John Lewis

[prince al]

6 hours ago, Planner1 said:

As I understand it, Historic England themselves conducted a review of department store buildings of this period to decide whether any merited listing.

 

The 20th Century Society had been campaigning for many years to have this one listed.

Well they mad another cockup!

[Mr Bloke]

17 minutes ago, LovePotion said:

Department stores can become destination sites. Didn't you ever get taken to Santa's grotto at Castle House when you were a child? Harrod's have recently developed a new menu in their restaurant with celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal and it even has a Tripadvisor page dedicated to just the restaurant alone. A good department store will also have live demonstrations of products, this adds a sense of theatre and entertainment. 

Hmmm...

This is exactly my point...
... but it depends on what SCC really wants the city centre to become.

 

What better than a 'tourist attraction' in the centre of Sheffield with it's very own multi-storey car park on the premises making it easy for visitors from outside Sheffield to access?

 

But if, as we know, SCC think cars are nasty horrible things that should be banned...
... then that's obviously a non-starter, no matter how good the idea may be!

[AndrewC]

1 hour ago, Mr Bloke said:

But if, as we know, SCC think cars are nasty horrible things that should be banned...
... then that's obviously a non-starter, no matter how good the idea may be!

Hi Mr Bloke,

 

Between multi-storey & surface car parks at The Moor, Furnival Gate, Atkinsons, Charles Street, Wellington Street, and Carver Lane, there about 2,500 car parking spaces just a few minutes walk from John Lewis. Each of them just a minute or so's drive up one road off the inner ring road. Easily accessible for anyone capable of passing a practical driving test. Atkinsons & Wellington Street charge no more than a couple of quid for a couple of hours apparently.

 

They're not doing a great job of banning cars, if that is what they're trying to do! What you might say is that they're keeping cars away from the actual main shopping streets themselves, which is par for the course for almost any decent shopping town/city, and indeed shopping centres like Meadowhall, who also apparently like using pedestrianised streets whilst keeping parking to the periphery.

1 hour ago, LovePotion said:

Department stores can become destination sites. Didn't you ever get taken to Santa's grotto at Castle House when you were a child? Harrod's have recently developed a new menu in their restaurant with celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal and it even has a Tripadvisor page dedicated to just the restaurant alone. A good department store will also have live demonstrations of products, this adds a sense of theatre and entertainment. 

I don't disagree with what you're saying in general - they can still be attractions even if generally they are falling out of favour - but it's going to be very, very difficult to set up a viable, brand-new department store in Sheffield. I'm just not sure who you think is going to take the risk of trying? The council don't have the money, and existing department store operators just aren't going to look at Sheffield's retail sector and think it's a risk worth taking.

 

There is still potential for a better retail offering in Sheffield city centre, but I still just don't see a department store operating taking a chance.

Edited August 18, 2022 by AndrewC

[Mr Bloke]

Hmmm...

My point wasn't really about cars and parking...

... I was using it as an (apparently not very good) example of the fact that no matter how good an idea may be for a use for the building, it won't even be considered if it doesn't 'fit in' with SCC's ideas of what they want the city to become.

[HeHasRisen]

Yes I am sure they are about to be inundated with offers to develop this white elephant now.

[hackey lad]

If they ever knock it down , why not just leave the builders cabins on site and use them as fancy bars or bistro's  ?

[Man in Crete]

https://sheffield.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/693908
if anyone is interested in how the council will be dealing with the gd 2!listing suggest you tune in to the webcast of the relevant committee emergency meeting tomorrow at 200 pm 

hope the link works but you can find it on the council web cast listing

[Ghozer]

https://www.hhbs.org.uk/2022/08/22/colebroslisted/

[HeHasRisen]

1 hour ago, Ghozer said:

https://www.hhbs.org.uk/2022/08/22/colebroslisted/

Fekkin morons.

[Leo Tomlinson]

The well known Sheffield Architect Peter Fauset  (who i worked with many years ago) puts forward some  sensible suggestions in  todays letters page in Sheffield Star paper , Its so good to see the experts championing the sixties buildings in our City for once , We have lost most of them ,   a situation that has lead to the ruination of parts of our City ,   Castlegate being a prime example /