HSBC has just been granted planning permission to proceed with internal and minor external renovation to the branch at the bottom of Fargate, including new windows and doors, new external cash machines and a new entrance. Nothing that will drastically change the look of the building though unfortunately):

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o37/leewebster/1.jpg

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o37/leewebster/2.jpg

But I thought this branch was closing, cause the one in carmel house is opening!!!!

What a con.

I'm interested in what's going to happen to the lovely old building on Church Street that they're going to quit when all these refurbs are finished.

Maybe a small indoor shopping centre with little boutique store's like Affelics Palace in Manchester? (Would be nice anyway)

I'm interested in what's going to happen to the lovely old building on Church Street that they're going to quit when all these refurbs are finished.

Are you sure its HSBC S8, there are several banks up there.

The coles' corner building has been shit the whole of my life. When you look at the original Cole Brothers' apartment store on the site which was demolished in the 60s it was a far more attractive construction, although probably poorly layed out inside. It would be much better if it was made into a larger store with several floors for a more prestigious retailer. It is an iconic position and deserves much better status than assorted uses.
When I see its smooth sides I wonder if it could have a massive neon sign on like piccadilly circus in London.

My Mum worked in Cockaynes department store during the 1960s and apparently the place was terrible inside, the store rooms were like catacombs with low ceilings in the basement and a terrible state. This store I remember as Scofields during my childhood and Later Wing Price. I haven't noticed it for years though, it is in the block between the Bankers draft pub and the tunnel through to heartshead. Probably a pound shop now!

I think the HSBC on church street has already been vacated

Pretty sure its HSBC on Church St. (next door to the Cutlers Hall, higher up the street) and I saw somebody going into it today, so I dont think its closed yet.

Are they ever going to do something with it? I thought HSBC were vacating Church Street and Cole's Corner? Why do they need 3 branches in a perfect 100 metre equilateral triange?

Atleast they've not proposed any of their 'Superstore' branches yet! :bash:

Do they still have plans to refurb this? All the refurb posters have been taken down, and nothing seems to be happening.

I really wish they'd just sell it for some proper retail company to take it up!

Atleast they've not proposed any of their 'Superstore' branches yet! :bash:

Do they still have plans to refurb this? All the refurb posters have been taken down, and nothing seems to be happening.

I really wish they'd just sell it for some proper retail company to take it up!

What is a "superstore" branch? Their new one on Fargate is good but needs to be bigger - it is rammed at dinner times.

I don't think it should be retail - I think in it's location on that busy corner it would be good as a cafe-type place.

Well yeah, I included cafe with retail (in my head).

There superstore branches are meant to be about 20,000 sqft. (That's as big as H&M or River Island!). They've recently been denied permission to open their first one in the City (of London).

A superstore branch would be good (for those of us who bank with HSBC any way). Not sure where it could be located though.

Well I wouldn't want it taking up space on Fargate! In essence, I don't have a problem with them opening a superstore branch. It's just we're lacking in units as it is.

I agree - Fargate is not the place. Maybe on the Moor when it's finished.

Or maybe not! Why do we need a 20,000 sqft bank? for fucks sake!

Because the little ones are rammed at dinner times when most of us want to use them.

yea, but if all of the UK's big 5 had 20,000 sqft, we'd half-fill NRQ with just banks!

The financial quarter :)

urgh

Because the little ones are rammed at dinner times when most of us want to use them.

Well that is the way of all bank branches now. They want you to use electronic banking instead so they can reduce their estate on the highstreet. I bank with yorkshire bank and they had a branch in almost every district 15 years ago, nowadays there is only about 6 left in the whole of the city. If you have to visit one of the branches you often have a 15 minute wait in a long queue and they have reduced the amount of cashier windows to make you wait longer. they are even renting off part of of some of their larger branches to a coffee bar franchise and they don't have managers any longer.

I suppose in time there will be even less actual bank branches for all banks and more machines everywhere.

Because the little ones are rammed at dinner times when most of us want to use them.

Although a lunchtime rush is annoying, its not logical to build a HUGE store just to cope with one busy period. If we lived by that logic then you could argue that, because bramall lane creates congestion on match days, we shud build a 6 lane motorway just to cope with the odd day of congestion, only for it to be deserted the rest of the time!! Such huge banks are a waste if you ask me :)

Although a lunchtime rush is annoying, its not logical to build a HUGE store just to cope with one busy period. If we lived by that logic then you could argue that, because bramall lane creates congestion on match days, we shud build a 6 lane motorway just to cope with the odd day of congestion, only for it to be deserted the rest of the time!! Such huge banks are a waste if you ask me :)

Yes you are right.
If I have to go to the bank, I nip out from work mid morning when it won't be too busy.

huh?

War,
huh?
what is it good for ?
huh?
absolutely nothing
huh?


:lol:
Lewis, what are you on about, which post are you commenting on ?

:lol: Maybe he's just confused in general. Maybe he's had a malady that's kept him asleep since just before he first registered with SSC. Maybe he's been sleepwalking his way through this forum for the last year and a half and now he's just woken up and it's like, "Huh? Where am I? Who are these people?"

Can't remember what thread it was in but Lewisskinner revealed he uses the 'hybrid' or 'threaded' layout for his forum viewing. So he is actually replying directly to posts on his view, only to the rest of us with the standard linear format it looks like he's entirely mad.

Well if he's using a layout like that, he is entirely mad.

I'm sure he must be entirely mad.

and why is your new avatar doing riverdance. I saw it the other day as some irish music came out of my hi-fi and the dance timing was perfect and the yellow face extremely sinister.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/images/avatars/smilie_tanz.gif

He's the lord of the skank.

interesting thing about the threaded view. Occasionally it hides post in the main body which it shows in the threaded layout section. Hmmmm....

Incidentally, does everyone else have three buttons at the bottom of each post, "quote", "multi-quote" and "quick reply"? Because what happens is that I hit "quick reply" to the message I want to respond to, and the system usually inserts my post directly below it (rather than at the end of a thread) so it's easier to follow.

Example. Paulmat makes a comment, then muddy replies, and then AndrewC makes an unrelated comment. If I wish to reply to Paulmat, I click on "quick reply" and my post is time-stamped later than muddy and AndrewC's post, but it will appear above them (directly beneath Paulmat's post). Unless Muddy also used the "quick reply" in which case it will be below his post (as his was an earlier response) but above AndrewC's (as his was not related to this particular conversation).

I know, I appear quite mad!

That's interesting to know. I almost always use quick reply even if I am making an unrelated comment. I bet that screws up the view for some.

Lewis, I think your "quick reply" finishes at the bottom of the page for everyone else. This means that we regularly see your posts appearing making completely irrelevent exclamations, nowhere near the post you are replying too.

This leaves the rest of us with the impression that you are angy, aggessive, mad, or something like that.
I suggest you use the "Quote" button instead, then we will all understand each other better.

Well that is the way of all bank branches now. They want you to use electronic banking instead so they can reduce their estate on the highstreet. I bank with yorkshire bank and they had a branch in almost every district 15 years ago, nowadays there is only about 6 left in the whole of the city. If you have to visit one of the branches you often have a 15 minute wait in a long queue and they have reduced the amount of cashier windows to make you wait longer. they are even renting off part of of some of their larger branches to a coffee bar franchise and they don't have managers any longer.

I suppose in time there will be even less actual bank branches for all banks and more machines everywhere.

I got fed up of the awful service in my high street bank, so I switched to Smile. I would recommend it to anyone - no need to queue, they don't try to charge you for doing their job!, you get to bank even if you happen to have a job (so can't get to your branch in the day time).

I guess there could be a couple of security problems - you're using the internet, so need to have an up to date security programme (although everyone should be careful on the internet whatever) and you have to pay in cheques via the freepost address. None have gone missing yet, but one took a few weeks to reach my account. I could use Coop Bank in town if it was a big cheque (or maybe a post office?), but nowadays most payments can be done easily by BACS anyway.

Plus as it's run by the Coop it's ethical too.

Not to mention - you get to do your banking with a glass of wine whilst semi naked. NatWest never approved of that...

I do almost all my banking online, but paying in cash is impossible without visiting a branch, and I don't trust the postal service as far as I can thrown it so wouldn't trust a cheque in the post.

yeah, you can use cash-points, but it takes a day or even 2 longer. Branches will always be needed to pay in cash, but do we need 20,000sqft branches?

Hmm. Just been having a look at Property Week, and it seems Sheffield is one of 5 places to already have a 'mega-branch'. :lol: I assume it's the new one in Carmel House.

Ye I thought when it opened they said it was going to be a superbranch.

So can anyone explain the need for three branches, one of which is a superbranch in such a small area?

I am in favour of a massive super branch, but I agree - I cannot see the need for so many in that small area. Then again, I guess they aren't stupid and wouldn't keep them open if they were not financially viable.

Will the one on Pinstone Street not be going as part of the NRQ developments?

I use the one on Fargate if I need to bank in person and although very swish and fancy, there is certainly nothing "super" about it.

Speaking of a huge super branch - Fitzalan Square or down on Haymarket (once slightly redeveloped of course) might be a good location - not in the traditional shopping centre (so not taking up retail space) but easy to get to and should bring life to the area.

I am in favour of a massive super branch, but I agree - I cannot see the need for so many in that small area. Then again, I guess they aren't stupid and wouldn't keep them open if they were not financially viable.

Will the one on Pinstone Street not be going as part of the NRQ developments?

I use the one on Fargate if I need to bank in person and although very swish and fancy, there is certainly nothing "super" about it.

Speaking of a huge super branch - Fitzalan Square or down on Haymarket (once slightly redeveloped of course) might be a good location - not in the traditional shopping centre (so not taking up retail space) but easy to get to and should bring life to the area.

And money :lol:

Let's see that they close the Church Street or Cole's Corner branch first shall we?

The Church Street one will close when the Coles Corner one opens again

Urgh, I'd much rather they moved out of Coles Corner! The Church St one is like a proper business one, the Carmel House one is a proper public one for all the shoppers - coles corner is just a waste of good retail space IMO.

Yeah I agree there, but as has been said before the Church Street one can be utilised for something more appealing

A nice clothes store! (Mangos?) - just look at all that wasted window-space, filled with nasty "You're in debt you wanker" posters.