[Malaika]

So much at the moment is about regeneration. Money being put into areas to regenerate them, jobs to regenerate areas, new pavements being laid etc, but what exactly is the main long term goal of regeneration?
Our council are very keen on this word at the moment but what do Sheffeild people feel needs to be done, where and why?

I would like to start a buisness in one of these areas earmarked to recieve regeneration funding, however I need a building to put it in and I cant afford to buy. If the council own empty buildings in these areas,one in particular, built for a community purpose but currently not serving one. Why not rent it to a business such as mine that would bring new people, more money and more life into the area. Is this not regeneration?

By selling large peices of the city off to the highest bidder small, much needed unique buisnesses like mine do not get chance to start. The universities will end up owning most of the city along with private land lords putting money into their pockets only. Sheffield has lost it's little mester community, something that was special to our heritage and it could be well on it's way to losing a whole lot more in the way of specialist services. If the council care only about supporting either community projects or high growth industries, I feel they will be doing Sheffield a great injustice by not enabling new and exciting buisnesses and services to start, businesses that could ultimatly help to regenerate areas by bringing something new to them.

[Moon Maiden]

The thing that annoys me about regeneration is that it all seems to be for development.

Now I know we are in the city but would it really hurt to turn a concrete wasteland (thinking of one in particular) into a park or just remove the concrete so the weeds can get in??

Moon Maiden

A bit of a tangent, but consider this: money put in to Sheffield to improve it's lacking Gross Domestic Product in the past has fallen short of it's goal. Is it any wonder we're building so many offices and posh flats apparently to try and get existing young professional types to set up here?

[halevan]

You are right! everyone should get a chance, the council should give a thought to little business's like your's, so they can get started and expand. all citizen's ought to be considered.

There are currently shop's down the Moor which are empty and being used illegally by certain person's, no one seem's interested I wonder why?

[waxy chuff]

Sheffield seems to have ground to a halt since I arrived here in 99.

When I got here, I was under the impression that Sheffield was remodelling itself on the Manchester model, with urban regen., improved public transport etc, making the city more attractive to young professionals. But it appears to have slowed to a stop recently.

Whilst there are the city centre development projects, there doesn't seem to be much movement of money out to the satellite estates. I was in Gleadless when Jan Wilson went walkabout to meet the locals, and I was shocked by the state of disrepair. £600 million on city centre art and architecture cannot be justified when people are living like this.

Thisis not to say that Sheffield should focus entirely on the estates, as this just isn't practicable. Something needs to be done to attract people to the city, and encourage more of the student population to remain after graduation - these people are unlikely to be moving to the poorer areas of Sheffield, and need some incentive when Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool are nearby. But a more equitable balance needs to be struck between city centre and estate regeneration.

[halevan]

You are right, I agree with you entirely, all the citizen's should be considered, rich or poor people live in council houses through no fault of their own ( with certain exception's of course. )

[Malaika]

I think as a city we do have a pretty high percentage of students who stay on after they graduate. I'm from here origonally but alot of my mates studied here and stayed on for a few years after graduating. Recently though alot of them seemed to get bored and have moved on to Leeds and London.
I hope we never become the concrete mess of Birmingham and I hope that with all these new shaddow casting city center flats people are persuaded to stay, I also hope though that they can find work to support this style of living.
The money for sculptures and the winter gardens etc mainly comes from European funding, and so wouldn't be able to go to the areas we'd like it in anyway, stupid but that's how it seems to work.
I really really do hope that we start getting more money as a city and are able to lessen the divide between the affluent and poorer areas of Sheffield. It feels we are very much becoming a divided city.
It also might be nice, or at least interesting, to know exactly what debts we do have, where from exactly (student games!??) and quite how the council see a way past it all, without, after the loss of rent from all the properties they're selling, putting up council tax again in a few years.
Have rammbled away from regeneration now, but it's kind of about the same thing, Sheffields lack of money and great need for it.

Most of the European funding given to Sheffield has been focused on the aforemention low Gross Domestic Product... We tried to get more money into the city by redeveloping - hence the statues etc - followed by initiatives to build select areas of industry like creative industries. Both have had little success. I think now we're aiming at keeping students here and attracting existing professionals...

Kinda like bringing the mountain to Mohammed...

[wendygs]

I wonder what Sheffield First and Sheffield City Council would have to say about this post now?