How Sheffield is portrayed. Why did they kill the city centre?

[roosterboost]

I meant it tongue in cheek, but to be fair I agree it was a bit stupid.

 

But seriously, there is more to a city than economic prosperity. I moved to Sheffield from London about 8 years ago, and it's much better up here. Sheffield is a great city.

 

 

OK. I should have guessed that.

I agree with you there is a major difference between North and south. Folk talk to you in pubs up here. But it doesn't alter the fact that the city centre needs major surgery. Liverpool is a far better city centre and the folk still talk to you in the pubs.

[smiggs]

I would think so. Home delivery works if you don't. And I've never really grasped the concept. There is no free delivery, they just put it in the price.

If I were buying a fridge I'd get it delivered and put up with waiting around all morning for it to turn up. If I were buying a TV, computer or hi-fi goods that could go in the hatch then I'd want to take them and get them in action rather than wait 5 days for a van.

 

The big thing with folk who buy online now is click and collect. They buy online but go and collect because they don't want to wait in and it's cheaper.

 

Click and collect is very rarely cheaper than buying from an online retailer or taking off the shelf yourself. Click and collect retailers have to pay for the shop at a convenient location for you and probably have a central warehouse, whereas internet only retailers pay for the warehouse.

 

With many of people able to work from home delivery is often not a problem, I'm a right lazy sod so pretty much all my big purchases are delivered. Sod hauling it across town or through Meadowhall, when I can get someone to do it for not very much. For me big box retail has very little place in the city centre and limited scope in Meadowhall that's why the only major chain still flogging big tellies is Curry's.

[Flanker7]

roosterboost and Cyclone have ruined this thread, with their constant bickering, like they do to so many others.

Is there anything that will allow them to make a point and leave it at that or are they just hyper reactive to any comment that doesn't agree 100% with them.

[cookingfat50]

it was killed by the city council, just about giving land away to big developers, and businessmen to build places like meadowhall, crystal peaks, the smaller ones on queens road and others also raising he shops in the city rents and council tax along with utility bills gas, electric, water rates anything, that would cripple many shops that's a just a few of the reasons why the city centres failing x

[Cyclone]

Did the council own any of those sites?

 

Do the council set any of the rates you're talking about?

 

---------- Post added 18-12-2014 at 21:57 ----------

 

roosterboost and Cyclone have ruined this thread, with their constant bickering, like they do to so many others.

Is there anything that will allow them to make a point and leave it at that or are they just hyper reactive to any comment that doesn't agree 100% with them.

 

Sorry, not very good at dropping a point or ignoring people saying stupid things.

 

---------- Post added 18-12-2014 at 21:59 ----------

 

I would think so. Home delivery works if you don't. And I've never really grasped the concept. There is no free delivery, they just put it in the price.

So long as that price is the same or less than click and collect or high street, who cares how they slice it.

 

---------- Post added 18-12-2014 at 22:00 ----------

 

Actually you go to the goods pick up point and they load it into the car for you. You really aren't very good at this are you?

 

So we've established that you can have goods loaded into your car at both meadowhall and in the city centre. And that parking exists at both.

 

So the only difference now is a £2.50 charge. When you're spending £500 (it was a TV remember), what difference does that make.

 

---------- Post added 18-12-2014 at 22:00 ----------

 

You really aren't very good at this are you?

 

Care to repeat your claim about not being able to park in the city centre?

[Tyranna]

The effects are not uniform across the country, but are indeed very similar.

 

If we want thriving centres we need more living space near the centre, populated by people with money to spend. That will be of greater help than any other gimmickry.

 

Quite right. I'm a member of the Sheffield Anti-Poverty Strategy hubs and at one of their recent forums I raised the issue of encouraging more 'living above the shop' developments or refurbishments, to bring people back into the town/city centre, as it will save people more money in travel to work and shops.

In recent years in Irish cities like Dublin and Cork they have been more serious about this than in the UK and put real money behind massive new developments of swathes of Dublin where high-density public and private housing is developed with shops at street level and many older shops have upstairs floors refurbished for residential use. Maybe the problem in the UK is that the number and size of large city/town centres is so much greater, but far more priority should be focused on such central 'brownfield' potential development, especially during a recession, where many properties could generate more income, especially if they are public owned.

Incidentally, I can remember that in the 1970's when I was very young, inner-city and town centre dereliction used to be a much greater problem; I lived in London at the time and despite the shiny new high rise flats in places like Peckham and Lewisham and big office blocks in places like Vauxhall, Lewisham, Sidcup and Croydon, there were SO many examples of shockingly dilapidated Victorian buildings as well as still-vacant bombsites, a phenomenon which I understood was due to property speculation.

[the_bloke]

Do people really still take it upon themselves to move £500 worth electronics about themselves when many companies now offer free delivery?

 

Depends on how quick you need it. I had a freezer die last year, I had bought a replacement and got it home in under 30 minutes due to the joy of a large electrical retailer on the outskirts of town and a large car.

[roosterboost]

Did the council own any of those sites?

 

Do the council set any of the rates you're talking about?

 

---------- Post added 18-12-2014 at 21:57 ----------

 

 

Sorry, not very good at dropping a point or ignoring people saying stupid things.

 

---------- Post added 18-12-2014 at 21:59 ----------

 

So long as that price is the same or less than click and collect or high street, who cares how they slice it.

 

---------- Post added 18-12-2014 at 22:00 ----------

 

 

So we've established that you can have goods loaded into your car at both meadowhall and in the city centre. And that parking exists at both.

 

So the only difference now is a £2.50 charge. When you're spending £500 (it was a TV remember), what difference does that make.

 

---------- Post added 18-12-2014 at 22:00 ----------

 

 

Care to repeat your claim about not being able to park in the city centre?

 

 

You really are a sad case aren't you? Most folk buying a TV make several trips to check out the options before buying. So parking then becomes an issue if you need to park 6 times and move the car as you shop in different locations..

 

Its pretty easy to figure if you care too. It is why the city centre isn't littered with folk who sell TVs, fridges etc and the out of town retailers where parking is available are 10 a penny.:hihi:

 

But actually you have given a clear indication of why the city centre died. It is because the council has folk like you who will argue black is white and deny all claims that folk don't shop in the city anymore.

Edited December 19, 2014 by roosterboost

[ECCOnoob]

It is why the city centre isn't littered with folk who sell TVs, fridges etc .

 

Argos

Wilkinson Extra

John Lewis

Currys

Atkinsons

TJ Hughes

Panasonic Store

Debenhams

BHF Charity Store (albeit used goods)

 

More choice than your average out of town retail park which usually has 1 or max 2 electrical superstore. Personally, if I am browsing specs and prices I would prefer to drive to the city, park up once and (here is a revelation) walk around the different stores.

 

Rather that then driving round six different locations of out of town stores, even with their ample parking spots.

 

I don't quite want to live in middle America with nothing but its generic suburban strip malls quite yet.

Edited December 19, 2014 by ECCOnoob

[Cyclone]

You really are a sad case aren't you? Most folk buying a TV make several trips to check out the options before buying. So parking then becomes an issue if you need to park 6 times and move the car as you shop in different locations..

You have some really weird shopping habits.

Its pretty easy to figure if you care too. It is why the city centre isn't littered with folk who sell TVs, fridges etc and the out of town retailers where parking is available are 10 a penny.:hihi:

Yeah, I bet I'd really struggle to buy a TV in town.

At Currys, John Lewis, Debenhams, Argos, The Panasonic Store, Atkinsons or BHS.

Compared to going to Meadowhall, where I'd go to a similar, but slightly different list of shops... And then have to drive the car from where I'd parked it, to the loading bay... Much like in town.

 

But actually you have given a clear indication of why the city centre died. It is because the council has folk like you who will argue black is white and deny all claims that folk don't shop in the city anymore.

 

It would seem to be because of people like you, who are convinced they can't park or buy what they want, despite all the evidence to the contrary.

 

I haven't denied that retail footfall has fallen massively. I said that you were wrong about the reason being parking in order to buy a TV.

You say I'm arguing that black is white. You're the one who claims there is no where to park, and that you can't buy a TV.