Sheffield's looking a bit rough around the edges.

[SheffBloke]

I only left Sheffield two years ago but I came back last weekend and I was really quite shocked at how the city has gone backwards. The place is looking tired and so many shops/pubs/businesses are now empty and closed up for good. I walked right the way through town and also around the areas I used to live in, as well as driving around the city, and it felt so much like Sheffield in the 80s.

 

I suppose it's the result of a Tory government and a lack of investment, but it's such a shame to see. Even things like graffiti and petty vandalism are being left when in previous years they would have been put right. I suppose there is no longer the money. The streets look dirtier and there is much more litter, it was like going back in time.

 

There was also the feel of a bit of a ghost town, but I'll put that down to the students being away. Maybe the council don't bother to keep the place as clean outside of term time?

 

I love Sheffield dearly, and I hope to see an upswing soon, hopefully after the next election.

 

Typical stupid Sheffield mentality.

[geared]

I suppose it's the result of a Tory government and a lack of investment

 

Typical stupid Sheffield mentality.

 

Who put up over half of the 2 billion quid needed to fund the road resurfacing project thats currently going on??

[Snook]

Where was it the OP went anyway??

 

I assume past the Uni and hospital, so probably saw the remnants of the recently demolished Jessops wing??

 

Into the centre of town, west street??

Probably saw work involving the tram rail replacement.

 

Down towards Castle market?

About to be demolished, and that end of town re-developed.

 

Did they see the new market building down the Moor, the re-developed Park Hill Flats.

The development work around the Train Station?

 

I didn't see much of what you described. I walked from Nether Edge, through Abbeydale and Sharrow, London Road, Abbeydale Road, Eccelsall Road, up the moor and through town to the Town Hall and around Fargate. I later went around West Street and that area.

 

I saw the new market, it looks better than the hole and great if you want bargain basement shops (which are valued and important to an economy) but much of the rest of the place looked very run down. There are far fewer shops around than there were 10/15 years ago and the litter and graffiti are far worse. I also saw an awful lot of for sale or to let signs around the place and empty looking new developments.

 

I hope all the redevelopment kicks in and the place can start to catch up again.

[hamatik]

Who put up over half of the 2 billion quid needed to fund the road resurfacing project thats currently going on??

The Sheffield labour council.

[geared]

The whole moor area is due to be re-developed.

To be fair it should have been done already, but it all fell to pieces so it's currently a mess.

 

Eccy Road is alrite tho, last time I went down anyway.

 

There's a new M&S (I think) and a pretty decent Wetherspoons right be the roundabout.

I don't think that area has gone down much???

[Snook]

Who put up over half of the 2 billion quid needed to fund the road resurfacing project thats currently going on??

 

I don't really care, if people in Sheffield want to vote Tory then fair enough, but you will never see the benefits around you very often. I'm glad some of the roads have been resurfaced but most still look bad for a third world country... They're also being resurfaced all around the country.

 

---------- Post added 19-08-2014 at 16:31 ----------

 

Typical stupid Sheffield mentality.

 

I'm not living in Sheffield.

[hamatik]

I don't really care, if people in Sheffield want to vote Tory then fair enough...

They don't!

[tinfoilhat]

Typical stupid Sheffield mentality.

 

Sort of right this. If we go down this route, Sheffield should have been a veritable paradise up to 2010, which it probably wasn't. Thing with places like Sheffield is that they are REALLY labour ergo the Tories won't bother trying to do much because it's a labour stronghold and labour don't need to try hard because labour will always win (hallamshire aside).

 

But having said all that what does central government do to help specific towns and cities (apart from London)?

[geared]

The Sheffield labour council.

 

According to the Star over half was from the Government (1.2 billion).

Less than half was from the council, and part of that is borrowed money.

 

My point being is that the government has given us over a billion quid to sort our roads out, which seems like a pretty decent amount of money to me.

[Snook]

The whole moor area is due to be re-developed.

To be fair it should have been done already, but it all fell to pieces so it's currently a mess.

 

Eccy Road is alrite tho, last time I went down anyway.

 

There's a new M&S (I think) and a pretty decent Wetherspoons right be the roundabout.

I don't think that area has gone down much???

 

I like the new M&S, yeah. That looks good. I thought the upper and middle bits weren't looking as nice as they did a few years ago and they don't seem to be as vibrant, but it could be lack of students. It's still quite nice around there.

 

I hope all the redevelopment gets finished soon and that should make a massive difference, hopefully.