West Bar Redevelopment

[AndrewC 322]

On 13/10/2023 at 20:43, Irene Swaine said:

Not quite in the city centre, but close, there used to be a huge block of flats on Park Grange (Arbourthorne). Seems a shame they got knocked down if you are correct and there are so many people desperate to live in a flat.

Not all flats are the same.

 

You've already partly explained it - people want city centre living, or living near areas that they want to be near. With all due respect to Park Grange, it's not in the city centre (though not too far, to be fair) and also not itself that attractive an area. It's a long way from the kind of shops, cafes, bars, jobs etc. that many people want from being near/in the city centre. People want to live in flats in e.g. Kelham Island because it is in Kelham Island. It's not for everyone and clearly not for you, but it is what a lot of people want. Enough certainly to still make these new developments worthwhile.

 

If so many people want to live in a certain area (e.g. in the city centre) then the only way to accommodate them all is higher densities, i.e. smaller properties, more floors, and fewer/no gardens.

 

 

The second point to consider is that the spec of the flat is important. If you can afford to live in a city centre flat then you're going to want to want something relatively modern, in a good quality building. Many older blocks of flats are renovated for modern use, but just as many simply aren't ones that can be either renovated to modern standards, or the buildings themselves aren't up to scratch.

 

There's a mix down Park Grange of flats which were retained and renovated and ones which were demolished. There are various reasons they might have been demolished but you can bet the bottom line these days is about whether it's simply cheaper/more profitable for the council/private developers to demolish what exists and build something new.

 

 

[Irene Swaine 1,074]

Consideration needs to be given that a large block of flats will likely encourage rodents. They new flat complex on Eyre Lane has resulted in an infestation of rodents in the area. There have been 2 dead rats behind How Street cafe for days.

[Bargepole23 337]

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/torsion-group-limited_planningapproval-sheffield-btr-activity-7127607533657026560-kv66?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

 

Not quite West Bar but near enough, just at the bottom of Broad Lane.

[Irene Swaine 1,074]

No more apartments! I thought we were moving away from people being squashed in to tower blocks, that's why places like Kelvin Flats, Park Grange, etc got demolished. Giving people the chance of home ownership, with a garden and space to start a family.

[Bargepole23 337]

18 minutes ago, Irene Swaine said:

No more apartments! I thought we were moving away from people being squashed in to tower blocks, that's why places like Kelvin Flats, Park Grange, etc got demolished. Giving people the chance of home ownership, with a garden and space to start a family.

Yes more apartments. Kelvin Flats weren't a squash, did you ever go inside any of the flats on there?

[Irene Swaine 1,074]

2 minutes ago, Bargepole23 said:

Yes more apartments. Kelvin Flats weren't a squash, did you ever go inside any of the flats on there?

They were demolished just before I was born. I have been in other flats that are very cramped.

[Bargepole23 337]

Just now, Irene Swaine said:

They were demolished just before I was born. I have been in other flats that are very cramped.

And I've been in flats, including Kelvin, that were not. I've rented flats for work overseas that were huge. So what? The size of one flat has no bearing on the size of another flat.

[Irene Swaine 1,074]

2 minutes ago, Bargepole23 said:

And I've been in flats, including Kelvin, that were not. I've rented flats for work overseas that were huge. So what? The size of one flat has no bearing on the size of another flat.

No garden for the children to play in, dependent on the lift working to take the children's pushchairs up to the flat, no opportunity for building a conservatory for mum to read a magazine in or a shed for dad to potter about in. Not family friendly or friendly to those with a mobility impairment.

[Bargepole23 337]

10 minutes ago, Irene Swaine said:

No garden for the children to play in, dependent on the lift working to take the children's pushchairs up to the flat, no opportunity for building a conservatory for mum to read a magazine in or a shed for dad to potter about in. Not family friendly or friendly to those with a mobility impairment.

So suited to those without children or mobility impairments, or without a deep desire for a shed or conservatory. 

 

Some people want to live in apartments. You don't and I don't. That may change in the future if our circumstances change.