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Is it me or is Sheffield getting left behind?

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I start this thread by saying that there is a lot in Sheffield to be pleased about, in terms of there being some lovely countryside, friendly locals and lovely areas in the south west of the City, low cost of housing, and low crime rate, etc. I am not from Sheffield, however have lived here for the last two years and also spent several years in the early 90’s here.

 

However whenever I return from visiting other cities around the Uk and travel far and wide to Asia, Europe and the US I just feel Sheffield is being left behind in so many ways and it hurts me. Whether it’s the culture imbedded in the town hall, planning department or the general ambition of many of the population but I don’t see that great strive for self-improvement and betterment that is so vital to mankind. There is something that is stopping that retail scheme being built, speculative schemes being developed, big companies being attracted to this city on a big scale, and talented individuals from being attracted to this city. This has to change, because the likes of Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham and even Liverpool are making big leaps forward which Sheffield seems to be incapable of doing at the moment. I am talking from a business and commercial side. You can see this in a very simple way by looking at the type of retailors and leisure occupiers who are in Sheffield city centre. It’s damming and it is embarrassing for a city which is supposed to be one Britain’s biggest and best. I think it has to be the council and the way that they have made it so difficult to do business in this city. These people seem to be on a complete different planet.

 

Now why I understand that all councils from those in Kensington and Chelsea to those in Sheffield are at times slow and bureaucratically stifling, the powers at be in Sheffield in my view are seriously damaging the long term future of the city. Not only minimising future growth prospects, but also creating an environment where more and more people are being sucked into either being dependent on this status quo of limited dynamic entrepreneurialism and state mediocrity or being forced to leave to seek the highest paying jobs. And what is sad about this is that these powers at be in the council are very comfortable on large salaries paid by the rest of us who are then punished by living in a less dynamic environment for our children and children’s children. Radical steps need to be taken. It’s actually pretty scary to think these people are controlling the destiny of Sheffield and I encourage everyone reading this to actually participate and vent the views to their council to try and hold them account when they decide that they want to hold up development of an old derelict workshop in some dead part of Sheffield, or they want to hire 20 parking attendants to patrol a sleepy residential road during the day, when they want to take 6 weeks to message back about an enquiry about council tax/parking charge, etc, or when they want to insert a claw back provision on anyone purchasing a property to develop and then sell on a profit. Sheffield city council incompetence is all around, every day. We need a modern forward thinking council who have not been captured by a sense of indulgent self worth and play it safe mentality that makes big radical change almost impossible. Sheffield city council is costing us money and making the broader economic and social environment far worse for the majority in this city.

 

Sheffield city council seems to behind the curve in recognising the situation at every step. They have been behind the curve on everything from the retail scheme, the ghettos in page hall, city centre living – talk about closing the stable door after the horse has bolted. Sheffield will lose out as talent decides that it doesn’t want to come to a city which shuts down at 7pm and is like a ghost town after 7pm on a Wednesday because the only people living in the city centre are students and too skint to go out till midnight after they have necked a bottle of cider. Some sort of dynamism needs to be injected, not just JSA centres, drug rehab centres and pound shops and bookies. Take a walk from the moor down to castle market and up the High Street. This city has many strengths and a strong heritage of entrepreneurialism so why is it that we are now in a phase whereby we are letting the pointy heads at Sheffield city council and the planning department stifle the true potential of Sheffield to innovate?

I agree. You only have to go elsewhere and you see that Sheffield is way behind other comparable cities when it comes to shopping, leisure and the nighttime economy and its desperately sad that one of the biggest cities is in such a plight. The council has to take much of the blame but also so do the people.

 

Look at the reluctance to part with more than a quid in Sheffield and the general negativity toward anything and its plain to see that anything isn't good enough and if it costs anything then Leeds is welcome to it. How are we supposed to attract anything with an attitude like that?

 

Take Tramlines for instance. When it started they complained that it was going to be expensive. Then it was announced that it was going to be free. Then when it was free people complained that the acts weren't good enough. Then they charged and people complained it was too expensive even though the majority of it was free and it was less than £20 for the whole weekend and raised thousands for the city as a whole and was overall an overwhelmingly good thing. Is it any wonder nothing good tends to happen? When it does dour grumblings of "we'll pay for this" and "theres bound to be a catch" ensue. Theres a portion of sheffielders who want to be left behind so it can be a self fulfilling prophecy.

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My work takes me into many cities on most working days. The thing that stands out to me is that cities such as Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Derby, Nottingham, and Birmingham is that if you want to drive into these city centres to shop you can do.

Most of these places have parking available at a reasonable cost, even on city centre side streets.

Most also have park & ride which appear to be popular also.

But you have a choice & are able to access their city centres without a problem.

Compare this to Sheffield where it is virtually impossible to drive through the centre.

I have lived Sheffield all my life and have to stop & think of how to access some parts of the city centre.

The point of my post is that others cities give you the choice of how to shop/visit their city centres, Sheffield usually dictate that you go round our city centre, not through it.

The car is here to stay and the quicker the powers that be in our city realise this, the quicker our city will prosper.

 

Firstly, I don't agree with your statement about being unable to drive through the city centre - you can. Secondly, I don't want there to be more vehicular access to the city centre. Finding a parking space can be problematic at times but it's never impossible - I've never had to park further than a five min walk from the top of Fargate. I guess it's about our relative expectations.

 

I'm very happy for Sheffield to remain a 'big village'. There was a statement earlier above about 'bettering ourselves' - I think it was in the context of working more and economic activity. If the OP meant this in the context of 'earning more' then I don't need to earn more; and I object to the concept that increased economic activity means we have 'bettered ourselves'. There are many ways in which we CAN better ourselves but having more purchasing power isn't one of them. Also, increased economic activity is just another way of saying 'let's use the earth's finite resources more quickly'. It's about time we all became more content withn'being' and not 'doing'.

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I agree with you. A well written, progressive post urging people to work hard and better themselves rather than blame everyone else for their idleness can only have been written by a Conservative supporter.

 

What i mean was that with an election coming up next year. We can expect this board to be overrun with party political broadcasts which are badly disguised as new members.

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I agree. You only have to go elsewhere and you see that Sheffield is way behind other comparable cities when it comes to shopping, leisure and the nighttime economy and its desperately sad that one of the biggest cities is in such a plight. The council has to take much of the blame but also so do the people.

 

Look at the reluctance to part with more than a quid in Sheffield and the general negativity toward anything and its plain to see that anything isn't good enough and if it costs anything then Leeds is welcome to it. How are we supposed to attract anything with an attitude like that?

 

Take Tramlines for instance. When it started they complained that it was going to be expensive. Then it was announced that it was going to be free. Then when it was free people complained that the acts weren't good enough. Then they charged and people complained it was too expensive even though the majority of it was free and it was less than £20 for the whole weekend and raised thousands for the city as a whole and was overall an overwhelmingly good thing. Is it any wonder nothing good tends to happen? When it does dour grumblings of "we'll pay for this" and "theres bound to be a catch" ensue. Theres a portion of sheffielders who want to be left behind so it can be a self fulfilling prophecy.

 

Are there not already enough shops, leisure options and night time activities already in the city? What in particular do you think we need in Sheffield or nearby that's not already here - IKEA?

 

As for Tramlines, not everyone complained about the quality of the acts when it was free - and it probably gave a chance to some lesser known acts. We enjoyed the Cathedral stuff, and the bus with bands on driving round the city centre :)

 

Sheffielders are unfortunately accustomed to being let down by the council, government and/or private companies when it comes to large ventures - the fiasco of the Tinsley Airport, Sheffield Ski Village being left to rot, and more recently the inspirational decision to bulldoze Don Valley Stadium while we're still paying for it after the original white elephant, the World Student Games... and of course still waiting for Sevenstone.

 

Maybe if you're in a position where you have plenty of spare money for shopping, nightlife and leisure you'll be happy to pay over the odds to keep up with the Manchesters and Nottinghams, but for those who aren't so fortunate, you have to make do with what you have and get the best value you can for your money.

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I'm not sure anybody who works in a position of authority at SCC have ever stepped foot outside of Sheffield, if they had they might realise just how little they have achieved

 

The council generally is a public relations disaster. They do next to nothing to promote a positive image of sheffield (Don valley, next, sevenstone...you can go on and on)

 

The city centre is a sorry state, their record for attracting new business to the city is abysmal and their is a consensus that the council are hardly business friendly. They seem to react after the horse has bolted and then constantly seek to apportion the blame elsewhere. If you were a business and were looking to relocate would you be thinking this is a good place to come where you would feel supported.

 

In the last few years what exactly has this current council achieved?

 

Lets be right - when was the last time the leader of council said anything without mentioning government cuts. Its like a broken record.

 

It needs somebody new to come in with a positive approach as it is clear that the appoach of succesive councils clearly has not and is not working

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Lets be right - when was the last time the leader of council said anything without mentioning government cuts. Its like a broken record.

 

 

To be fair though, a 65% cut is a fair whack to contend with. It doesn't help matters either, when we learned last week that the government were in court for trying to rob nearly £75m from Sheffield.

 

 

.

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What i mean was that with an election coming up next year. We can expect this board to be overrun with party political broadcasts which are badly disguised as new members.

 

But you agree with the OP and suspect it's a post by a Tory supporter. Do you normally vote Tory?

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Sheffield does have its faults but to me it's my home and where I was born.

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Sheffield does have its faults but to me it's my home and where I was born.

 

But that doesn't mean it's not being left behind. It's been left behind - past tense. There are lovely parts of Sheffield but I find the city centre hard work and try not to go there, certainly by car.

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Did I see on the local news last night that Leeds is about to build another city centre shopping arcade?

 

Wow, how many failed projects and empty units does one city need.

Leeds city council really need their heads examining

 

They have failed to fill up the much publicised Trinity Centre, Clarence Dock with its strip of boutiques was a flop, the constantly renamed Core/Schofields/Headrow Centre is half empty - has been for years, Merrion Centre and St Johns are run down dumps and yet still they plough on building and building, spending and spending.

 

Way to go! :loopy:

 

How about Leeds concentrate on making ONE shopping centre full occupancy and a success story before we start wetting ourselves over their retail power

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My work takes me into many cities on most working days. The thing that stands out to me is that cities such as Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Derby, Nottingham, and Birmingham is that if you want to drive into these city centres to shop you can do.

Most of these places have parking available at a reasonable cost, even on city centre side streets.

Most also have park & ride which appear to be popular also.

But you have a choice & are able to access their city centres without a problem.

Compare this to Sheffield where it is virtually impossible to drive through the centre.

I have lived Sheffield all my life and have to stop & think of how to access some parts of the city centre.

The point of my post is that others cities give you the choice of how to shop/visit their city centres, Sheffield usually dictate that you go round our city centre, not through it.

The car is here to stay and the quicker the powers that be in our city realise this, the quicker our city will prosper.

 

It is perfectly possible to drive straight through Sheffield city centre. There is also loads of parking available.

 

I'm not sure why you are not able to perform driving feats that tens of thousands of people manage on a daily basis.

 

Did you get your license in a lucky bag?

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I lived in Sheffield for 60 years and watched the slow decline of the city.

I've no idea why or who is to blame.

I don't have a clue.....

 

Surely the blame can't all be the councils fault?

 

Now preferring the quiet life I rarely visit a city centre...but when I do I see the vibrant, exciting city of Cardiff.

The shopping areas are full of major players, not pound land,etc.

The night life is second to none.(I'm told).

 

Government cut backs in recent years aren't helping Sheffield one bit, and I believe until central government support councils like Sheffield ...well nothing's going to change.

 

Here in Wales, we have Pinewood Studios about to embark on a new venture in Cardiff ......supported and partly financed by the Welsh government.

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