Appeal for ideas to drive Sheffield forward met with calls for mass resignations in town hall

Sheffield City Council put out an appeal for help to create a vision of the future stating the city needed a blueprint to drive it forward. It was met with anger, despair and cynicism from readers critical of their political leaders, with some calling for the entire council to resign, some noting an election is days away and some claiming any ideas would simply be ignored.

One or two at the jokey end of the spectrum suggested a container park on Fargate, in reference to the ill-fated development which was delayed for months, ran over budget and never fully opened.

Andrew Davison, writing on Facebook, said: “I think some containers just at the top of Fargate would be great and perhaps a large screen incorporated with it. Shouldn’t cost much.”

Others took it as an admission councillors were out of ideas.

Colin Bainbridge said: “Sheffield Council finally admit that they’ve never had a plan despite wasting millions of pounds of taxpayers money messing about with the city centre.”

Which must leave politicians feeling they are damned if the do and damned if they don’t consult with the public.

Among the serious suggestions were better facilities and care for people who are homeless or have addictions - or simply 'removing' them - public toilets in the city centre and lower business rates to help retailers.

Transport was the biggest issue, with demands for more and cheaper parking, more and cheaper buses and the scrapping of the new Clean Air Zone.

Jill Wilde said: “Get people back into city with having better bus services, car parking facilities, not having to pay stupid prices, car parks should be a couple of quid for four hours, more toilets and much better shops, it'll be thriving then.”

Only Tim Spencer referenced Sheffield’s Outdoor City brand, with a proposal so ambitious it just might happen.

“Massive downhill mountain bike track from Lady Cannings Plantation at Ringinglow into town. With cable car uplift,” he suggested.