Minutes of Area Panel 6 March 2008

 

 

Present:    Councillors Ali Qadar (Chair), Jillian Creasy, Jean Cromar, Colin France, Bernard Little, Shaffaq Mohammed and Janice Sidebottom.

                     

Representatives of Panel Partners

Peter Thompson - Creative Sheffield

Marie May - Sheffield Hallam University

Jonathan Lowe - Sheffield Homes

Louise Ashcroft  -  Sheffield Homes

 

Brenda Molnar       )

Hilary Taylor-Firth  ) Sheffield 50+

Jane Tanser           )

                                                                     

City Council Officers

Eddie Sherwood - Lead Manager

Stella Mekonnen - Area Co-ordinator

Lucy Moffatt - Area Action Officer

Yunus Ahmed - Development Services

Beth Barker  -  Organisational Development and Communications

John Turner - Committee Secretariat

                                                                     

Councillor Alan Whitehouse - Broomhill Ward

                                                                     

    There were approximately 40 local residents and representatives from local community groups in attendance.

……………….

                                   Action

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Paul Scriven and Pat White.          

                                             

Yunus Ahmed and Peter Thompson gave a presentation on the review of the City Centre Masterplan, following its introduction in 2000, and which comprised three main elements - the Economic Masterplan, the original Masterplan and the Sheffield Development Framework (SDF).  Mr. Thompson referred to the City's economic position and reported on the objectives set out in the Economic Masterplan, which included increasing the Gross Value Added per capita by over £1b, creating 30,000 net additional jobs, bringing 16,000 more residents into jobs and increasing average income by £2,500.        

Yunus Ahmed reported that the City Centre was the key driver of the regional economy and that as part of the review of the Masterplan, the aim was to update the 2000 vision and strategy and take the City's economy from recovery to transformation and improve all aspects of the City Centre, including retail, culture/entertainment, housing, education and office space.  He referred to the major projects in the City Centre, as well as a number of planned developments, mainly new business districts on or around The Moor and at Riverside, together with other part-completed or planned developments at Tudor Square, Castlegate/Victoria Quays, Devonshire Green and Park Hill and Sheaf Valley Park.  He also referred to planned improvements to public transport, pedestrian/cycle routes and vehicle access and parking in and around the City Centre area, as well as referring to the major role played by key partners, including the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University.  Mr. Ahmed concluded by  indicating that extensive consultation on the Masterplan had already taken place since 2006, when the current plan had been commissioned.  Additional, and final consultations would be held, as part of the review, until the end of April, 2008.           

  Members of the public raised questions and made comments, and the following responses were provided:-   

                                             

·            Whilst everyone would want more green space within the City Centre, it was difficult to create further large open spaces as it was very expensive to do so.  There were plans for a linear park on Nursery Street.         

·    One of the main objectives of the Masterplan was to increase the average earnings of the City's population and one of the ways of doing this was to increase the number of jobs in the growth industries. The aim was to attract more of the companies in the higher growth sectors to the City, who would be able to rent premium rate offices and pay higher wages.  The aim was to achieve a better balance between the traditional lower paying and the newer growth sector businesses.  This would increase the prosperity of the City’s population.  It was not, however, envisaged that all the lower paying jobs would be displaced by this process.

·    The earlier consultations had included advertisements in the local press and consultation workshops, including sessions at the City’s two Universities.  The City Centre Masterplan had been drafted based on the results of this consultation.  A key priority of the Masterplan was to link the regeneration of the City Centre to the neighbourhoods just outside the ring road, which forms the boundary.  This would include the Sheffield General Cemetery, along with many of the immediately adjacent residential areas.          

·    The site of the Markets Buildings at Castlegate would not be a suitable site for a Park and Ride Scheme on the basis that a decision had yet to be made on the future of the site following the discovery of remains of a medieval castle after archaeological works.  It was also considered that the site was too close to the City Centre for such a scheme.      

· As part of the Masterplan, several new multi-storey car park spaces would be made available, including a new 650 space multi-storey car park on The Moor and a further multi-storey car park to be constructed as part of the Sevenstone (Retail Quarter development).  This would provide sufficient car parking for shoppers to drive into the City Centre to do their shopping, but policies were aimed at discouraging commuter parking.  The new car parks will be constructed to new design standards, meaning that there will be more spaces for the disabled and would be safer, with additional lighting and CCTV.         

·        The City Council was aware of the problems of queuing and congestion in the area adjacent to the railway station and was looking at measures to address this as part of the redevelopment of the adjacent former Sheaf/Dyson House (Digital Campus Ph 3).                

·   There were plans for a regeneration scheme at the Porter Brook (near Shoreham Street), which would offer opportunities to create walkways along the river, but these plans were at an initial conception stage.          

                                             

       The Area Panel (a) noted the information now reported, together with the responses provided; and                     

    (b) thanked Peter Thompson and Yunus Ahmed for the presentation now made and for responding to the questions and comments.  

                                             

  Beth Barker reported on the Your Council, Your Say consultation event on 8th and 10th March, 2008.  The event, which was focusing on the Cleaner, Greener, Safer element of the Council's priorities, encouraged members of the public to either visit the marquee outside the Town Hall and speak to officers and Councillors and/or complete a form, providing their views.  The results of the consultation would help the Council to identify particular problem areas.          

The Area Panel noted this information. 

                                             

        The Lord Mayor (Councillor Arthur Dunworth) attended the meeting to grant awards to the following people, as part of the Area Panel’s New Years Honours, in recognition of their hard work and contribution to the local community during the past year:-   

                                             

· Chris Venables - Chair of Nether Edge Neighbourhood Group.    

                                             

· Richard Ward - Previous Chair of Nether Edge Neighbourhood Group.    

                                             

· Basheer Khan - Previous Chair of Sheffield Council for Race Equality.      

                                             

· Shaukat Ali - Chair of a local Youth Group and involved in Sheffield Racial Equalities Council.       

                                             

· Raja Jameel - Secretary of the Islamic Mission and Kashmere Youth Organisation.

                                             

· Beryl Gillot – Long-standing volunteer for Broomhall Lunch Club. 

                                             

· Poly Blacker - Broomhall Environment Group and Broomhall Homework Club.            

                                             

· Tony Cornah - Broomhall Environment Group and Broomhall Homework Club.            

                                             

·  Waheed Aktar - Pakistan Community Forum.         

                                             

·  Brian Holmshaw - Volunteer for Sheffield General Cemetery.   

                                             

The following people received awards, together with a grant of £100 for their respective organisations:-                   

                                             

· Hilary Taylor-Firth - Chair of Sheffield 50+.                     

                                             

·         Maggie O'Neill - Broomhall Lunch Club volunteer, Governor at Lowfields School and LETTS Management Committee. 

                                             

· Mohammed Rafique - Executive Committee Member for Sheffield Racial Equalities Council and previous Chair of Pakistan Muslim Centre.        

                                             

·            Tanya Schmoller - Many years of dedication to the improvements and conservation of Sheffield General Cemetery.   

                                             

·       Mubarak Hussan - Outstanding contribution to youth work in Broomhall and Sharrow.

                                             

      Resolved: That the thanks and congratulations of the Area Panel be conveyed to all the recipients of awards as part of the New Years Honours 2008, for the valuable work undertaken by them in the Panel's area during the past year.    

                                             

       The Area Panel received a paper containing an update on the Tree Audit of the area's urban forest.  The paper indicated that the audit, which had covered the whole City, was nearing completion and it was hoped that a detailed presentation on the results of the audit in this area would be made at the Area Panel meeting to be held in May, 2008.           

The Area Panel noted the contents of the paper now circulated.   

                                             

  The minutes of the meeting of the Area Panel held on 10th January, 2008, were approved as a correct record.         

                                             

A member of the public questioned whether the petition submitted to the Council in 2007, raising objections to the application for planning permission for the erection of a telecommunications mast at the junction of Union Road and Osborne Road, an application that had subsequently withdrawn, could be considered as part of the planning process, for the revised application, which was shortly to be submitted to, and considered by the Council.       

       The Area Panel requested the Secretary to contact the relevant Case Officer in Development Services, asking for the petition to be considered as part of the revised application, and to respond to the member of the public.     Secretary

                                             

       The Area Panel received and noted the Rolling Action Checklist from meetings held up to 10th January, 2008.                                   

                                             

It was reported that Councillor Jean Cromar, who had been a Member of the City Council for 21 years, and a Member of this Area Panel since its inception, was attending her last meeting of the Panel.    

Resolved: The Area Panel places on record its thanks and appreciation for the valuable work undertaken by Councillor Jean Cromar during the period as a Member of the Panel.    

                                             

It was noted that the next Area Panel would be held on Thursday, 15th May, 2008, from 7.00 p.m. to 9.00 p.m. at St. Mark's Church, St. Mark's Crescent.