Notes of Area Panel Roadshow 12 June 2007

BROOMHILL, CENTRAL AND NETHER EDGE AREA PANEL

 

Roadshow held 12th June, 2007, at the Winter Gardens, Surrey Street

 

PRESENT:    Councillors Ali Qadar (Chair), Jillian Creasy, Colin France, Bernard Little and Janice Sidebottom.

Representatives of Panel Partners:-

Philip Ives-Owen             -        Sheffield Futures

Vicky Ward   - Turning Point

Victoria Johnson        -     Whizz Go

Marie May     -        Sheffield Hallam University

Chris Craft)

Darren Higgins)

James Savoury)        -             South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service

                                                                     

City Council Officers:-

Stella Mekonnen     -        Area Co-ordinator

Bakhtiar Rashid           -   Area Action Officer

Ben Benest)

Yunus Ahmed)         - Development Services

                                                                     

Richard Eyre -    City Centre Manager

Angela Kirkpatrick    -  Neighbourhood Renewal and Partnership Service

                                                                     

Also in attendance:-

Councillor Andrew Sangar          -   Member for the Fulwood Ward

                                                                     

    There were approximately 50 local residents and representatives of local community groups in attendance.

                     

……….

                     

1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE FROM MEMBERS OF THE PANEL

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Jean Cromar, Shaffaq Mohammed, Paul Scriven and Pat White.

                     

2.    PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROADSHOW

  This was the first of three planned Area Panel Roadshows to be held during the 2007/08 Municipal Year, within the different neighbourhoods of the Panel's area to give local residents the opportunity to discuss issues of local interest with Area Panel Link Officers and representatives of the Panel's partners.

      The event comprised a number of display boards and stands, staffed by the Link Officers and representatives of the Panel's partners, and provided an opportunity for local residents to engage with them and discuss issues of interest within the City Centre area.

                     

Sheffield Hallam University

     Marie May indicated that in addition to the regular attendees at Area Panel meetings and events, there were a number of new faces.  She considered the venue to be excellent and requested that small businesses and retailers should be asked to attend future Roadshows.

She received a number of queries from visitors to her stand, relating to:-

                     

·  Progress of actions connected with reducing To Let signage in student housing areas.

·       Courses available for those working in the community in the voluntary sector.

·    Update on activities to reduce waste and problems with bins in student areas.

·The Landlords for Excellence Programme.

·      Facilities available to the public at the Students Union and other University venues.

·        The new Continuing Professional Development building proposed at the Collegiate campus.

·  The closure of the Psalter Lane campus and the University's estate strategy generally.

·    The supply and demand of the new Halls of Residence being developed and built in Sheffield.

·  What action could be taken in connection with students and student behaviour in "non-purpose built student flats" such as West One and West Point.

                     

Development Services

Forward and Area Planning

Ben Benest, the Area Planning Officer, talked to a number of visitors to the Roadshow, explaining the new planning policies and proposals in connection with the Sheffield Development Framework, which were now out to public consultation.  He distributed over 50 newsletters on the Sheffield Development Framework.

                     

City Development Division

             Yunus Ahmed, City Centre Team Manager, received a number of comments from visitors, as follows:-

                     

·     Problems with noise from clubs and bars at West Point, West Street, particularly after the relaxation of the licensing laws.

·        Need to make efforts to get a more balanced residential community in the City Centre, as opposed to single, student type only.

·     Residents were very supportive of the regeneration in the City Centre, especially the quality of the Public Realm.

·Need more high quality shops.

·Residents supported the Devonshire Green scheme.

·   Support for proposals for the Wicker area, particularly the reduction of traffic following the completion of the ring road, and also, the general improvements to the area and the making of stronger links to the City Centre.

· Support for the new market on The Moor.

                     

Sheffield 50+

Jane Tanser, who represented Sheffield 50 Plus, indicated that there were several familiar faces at the event, together with a number of members of Sheffield 50+, who had received information on the event.  She considered the event an excellent opportunity to network with other organisations and for meeting the Area Panel Members. Overall, Ms. Tanser considered the event to be very productive and would welcome the opportunity to attend future events at the same or alternative central location.

                     

Safer Neighbourhood Team

           Angela Kirkpatrick, representing the Safer Neighbourhood Team, talked to a number of visitors to the event, passing on various information/literature relating to crime reduction.  She indicated that although the event had not been particularly well attended, she would like to see and be involved in similar events in the City Centre in the future.

                     

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service

  Fire Service Officers found the event very useful and talked to a number of visitors, distributing information/literature on fire safety issues.  They collected a number of smoke alarm fitting referrals. They found the opportunity of talking to representatives of other agencies at the event very useful.

                     

Sheffield Futures

     Phillip Ives-Owen, whilst welcoming the opportunity to take part in the Roadshow, was disappointed at the lack of young people in attendance.  He spoke to a number of students and handed out information.  He found it useful talking to the Councillors present, and was able to advertise Sheffield Futures’ Summer programme of activities.       He did not feel that there was as much interaction between the representatives of the different agencies as at previous Roadshows.  One reason for this could have been due to the fact that the stands were widely spaced apart.  He welcomed the fact that the Roadshows were held in different neighbourhoods in the Panel’s area.

                     

Comment Sheets

              Local residents were also given the opportunity of completing a comment sheet, providing their views on any issues in the City Centre area, including any questions they had, how they found out about the Roadshow, what could the Council do to make the City Centre an even better place to live, were there any organisations not represented that they would have liked to have been at the event and whether they found the event useful, and the following responses were noted:-

                     

Questions and Comments

·     The event was well presented and informative.  All the  Council officers and representatives of the Panel's partners were most helpful.

                     

· An excellent event.  Could a Bring Out Your Rubbish Day be arranged for the Sharrow Vale area?

                     

· Would like to have seen more Council Officers/ representatives of Panel partners at the Roadshow who could answer questions.

                     

·       If it is the case that the City Council is not threatening to withhold club licences for fly posting because to date, no licences had been due for renewal, why is the Council not telling any club or public house that if they are found guilty of fly posting from now on, it will be borne in mind when the licence becomes due for renewal?

                     

· Could the River Don, near Ladys' Bridge, be cleaned?

                     

How Did You Find Out About This Roadshow

Attendees at the event indicated that they had found out about the Roadshow through a newsletter delivered by post, through the Area Panel and through The Star newspaper.

                     

   What Could the Council Do to Make the City Centre an Even Better Place to Live?

                     

·        The City Centre seems to be going from strength to strength, but to the detriment of the suburbs, where the lack of adequate street cleaning and Wardens to observe the dropping of litter, and the constant spread of graffiti is having an adverse effect on what were once attractive areas to live in.

                     

·     There is a need for more communal open spaces such as the Peace Gardens.

                     

· The River Don, near Ladys' Bridge, requires cleaning.

                     

    Was There Any Organisation Not Represented That You Would Have Liked to Have Been at the Event?

The responses indicated that the visitors to the event were happy with the organisations represented.

                     

Did You Find the Format of the Event Useful?

      All visitors who completed the comment sheets indicated that they found the format of the event useful.