'Everything’s leaving': Sheffield's town centre gutted by vacancies

[ads36 217]

Here's a puzzling thought, let's pretend we offered free parking for the city centre, in the same way that places like meadowhall offer free parking.

 

Would that stop the moaning? No, it wouldn't.

 

When you park at meadowhall, you then have to walk in, often quite some distance to get to the shops you want. And then walk out again.

 

Meadowhall itself is entirely car-free.

 

Imagine the wailing if a similar thing was  suggested for the city centre.

 

(Park outside, walk-in)

 

Edited February 4, 2019 by ads36

[dutch 68]

There are people who live in some fantasy world thinking that city centre should be like meadowhall or some supermarket when deciding to drive there.

Then they cry and blame the small amount they pay to park their show off vehicles for shops that are now empty. 

These people think they are in control and see themselves as the centre who will save everything including closing stores.

None of these drivers who abandoned the city centre are really in touch with it they think they are important people who are the saviours for these closing shops. In meanwhile they refuse to even pay a little to leave their 4by4.

[Planner1 438]

3 hours ago, Cyclone said:

simply pointing out that the 'problem' was easily mitigated.

 

Yes, and you yet again make the claim that it is EASILY mitigated. It is not and I have explained why in detail. You've provided no counter argument to support this incorrect assertion. 

[tinfoilhat 11]

28 minutes ago, Planner1 said:

Yes, and you yet again make the claim that it is EASILY mitigated. It is not and I have explained why in detail. You've provided no counter argument to support this incorrect assertion. 

How many parking spots is the council responsible for?

[Planner1 438]

24 minutes ago, tinfoilhat said:

How many parking spots is the council responsible for?

In the city centre the Council has around 1500 on-street spaces and about half that in off-street car parks. To put that in context there are about 8500 parking spaces in the city centre provided by private car park operators.

 

Outside the city centre there are around 2500 on-street spaces in controlled parking zones.

[tinfoilhat 11]

21 minutes ago, Planner1 said:

In the city centre the Council has around 1500 on-street spaces and about half that in off-street car parks. To put that in context there are about 8500 parking spaces in the city centre provided by private car park operators.

 

Outside the city centre there are around 2500 on-street spaces in controlled parking zones.

Thanks for that, that’s quite an eye opener.

[Planner1 438]

12 minutes ago, tinfoilhat said:

Thanks for that, that’s quite an eye opener.

As I've said before. All of that costs about £4m per annum to run and takes almost double that in income. If the parking were suddenly to be free, the costs would remain and possibly increase (time limited waiting is more labour intensive to enforce), but the vast majority of the income would be gone, which would leave a massive hole in the Council's budgets.

[woodview 10]

It is a nightmare to drive and park in Sheffield. I drive in for United matches, but wouldn't do so for shopping.

When I have been in, it's been ok, but nothing like as good as dirty Leeds. They are miles ahead, I hate to admit.

Parking for shoppers doesn't need to be free. If it was a simple drive, decent car park, and a reasonable walk, people would be more attracted to it.

[Longcol 602]

20 minutes ago, woodview said:

It is a nightmare to drive and park in Sheffield.

Yet thousands manage it every day without any difficulty.

[ECCOnoob 1,043]

50 minutes ago, woodview said:

It is a nightmare to drive and park in Sheffield. I drive in for United matches, but wouldn't do so for shopping.

When I have been in, it's been ok, but nothing like as good as dirty Leeds. They are miles ahead, I hate to admit.

Parking for shoppers doesn't need to be free. If it was a simple drive, decent car park, and a reasonable walk, people would be more attracted to it.

I honestly don't know how much more simple it needs to be.  It's a city centre not some single street cosy village in the Cotswolds.  

 

The city has a major dual carriageway running all around the perimeter and two major trunk roads right through the centre which covers access to nearly every one of the primary shoppers car parks.   

 

As for walking distance I don't know how much closer people expect to get.   If you want fargate there are two major car parks within few minutes walk away from either end.   If you want the Moor there is a specifically named and signposted car park right alongside which leads directly on to the precinct.  If you want John Lewis or Atkinsons the car parks are directly above the shop and you don't even need to go outside.  Castlegate has its own dedicated and signposted car park as does the railway station, Victoria Quays and the universities.

 

Even including the old skool council surface car parks - whilst they may be a little more off the beaten track to get to they are all still within within a few minutes walk to the major streets. 

 

A simple look at a map or a sat nav program will steer people into any of them very easily.  

 

You cannot seriously tell me that of all places, Leeds  is somehow easier to get to and park than Central Sheffield - that's just nonsense.   

 

I have plenty of experience of that city and after navigating the city loop, repeated flyovers and underpasses, lane changes and one-way systems their car parks are certainly no better than Sheffield's offering. They are frequently more expensive too. 

Edited February 4, 2019 by ECCOnoob

[woodview 10]

45 minutes ago, Longcol said:

Yet thousands manage it every day without any difficulty.

Yet, I'm a motorist with experience of it, who chooses not to, along with tens of thousands of others.

21 minutes ago, ECCOnoob said:

I honestly don't know how much more simple it needs to be.  It's a city centre not some single street cosy village in the Cotswolds.  

 

Why aren't people doing it in greater numbers then?

[Guest makapaka]

32 minutes ago, woodview said:

Yet, I'm a motorist with experience of it, who chooses not to, along with tens of thousands of others.

Why aren't people doing it in greater numbers then?

It’s a doddle to get in, park, and get out of Sheffield.

 

never had a problem.

 

what problems do you encounter?