The Decline Of Sheffield City Centre

[Jonny5 10]

The Moor has been a mess for what? 4,5 years? If thats good planning I'd hate to see bad planning.

[AndrewC 307]

The Moor has been a mess for what? 4,5 years? If thats good planning I'd hate to see bad planning.

 

What can planners do if no one wants to invest? Now someone does want to invest and the planners let them. They still get stick.

[Mecky 10]

Is it any wonder people bash SCC 'Planners'?

I watched for nearly two years their valiant attempts to design a 97 bus stop on Abbeydale road (them changing the design from time to time, after it caused serious accident). God alone knows how much it cost.

 

When they do actually pass a design for a building/have a half-hearted go themselves, it's invariably a multi-coloured plastic and concrete monstrosity with no aesthetic merit whatsoever.

They're 'third-rate' (I presume you're aware of the original meaning of that phrase?).

Basically, anything to do with roads or buildings, and they're completely flummoxed. The new Moor will look like a dog's dinner if already completed construction is anything to go by. 'Planners' they are not ... by any dictionarial terms anyway.

 

So what would you do?

[AndrewC 307]

You mean the bomb site ?

 

Sorry, I tend not to stare at it in admiration every time I shuffle back and forth between the Poundlands at either end of town.

 

As per my previous post. And when you're trying to build new things, you have to accept that you're going to have a building site.

 

Someone on this forum a few months ago vocalised some genuine anger towards the council because they were demolishing the old shops, despite the fact the new shops and cinema wouldn't be ready until 2016. Some people had to politely point out to them that it's quite tricky building a brand new building whilst the old one is still there.

 

---------- Post added 05-04-2015 at 17:37 ----------

 

Is it any wonder people bash SCC 'Planners'?

I watched for nearly two years their valiant attempts to design a 97 bus stop on Abbeydale road (them changing the design from time to time, after it caused serious accident). God alone knows how much it cost.

 

That sounds bad, but then again, unless you were involved, for all you know there may have been some difficulties. Has the company you work for ever made a dog's dinner of a project for various reasons?

 

When they do actually pass a design for a building/have a half-hearted go themselves, it's invariably a multi-coloured plastic and concrete monstrosity with no aesthetic merit whatsoever.

They're 'third-rate' (I presume you're aware of the original meaning of that phrase?).

Basically, anything to do with roads or buildings, and they're completely flummoxed. The new Moor will look like a dog's dinner if already completed construction is anything to go by. 'Planners' they are not ... by any dictionarial terms anyway.

 

Planners are not architects, or investors. They didn't design the buildings on the moor, and despite what people think, don't have a massive amount of powers to stop bland buildings.

 

No, they're not perfect at all, nor is the system they have to work with. But why day-to-day planners get all the flack, meanwhile politicians at local and national level who are actually creating all the policy and financial environments etc. never get mentioned - is beyond me.

 

But we'll never change each other's minds, so...

 

---------- Post added 05-04-2015 at 17:41 ----------

 

So what would you do?

 

Quite.

 

Turn down buildings because of design or other planning reasons and you get accused of being 'anti-business', or difficult.

 

Approve them to allow in investment and business and you get criticised because they invariably design the building on the cheap because they are business and don't want to spend more money than they have to.

 

 

Thank god planners have the power to bring in investment and force developers to design world-class buildings at the same time. Oh, wait...

[The Joker 10]

As per my previous post. And when you're trying to build new things, you have to accept that you're going to have a building site.

 

<snip>

 

Thank god planners have the power to bring in investment and force developers to design world-class buildings at the same time. Oh, wait...

 

Point taken.

 

Maybe I'm just annoyed it won't be an IMAX cinema screen. I had high hopes it would be, after I saw how deep the diggers had, er, dug.

 

Then they promptly filled the hole with rubble, so no chance of an IMAX as great as the one in Bradford

[JFKvsNixon 11]

Point taken.

 

Maybe I'm just annoyed it won't be an IMAX cinema screen. I had high hopes it would be, after I saw how deep the diggers had, er, dug.

 

Then they promptly filled the hole with rubble, so no chance of an IMAX as great as the one in Bradford

 

There's an IMAX screen at the centertainment.

[The Joker 10]

There's an IMAX screen at the centertainment.

 

The one at centertainment is a Digital IMAX (aka LIE-Max).

 

It's a higher-resolution than "ordinary" film, but not as high as "real" IMAX.

 

See here for more info:

 

http://www.slashfilm.com/qa-imax-theatre-real-imax-liemax/

 

It's all academic though. Even if Sheffield did have a "real" IMAX cinema, I'd still be too tight to go.

 

[Slikkwiver 10]

Avatar, sage comment in the signature, it's almost like watching a re-birth !

 

Oh, the Government sets the business rates by the way

 

Ooo - cryptic???

 

This hasn't always been the case and the reputation that the city has acquired has destroyed confidence over the years. Rateable values of business premises in Sheffield have always been high whoever sets them.

[Longcol 604]

Ooo - cryptic???

 

This hasn't always been the case and the reputation that the city has acquired has destroyed confidence over the years. Rateable values of business premises in Sheffield have always been high whoever sets them.

 

For the last 25 years business rates have been set by Central Government.

[gwhite78 10]

As per my previous post. And when you're trying to build new things, you have to accept that you're going to have a building site.

 

Someone on this forum a few months ago vocalised some genuine anger towards the council because they were demolishing the old shops, despite the fact the new shops and cinema wouldn't be ready until 2016. Some people had to politely point out to them that it's quite tricky building a brand new building whilst the old one is still there.

 

---------- Post added 05-04-2015 at 17:37 ----------

 

 

That sounds bad, but then again, unless you were involved, for all you know there may have been some difficulties. Has the company you work for ever made a dog's dinner of a project for various reasons?

 

 

 

Planners are not architects, or investors. They didn't design the buildings on the moor, and despite what people think, don't have a massive amount of powers to stop bland buildings.

 

No, they're not perfect at all, nor is the system they have to work with. But why day-to-day planners get all the flack, meanwhile politicians at local and national level who are actually creating all the policy and financial environments etc. never get mentioned - is beyond me.

 

But we'll never change each other's minds, so...

 

---------- Post added 05-04-2015 at 17:41 ----------

 

 

Quite.

 

Turn down buildings because of design or other planning reasons and you get accused of being 'anti-business', or difficult.

 

Approve them to allow in investment and business and you get criticised because they invariably design the building on the cheap because they are business and don't want to spend more money than they have to.

 

 

Thank god planners have the power to bring in investment and force developers to design world-class buildings at the same time. Oh, wait...

 

As outsiders we was aghast when we first visited Sheffield city centre. We was truly shocked to see so much appalling architectural vomit, empty shop units, officers, chuggers, insane road planning and expensive on street parking. This has to be an indictment of the city councillors mismanagement and corruption

 

However we thought The Peace and Winter gardens are exceptional, but not big enough to make up for how appalling everything else is.

 

Meadowhall only now for us, totally soulless but with simple easy to navigate road systems, ample free-parking along with a stress free pleasant retail and leisure experience, it wins everytime. Shame on Sheffield's planners, us residents deserve better, much better.

[Planner1 438]

expensive on street parking

If you are saying Sheffield is expensive, what are you comparing it against?

 

Our nearest neighbours of comparable size:

 

Manchester - £3/hour

Leeds - £3/hour

Derby - £2.20/hour

Nottingham - £2/hour

 

Sheffield's £2/hour doesn't look expensive to me when compared against our neighbours. Also, Sheffield doesn't have time limits in its central zone like these places, so you can stay as long as you need. If you don't want to pay £2 per hour, park in a Council car park, it's £1 per hour in the central area.

 

Sheffield's evening and Sunday parking rates are also far cheaper than these neighbours.

[AndrewC 307]

This has to be an indictment of the city councillors mismanagement and corruption - - - - Shame on Sheffield's planners, us residents deserve better, much better.

 

Which is it?!

 

So, did planners refuse permission for a £400 million pound retail development to take off? No, the developers never wanted to take the plunge.

 

 

Meadowhall only now for us, totally soulless but with simple easy to navigate road systems, ample free-parking along with a stress free pleasant retail and leisure experience, it wins everytime. Shame on Sheffield's planners, us residents deserve better, much better.

 

Funnily enough, they and an architect have just taken enormous flack for putting functionality/safety/investment ahead of soul/independents...

 

I can assure you many, many people consider Meadowhall to be anything but stress-free.