What is so good about Sheffield City Centre?

[Guest makapaka]

Do you think Sheffield city centre is good enough at the moment? Surely you get approached a LOT for money too?

 

My point is - it's in a state. It's absolutely disgraceful that we're in the top four places in England in terms of unused shops, as supposedly a major city. Clearly people are avoiding the centre - questions have to be asked as to why. My suggestion is that the environment is unpleasant.

 

Anecdotally (which admittedly counts for little) I know of so many people, especially those with families, who simply don't bother going there because of begging/spice use and a general feeling that it isn't a pleasant place to be. That's really not good enough. Aside from perhaps the area around Manchester Picadilly, personally I never encounter being asked for money as much as in Sheffield - and as said before, witnessing open drug deals, with children around really isn't what I would want to subject children to. Sure, not everyone has witnessed that -but if I've seen it two or three times, in broad daylight, it's a safe bet many others have too. I know when I reported it, 101 said they had had "a great many complaints" about the issue.

 

I find it tiresome that people assume any criticism of something means you are in some way incapable of seeing positives - there are many.

 

---------- Post added 02-07-2018 at 12:00 ----------

 

 

Again - please read the posts you comment on before doing so. Why on earth would the Home Office be compiling figures on retail units?! They're not. Go back and read the posts please.

 

It's pretty ludicrous that you're clearly not reading the things are posting - but still disagreeing with them!

 

I read them - I just forgot where the data came from.

 

Same question applies then - is that what your using as a basis?

 

Yours entitled to criticise of course-and it’s useful when it’s constructive.

 

It’s not constructive to write poems slating the place though.

[Calahonda 11]

There are many: the library, winter gardens, city hall, cathedral, crucicible - I'm sure you can add to them.

 

I'm still not sure why saying the city centre is poor, and clearly failing to attract visitors means that it can't have positive bits......

 

People seem to be ignoring the facts and figures and just going for the "I went on X day and it was alright, so it must be alright" attitude......

 

They re-rated it, and based that on assumptions? Well, I guess that's the problem.

I don't really see how they could look at the actual rent you were paying and then declare the true market value to be three times that, preposterous springs to mind.

Presumably you challenged this situation and the business rates were adjusted?

 

Perhaps due diligence would include establishing with the council the actual rate that you will pay before signing up to a lease?

 

Yes we won our case, but at the cost of instructing an independent firm of chartered surveyors, as they refused to deal with us. You are correct about establishing the rate prior to signing the lease, but we would still have needed the services of a chartered surveyor, so same burned as scalded comes to mind.

[paula4sheff 10]

I read them - I just forgot where the data came from.

 

Same question applies then - is that what your using as a basis?

 

Yours entitled to criticise of course-and it’s useful when it’s constructive.

 

It’s not constructive to write poems slating the place though.

 

You read them, but forgot there were figures...then when reminded there were, and that you'd commented on them previously, thought the Home Office compiled data on retail? Ok......

 

Well I think the fact that it's got the fourth highest per centage of empty retail units suggests it isn't exactly in rude health, no?!

 

What do you attribute as the reasons for this? I'm suggesting that it's not an especially pleasant place, so isn't attracting people there.

[Guest makapaka]

You read them, but forgot there were figures...then when reminded there were, and that you'd commented on them previously, thought the Home Office compiled data on retail? Ok......

 

Well I think the fact that it's got the fourth highest per centage of empty retail units suggests it isn't exactly in rude health, no?!

 

What do you attribute as the reasons for this? I'm suggesting that it's not an especially pleasant place, so isn't attracting people there.

 

There are loads of reasons

 

http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN06186/SN06186.pdf

 

Meadowhall will be another.

 

You haven’t just been talking about empty shops though have you?

[Mister M 1,625]

Do you think Sheffield city centre is good enough at the moment? Surely you get approached a LOT for money too?

 

My point is - it's in a state. It's absolutely disgraceful that we're in the top four places in England in terms of unused shops, as supposedly a major city. Clearly people are avoiding the centre - questions have to be asked as to why. My suggestion is that the environment is unpleasant.

 

Anecdotally (which admittedly counts for little) I know of so many people, especially those with families, who simply don't bother going there because of begging/spice use and a general feeling that it isn't a pleasant place to be. That's really not good enough. Aside from perhaps the area around Manchester Picadilly, personally I never encounter being asked for money as much as in Sheffield - and as said before, witnessing open drug deals, with children around really isn't what I would want to subject children to. Sure, not everyone has witnessed that -but if I've seen it two or three times, in broad daylight, it's a safe bet many others have too. I know when I reported it, 101 said they had had "a great many complaints" about the issue.

 

I find it tiresome that people assume any criticism of something means you are in some way incapable of seeing positives - there are many.

 

---------- Post added 02-07-2018 at 12:00 ----------

 

 

Again - please read the posts you comment on before doing so. Why on earth would the Home Office be compiling figures on retail units?! They're not. Go back and read the posts please.

 

It's pretty ludicrous that you're clearly not reading the things are posting - but still disagreeing with them!

 

I've lived in Manchester, Leeds as well as Sheffield, and I encountered less beggars in Sheffield than in the other 2 cities. I certainly feel safer in Sheffield, though that's subjective as is what someone thinks as pleasant

Edited July 2, 2018 by Mister M

[woodmally 10]

I've lived in Manchester, Leeds as well as Sheffield, and I encountered less beggars in Sheffield than in the other 2 cities. I certainly feel safer in Sheffield, though that's subjective as is what someone thinks as pleasant

 

The annoying thing about begging and spice in Sheffield though is its so blatant. There is support available but because they can earn money begging they dont take that support.

 

Here is one example of this:

 

https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/banned-sheffield-beggar-returned-to-prison-after-breaching-court-order-1-9090214

 

If you walk up High Street in Sheffield its a gauntlet. The only ones I dont have a problem with anymore are the Jehovah's Witnesses (they just stand there discretely with their stand.)

 

You start at Mcdonalds and face beggars, chuggers, beggars, socialist never workers, beggars and every so often the Vegans showing images of animals being killed.

[Michael_N 36]

The annoying thing about begging and spice in Sheffield though is its so blatant. There is support available but because they can earn money begging they dont take that support.

 

Here is one example of this:

 

https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/banned-sheffield-beggar-returned-to-prison-after-breaching-court-order-1-9090214

 

If you walk up High Street in Sheffield its a gauntlet. The only ones I dont have a problem with anymore are the Jehovah's Witnesses (they just stand there discretely with their stand.)

 

You start at Mcdonalds and face beggars, chuggers, beggars, socialist never workers, beggars and every so often the Vegans showing images of animals being killed.

Don't forget the tree huggers too! :hihi:

[woodmally 10]

Don't forget the tree huggers too! :hihi:

 

They are quite infrequent now to be honest a bit like the vegans. They pop up every now and again.

[Martin C 82]

I walked through Leeds city centre (which I would agree is normally even worse for beggars than Sheffield) for 20 minutes on Sunday morning at around 07:45.

 

Strangely enough (just like most cities at that sort of time) I didn't see a single "homeless" person begging. Can only assume that they were all still at home.

[woodmally 10]

I walked through Leeds city centre (which I would agree is normally even worse for beggars than Sheffield) for 20 minutes on Sunday morning at around 07:45.

 

Strangely enough (just like most cities at that sort of time) I didn't see a single "homeless" person begging. Can only assume that they were all still at home.

 

You make a good point I dont know if its worth starting a new thread on this or this one. However how many people who beg are actually homeless. You have different answers. The council says its only about 12. Other groups say a heck of a lot more. I'm guessing the actual answer is somewhere in between. And what do you do about the begging from those that arnt homeless. There was one guy I provided a link to who was stopped but only because he was very aggressive. What can be done?

[Mister M 1,625]

The annoying thing about begging and spice in Sheffield though is its so blatant. There is support available but because they can earn money begging they dont take that support.

 

Here is one example of this:

 

https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/banned-sheffield-beggar-returned-to-prison-after-breaching-court-order-1-9090214

 

If you walk up High Street in Sheffield its a gauntlet. The only ones I dont have a problem with anymore are the Jehovah's Witnesses (they just stand there discretely with their stand.)

 

You start at Mcdonalds and face beggars, chuggers, beggars, socialist never workers, beggars and every so often the Vegans showing images of animals being killed.

 

It's blatant in the centre of Manchester, or was when I lived over there

[paula4sheff 10]

It's blatant in the centre of Manchester, or was when I lived over there

 

It was - especially around the Piccadilly gardens area. There was a huge effort made a year or so ago and it's vastly improved now.

 

---------- Post added 04-07-2018 at 00:47 ----------

 

There are loads of reasons

 

http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN06186/SN06186.pdf

 

Meadowhall will be another.

 

You haven’t just been talking about empty shops though have you?

 

How is Meadowhall a factor on the number of empty retail units in a city? It's full of retail units....all/most of them full, so impacts positively on the per centage statistic. As well as the fact that most cities now have an 'out of town' shopping centre so Sheffield isn't unique in that aspect by any means.

 

What other reasons are there for Sheffield having the fourth biggest amount of empty retail units in England, other than the fact people aren't choosing to spend their money there?

 

The other things myself and other people have been saying are all examples of why people aren't choosing to visit Sheffield city centre to spend their money.

 

There's not really an argument here - Sheffield is struggling. Saying it isn't is flying in the face of the information we have.

 

One of the reasons I believe it's struggling is that it isn't inviting and pleasant as a place to shop - there will be others, but this will doubtless be one of them.

 

I'm not too sure what else there is to say - the empty shops aren't empty for no reason...and the percentage is far higher than in other towns/cities in the same region.

 

Why argue with those points? There's really nothing to argue about - it needs sorting out, so it becomes a more desirable place.