The Decline Of Sheffield City Centre

[Vegas1]

For that to have any relevance you have to assume that multiple random members of the forum are for some reason lying to you about why they don't visit the city centre.

 

Or, you could try having an open mind, and wonder why a small parking charge is putting people off. (It might be that finding the cheap locations is difficult, and that the on street parking costs considerably more, at least as part of the reason).

 

---------- Post added 24-03-2015 at 09:37 ----------

 

 

Rare and Racy could be jammed full of customers. Why would that stop the landlord selling the building?

 

It wouldnt, but more money in the tills means they would be able to relocate and pay the going rental rates elsewhere.

[Scabbydog]

For that to have any relevance you have to assume that multiple random members of the forum are for some reason lying to you about why they don't visit the city centre.

 

Or, you could try having an open mind, and wonder why a small parking charge is putting people off. (It might be that finding the cheap locations is difficult, and that the on street parking costs considerably more, at least as part of the reason).

 

It is called a downward spiral. Policies have been put in place to discourage motorists and get them to use public transport. Instead it persuaded motorists to drive to out of town shopping places. The major retail names followed their customer base. The empty shops were snapped up by low end stores and betting shops. This further discouraged visitors including those who used public transport. They started shopping out of town by bus and tram.

etc etc etc until city centre is deserted apart from rough sleepers and office workers who bring their lunch in a paper bag.

[Cyclone]

It wouldnt, but more money in the tills means they would be able to relocate and pay the going rental rates elsewhere.

 

Are they not able to pay the going rate somewhere else? I don't think that's been established.

[Vegas1]

Are they not able to pay the going rate somewhere else? I don't think that's been established.

 

Haven't got a clue, I presumed the biggest gripe the 20k people who signed the petition were having is that most of these shops would be "lost" for good, i.e. couldnt relocate due to them paying a peppercorn/reduced rate where they currently are.

[Cyclone]

I think they've made that assumption, I haven't seen that actually stated by the shop owners.

 

If they are paying a reduced rent, then you can entirely understand why the landlord would want to sell up.

[Vegas1]

So they aren't viable as businesses then, independent or not.

[smiggs]

Haven't got a clue, I presumed the biggest gripe the 20k people who signed the petition were having is that most of these shops would be "lost" for good, i.e. couldnt relocate due to them paying a peppercorn/reduced rate where they currently are.

 

This isn't the objection at all. The most coherent objection I have read is from Paul Blomfield the local mp, he raises points about the heritage of the buildings, the change of use and density of proposed flats.

 

I find his objections hard to argue with.

[Vegas1]

A building can have all the "heritage" it wants, it isnt listed and it is falling to bits, so the solutions is rather obvious.

[Cyclone]

So they aren't viable as businesses then, independent or not.

 

We simply don't know.

[vincentb]

Are they not able to pay the going rate somewhere else? I don't think that's been established.

 

The owner said, in an interview on Radio Sheffield back in October, that he was struggling to make ends meet because most customers seem to treat them as a library or gallery or something - not buying much.