"Worse than covid": Businesses in Manor park slam council inaction 5 weeks after devastating fire
More than five weeks after a major fire tore through Manor Park Centre in Sheffield, local business owners say they feel abandoned.
And some claim trade was better during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic than it is now.
The overnight blaze on May 12 destroyed three shops - Krown Tanning & Beauty, Flowers & Gifts 2 Go, and N&D Salon - and left surrounding businesses reeling in its aftermath.
Despite the scale of the destruction, shopkeepers say there has been no meaningful progress in cleanup or rebuilding, and that support from Sheffield Council has been ‘non-existent’.
“It’s getting ridiculous,” said Louise Wainwright, who works at Manor Park Fisheries, the chip shop spared from the flames only by a brick wall.
“It’s been five weeks since the fire, and there’s been no clean-up attempted.
“The shops that are open are making no money - there’s no footfall, and people aren’t even allowed to come down the street.”
She continued: “I’m a single mum of three kids, I need this job, but this is a family-run business — if they can’t afford to keep me on, that’s it.
“We’re just not busy right now, and I might be let go.”
Louise says businesses are stuck in limbo, paying rent while losing income, and watching the damage around them worsen.
She described the pressure on one salon owner who had just signed the purchase papers the day before the fire:
“They spent all their savings buying the shop, literally signed for it on the Sunday, and on Monday it was in flames. It’s awful pressure.”
She says Sheffield City Council has offered false promises, and even appeals to local organisations like Manor Trust have gone unanswered.
"Nothing has changed in five weeks"
Joanne, owner of Manor Park Fisheries, echoed Louise’s frustration.
She said: “It has stayed the same this whole time, they keep coming to look and saying they’re having trouble with insurance. But we’ve been hearing the same thing for five weeks.
“Every week is so important to us.”
The street remains cordoned off, supposedly for safety due to a damaged roof, but Joanne says the current measures are ineffective:
“If it’s too dangerous to open up, then it’s too dangerous to leave untouched. The only way to make it safe is to start building now - not just put tape around it.”
She explains that the hit the business has taken is more devastating than the Covid lockdowns.
“We were busier during Covid, we had queues out the door back then. Now it’s the quietest we’ve ever been - I want to bang my head against a wall.”
Even the charity shop, St Vincent’s, has been hit hard.
“They’ve had no donations, which could seriously affect the charity and its future.”
When asked what needs to happen, Joanne was blunt:
“No one wants to be liable, they just pass it around. We can't make any decisions or move on as we have no answers.
“We're just watching our businesses that we've poured our hearts into, go down the drain.”
“We’ve had to cut staff hours just to survive”
At the Manor Park Post Office, normally a hub of local activity, business has come to a crawl.
“We’ve had to cut hours at the post office, and that’s really affected people,” said Claire, who works at the branch.
She explained that all four staff members have had their hours cut by at least two hours per shift. That’s eight hours collectively - a serious blow.
“We’re still paying full rent, but making a fraction of the income. Every day we don’t make money, we’re losing it.
“And people are being forced to go elsewhere - that trade might never come back.”
She says she is getting increasingly frustrated at the lack of movement from officials.
“Someone from the council asked us what we’d have done during Covid. That comparison is ridiculous - Covid was a national emergency, this is a local fire that they could actually do something about.”
“Time is of the essence, if help doesn’t come soon, we will be in serious trouble.”
No answers
All three interviewees say the same thing - five weeks have passed, but promises of scaffolding and assessments have led to nothing.
The row of shops once bore a mural reading “Manor Park Proud.” Today, it’s little more than scorched brick and boarded doors.
“We’re not asking for miracles, just answers,” said Joanne.
What the council say
According to Sheffield City Council, there is a significant risk that the remaining roof could fall onto the front of the row, which they say is why a heavy cordon remains.
The access road also remains closed due to this risk, as the height of the remaining roof could fall into this area.
They also explain that the Trust insures the physical building, but each shop must insure its own belongings and protect itself financially against disruptions.
Councillor Mohammed Mahroof, Chair of the Economic Development, Skills and Culture Committee at Sheffield City Council said: “Our priority remains supporting the affected business owners and employees through this difficult period.
“We are in regular contact with them and are assisting them in getting back into their premises to determine the damage and what is salvageable. We have also found alternative premises for the businesses to run from should they choose to go down this route.
“We are also working with partners to get signage up to let potential customers know that other businesses on the row are still open for business.
“These businesses play a vital role in the local community. Their absence is felt deeply by customers, staff, and neighbouring businesses alike.
“We recognise the frustration they must feel without clear answers or a timeline for return and we will continue to work with them to get them back up and running as soon as possible.”