Sheffield city centre has 'become a place that people no longer wish to visit' - letter

It has become a place that people no longer wish to visit for a day out shopping and just enjoying the city.

Where to begin? Lousy access, a parking nightmare and scruffy litter laden streets. Dont mention the people just hanging around. I visited a few weeks ago and the decline seems to be accelerating.

Anyone old enough to remember the late 1950s and early 60s with shops all the way from Waingate, Haymarket, up High Street, Fargate and on to the Moor with parking along the route would be very disappointed visiting today. Those days have certainly gone forever.

However if you imagine easy access and less restrictions with parking close to shops as opposed to the constant manic pursuit of turning the City into a pedestrian walkway, I feel more people would be inclined to visit.

The often published artists impressions of proposed regeneration showing trees and people walking happily around are a joke and don’t show people in wheel chairs or others struggling with heavy parcels because their cars are parked miles away.

Never any mention of new car parks nearby, that would be against council policy nurtured over the years.

It is easy to jump on the usual bandwagon of blaming national government funding but don’t forget, the decline has continued regardless of what ever persuasion the Government in power has been over many years.

One thing that has remained more or less constant over the many years is the nature of the council’s political leanings.

Money is important, but so is how you spend it and good sound management could bring a drastic improvement.

It should be remembered that Sheffield belongs to it’s citizens, not the council and that they are elected on the basis of admimistering the wishes of the citizens .

It seems John Lewis saw the light when they left.

I used to enjoy visiting town centre many years ago. How sad it’s all become.

Jan Pederson

Sheffield, S12