Sheffield one of the most 'at risk' shopping areas in UK

[Dragonfall 10]

Question for you 645 are you Sheffield born and bred or are you from down south and are here because properties are much cheaper ?

 

Slugger - I’m Sheffield born & bred, as is my wife & kids - plus I’m a (long-suffering) Blade. Trying to drag the debate on Sheffield’s future down to one of pure class is pointless & unhelpful. As I’ve already pointed out – Sheffield's population is made up of a variety of affluent, medium income, & poor. Any projects for retail in the city, should cater for all types: high-end to budget – at the moment the city centre is definitely focused on the budget end.

[bassett one 451]

when the new market is built and the moor done,also the cole brothers area sorted,we can then start to see a better city centre,but there needs better parking and other

attractions,the beach in town was nice but expensive for familys so create a mixture of

music and attractions at sensible prices , and maybe we can win back shoppers to the city centre

[slugger 10]

 

Slugger - I’m Sheffield born & bred, as is my wife & kids - plus I’m a (long-suffering) Blade. Trying to drag the debate on Sheffield’s future down to one of pure class is pointless & unhelpful. As I’ve already pointed out – Sheffield's population is made up of a variety of affluent, medium income, & poor. Any projects for retail in the city, should cater for all types: high-end to budget – at the moment the city centre is definitely focused on the budget end.

 

The question was meant for 654

 

but I am seriously considering your response

 

but the majority of people in Sheffield are Workng Class and would love a fantastic city centre

[Tyranna 10]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17478331

 

So we're in the top ten of the most likely to be badly affected by more shop closures whatever that means. So, how can the council try too revitalise the town centre?

 

The problem is people increasingly use the internet for shopping to the detriment of shopping areas. The shopping environment has to be made as enjoyable as possible so people will still visit the shops as a leisure experience / something to do on a Saturday.

So-

Relax restrictions on what shops can be used for. If its a use that will add to the general atmosphere let it happen. Let a shop be used as a cafe / bar / entertainment venue etc if there is no demand for it from a retailer

Ban chuggers

Move the beggars on

Get bands playing

Kids activities

Random arty events

Make people feel safe

Make stuff fun

etc etc

Shopping centres should become town centres again where people get together and have fun, socialise and do a bit of shopping if they choose

 

 

Maybe people might be interested in the following project that I am participating in: http://urbanfabricsheffield.tumblr.com/ Regular meetings over the next few weeks, all are welcome!

[six45ive 10]

Maybe you'd like to point to something in my last post that you have an issue with?

As for getting back on topic.....I think it's perfectly on topic to discuss issues, some of which may be political, that could be holding back the development of the city centre and city as a whole. For example, would the council, if it were ever to happen, want say 50,000 highly skilled, highly paid private sector jobs created knowing full well that these workers may not vote Labour and that the influx of a 'gentrifying culture' may see them out of power, or having to move to the right in a Blairite kind of way, permanently.

Much better from a Labour mindset to keep allowing typical working class jobs paying just over the minimum wage to be created (supermarket, retail, building, other service industries etc) rather than large numbers of corporate and management jobs or self start businesses who may be less inclined to vote Labour.

 

Spent ages trying to dechipher this post and found it too complex as with your post before it

Forget politics SHEFFIELD is SHEFFIELD if you dont like our mindset then you know what to do- leave for better pastures

 

Maybe you'd like to try reading it again and explain what you find too complex about it.

As for Sheffield being Sheffield, that's a nice little tautology (you might need to Google it) you've got there. Your point is exactly?

As for leaving, I'd rather stay thank you very much and help to turn the city into a brighter more affluent place where people aren't trapped or feel afraid of jettisoning their perceived working class background.

[six45ive 10]

Question for you 645 are you Sheffield born and bred or are you from down south and are here because properties are much cheaper ?

 

Born in Jessops and bred in the aspiring middle class area of Hillsborough.

[espadrille 10]

This is the kind of inverted working class snobbery that I detest the most and has done more harm to the city than almost anything any Tory government has ever done. Sheffield still has one of the top 4 or 5 wealtheist constituencies in the country and yet there is virtually nothing retail wise to tempt them into the city centre with the exception of John Lewis.

The simple fact of the matter is that Sheffield ceased to be a working class city in the 1980's with the demise of the Steel industry and now has a much larger proportion of middle class/aspiring middle class than it does working class and yet virtually the entire political make up of the council is from a working class demographic. Therefore it's really no surprise that the city struggles to grow when the people making the decisions have an out of touch mindset and may even be ideologically opposed to doing what's necessary to create an attractive vibrant city for anybody and everybody and not just a minority of its own citizens.

 

 

Couldn't agree more.

[ormester101 10]

when the new market is built and the moor done,also the cole brothers area sorted,we can then start to see a better city centre,but there needs better parking and other

attractions,the beach in town was nice but expensive for familys so create a mixture of

music and attractions at sensible prices , and maybe we can win back shoppers to the city centre

 

sorry but you say expensive it doesnt cost peanuts to put on the event you cant expet people to charge 50p a ride or so can you

[metalman 21]

Now here's something interesting in today's Star. They said it couldn't be done (or at least, Planner1 said it couldn't be done) but they've only gorn and done it. It will be interesting to see whether it has the desired effect...

 

Except of course being Sheffield, the implication of the article is that they've done it in a stupid way; rather than just cutting the parking rate per hour, from what the article says you'll still pay £3 if you park for a lot less than 6 hours.

 

Edited again to add that it's somewhat ironic that on the Star page this news is accompanied by a banner ad for Doncaster's Frenchgate Centre!

Edited November 12, 2012 by metalman

[alchresearch 214]

That's brilliant news.

[Planner1 438]

Now here's something interesting in today's Star. They said it couldn't be done (or at least, Planner1 said it couldn't be done) but they've only gorn and done it. It will be interesting to see whether it has the desired effect...

 

Except of course being Sheffield, the implication of the article is that they've done it in a stupid way; rather than just cutting the parking rate per hour, from what the article says you'll still pay £3 if you park for a lot less than 6 hours.

 

Edited again to add that it's somewhat ironic that on the Star page this news is accompanied by a banner ad for Doncaster's Frenchgate Centre!

 

I don't think I said it couldn't be done.

 

Currently, in the central zone short stay car parks (Carver St, Rockingham St, Wellington St), you'd pay £3.10 for two hours, which generally is the length of time the vast majority of motorists park for in these car parks.

 

The flat rate for up to six hours is designed to overcome, as much as possible, on a short term basis, the issue that motorists raise with pay and display, that you always neeed to think about getting back before your ticket expires. Six hours is the maximum permitted stay in most of the car parks where the price has been lowered, so, a very reasonable flat rate of £3 gives most shoppers plenty of time to browse, have lunch / coffee and not worry too much about rushing back before the ticket expires.

 

You can't, for example, offer an all day rate in car parks that have a six hour limit, without altering the traffic regulation order, which can take several months. Simple changes to the tarriff, like this one, can be done quickly, by notice.

[alchresearch 214]

That's why I like it over here. Wirral has had a "free parking after 3pm" scheme in place for a couple of years. It was started at Xmas and stayed on. Liverpool also do the same around Xmas.

 

Its good because it allows you to go there straight after work, get a bit of shopping out of the way then stay around for a bite to eat, and then leaves your weekends free.