Sheffield city living: Are they the tenements of tomorrow? (& other scenarios)

[Bago 10]

I think it's fair to say that, the first City Living apartments were based on what were the most 'forefront' of products at the time that it was built, but now that time have moved on. There are better products.

 

I have seen the spec that West One was built on, and I wouldn't call it the top of the range in terms of its appliances. Cos there are indeed more expensive types, and bespoke options out there.

 

We're not just comparing what is in Sheffield, but across the appliance industry. Smeg ovens are not the top of its range. (If I recall correctly, that is what they used in the Phase One of West One. The following phases could've been different. Royal Plaza was also supposedly be more expensive than West One at the time that I looked anyway. That's about 3/4 years ago now. I think Royal Plaza was also supposedly built to cater for family types.)

 

Well, I am glad that you like city living xbecx. Good for you !

For me, I wouldn't do it, unless it's higher spec than what I've seen before. Having worked a few years, I don't think I can do city living. I like my space.

[0742 10]

I have lived on Divishon Street over the winter 2005 / summer 2006 it was hell. The noise till gone past 3am.. Then 7am street cleaner had an habbit of leaveing is cleaner running under the window soon resolved by complaints to Street Fource.

 

Then there was the busker under the window and oh the temptation to throw a buckett of watter over the **** wit.. Againe resolved by 101 upto 14 complaints had to be lodged..

 

You get used to the noise and the hassel agreed but when The Hush bar was pumping it out no matter what complaints you made in person to the right people the owner had no regard for the disturbance they was makeing.

 

Soon resolved when there power supply whent down againe and againe.

 

Allright places like West One would be diffront, this said the block i was liveing on dureing this time was built mid 1980s and the owners have little or no regard for people liveing there as long as rent is paid etc they do not give a ****..

 

The community had to become gated due to Smack heads and other low life useing the place and there are the odd problems agreed but then i have a lot of friends liveing there and it is often my task to deal with them of which i enjoy nothing finner than giveing such scum what for in my thoughts.

 

Liveing in the city center is grand but think on some can not afford the luxary of West One etc and are the other end of the markett and it is often those who suffer.

 

I know people are asking to move from this estate due to fact another bleeding pub/venue planning to open on Carver Street.

 

It is allready like liveing in a war zone all i can say thank **** i got out into the middle of nowhere and here ill stay if i can make it happen sometimes the sound of silance is just so nice no matter the hassle have haveing to commute the first bus on Sunday out of here being 11.15.

 

But in time ill get used to it far beeter than all the noise, walking through vomit / rubbish each time you left early morning.

 

No for me city center liveing might have some perks but you could keep it i prefare my old house in the middle of nowhere though it is sqauted it beats city liveing by miles..

[Unisol 12]

I have lived on Divishon Street over the winter 2005 / summer 2006 it was hell. The noise till gone past 3am.. Then 7am street cleaner had an habbit of leaveing is cleaner running under the window soon resolved by complaints to Street Fource.

 

Then there was the busker under the window and oh the temptation to throw a buckett of watter over the **** wit.. Againe resolved by 101 upto 14 complaints had to be lodged..

 

You get used to the noise and the hassel agreed but when The Hush bar was pumping it out no matter what complaints you made in person to the right people the owner had no regard for the disturbance they was makeing.

 

Soon resolved when there power supply whent down againe and againe.

 

Allright places like West One would be diffront, this said the block i was liveing on dureing this time was built mid 1980s and the owners have little or no regard for people liveing there as long as rent is paid etc they do not give a ****..

 

The community had to become gated due to Smack heads and other low life useing the place and there are the odd problems agreed but then i have a lot of friends liveing there and it is often my task to deal with them of which i enjoy nothing finner than giveing such scum what for in my thoughts.

 

Liveing in the city center is grand but think on some can not afford the luxary of West One etc and are the other end of the markett and it is often those who suffer.

 

I know people are asking to move from this estate due to fact another bleeding pub/venue planning to open on Carver Street.

 

It is allready like liveing in a war zone all i can say thank **** i got out into the middle of nowhere and here ill stay if i can make it happen sometimes the sound of silance is just so nice no matter the hassle have haveing to commute the first bus on Sunday out of here being 11.15.

 

But in time ill get used to it far beeter than all the noise, walking through vomit / rubbish each time you left early morning.

 

No for me city center liveing might have some perks but you could keep it i prefare my old house in the middle of nowhere though it is sqauted it beats city liveing by miles..

 

You squat, yet think you have a right to complain to StreetForce about noise

 

You said earlier you can't work due to ill health. You can obviously use a computer so why not try get some work in IT? (You may need to go on an English course first though). Then you can pay your taxes like the rest of us and then have that right to complain!

 

[0742 10]

You squat, yet think you have a right to complain to StreetForce about noise

 

You said earlier you can't work due to ill health. You can obviously use a computer so why not try get some work in IT? (You may need to go on an English course first though). Then you can pay your taxes like the rest of us and then have that right to complain!

 

 

No it was not a Sqaut but rented i was house sitting and even if was a sqaut yes i have the same right as you etc.

 

My skills ar limted in IT and being 41 i think i have past the sold by date etc.. Yes i would love to work might just get me out of being ****ing Homless and the need not desire to Sqaut do you not think idd like all the normall things in life and be given that oppertunaty?

[Bago 10]

Sorry to divert here, but at 41. It is not passing any sellby dates. A project manager that I used to work for was only working in a supermarket a couple of years previously, and she had absolutely no knowledge of IT at all. There you go, she had her kids, and was getting back into FT work. There is no logic to the employment industry. Sometimes it is right time, right place.

[SUPERTYKE 10]

For you Tony. -

Bitterness is not my style;- bitterness would necessitate mental effort;- I'm not inclined to expend any effort on matters, or people, that deserve only contempt and disgust. - They disgust me - and then are gone.

 

The simple fact is that until more rentable property is built by non profit orgs' - councils/housing associations, the problems associated with young families finding suitable homes will worsen.

The number of families living in tempory accomodation is massive and rising - see 'Shelters' web site for details. This is often due to the private sector being sold prime public sites. There is no incentive for councils to build rentable property when such easy money is available by selling off plots of land to rich investors.

 

Yet the price to young children in terms of repeated moves to the next temporary address is incalculable. The stress on parents must be unbearable, without the security of their own home and with such uncertainty, relationships must suffer..

 

But then why worry? They're only people - let's talk about profit - and of course the prestige factor in being the 'owner' of a poky, jerry built flat. - Never mind the quality, feel the width.

 

It's so sad that people think that they're counted amongst the affluent just because their lives are financed up to the hilt and they struggle in a secret hell to keep up with the payments. I mean 'sad' in its true sense, many are destroyed by this trap.

The amazing thing is that their self delusion is complete and they don't see the bailliff coming till they're sat on the pavement with the pet cat for company.

Let's get back to the real priorities that were begun in the early post war years - when the government of the day promised, 'homes for heroes' - health service from cradle to grave - and the most important reform - respect for everyone - regardless of class.. I believe that it actually worked for a while.

It probably still exists in isolated pockets, where pretentious pr**ks don't strive for a perpetual increase in their perceived status - or maybe not.

 

Did somebody say, 'The builders build what the PEOPLE want' ---????

He might find that people get what they're persuaded to aspire to. Often well above their budgets - builders build what the people want - HA!

[0742 10]

For you Tony. -

Bitterness is not my style;- bitterness would necessitate mental effort;- I'm not inclined to expend any effort on matters, or people, that deserve only contempt and disgust. - They disgust me - and then are gone.

 

The simple fact is that until more rentable property is built by non profit orgs' - councils/housing associations, the problems associated with young families finding suitable homes will worsen.

The number of families living in tempory accomodation is massive and rising - see 'Shelters' web site for details. This is often due to the private sector being sold prime public sites. There is no incentive for councils to build rentable property when such easy money is available by selling off plots of land to rich investors.

 

Yet the price to young children in terms of repeated moves to the next temporary address is incalculable. The stress on parents must be unbearable, without the security of their own home and with such uncertainty, relationships must suffer..

 

But then why worry? They're only people - let's talk about profit - and of course the prestige factor in being the 'owner' of a poky, jerry built flat. - Never mind the quality, feel the width.

 

It's so sad that people think that they're counted amongst the affluent just because their lives are financed up to the hilt and they struggle in a secret hell to keep up with the payments. I mean 'sad' in its true sense, many are destroyed by this trap.

The amazing thing is that their self delusion is complete and they don't see the bailliff coming till they're sat on the pavement with the pet cat for company.

Let's get back to the real priorities that were begun in the early post war years - when the government of the day promised, 'homes for heroes' - health service from cradle to grave - and the most important reform - respect for everyone - regardless of class.. I believe that it actually worked for a while.

It probably still exists in isolated pockets, where pretentious pr**ks don't strive for a perpetual increase in their perceived status - or maybe not.

 

Did somebody say, 'The builders build what the PEOPLE want' ---????

He might find that people get what they're persuaded to aspire to. Often well above their budgets - builders build what the people want - HA!

 

Well said that person made the point 110% and more..

 

0742

[Sabbath 10]

I think most people are missing the point. There is one word that describes all the new high rises going up in Sheffield and that is "Money". It has got nothing to do with population increase or decrease, married, not married, kids, no kids, it is how much money can we make out of this block of land. Sheffield has been passed for bigger inner city height restrictions for accomodation so everybody with a few million are jumping on the band wagon.

I get paid to build these appartment blocks, and I put in 100 percent effort and all my skill into making them nice, but as time goes on and architects realize they have f***ed up, the job starts getting behind, the building company starts to loose money, then the job goes to pot. Corners get cut everybody blames everybody else and the work gets shoddy. This is only going to get worse too because companies are undercutting each other to get the contract, and putting ridiculous time frames on completion. Then, half way through the job they realize , they are going to have to pay penalties because the job is not going to be finished on time so again the job goes to pot. A lot of these appartments I have built are spacious especially the penthouses but most of them are not aimed at 1 single person living in them. Kitchen, lounge, 2 or 3 bedrooms, bathroom. I would say these are aimed at rich students or business people who want to share, maybe even the business man or woman who stay in the city during the week and go home for the weekends. I cant see these places becoming tenements, all the new student accomodation though is a different story.

[Rob_Roy 10]

As there is no history of mass tenement building in England, here is a useful link so that people know just what a 'tenement' is:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apartment_building

 

Here are a couple of examples of tenements:

 

One in Edinburgh: http://www.espc.com/EspcPublic/UniversalPages/PropertyDetails.aspx?rid=222632

 

One in Glasgow: http://www.gspc.co.uk/content/forsale/propdetail.asp?pageNo=1&source=GSPC&ref=114601&selarea=G24&seltype=0&seldaterange=&txtMinprice=350,000&txtMaxprice=&selbroom=0_0&selproom=0_0&selgarage=&selgarden=&selstatus=&req_type=&status=&garden=&garage=&area=&bedrooms=&publicrooms=&daterange=&orderby=&busbusinessid=0&Keywords=&pageSize=10&txtstreet=&rdbimagesearch=1&chkfixedprice=&selorder=p%2Easkingprice+desc&gspcOnly=0

 

The one in Glasgow is 'offers over' which typically is about 25% more than the asking price but can be as high as 50%, depending on demand.

 

Buildings cannot become tenements. They are either built as tenements or they are not but the above are good examples of the tenement style.

[0742 10]

As there is no history of mass tenement building in England, here is a useful link so that people know just what a 'tenement' is:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apartment_building

 

Here are a couple of examples of tenements:

 

One in Edinburgh: http://www.espc.com/EspcPublic/UniversalPages/PropertyDetails.aspx?rid=222632

 

One in Glasgow: http://www.gspc.co.uk/content/forsale/propdetail.asp?pageNo=1&source=GSPC&ref=114601&selarea=G24&seltype=0&seldaterange=&txtMinprice=350,000&txtMaxprice=&selbroom=0_0&selproom=0_0&selgarage=&selgarden=&selstatus=&req_type=&status=&garden=&garage=&area=&bedrooms=&publicrooms=&daterange=&orderby=&busbusinessid=0&Keywords=&pageSize=10&txtstreet=&rdbimagesearch=1&chkfixedprice=&selorder=p%2Easkingprice+desc&gspcOnly=0

 

The one in Glasgow is 'offers over' which typically is about 25% more than the asking price but can be as high as 50%, depending on demand.

 

Buildings cannot become tenements. They are either built as tenements or they are not but the above are good examples of the tenement style.

 

Yes right but thay cam become slums http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_Hill as has park and meney other tenement buildings in Sheffield just how thay are manged or missmanged as in the case of those in Sheffield. I lived on Kelvin Flats and they worked when managed become slums when they was not and i think this was the desire.

 

Urban Spalsh have ran into problems reagrds Park Hill Flats lack of funding for the project etc and we are going to have wate to se what happens to what has become a blight on the lanscape of Sheffield for meny more years to come i feel.

 

It was right at the time to list them and right to make an effort to safe them but now i agree unless the funding can be found of which i doubt beause as thay stay empty the cost refurbishing them becomes more Urban Spash and in a catch 22 here they should demolish and low rise social houseing put in it,s palce as has been done with Norfolk Park i was against the Tower blocks comeing down there but now agree it was right i have seen the vast improvement of this estate.

[Bboy 10]

This debate around sheffield city living continues. I think that some people in sheffield are negative towards the concept of city living and find it difficult to accept change or development.

 

City centre living is a contempory concept that it popular with certain members of the public mainly young people and professionals, I think that it is here to stay in all major uk cities and that when it stops being a new concept and just becomes the norm more and more people will look towards living in the centre. Sheffield is not over saturated with city centre flats as it currently only has 2700 units in the city centre, compared with 14000 in Leeds city centre and 16000 in Manchester..

[jimmy 10]

City centre living is a contempory concept

 

No it isn't. People used to live in the city centre. The words "city centre living", "luxury apartments", "contemporary concept" and of course "young professionals" are flying around like it is all so cool...

 

But at the end of the day these are plain and simply "flats in the town centre". There is a huge amount of spin put on the adverts you see everywhere.

 

People are being talking into this dream lifestyle like they are every day with marketing. Over inflated prices along with increasing amounts of flats being built in the town centre may lead to them turning into something less glamorous in the future.

 

Bboy comparing it to Leeds/Manchester is not a good thing. There are hundreds of empty flats in both cities as speculative buyers have bought them up and cannot now make a decent yield on them as the rent doesn't cover the mortgage. All the time more and more are being built.

 

We need a healthy dose of reality in this housing market and it's coming this way from America.