Why it's vital Sheffield fights the blight of empty buildings
No room for complacency amid stalled projects
Empty buildings can send a terrible message that a place has no prospects.
If the owner has no plans, it can send a signal a place has no future. And if they are broken into, vandalised and graffitied it can seem as though residents agree.
Across Sheffield there are dozens of disused buildings - but it’s probably no worse than many big cities.
The Old Town Hall stands as an appalling example of neglect. Now four years into Gary Ata’s ownership it continues to fall down, with floors and most recently part of the roof caving in.
Fortunately, it is a rare example and in many of the cases we look at today there is evidence of something happening - and someone cares - although actual reopening may be years away.
The one thing that ties them together is confidence - built on a strong and stable economy and a welcoming attitude from those in power.
Landlords and developers need to feel their project will be a success.
Sheffield has a limited impact on the nation’s overall finances, but the city council has almost total control over whether projects get the go ahead.
Today, thanks to a change in government and good relations with Homes England, the city is having a good year, with money for stuck sites from Moorfoot to Cornish Works to Sheaf Square.
But council chiefs must redouble their efforts to get more projects off the ground.
Kings Tower - the stalled plan for the old Primark site on High Street, Endcliffe Sunday School - which failed to attract any bids at auction, and the Salvation Army Citadel - owned by the city council for two years with ‘no update’ - all show there is no room for complacency in Sheffield’s fight to bring buildings back to life.