What's the big, red, building at the end of The Moor, for?

[simondjuk]

 

I know it's council offices now, but I don't think they use all of it. It standing there half empty doesn't really help anybody.

 

 

I can confirm its not 'half empty'. I know this as I work in the building. There are approximately 4500 staff working for Keir, Capita and SCC - but im not telling you which one I work for.

 

Granted there are some areas still empty but the vast majority is occupied.

[AndrewC]

most of the moorfoot area is in a poor state, there's very little reason to go there, just empty shops, dempseys & sharps. I hope there's some plan to regenerate that area a bit now the rest of the moor is almost complete.

 

Years ago, when wholesale redevelopment of the Moor area first began, the block with Dempseys et al was indeed part of the masterplan, but looking at their website now it seems to be a forgotten part of the plan.

 

Either way though, continuing at the pace it has done, regeneration of the Moor will have a knock on effect for surrounding areas, so with a lot of patience, I imagine things that side of Cumberland Street will pick up eventually.

 

http://www.moorsheffield.com/improvements.html

[InigoMontoya]

 

 

What's the big, red, building at the end of The Moor, for?

 

I've walked past it a lot, but I don't know what it's for. It's unaesthetically pleasing, in my opinion.

 

 

It was commissioned in 1980 to be the Northern Headquarters for "Torchwood", but, before its completion it was decided to keep the main HQ in London, and set up an outstation in Cardiff instead.

 

When the building was completed, it was first handed over to SHADO for use as a, er, "Shadow" site for their main HQ in the Harlington-Straker film studios in London, but, with the destruction of the alien threat in 1989 it was refurbished as a regional center (sic) for "Spectrum".

 

(The original commander for the Yorkshire Region was Captain Ochre.)

[Vrsaljko]

There is actually nothing stopping you walking through it, just go through the main doors and then immediately to your left are a set of door that take you to the back of the building.

 

Good luck with that. I worked in there before moving to another government building in town, where my work pass would still get me in Moorfoot, and the woman on security used to challenge me when I walked through as a shortcut!

[AmberLeaf]

................................

Edited May 6, 2016 by AmberLeaf

[Lynne1965]

I work there and I've still no idea what it's for!

Edited May 6, 2016 by Lynne1965
spelling

[Chazndave]

It was built by Central Govt in the late 1970s to house the Civil Service's Manpower Services Commission, who were relocated from London to Sheffield as part of the then Govt's policy of devolving jobs from London to other cities.

 

After the Civil Service vacated the building about 6 years ago I recall that there was a plan to demolish it & build a retail park / apartments on the site, however due to lack of commercial interest in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crash the building was instead sold to Sheffield Council for a nominal fee. It's now occupied by Council staff, who were moved into there from a number of rented offices around the city centre thereby saving public money. Some Council contractors rent office space in there from the Council too.

 

When built it had a bad effect on the London Rd shops because before then these were a natural extension of city centre shopping, in line of sight from the bottom of the Moor. Then the London Rd trading area became more or less "out of sight, out of mind" when the Manpower building went up.

 

I worked there from 2001-2009 and it was a mix of Home Office and Employment service (pre dwp/dfes) however not manpower then. Manpower was prior 2001.

 

First few years i LOVED working there. It had a bar so plenty lunch time and after work drinks. As it was flexi time if there was a important footy match on in the daytime, say world cup for example, people used to go to the bar and watch the match, atmosphere was fab! It had a big restaurant/disco room. Gym. Squash courts.

 

Was brill.

Edited May 9, 2016 by Chazndave

[Leah-Lacie]

https://www.hpacde.org.uk/picturesheffield/jpgh_sheffield/u01746.jpg

 

Just a bit different!

 

---------- Post added 09-05-2016 at 01:44 ----------

 

I love how there was more parking in town in the 1960s, with hardly any cars, than there is now