Walking round Hillsborough' shopping' center today I thought to myself how the people of Hillsboro have been shortchanged by the powers that be of this city.The supertram as left this once prosperous part of Sheffield a no mans land.Langsett rd is now a wilderness,traffic as ground to a halt due to the tram gates and the magic roundabout now exists as motorists attempt to get from langsett rd to middlewood rd via Walkley.Why cannot Hillsboro qualify for handouts that other parts of this city get namely Burngreave,Pitsmoor,Manor.Hillsboro is steadley turning into another Owler Ln,the whole area from Malin Bridge to Burton St and beyond is going downhill.

All that as well as a s**t football team.

According to the "Telegraph", Hillsborough is on the up and is intended to be Sheffield's Covent Garden!! It makes you wonder, again, if these people are living on the same planet as the rest of us.

Hillsborough did start to pick up a bit when I was living in Walkley and used to shop there. And I admit it's still pretty good to have a Boots, Woolies, Co-Op and a very decent park and library on your doorstep. But look at the boarded-up shops (when will they *ever* do anything with the Corner?), the emporia of cheapo tat, and the frankly nasty atmosphere in some of the pubs on a Friday and Saturday night... and some of the miserable-looking people who drag themselves around the Arcade. It's got a long way to go.

And this is when the economy in general is doing OK - I'd hate to think what Hillsborough would be like during a recession.

What evidence is there for decline recently? Hillsborough is a great place and the only proper town-centre type district in Sheffield. Yes, the traffic is a nightmare and incomprehensible. Yes, some bits of the centre have been boarded up or are run-down, but if someone has a bit of faith and has a go with a new business it's usually been very good...

In the last few months:

A proper coffee shop [right on the tram platform]

A Thai noodle bar just opened on Langsett Rd.

New greasy-spoon style cafe.

There aren't even any shopping trolleys in the river any more.

It's only a matter of time before one of the cask ale enthusiasts opens a nice bar right in the centre.

Originally posted by Bilge
What evidence is there for decline recently? Hillsborough is a great place and the only proper town-centre type district in Sheffield. Yes, the traffic is a nightmare and incomprehensible. Yes, some bits of the centre have been boarded up or are run-down, but if someone has a bit of faith and has a go with a new business it's usually been very good...

In the last few months:

A proper coffee shop [right on the tram platform]

A Thai noodle bar just opened on Langsett Rd.

New greasy-spoon style cafe.

There aren't even any shopping trolleys in the river any more.

It's only a matter of time before one of the cask ale enthusiasts opens a nice bar right in the centre.

I think Hillsborough is OK except that on Friday & Saturday evenings it has got out of hand with all the boozy types making it feel a very threatening place to be.

Agreed, that's why it needs at least one civilising pub/bar with proper beer and a more pleasant, inclusive atmosphere in the central bit to drag all the trendies in from Crookes and Walkley.

Hillsbro Hotel and Barrack Tavern do these things but neither is in Hillsbro centre, so it remains the same.

Deep End could do it in the week if it tried harder.

I think Hillsborough is great (ok except for the Fri/Sat night thing). Once the Corner building is sorted, it will be even better.

But I wish the little independent shops would open late, say till 7 or 8 pm two nights during the week. There's loads of nice fresh fruit/veg and meat shops, but I can't get to them because they are always closed when I go sailing past on the tram to and from work. I'd love to be able to support these local businesses, but they still seem to operate on the old system that the bloke goes out to work while little wifey potters to the shops everyday. Instead my money goes to Morrisons (and I bet their produce is not as fresh as the little shop!).

I also wish that t***s would stop going through the tram gate - it blocks it all up so that the tram can't get through and then everything grinds to a halt for everyone when its stuck accross the junction!!!

Originally posted by Bilge

There aren't even any shopping trolleys in the river any more.


I wish that were true. There's one sat there right now and it has recently been joined by two traffic cones. But not for long as the weir is being cleaned out again very soon.

I only hope that the planned CCTV will be able to help identify the people who throw these things in the weir so they can be named and shamed in the Sheffield Star or something. Maybe it could help with the Friday/Saturday night roubles too or am I being too optimistic?

As for the rest, if we got a good bookshop it would be a start! Maybe when the new college bit opens?

Originally posted by Ronin
All that as well as a s**t football team.
:hihi: :hihi: :hihi: Too true :twisted:
That alone would explain why no one wants to invest in the area

Wow, a bookshop? That wasn't even in my dreams. But yes, maybe it could make sense with the new college opening.

Personally I wanted to move back to the area and I'm now back in a pretty good house...

As for local business's, there's a few that are having problems like a chippie that seems to be looking for a new owner due to owner injury.. but in terms of running out of cash... Hmm.. not convinced... I noticed that Infirmary Road now has a couple of new businesses starting up in shops that were boarded up for years before.

... so if anything it's looking like the area is improving a little... :)

Yep, I've been in the area for 18 months or so and have seen the beginnings of many improvements - the Jalucy, and someone starting work on the corner, the weir cleaned out etc. Only downside I've seen is the clothes shop on the corner close down.
I think the college opening may induce some more positive changes. I suspect quite a few of the shops will think about opening later.
I wouldn't say it's going downhill at all.

Even the tram situation is set to improve as enforcement should begin early next year. I only hope that they make it clear at what date enforcement will begin or we'll end up with allegations of "revenue collection". I understand that it'll be automatic via cameras as pulling cars over anywhere near that junction could only serve to congest the area further.

Fingers crossed that it goes ahead when it's supposed to and not delayed further!

Hmmm...Greenwoods or an empty shop unit on the corner? It's a close call, but yes I guess you're right hotphil, it was a downside when it went. At least I can still go to the Donny branch for my beige slacks.

Anybody out there wanting to start up a small business as a book retailer? I reckon that the old Greenwoods place would make a great book shop. Better that than a betting shop, opticians or travel agents anyway. Might write to WHSmiths or Waterstones and recommend it. Would start it myself but already have my hands full.

Originally posted by Captain_Scarlet
:hihi: :hihi: :hihi: Too true :twisted:
That alone would explain why no one wants to invest in the area

What is the point in this moronic input to an interesting thread?:loopy:

the centre of Hillsborough is a bit of a tip. A lot of graffiti However it is no worse than Walkley (just busier and more scallies)

Langsett road is an absolute mess

I think most areas need some investment and that the council isn't doing enough to get new ompanies setting up stores....

The council have recently begun a promotional drive to recruit new businesses to the area with really impressive booklets etc. I think if businesses looked at the demographics of the area they may find that there are many young professional families based in Hillsborough now due to the more affordable house prices. Just the market for some more trendy stores/bars.

However, looked at the upmystreet website (www.upmystreet.co.uk) under Hillsborough and we do appear to have twice the national averge rate of unemployment. That surprised me so I looked up some other Sheffield postcodes. The figures for S2 were alarming!

The planned regeneration and funding for the area along Penistone Road can only help to raise Hillsborough's image as a "destination". So there are many things in the offing that should ensure that Hillsborough won't be going downhill.

We've got to wrestle Hillsborough back from this bad reputation and being written off to really turn it around.