Shopping and Leisure
For normal shopping people have quite a choice. Most of
the large supermarket chains have one or more stores in town, or more
precisely, in a ring round it where shoppers can park. The market,
outdoor and indoor, is still good, selling a huge variety of items though the
market is being allowed to die gradually. This is not all the Council’s fault
but the result of changing shopping habits amongst the new generation of
shoppers. Some effort is being made to use a ‘town square in front of the Corn
Exchange and some really good shows have taken place there this year.
There are three large shopping centres,
Frenchgate (currently being enlarged and now to incorporate a new transport
interlink with the rail station) and Waterdale (a revamp is planned) and the
Colonnades in the town centre. All sell the same goods you can buy in any other
town. Slightly out of town there are larger retail parks at The Yorkshire
Outlet now renamed as The Lakeside Village, York Road, Wheatley Hall Road and a
few smaller ones scattered around. With the constant Council pressure to reduce
car usage in the town centre these outlets have become increasingly popular.
Tescos and B&Q now have huge superstores here.
For some people it is quicker and easier to go to Meadowhall in Sheffield than it is to try to find parking in Doncaster. Parking has proven to be an area of great dispute in town. A viable and popular multi-storey car park was removed to make way for the new St George’s bridge, affecting the market area of the town, though some extra spaces were added in other car parks in an attempt to alleviate this. Additionally, over the past ten years much of the north-centre area has been pedestrianised and parking reduced elsewhere. Many people argue that once parking facilities were reduced in the town centre the interesting shops left, leaving us with what we have now: street after street of estate agents, solicitors, pubs and fast-food eateries. Thus, if you want to get drunk, fat, divorced and sell your house then Doncaster is well served. There are few specialist shops left and fewer selling quality goods. Those requiring the latter travel to Sheffield or York. Parking restrictions mean disabled access to town centre and pedestrian precinct shops is questionable (i.e. almost impossible) without a companion. The expense in using the remaining parking facilities drives more people to use Meadowhall and its free parking. It does seem to many people that the Council is pig-headed in its Labour-oriented drive against cars. During the last round of local council elections, Labour lost overall control of the Council though now that it’s run by an elected mayor and his cadre Labour is in still less of a position to influence the way the town develops. One wonders if it will make any difference; certainly the Mayor, Martin Winter, seems unconcerned.
Leisure facilities are reasonable.
Warner Bros operate a large cinema complex, now called Vue. Next to it
are other popular venues/facilities. The Dome leisure complex offers a variety
of sports and other activities, and when the Lake development is finished other
outdoor activities not available before will be to hand.
There are several swimming pools scattered about the
Borough, all much used.
The local soccer team, Doncaster Rovers, relegated from
the Football League in 2000 as a result of what fans regard as malice by its
then owner has, over the last year, not only regained its league position but
moved through Division 2 into Division 1. Doncaster Dragons,
the rugby league team, perform well enough nationally. Doncaster Belles, the
women's soccer team is one of the best in the country. Local sportspeople take
part in a number of other activities very keenly. A new stadium is to be built
on the Lakeside site and will replace the ageing and not very pretty Belle View ground.
Since the new airport opened last
April half a million people have used it. There are teething problems, such as
flight delays. Currently 39 foreign destinations are offered, as varied as
Lapland and Portugal. Robin Hood Doncaster Sheffield International Airport
built on the ex-RAF Finningley airfield has been the cause of much controversy,
not least because of its stupid name but we wait to see what actual difference
it will make other than to annoy the people who have to live next to it.
