While researching into the Devonshire Shops demolition plans, we came across a number of articles covering the story and in The Sheffield Telegraph it gives an overview of the plans, with opinions from both sides of the argument.
One objector says: “There has been a sad loss of a number of independent shops in the Devonshire Street and West Street area and there is now an over-abundance of coffee shops and food outlets, many of them chains. Devonshire Street has a unique character due to the types of independent shops which do still remain.”
We as a group also agreed that it is a sad loss having these independent and quirky shops demolished in order to make way for more mundane flats/buildings. There aren't many areas in big cities anymore that feature independent businesses, as the takeover of high street chains and coffee shops expand constantly.Unfortunately, as The Telegraph states, despite objections to the closures there still isn't enough business in the shops as hoped:
Support may be flooding in for Rare and Racy and its co-owner Alan Capes, but he admits: “The business is not going fantastically.
“Everybody says we have an amazing place, and it’s a business everybody loves, but they don’t spend enough to keep it going.”
Adam Murray, the planning director of Coda involved in the demolition tries to give The Telegraph a positive perspective on the event:
“However, we believe that the character and cultural significance of the street is crucial and we want to retain that, so we have worked with our architects to achieve a design that respects this character but also creates internal space more suitable for use.
“Therefore the future appearance of the new building will be almost identical to the current structure and allow occupancy of the building to continue.
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