Derby City Centre

[CWC1983]

The number of homeless people sleeping in and around the city centre is heartbreaking, especially as we head into winter. 

Every city I've been to recently has got more people begging than I can remember from even 1 year ago. 

It seems to be a country wide problem and I don't know what the answer is. 

[SillyBilly]

14 minutes ago, G STAR RAM said:

Never really looked into pensions.

Surely it is yields that makes them attractive to investors though?

Wouldn't artificially inflating property values lead to lower yields?

Not really, there isn't decent yield anywhere at the moment. But anyway the business model is for the rental price to keep pace with the increase in value (or the landlords increase in debt). As is widely known most landlords/funds are mortgaged so purchase/ownership costs are passed, in most cases, directly to the tenant. Considering the vacant properties again, then if you owned 100 and 5 or so were "between tenants" then that would be acceptable providing the company/fund can meet the debt repayments of the portfolio as a whole. Any rent surplus is your "income" to be distributed out via a dividend or equivalent (pretty low across all markets as interest rates have dropped so low), however, most investors/the fund will be interested in asset value (similar to growth stocks where income is a secondary consideration). The fund price doubling or trebling in 10 years is a pretty good return, no?

[angieram]

26 minutes ago, CWC1983 said:

The number of homeless people sleeping in and around the city centre is heartbreaking, especially as we head into winter. 

Every city I've been to recently has got more people begging than I can remember from even 1 year ago. 

It seems to be a country wide problem and I don't know what the answer is. 

The answer is to put back in place the supported housing that local government decided we couldn't afford - but it's costing health and the police a lot more to deal with the fallout. 

[CWC1983]

3 minutes ago, angieram said:

The answer is to put back in place the supported housing that local government decided we couldn't afford - but it's costing health and the police a lot more to deal with the fallout. 

I don't know enough about possible solutions to comment, but as a society we need to do something. It's all very sad and getting worse. 

[Rev]

49 minutes ago, angieram said:

The answer is to put back in place the supported housing that local government decided we couldn't afford - but it's costing health and the police a lot more to deal with the fallout. 

The lack of foresight is a common factor amongst almost all government/council spending. 

Save a few quid here and now, only to lose that saving many times over in the long run.

From general health spending, to social housing and care, to crime prevention and local environment protection and decent pension provision, we cut pennies and delay decisions now, only to store up problems for the future.

 

 

[ariotofmyown]

2 hours ago, CWC1983 said:

The number of homeless people sleeping in and around the city centre is heartbreaking, especially as we head into winter. 

Every city I've been to recently has got more people begging than I can remember from even 1 year ago. 

It seems to be a country wide problem and I don't know what the answer is. 

This. Went to Watford couple of weeks ago. Normally you might see one homeless guy. It was like Panic in Needle Park. I don't know Derby city centre very well but sounds like Watford. An Intu sucking all the life out of it. Poverty stricken folks everywhere.

Interesting to see that many of the posters on this thread are usually the ones more sympathetic to Tories. Seems to me that most of these problems are down to unregulated and immoral business practises and the lack of help and money for those most in need ie the Tory mantra.

[McRainy]

Derby pubs are still the best though. 

[PistoldPete2]

10 hours ago, PistoldPete2 said:

That area is truly shocking ... Zombie apocalypse . Combination of things that new drug what's it called, and the selling off the hippodrome to some cowboy. Plus the becketwell area being left to rot. The whole area needs sorting. 

I remember now, Black mamba. That's what causes the zombies. So I've read, not tried it myself. 

[BarrowRam]

We have the same issues in barrow. Empty shops or charity and pound shops. Most towns and cities have struggled in the last decade. Another problem in the rates on the properties which are set by the government. But Derby is still better than some towns and cities around the country.

[Coneheadjohn]

I rarely go in to the centre but my mum spent a few weeks at the community hospital recently so I went regularly by train.

Yes it’s a dump but Sheffield is worse,i’ll provide my reasons when I get a minute. 

[alexxxxx]

11 hours ago, reveldevil said:

There's problems too in Nottingham though. 

But they seem to have a plan, Vic Centre for big stores, Clumber Street as an extension down to the Market Sq, Hockley for the independent shops, Lace Market for food and drink, etc.

Broadmarsh is an even bigger eyesore than Duckworth Square though, and once it's redeveloped it may be like Intu, and suck the life out of the surrounding area.

Born and bred Derby, but have lived in Nottingham half my life now, so have a fair view of the strong and weak points of both cities.

No cohesion to Derby atm, once you leave the Intu you have to walk for ages, through a depressing landscape of boarded up shops/bargain outlets to get to the Cathedral area, where things improve again.

Encourage the independent shops and artisan providers into St Peter's street area, and likewise encourage pubs/clubs and restaurants to fill the Cathedral area, and at least the cityscape would make sense.

Derby is far smaller than Nottm, yet the way it's laid out currently makes it seem far larger.

Yeah it's a risk for Nottingham but Broadmarsh can't be kept as it is... That area is so poor at the moment - terrible shops in and outside it.

[Day]

Derby ain’t got a patch on Grimsby Town centre, looks like hurricane season.....and that’s inside the shopping centre.

Outside shops come and go every 6 weeks, another trying the bargain store route which most suss out early on bargain = crap.

Shopping centre rental rates have gone through the roof to try and cover the losses, rates that only the big boys can pay. Problem is the big boys have already packed up and left. We don’t even have a WH Smith anymore

[King Kevin]

I live in Notts and I used to think it was a great city ,which has been spoilt .Some of the demolition to build the Broadmarsh centre bordered on vandalism ,Drury Lane could have been something similar to the Shambles in York .

Maid Marion way also saw the destruction of many fine old buildings and pulling down the Black Boy Hotel to replace it with Primark was a disgrace .

Many people I know including myself always shop in Derby instead of Nottingham as Nottingham is so anti car it will eventually kill off the city .Many business's I know will leave when their lease expires dur to the car parking levy and building the trams has killed off many suburban shopping area's .

Unfortunately people begging and anti social activity is not confined to Derby but I think it's better than a lot of places.

[Srg]

There's a fair bit of regeneration been going off down the opposite end of town with new bars and stuff popping up - it's turning into a decent night out now. Looks to get better when they sort out this tram shed they were on about too, which will cost millions.

Shame about the baron wasteland between that end of town and Intu.

[BathRam72]

This all makes me quite sad. I have fond memories of wandering around Derby City centre as a kid in the 70's.

I remember McDonald's opening and being in awe at the food (Can't stand the stuff now).

As my name suggests, I now live in Bath which is very nice. Treat yourselves to a weekend away here and I will make you a sausage sandwich as a treat. 

Seriously very sad to hear my childhood memories of a very fine city are now in ruins.

[AshfieldRam]

This might be controversial, but i too find Nottingham city centre far superior to Derby. It's actually a really nice place, with excellent transport links and there's plenty to do. 

It's got to the point where i only really use the intu now in Derby and most of the time its easier to go to Meadowhall 

[Hucknall Ram]

22 minutes ago, King Kevin said:

I live in Notts and I used to think it was a great city ,which has been spoilt .Some of the demolition to build the Broadmarsh centre bordered on vandalism ,Drury Lane could have been something similar to the Shambles in York .

Maid Marion way also saw the destruction of many fine old buildings and pulling down the Black Boy Hotel to replace it with Primark was a disgrace .

Many people I know including myself always shop in Derby instead of Nottingham as Nottingham is so anti car it will eventually kill off the city .Many business's I know will leave when their lease expires dur to the car parking levy and building the trams has killed off many suburban shopping area's .

Unfortunately people begging and anti social activity is not confined to Derby but I think it's better than a lot of places.

I always find the car parks 90+% full when I go to Notts by car, I have the choice of Train, Tram. Car or Bus to get to Notts from Hucknall, Tram is alway full, bus always close to full, car parks mostly full

[Mr Tibbs]

Just now, AshfieldRam said:

This might be controversial, but i too find Nottingham city centre far superior to Derby. It's actually a really nice place, with excellent transport links and there's plenty to do. 

It's got to the point where i only really use the intu now in Derby and most of the time its easier to go to Meadowhall 

I feel exactly the same. I'm from Chesterfield so have no major affection to Derby other than the Rams; Sheffield, Notts, Leeds, Manchester are all worth travelling to before Derby for me unfortunately. 

[GermanRam]

14 hours ago, PistoldPete2 said:

That area is truly shocking ... Zombie apocalypse . Combination of things that new drug what's it called, and the selling off the hippodrome to some cowboy. Plus the becketwell area being left to rot. The whole area needs sorting. 

Yeah true. And it's getting even worse every time I come over. To be fair Nottingham makes a much nicer impression right now - years ago it was just the other way round. It's a shame.

[Wolfie]

14 hours ago, reveldevil said:

Encourage the independent shops and artisan providers into St Peter's street area, and likewise encourage pubs/clubs and restaurants to fill the Cathedral area, and at least the cityscape would make sense.

 

Every town/city centre is struggling nowadays but I think this is key.

We moved to Newark from Worksop 3 years ago and the difference between the two town centres, 30 mins apart, is huge. Worksop has had the life ripped out of it, with every other shop (those which aren't empty) now being a charity shop or nail bar. Worksop's problems date back to the mine closures but the decay has accelerated in recent years. It's also very noticeable that Grantham has been going the same way in the 7 years or so that I've been going there.

OK, Newark is probably a more affluent town but there are loads of independent shops (and a decent market). For a much smaller town than either of the other two, there's much more variety on offer & I'm sure it's this which has kept it going.