I drove thru Norfolk Park recently and noticed that those disused towerblock flats which have been empty well over a year are still there. Does anyone know when these are finally getting demolished as it must be horrible for those who live nearby living in the shadow of such an eyesore. Plus I want to watch then get blown up!

Moved to Sheffield Related Chat...

please ignore the above as i put it in the wrong forum

thanks Tony for moving it to the right forum

Mickley had a problem with a big tank in the cellar...that has now been moved to the site of the new school. Grange isn't supposed to come down until after the new Extra Care Scheme (for the elderly) is finished. I will let everyone know as soon as I have a date, but I wouldn't hold your breath for the time being.
There is now a new problem....surprise, surprise regeneration of the estate has caused - shock - house prices to go up. So land prices have gone up. Seems no-one considered that when they first started, and now people are getting precious over the fact that the old contracts practically gave the land away to the developers.
Time to sit back and watch the whole regeneration process on Norfolk Park grind to a slow and painful halt.
Not that I'm bitter:P

So who is it that is getting precious about the land prices? Is it the council trying to cash in?

It's difficult. I can just about draw all the stuff together in my head...but as far as I can tell...
The developers put aside a certain amount of money for the development, including land prices, planning permission, etc etc
The Council agreed on letting the land go for a minimum am't of money.
Now the land is worth more, and the council and the project are suffering financially and could do with the actual monetary value of the land.
The developers cannot afford to buy the land at higher prices from the budget they set aside.
Other agencies are not helping (don't ask, please)
It's all got very sticky and difficult. Money is being withdrawn from projects left right and centre (not by the Council, actually) - community and greenspace regeneration in particular are suffering.
I'm sure it will all pull around again, but at the moment it's fairly disheartening and frustrating for all involved.
We've (very suddenly) had most of the money for physical improvements to greenspaces withdrawn (again, not by the Council), which is a huge blow for us, and a big disappointment, but the biggest blow is that all the community projects on the estate are struggling after having to go through so much just to get to this point.

Rant over:?

Word is Mickley block will be blown down in September.
I have my doubts, but will keep the Forum updated.

:wave: Hello all!

Projected date for the blowdown of the Mickley block of flats: December 21st...

Does anyone know what time?

Generally it's at noon.

i live just round the corner from them and yep they sure do need sumthing doing with them. Why were they abandoned in the first place??


mind you i was glad they were there when i first moved here, you can see them from the city centre and it was eaiser getting home

Oh dear. Why were they abandoned? How long have you been living around the corner from them?:P

It's a process called REGENERATION. It's only been going on for years now. First they empty the flats and knock 'em down. Everyone moves out. Then they build new houses. Different people move back in. This all happens in a short enough time not to have too much of an impact on the people who stay/want to come back. Voila, the regenerated area is a happy and thriving area where everyone smiles constantly and they all skip merrily around throwing flowers.

In theory.

In practice, they knock it all down, start regeneration, are surprised when it all doesn't go exactly to the plan they wrote down on paper. The process stalls. The area is left without half it's population, local amenities, and community groups. Those left living and working there wring their hands and struggle to keep what little community is left fighting to move onto the next stage. It's a modern miracle.

Still, when it's all over, I intend to be there, skipping around and throwing flowers with the best of them.

PS for anyone interested, the new Norfolk School is nearing completion. The new extra care facility is well on it's way too, which means that when they've moved all those living in Grange block into Extra Care, Grange too will be coming down. My guess would be at the end of next year. And that will be the last of the Famous Fifteen. The end of an era.

Ah, love watching eyesores go boom !

But I really feel sorry for the people who live close by, the dust goes round forever :(

OK, don't get your picnic baskets and binoculars out yet.
You guessed it....the date has changed.
Apparently the police were concerned about doing a blowdown on the last Sunday before Christmas.

The date should now be...

Sunday January 11th, at noon.:thumbsup:

Also - like to know why things have slowed down on the building of the new school, extra care facility, and St Fellbrigg?
The window company supplying all 3 has gone bust. Lol.

Sunday January 11th, at noon.

Is that true? as I went on the sheffield city council website and it states that they will decide on developers in spring 2004 and currently are working on vacating the North Block?

Secondly I am pretty sure it is a Grade 2 listed building so they can only renovate grade 2 listed buildings.

Originally posted by humanityfirs
Sunday January 11th, at noon.

Is that true? as I went on the sheffield city council website and it states that they will decide on developers in spring 2004 and currently are working on vacating the North Block?

Secondly I am pretty sure it is a Grade 2 listed building so they can only renovate grade 2 listed buildings.

erm... the tower in question has been completely stripped bare. It is an empty shell of nothing but concrete. There are even no window frames, probably to prevent glass flying when it finally comes down.

AFAIK, Park Hill is the only listed flat in Sheffield.

Originally posted by John
erm... the tower in question has been completely stripped bare. It is an empty shell of nothing but concrete. There are even no window frames, probably to prevent glass flying when it finally comes down.

AFAIK, Park Hill is the only listed flat in Sheffield.

I am sure there are 'other' ways of getting rid of listed buildings if need be. :o ;)

Originally posted by humanityfirs
Sunday January 11th, at noon.

Is that true? as I went on the sheffield city council website and it states that they will decide on developers in spring 2004 and currently are working on vacating the North Block?

Secondly I am pretty sure it is a Grade 2 listed building so they can only renovate grade 2 listed buildings.
You're mixing up Park Hill deck access flats (G2 listed & soon for redevelopment) with Norfolk Park tower block flats

Tony's right - you're thinking Park Hill. This is Mickley, which is on Park Grange Road (the winding one with tram tracks).

Oddly enough, I do feel ever so slightly that it will be really weird when Grange is gone too...like they were never there. Really twisted nostalgia, I guess. They've been the defining feature of Norfolk Park for so long....Mind you, I wouldn't want to live in one. But the views across the city were phenomenal.

yeh you are right, the tower blocks are all vacant, I confused myelf with the other flats.. They look horrible too.

So what are they building there when tower blocks have gone?

New housing. No more than four storeys high. Prob'ly very much like the new housing lower down Park Grange. Very nice inside.

Of course, we'd all like to see a community building go in somewhere. And some shops. Silly us.:loopy:

Mickely

http://www.sheffield.gov.uk/business--economy/contracts/design--project-management-contracts/250k-to-500k/mickley-tower-block-demolition



Grange
http://www.sheffield.gov.uk/business--economy/contracts/design--project-management-contracts/250k-to-500k/grange-tower-block---demolition


Claywood - fitzwalter and Norfolk (are they the three coloured ones?)
http://www.sheffield.gov.uk/business--economy/contracts/design--project-management-contracts/over-1-million/claywood-tower-blocks-demolition

Yes, those are the colourful tower blocks. Some people fought hard to keep them. Looks like they'll be gone sometime next autumn.

Are these the 6 that are going in the Autumn?

http://www.emporis.info/en/il/im/?id=189516

As far as I know.
Question is, will they be missed or not?

BTW, the dates change so much, I'd be surprised if the timelines were kept to. Everything has slowed up a lot.

Originally posted by cosywolf
Yes, those are the colourful tower blocks. Some people fought hard to keep them. Looks like they'll be gone sometime next autumn.

I think it's a great shame that the Claywood buildings are to be demolished. They are a nicer feature on the horizon than the Park Hill blocks. If they were refurbished in a modern contemporary way such as similar blocks in London they'd sell for a fortune, and be far more desireable than those in the city centre itself.

Let me stray from the thread for a moment, to a discussion I had with someone about student districts such as Sharrow. When students live in the majority of a street, and a few other families are distributed between them there appears to be a real lack of community spirit, and the families don't care about their surroundings as much or invest in their neighbourhoods. The studends are there only half the year, they don't care for the property like long-term residents would and they don't integrate into the community. I'm not having a go at students, I was one myself not long ago. But what about using the Claywood tower blocks to create a student village?

If I was a student again and those three blocks were renovated in a contemporary minimalist way I'd have loved it! They're in a great position, especially near the train station, which would be great for students going back home. They're on the tram lines (Sheffield Station). Fantastic views, they could have a real student community with bars and shops. With the number of students you could fit onto that area of land, and the blocks already standing, surely this would make financial sense. And with good property prices in Sheffield, the student districts generally being in good areas, any surplus student houses would be worth a great amount if sold off or privately rented.

I'd just recommend not cladding them in plastic, as is the current craze :)

Lol. Would they not then become student ghettos? It's already apparent that students don't take too much care of their surroundings...what would they do to their own set of tower blocks? (no recriminations, please, I was a student and I KNOW I had other things on my mind)

Really, though, it's an interesting idea.
However, those people who were moved out and didn't want to be, probably wouldn't be too thrilled about the situation.

Also, aren't there questions as to how much longer these buildings will maintain structural integrity? I haven't studied Claywood very thoroughly, but you only have to glance at Parkhill to see that the concrete is disintegrating. I'd be surprised if the other flats weren't suffering a similar fate.
And people on the estate made it very clear that they wanted a different kind of housing if the old blocks went - not more than four storeys high, if my memory serves.

I have mixed feelings about the whole thing. I hated going into the tower blocks - never felt that safe. And they really showed years of neglect. BUT I do feel a certain odd fondness for them. YET (lol) I will be cheering when they come down (but maybe that's just my destructive side coming out).

One thing's for sure, Mickley's been standing empty like a miserable and derelict reminder of the worst side of Norfolk Park's history for long enough. Get it down!

Originally posted by cosywolf
As far as I know.
Question is, will they be missed or not?

BTW, the dates change so much, I'd be surprised if the timelines were kept to. Everything has slowed up a lot.
keep us up to date won't you cosy - I would hate to miss these ones out as I was intending to get up there with a camera last time. Then one day I looked out of the windows and they were gone

I will, phan. Actually, I'd be a little surprised if the date for Mickley changed now.
You should get down there with your camera now. There's something very poignant about all those exposed rooms...the paint and wallpaper people so carefully chose to decorate their homes, now laid bare to the elements...the odd poster still on the walls.
Very picturesque.

I was up there last week with my camera...saw guys drilling holes in our Mickley:( Was so weird to see it like that...all the exterior walls were gone it looked a bit erie to be honest. Can't wait till the demolition date...will they be imploding it?

The Mickley Tower Block at Norfolk Park will be blown down this Sunday (11 January) at midday. Local ward Councillors Julie Dore, Elizabeth Taylor, and John Robson will be there to press the button.

There will be an exclusion zone around the building for safety reasons. Members of the public can get a good view of the tower block coming down from the bottom of The Moor or from Skye Edge.

The blow down of Mickley Tower Block is part of the ongoing £120 million regeneration programme at Norfolk Park which is transforming the area. This is the 14th tower block to be demolished at Norfolk Park. Once it has gone, the site near the Arbourthorne Road Tram stop will be clear, ready for a new heart for the estate which may include community facilities, shops, a medical centre, and dentist.

Councillor Chris Weldon is looking forward to seeing more changes in the area, he said: "Norfolk Park is undergoing a real transformation and we have already seen results from investment in the area. The blow down of Mickley Tower Block is just the start of another big year of activity. It will be followed by Grange Tower Block coming down, as well as the opening of the new school and an extra care housing scheme."

For safety reasons there will be road closures and public transport changes on 11 January. From 8.45am Samuel Road and a section of Park Grange Road will be closed to private traffic, however vehicles will be able to leave. For most of the morning public transport will be able to travel along Park Grange Road but will not stop to drop off or pick up passengers. From 11am buses will be diverted and at 11.40 trams will stop running until around 12.15. Roads will reopen and full public transport will resume by about 12.45.

[link removed - see edit]

Cosy:P

Cosy...seeing as you know everything to do with NP...where can I get a good shot of Mickley being imploded? My camera only has 2x zoom, the bottom of the Moor is not adequate for me :( I was hoping I could stand on that bridge that's near it, or am I not allowed...

Yes - where's the best (closest) place to view it?

Mmm...where to view it. Good question. I think it may be a matter of how early you're willing to get to Norfolk Park. :rolleyes:

The Centre in the Park will be open, and if you like your creature comforts and a good view, that's the place (tho it may be a bit full, as that is also the evacuation point for nearby housing).

The park proper will be open, and you'll get a more than decent view. I am hoping to watch from the Tree Nursery (through the gates into the park on Guildford Ave, and left). I'll probably be leaving my car at work and walking through the park.

There is a map of the exclusion zone, which is quite large, at the Centre in the Park. In past years I have simply driven up as close as I could get, trying various routes until I found a good vantage place - but there will be lots of people doing that.

The Area Housing Office, Fellbrigg pub/church may be possibilities, and are very close. But I know that the actual blowdown 'ceremony' is happening at the Housing Office and is by invitation only. It's also so close, that it may not be feasible...but you can try.

I'll have a look at the map again, and see if anything else suggests itself. One of my neighbours will be watching from Meersbrook Park...

Cosy:P

I am SO there - but with a packed lunch and waterproof as suspect that event will happen v quickly, but traffic will mean I will be stuck there for a good long while ;)

Another good possibility, and probably far easier to get to considering road closures, will be Arbourthorne Recreation Ground. Pocketed between Eastern Avenue and Northern Avenue, it is high enough to give you a good view, and big enough to fit lots of people on (but beware parking could be fun).
A bonus will be a good view of Sheffield's skyline before and after the big event.

Warning:;) The blowdown will take seconds, with very little to see before and after. Previously, they have blown up two at a go, one after the other. But Mickley stands on it's own.

Anyone know a good place to watch the tower block getting blown up at Norfolk part tomorrow? The sheffield council website page with the details on is down...

Thanks

Tim

I didn't know that! What time?

Sheffield Telegraph yesterday suggested either bottom of the Moor or Skye Edge for the best view.

Have a look here (http://www.sheffieldforum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2136)

Cosy:P

Originally posted by cosywolf
Have a look here (http://www.sheffieldforum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2136)

Cosy:P

Thanks for the link cosy, saved me searching for it.

Threads merged.

I'd like to see the flats coming down, but I can't get there.

Is anyone taking a camera?

I live on Myrtle Road and just saw them come down from my son's attic-bedroom window. I got a couple of pictures, before and after.

captured the whole thing on DV from my attic window, too far away for pictures, but got a nice film of the whole thing.

once I drop it to video, i will post a link to the movie file.

Got a couple of decent pics of it coming down. Happens faster than I thought.

Any chance of someone putting a couple of pictures online?

I missed it..was in the arundel having a pint with my dad

does any one know if they were blown today??

i went yesterday and they looked like they had explosive charges on every 5th floor (due to all window areas covered in bin liners)

if any one did go, did you get any photos??

if you did get photos can you post them on here???

I will put some up later.

The during the explosion image was messed up. The blast made me jumped and I clicked too early. In saying that, I haven't see it on Computer, only on the LCD Screen of the camera.

I went to see it, but didn't anticipate how long it would take to walk there, so all I saw of it was a boom and the top of it disappearing below the trees. :(

I did get a couple of pictures of the huge pile of rubble though. :D

Originally posted by Fletch
does any one know if they were blown today??

i went yesterday and they looked like they had explosive charges on every 5th floor (due to all window areas covered in bin liners)

if any one did go, did you get any photos??

if you did get photos can you post them on here???

fletch, any chance of you reading the posts above yours? - you may find your questions already answered. :)

Watched it go down from Park Hill, but it went so quickly.....have just been for a nose at the rubble. Expecting to find carnage and debris strewn all around, I was amazed at the neatness of it. The whole thing just came down in a tidy pile within the safety barriers. No nearby windows blown out, the tram stop still standing....

It was also slightly eerie seeing a pile which must have been the scene of some comings and goings over the years.

Here is some news about it:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/south_yorkshire/3385389.stm

Has anyone got the flat being blown up on camera. If so could you post them on this site we can have a look at them. I saw it but would love pictures or even better, filmed.

fletch, any chance of you reading the posts above yours? - you may find your questions already answered.
well sorry i didnt see that there were 5 pages!!

and erm dont only have a go at me!!!

Has anyone got the flat being blown up on camera. If so could you post them on this site we can have a look at them.

And to think that this was considered to be a stroke of genius in '60's. The new way to live: high-rise flats nestling in easy-on-the-eye locations.

They got it all wrong. We British can't live like this for some reason.

But why have other cultures adapted to flat dwelling? it is very unusual to live in a house in Spain and France. Flats are the norm.

Perhaps it's the Englishman-who-loves-his-garden thing.

Never mind the garden thing, Sam. Most of the new properties don't have them. Pity.

I watched from the top of Kenninghall, which wasn't actually closed (oops:blush: ) It took no time at all to watch that icon of Norfolk Park's past disappear in a cloud of smoke. Made me go all goose-bumpy. Still a little sad, still mostly pleased.

It was a very efficient blowdown, and the machines were in pretty much immediately to start the clear up.

On a slightly off-topic little note...the man next to me threw a brick at the stewards to get them to move out of his way. Blimey, and I thought I was bad in the morning...:shocked:

I will continue to keep the forum posted re: Grange block, and the fate of the Claywood flats if everyone promises to keep their fingers crossed that my job gets funding for next year:D

Bye, Mickley:wave: :wave:
Cosy:P

Any dates for West one yet :)

Local history in the making, I suppose.

It scares me that in 30 years time we could all be saying 'oh those horrible dwellings on Norfolk Park are coming down. Isn't regeneration a great thing?'

Cosy:P

For those that like looking at movies of tower blocks coming down... Controlled Demolition have movies and case studies [including those they have done in past in Sheffield] here :

http://www.controlled-demolition.co.uk/web/explosive_home/explosive.asp

This video

http://www.controlled-demolition.co.uk/common/oslo.mov

shows what happens inside the building when the explosives go off !!!

There is a wealth of info on demolitions worldwide on this site :

http://www.implosionworld.com/index.htm

Weirdest thing must be this :

http://www.implosionworld.com/cbc1.htm

Originally posted by Sam Miguel
But why have other cultures adapted to flat dwelling? it is very unusual to live in a house in Spain and France. Flats are the norm.


Shiny white concrete modernist buildings look good in hot countries, with the sun shining on them.

The English weather has the opposite effect on unpainted concrete.


I am sure that all the 'regenerated' buildings - West One, Riverside Exchange, etc etc etc etc etc will suffer exactly the same fate in 30 years. They contain the exact same problems as these tower blocks did in the 60s - cheaply built, based on idealistic principles, and are designed to look good (the architectural fashion of the time) when built (yes those 60s tower blocks DID look good and modern when they were first built). They are NOT built with the residents' needs in mind - and this lack of basic functionality is where things go wrong.

I'd like to print that out, and bury it in the foundation stone (concrete block?) of these new buildings, so when they are demolished in 30 years (and that's being optimistic!), I can be proved right!!

Breaking news: It seems that the Claywood flats are indeed due for demolition in 2004.
Currently date for completion of demolition = June 2004, with work starting in March

Cosy:P

What time did it go, what happened and does anyone have any photos? I would have love to have watched it but couldn't make it.

Originally posted by theflyingfish

What time did it go, what happened and does anyone have any photos? I would have love to have watched it but couldn't make it.

Merged threads. Most of your questions have been answered on here.

Originally posted by theflyingfish
What time did it go, what happened and does anyone have any photos? I would have love to have watched it but couldn't make it.

12 noon.

Did anyone notice that after the first bang, which I assumed was to scare the birds that were nesting in the flats, there was a long pause and most of them flew back into the flats!?

It's all really just an excuse for an annual pigeon cull:thumbsup:

Cosy:P

Where can I post some pics then?

Ahhh....Mickley.
I forgot my camcorder and had to make do with piccys...visited the implosion site again later that afternoon and took pictures of the rubble. Sad, maybe, but one day the papparazi will be buying those photos...

was suprised at how clean the whole thing was...very very neat for a 17 story tower block...was well impressed:thumbsup:

Originally posted by MichaelTravis
Where can I post some pics then?

On here, in this very thread. Just link to them using the options above the reply box.
Or ask for help in Feedback.

Cosy:P

The council have a great animation of the explosion on their front page, I'm not sure how long it will be there for...
http://www.sheffield.gov.uk/home-page

If it's not there (at the top of their home page) then send me a Private Message and I will get you another link from the council (hopefully).

Geoff

Does anyone know what is going to replace the Claywood tower blocks when they are demolished?:)

Carn't wait for this:thumbsup:

craig, you could have waited to post on this thread until its birthday...

premature articulation!