I have been looking through many postings of late, and have noticed that many seem to concentrate on the fact that Sheffield Town Centre lacks quite a few of the so called 'fashionable' chain stores such as River Island.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/page.cfm?objectid=14555841&method=full

However, it was this article, which was printed in many of the national newspapers last week, which swayed my opinion. Do we really want this to happen, when we have Meadowhall to facilitate many of these shops. I already fear this has started to happen. Next time you walk down Fargate, count the amount of Mobile Phone Dealers. Also, as highlighted by the article, try and count the number of traditional pubs left in the centre. In the past two years the number has dwindled, with O'Connels, The Saddle and O'Neils all being turned into trendy bars, with pubs strictly relegated to the back streets.

What can be done? One things for certain, I dont believe that building more and more shopping centre's is any sort of solution.

Hello FlatCap,
I agree with you in many respects. But it shouldn't be about creating a clone. It's about creating an identity. Sheffield has an identity crisis right now. It doesn't know if it’s well off or poverty stricken, left or right of centre. Sheffield has no focus because it has concentrated on many pet projects rather than at an over all plan. Sheffield's councillors are generally deprived of a structured system that can facilitate development and its personalities get in the way. Because some of the pet projects failed miserably, nobody is prepared to stick their neck on the block. So now we have a city centre that consists of fragments.
But its a catch 22. Sheffield needs improving, there's no doubt about that. But to finance improvement the businesses need to be called upon to move into the improved centre. The secret is balance. The catch is that the council can't harmonise with the all important businesses. This poor reputation is widespread, and news such as IKEA, love em or loath em, only helps to erode any credibility the council might have had.
An unsatisfactory consolation is that many cities are just as bad, like those mentioned in your article.
The worrying thing is that there are plans, but they're not very good. They work in some respects but they're still lacking in personality. Successful town planning and architectural design is all down to scale. The scale is wrong now, and wrong on the proposed scheme.
Patching things up is only a temporary solution but Sheffield's patches are 50 years old and very, very ugly.

I'd rather see just one 'Muji' or 'size?', or a second River Island as opposed to a dozen Carphone Warehouses.

Having Meadowhall is all well and good, but not everyone wants this kind of shopping.

I live close to the Trafford Centre and just don't go there. I much prefer to go to Manchester instead, especially on a Sunday. All the shops are open, the parking is free and I can browse the shops, wander around the canal or museum, or just sit in a piazza and listen to a street entertainer.

I have to concede on that point, as I too am not into the 'shopping centre' culture either, never really cottoning on to this trend.

I think what Sheffield desperatly needs more than anything is a full scale clean up. Buildings which are still filthy from years of high industry smog and pollution desperatly need cleaning.

I had a look down the Haymarket and the Meat & Fish market this morning.

This area must be the most unacceptable face of Sheffield. Seedy and rundown with the constant noise and fumes from all the buses. The Meat & Fish market is like something out of the 19th. century...how the trading standards office can be happy with the food hygene standards of some of the traders there is beyond me.:o

The council really need to make their minds up whether the Haymarket is a bus station or a shopping area, not that there are any shops of note except perhaps for Wilkinsons, and the B&C Co-Op (if you know where it is, - I imagine few strangers would notice it).

I'm sure with some imaginative planning the area could be nicely redeveloped in a way that would seperate the buses and other through traffic from the shopping areas, but I can't see it happening in my lifetime.

Sheffield is the cuddliest city in Britain. Parts of it may be rather loppy, but at least it's good, honest muck.

My home city is something I am proud of and I often have tears in my eyes as walk around he city centre.

Not through emotion, you understand, but due to the polution irritating them.