from their local authority. And almost one in five said they were ‘substantially unsupported' by the council, according to a survey by accountant and business consultant, Grant Thornton. But Liberal Democrat Cllr Scriven, whose party took power from Labour at May's elections, has now vowed that would change. He chose Sheffield's ‘Reinventing the city' conference to tell the business community: ‘I'm sorry we haven't stepped up to the mark and been more supportive in helping you to regenerate this city. ‘I understand that, at times, we have held you up, and we will change that. I want Sheffield to become a city that is business friendly.' He said there were plans for a major overhaul of the council's planning department, and a new ‘buy local' policy as part of a strategy to make Sheffield a business-friendly city.