7 Comments

It seems to me that the Tribune has provided enough information for the council to make a compulsory purchase order. Great journalism from your paper.

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The best piece of journalism the Tribune has produced and a sure sign its come of age.The Council -only one Conservation Officer- check out the resource of other local authorities-has backed off/backtracked several times-staff refusing to enter the building because of Health and Safety concerns.Apart from Valerie Bayliss it appears that organisations who should be concerned have given up on the Old Town Hall- Star -BBC Radio Sheffield appearing tardy or not interested in stories of arson and break ins regarding this integeral component of Castlegate.Hallamshire Historic Buildings Society -Councils Heritage Champion should be pressing for action.What about it Kate Josephs?

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Great article. Thanks for reporting on the old Town Hall and wider issues.

As a regular litter picker I spent over a year reporting Kelham Works because of the accumulation of domestic waste at their bin store entrance on Alma St (opposite the Fat Cat). I got nowhere with Noble Design and Build who were responsible for it.

Sheffield City Council's Environmental Protection Services had to deal with it. I was reporting, sending photos and ringing three times a week. The shear burden of that one issue on an already depleted service was phenomenal.

The domestic waste led to additional fly tipping in the doorway, it being used as a public toilet which was then added to with graffiti tagging. When domestic waste piled up, it then started being left by street bins on Green Lane and Russell Street, which meant that it became a problem for Amey and Veolia. Amey is not responsible for domestic waste and were well within their contract rights to leave it, but to their credit did not. Veolia are not responsible for removing domestic waste from the street either. But proving where domestic waste has come from is a rabbit hole in itself and costs more money. Everyone has to pay for the disposal of waste, so it matters who is collecting what. We've all paid for the problems that one issue has created. Multiply it by the way the orgnisation seems to operate and it isn't hard to appreciate the environmental and financial impact it has on us all.

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It's almost enough to make you think that private money and the profit motive go against the common good!

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This is an amazing article. I was completely hooked. On the other hand, now I'm angry and feeling a bit helpless. Sheffield struggles with so much, and it's distressing that people who own parts of it, who have the power to help make it the thriving city it deserves to be, are wilfully damaging it. Their greed and mismanagement have impact on everyone, not just their poor hapless tenants. Thank you for shining a light on this.

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Definitely needs a compulsory purchase order. Might be expensive but every day that goes by, the renovation will cost more so it was very shortsighted not to have done it before. I'm not entirely convinced that SCC actually wants the best for this building. They have a bit of a track record for letting buildings decay to the point where demolition is a real option. Empty sites fetch better cash than buildings that need expensive renovation. Birley Spa, Rose Cafe and Central Library. Short sighted neglect.

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The loss of the 1955 extension would be no great loss frankly.I can only echo Mrs Bayliss's comments above -what is Sheffield's Civic Trust view? Seems to me people have given up.

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