9 Comments

Using Moorfoot for social housing has the potential to turn it into a slum in the fullness of time.Check out Valerie Bayliss -who like me -worked in it - comments in the Star.

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I don't think there is any suggestion that Moorfoot would be just social housing (at least not that I've seen). To me it would make sense if it was a combination of social housing, private rented and owner occupier, like Park Hill is. It will be a huge job to renovate (like Park Hill has been) but I think it could be really nice if it was well done (those terraces would make lovely gardens!).

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Like those of Babylon? What about car parking ?

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Yeah, the Hanging Gardens of Moorfoot has got a certain ring to it, I think! Not sure about car parking, although in the future I think people are anticipating car use will fall (not least because we will need it to get to Net Zero). The Moorfoot building is just one part of the council's plans for a new city centre neighbourhood in that area. Maybe they have to be taken as a whole rather than just looking at one building? All interesting stuff!

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Cloud cuckoo land Dan I'm afraid as regards giving up car use.No faith in Council -look at High St and Fargate.

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Ron, the sort of people who want to live in city centres are more likely to be those who don't have a car and don't intend to get one (I'd prefer to live in a city centre flat but there's not enough quality places in Sheffield centre right now). Though this does assume good enough public transport services and decent cycling provision!

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Underground car parking should be more of a thing though. Visit any European city with mid to high rise apartments and you'll find many buildings have hidden away underground parking as standard. Should be part of planning rules for apartment buildings here.

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Why is Britain so addicted to bricks and mortar? Canada and many Scandinavian countries build well insulated, pre-fabricated homes that are comfortable and cheap to run. My house on Chelsea Road came on a lorry from Canada in 1970 and is still a great house to live in. My solution? Put a factory on the Norton aerodrome site to build pre-fabricated houses on the rest of the site and move it when the site is complete! Room for a school and community health centre plus it's close to the tram network. What's nit to like? I know it's home to wildlife etc. but surely it would be better than random infil building where there is inadequate infrastructure. Think big, think bold. I've lived on council estates three times in the past and they were great places in which to grow up.

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John - thanks for putting forward your side of the argument.

Cheers

Ron

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