The Future Of Fargate

[pariba]

I agree it has changed a lot since they closed Chelsea Girl 😂

[Anna B]

18 hours ago, Emily Bell said:

Hello! I am conducting a short survey on the Fargate regeneration projects for my A-level Geography coursework. Please feel free to share your thoughts, it'll only take a few minutes!! https://forms.gle/2TjuPbDqKvJZGaev5

Never mind 'A' level Geography homework, I wish the council would bother to ask Sheffielders' their opinions on things affecting Sheffield on Sheffield Forum.

 

It would make a change, and be good to know our opinion was actually valued. once in a while!

[Guest]

Best described as a short street which leads from nowhere to nowhere.

Used to be quite nice though in the old days.

 

 

[XPertByExperien]

4 minutes ago, Organgrinder said:

Best described as a short street which leads from nowhere to nowhere.

Used to be quite nice though in the old days.

 

 

Actually it does lead somewhere, from the top of High St/Near the Cathedral Tram stop to near the Town Hall/top of Pinstone St.

 

 

[ECCOnoob]

2 hours ago, Anna B said:

Never mind 'A' level Geography homework, I wish the council would bother to ask Sheffielders' their opinions on things affecting Sheffield on Sheffield Forum.

 

It would make a change, and be good to know our opinion was actually valued. once in a while!

How many times have you attended one of the public council meetings? How many times have you contributed to a committee petition or raised a formal question?  How often do you participate in public consultations or leave meaningful comments on proposed planning or licence applications?  Have you ever met with your local MP or attended one of their regular surgeries?  How often do you watch the webcast recordings of the chambers sessions or read through the minutes to see what debate was raised and decisions made?

 

The unfortunate truth is that nobody really cares enough.  Too many are all so quick to moan and whinge and give uninformed opinions but fact is nobody can really be bothered. Politics whether it's local or national are boring. Politics are complicated. Politics are not all snappy interesting sound bites and attention grabbing headlines. Politics involves lots of drudgery and day-to-day trivial affairs which cannot be brightly packaged, covered in gaudy colours and buzzwords like the latest episode of big brother.

 

Fact is most people would rather be engaged in the latest celebrity gossip or their social media following or watching their favourite YouTubers.  They would rather spend 3 hours down the pub or watching football or out shopping than spending their afternoons or evenings sat in a 3-hour session on budget adjustments or implementation of new bar licencing or planning arrangements for redirection of a sewer pipe. 

 

If people want to be heard they have to get involved.

 

A little bit of slackrivism by clicking some poll or making comments on a random internet discussion site like this doesn't cut it.  

 

I've said before when this similar subject was brought up regarding Parliament, there is a wealth of information all available at the click of a mouse on the council website.  There are multiple opportunities for people to properly engage as much or little as they want to. They can give feedback, they can give objections to proposals, they can raise their own direct petitions, they can raise questions, they can even attend and sit in the committees.

 

The ones who do get their opinions heard are the ones prepared to put in the effort.

Edited March 6, 2023 by ECCOnoob

[HeHasRisen]

I bet Emily Bell wishes she hadnt bothered asking now.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, XPertByExperien said:

Actually it does lead somewhere, from the top of High St/Near the Cathedral Tram stop to near the Town Hall/top of Pinstone St.

 

 

How very exciting.

It's all dead

 

 

[ECCOnoob]

3 hours ago, Organgrinder said:

How very exciting.

It's all dead

 

 

Is it balls.  

 

It's just evolving.  It's changing its purpose and, like cities up and down the land, moving away from just shops.  It's becoming new residential, new leisure facilities, new food vendors, new public spaces. 

 

God sake even wonderful Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham are not immune from gaping holes on their high streets that are being filled with other uses.  For every Victoria Quarter there is an empty decaying Core or Merrion.   For every shiny John Lewis or Harvey Nichols there is plenty of shuttered empty House of Frasers, Debenhams, or Arcadia brand or Allders.  It's not all streets paved with gold.  

 

Let's be frank whatever moved in...  certain old farts can't move on from their rose tinted nostalgic longing for't  'ole int road, Walshes, Rag and Tag and the trips to posh  Castle House wi' Doris and Brenda operating lifts up't cafe with it's soggy bacon and lamp warmed beans.  

 

The 70s are over.  Habits change.  People change.     

Edited March 7, 2023 by ECCOnoob

[Anna B]

16 hours ago, ECCOnoob said:

How many times have you attended one of the public council meetings? How many times have you contributed to a committee petition or raised a formal question?  How often do you participate in public consultations or leave meaningful comments on proposed planning or licence applications?  Have you ever met with your local MP or attended one of their regular surgeries?  How often do you watch the webcast recordings of the chambers sessions or read through the minutes to see what debate was raised and decisions made?

 

The unfortunate truth is that nobody really cares enough.  Too many are all so quick to moan and whinge and give uninformed opinions but fact is nobody can really be bothered. Politics whether it's local or national are boring. Politics are complicated. Politics are not all snappy interesting sound bites and attention grabbing headlines. Politics involves lots of drudgery and day-to-day trivial affairs which cannot be brightly packaged, covered in gaudy colours and buzzwords like the latest episode of big brother.

 

Fact is most people would rather be engaged in the latest celebrity gossip or their social media following or watching their favourite YouTubers.  They would rather spend 3 hours down the pub or watching football or out shopping than spending their afternoons or evenings sat in a 3-hour session on budget adjustments or implementation of new bar licencing or planning arrangements for redirection of a sewer pipe. 

 

If people want to be heard they have to get involved.

 

A little bit of slackrivism by clicking some poll or making comments on a random internet discussion site like this doesn't cut it.  

 

I've said before when this similar subject was brought up regarding Parliament, there is a wealth of information all available at the click of a mouse on the council website.  There are multiple opportunities for people to properly engage as much or little as they want to. They can give feedback, they can give objections to proposals, they can raise their own direct petitions, they can raise questions, they can even attend and sit in the committees.

 

The ones who do get their opinions heard are the ones prepared to put in the effort.

I have attended 3 meetings from the public gallery.

I have tabled questions that were not accepted / timed out, so never had an answer, (all questions are vetted beforehand and 'chosen' by the councillors, who I suspect chose the easiest options.)

I have been amazed at how slow and lacklustre these meetings are. In a word, boring...

 

I add my name to petitions if I agree with the proposal, I have also written to the council on a number of occasions, only to receive a generic 'thankyou for your enquiry' letter and sometimes not even that. I join in consultations with my opinions if I find it on their website, but my opinion has not made any difference to the outcome. I often hear about 'consultations' after the event when it is too late to comment. I get the impression they are going through the motions, but couldn't care less what the public think. 

I have phoned and written to my local councillor and received no reply,  return call, or contact. 

 

I have met with Paul Bloomfield at his surgery, twice. Nice man, but didn't agree with him on most points. (Yes I know he was an MP, but he was a councillor first.)

 

A friend  who wanted to make a difference also became a councillor, but gave it up after two terms as it was a 'closed shop' which they couldn't penetrate, and they were appalled at the lack of meaningful debate, or consideration of any alternative points of view. They said they 'find the public a nuisance and an irritating obstacle to doing what they want.'  

 

I didn't know the public can sit on their committees