Issues, Actions & Plans

 

This page details the issues, actions, and plans for the Park Heeley Area Panel.  This section also sets out the Park Heeley Area Panel’s priorities for 2008-09.  These priorities are based on a range of information about the needs of the areas that has been used to develop previous plans, and also an ongoing assessment of local needs.  

 

A key part of the process was the delivery of major visioning events to identify general and local neighbourhood needs.

 

From this process 4 themed priorities have been identified:

 

 

At the bottom of the page you will find a downloadable copy of the panel’s area plan.

 

 

 

There are major investments taking place in school buildings and area-based initiatives to tackle under achievement and low aspirations of children and young people. The development of Sure Start Children Centre, and Extended Schools are addressing the gaps in early years and family support.

 

However, there is a need for better planned, co-ordinated, and joined-up neighbourhood services that address the gaps in universal provision for all age groups.  This issue has been addressed by service districts from September 2006.

 

 

Park Heeley Area Panel has used Neighbourhood Renewal Funding (NRF) to set up the Children, Young People & Families Activities Fund. This allows groups and agencies throughout the area to run schemes aimed at developing young people and providing opportunities for them to be engaged in positive activities.

 

Schemes have ranged from holiday play schemes to residential breaks. The funding aims to help people working at a grass roots level to deliver activities suitable for local young people. All service providers are encouraged to involve the young people throughout the planning and delivery of the scheme to allow their voices to be heard and to encourage them to take on responsibility.

 

In June 2008 the panel launched it's first Youth Strategy.  The purpose of the Youth Strategy is to provide a framework to support young people in a coordinated partnership approach that accounts for their needs, perceptions and desires.  At the bottom of the page you will find a downloadable copy of the Youth Strategy.

 

 

 

Poor visual image of some neighbourhoods, graffiti, fly tipping on-street parking, traffic hotspots, poor housing stock, the under developing of, and under investment of parks, woodlands and green spaces has created a feeling of abandonment and an unsafe environment in some neighbourhoods.

 

A variety of regeneration funding streams have been accessed over the past 10 years to enable the transformation of Arbourthorne & Norfolk Park.

 

 

April 2006 saw the first meeting of the Park Heeley Community Pride Forum. This has bought together different funding sources to address some of the practical needs our communities face and to put on events that increase a sense of community pride.

 

Last year for example the area panel was responsible for very popular Christmas lights at Northern Avenue and Heeley Green and for a Community Awards evening where local volunteers work was honoured.

 

The panel has also funded two young people to work as environmental stewards to help keep local shopping centres litter free and work on projects that tackle green space improvements. Heeley Development Trust manages the environment steward’s project for the panel.

 

The panel has also been a key partner in the development of Area Development Frameworks to ensure the neighbourhoods of Arbourthorne and Norfolk Park have access to major government funding that will transform the housing stock, shopping centres, street scene and green space. 

 

The panel has funded a community forester to manage and develop a community forestry project including tree planting and tree renewal, working in conjunction with the local community and partners from May 2007.

 

 

 

Addressing the negative perceptions of some neighbourhoods. Concerns about feeling unsafe and the need for a more preventative approach to tackling crime and anti social behaviour issues are high concerns for residents across the Panel area.

 

 

The panel recognise the importance that a sense of safety plays in people’s quality of life. It has been a key partner in bringing together agencies and local people to support the development of the safer neighbourhood partnerships initiatives for Safer Neighbourhood Areas.

 

The Area Action team works with other agencies to identify and address causes of crime and fear of crime. The panel has paid for a series of improvements on Northern Avenue such as improved lighting and new gates and bollards, which will reduce opportunities for anti-social behaviour and fly tipping. 

 

In January 2007 the panel formed a community safety partnership group (Heeley, Meersbrook & Lower Arbourthorne) to identify and tackle community safety issues and interventions.  A plan of action has been developed in relation to the priorities identified in the area. 

 

 

 

The key aspects of the People and Communities theme are:

 

 

 

At the heart of Area Action is the desire to hear people’s voices and allow them to be involved in local decision-making. Another new initiative is the Park Heeley Older People’s Forum, which will seek to be a way for local older people to influence the way local services are run.

 

 

 

Each Area Panel produces a 1 Year Area Plan that sets out the priorities for the panel and its objectives for the next year.  The Area Co-ordinator and Members set panel priorities through consultation with members of the public and other partners.  The latest plan for Park and Heeley Panel can be downloaded from the bottom of this page. Contact the Area Action administration team on 0114 273 6849 if you would like to receive a paper copy of the current plan.

 

Many of these issues are addressed at public panel meetings, follow this link for details of future meetings

 

The area action team can be contacted on 0114 2736929 or by emailing parkheeleyareapanel@sheffield.gov.uk

 

This link returns you to the Park Heeley Area Action home page