What is so good about Sheffield City Centre?

[Cyclone]

I've never seen Arundel gate busy at all, never mind causing surrounding roads to back up.

[Michael_N]

I've never seen Arundel gate busy at all, never mind causing surrounding roads to back up.

 

Can't have travelled on their during rush hour then? Charles Street junction where both the bus lane and car lane merge into 1, just before the traffic lights outside Hallam University that spend more time on red than green - causing traffic to back up to Furnival Gate Roundabout and then subsequently onto Furnival Gate and Eyre Street and also coming the other way where the o2 Academy is, with those 3 sets of lights at Norfolk Street, causing traffic to back up round to Commercial Street and onto Park Square its self.

[gerryuk]

It was - especially around the Piccadilly gardens area. There was a huge effort made a year or so ago and it's vastly improved now.

 

---------- Post added 04-07-2018 at 00:47 ----------

 

 

How is Meadowhall a factor on the number of empty retail units in a city? It's full of retail units....all/most of them full, so impacts positively on the per centage statistic. As well as the fact that most cities now have an 'out of town' shopping centre so Sheffield isn't unique in that aspect by any means.

 

What other reasons are there for Sheffield having the fourth biggest amount of empty retail units in England, other than the fact people aren't choosing to spend their money there?

 

The other things myself and other people have been saying are all examples of why people aren't choosing to visit Sheffield city centre to spend their money.

 

There's not really an argument here - Sheffield is struggling. Saying it isn't is flying in the face of the information we have.

 

One of the reasons I believe it's struggling is that it isn't inviting and pleasant as a place to shop - there will be others, but this will doubtless be one of them.

 

I'm not too sure what else there is to say - the empty shops aren't empty for no reason...and the percentage is far higher than in other towns/cities in the same region.

 

Why argue with those points? There's really nothing to argue about - it needs sorting out, so it becomes a more desirable place.

 

You have to remember that cities like Leeds and Manchester have literally thousands of people commuting into their respective cities each day for work, most of which will be well paid professional jobs. Thats a lot of potential customers already in their city centers daily, for store owners.

Sheffield has a fraction of the workers that Leeds and Manchester has, hence why the city center is struggling. With fewer people going into the city center daily it stands to reason why a lot of the big brand stores give Sheffield a wide berth and will not locate here.

[Nijinsky]

gerry has it spot on. Billions invested in Manchester, the national media hype city, similar in Leeds, the local media hype city. Oh, have a couple of call centres they said to Sheffield, thank you Sir we said.

 

We suffer as we are not a media centre. Years of other towns being promoted constantly, other towns derided at every opportunity. You have to understand how the media works.

[Cyclone]

Don't blame the media, blame the local council, until recently they've done everything they can to turn away business.

[Detetcive]

So the other day I had the misfortune to walk down to castle markets to get something from b and m. Jesus. Talk about a bunch of mutants! Blokes walking around looking like they were spoiling for a fight, a tramp actually shouting at pigeons, many people who looked like they were familiar with the smack wandering about off their faces. Absolutely shocking. Looked like the last half hour of threads had actually come true. They probably had a full set of teeth between the lot of them.

 

So, why do this end of town up? Anything we do will be wasted by the lower classes, and anything we try will surely result in bad publicity for Sheffield. If it was up to me I'd just seal it all in concrete and dump it in the North sea, people included. God I hate town, if it wasn't for work I genuinely wouldn't go there.

 

It's called poverty. Don't be frightened.

[Eccy Beach]

Love the way lots of people continue to define a city/town centre on it's retail offer.

 

Massive brands are collapsing or reducing their footprint left right and centre - the types of stores I'd have assumed would have been around forever when I grew up.

 

Sheffield missed out on the retail boom but would be well advised not to try and catch up by flogging a dead horse - focus on leisure, build on the great theatres and music venues, push the sports angle and ensure we have diverse bars, restaurants and clubs.

 

Interesting comment last week from someone about the Meadowhall factor being a red herring as 'all cities' have out of town shopping centres! Manchester has one, Newcastle has one, London has one. Not sure Leeds would call the White Rose Centre one, don't think Liverpool or Nottigham have one - certainly not on M'Hall's scale.

[WalkleyIan]

Love the way lots of people continue to define a city/town centre on it's retail offer.

 

Massive brands are collapsing or reducing their footprint left right and centre - the types of stores I'd have assumed would have been around forever when I grew up.

 

Sheffield missed out on the retail boom but would be well advised not to try and catch up by flogging a dead horse - focus on leisure, build on the great theatres and music venues, push the sports angle and ensure we have diverse bars, restaurants and clubs.

 

Interesting comment last week from someone about the Meadowhall factor being a red herring as 'all cities' have out of town shopping centres! Manchester has one, Newcastle has one, London has one. Not sure Leeds would call the White Rose Centre one, don't think Liverpool or Nottingham have one - certainly not on M'Hall's scale.

 

exactly...the function of city centres are changing away from solely retail . I know there are plenty of people on here wanting to put Castlegate down for instance but it seems the investors know better.

 

https://www.thestar.co.uk/business/big-names-to-run-food-hall-in-sheffield-tech-hub-1-9253862

 

Seems odd to say it now but we may have dodged a bullet by not sinking all the money into the original NRQ plans after the financial crash

[truman]

Love the way lots of people continue to define a city/town centre on it's retail offer.

 

Massive brands are collapsing or reducing their footprint left right and centre - the types of stores I'd have assumed would have been around forever when I grew up.

 

Sheffield missed out on the retail boom but would be well advised not to try and catch up by flogging a dead horse - focus on leisure, build on the great theatres and music venues, push the sports angle and ensure we have diverse bars, restaurants and clubs.

 

Interesting comment last week from someone about the Meadowhall factor being a red herring as 'all cities' have out of town shopping centres! Manchester has one, Newcastle has one, London has one. Not sure Leeds would call the White Rose Centre one, don't think Liverpool or Nottigham have one - certainly not on M'Hall's scale.

 

Leeds has a larcge city centre "Centre" ... Trinity..also it's large arena.. First Direct..is a stone's throw from there ..and then there's The Light cinema complex...don't want to sound too negative but Sheffield has a way to go to even catch up...

[alchresearch]

don't think Liverpool or Nottigham have one - certainly not on M'Hall's scale.

 

Liverpool took the great decision to site their equivalent - Liverpool One - in the centre of town. But its not on the scale of Meadowhall or Trafford Centre.

 

The "leisure destination" is a great point. The last time I was in Sheffield, shops were hoovering their carepts ready for closing at 5 on the dot. In Manchester and Liverpool shops stay open until 6,7 or even 8pm. Nobody seems to be in a rush to get home - or they live in the city.

 

I much prefer to go into Liverpool weekdays after work, do any shopping, get a bite to eat, have a wander round the city, on the waterfront. It leaves the weekend free.

Edited July 17, 2018 by alchresearch