Minutes of Burngreave Area Panel 16 February 2006

BURNGREAVE AREA PANEL


Special Meeting held 16th February, 2006
at Pitsmoor Methodist Church, Christchurch Road

PRESENT:		Councillors Jackie Drayton (Chair), Ibrar Hussain and Steve Jones.

		Also in attendance:-

		Andy Shallice	-	Area Co-ordinator
		Marilyn King	-	Area Support Officer
		Tracy Allatt David Budd Tony Lawery	) ) )	Development Services
		Vernon Colleymore	-	Sheffield Futures
		Laura Bell	-	Sheffield Libraries
		David Shepherd	-	Lead Manager
		Craig Charlesworth Jon Ekwubiri	) )	South Yorkshire Police
		Andy Cain	-	Committee Secretariat

		There were approximately 10 local residents and representatives of local communities groups in attendance.

…………….

1.	APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE FROM MEMBERS OF THE PANEL
	No apologies for absence were received.

2.	BUS PRIORITY PROPOSALS FOR BURNGREAVE ROAD AND SPITAL HILL – THE CONSULTATION PROCESS
	David Budd, Tracey Allatt and Tony Lawery from Development Services gave a presentation regarding the North Sheffield Better Buses Project, which was a joint initiative being undertaken by the City Council, South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive and local bus operators for the purpose of improving bus facilities throughout north Sheffield.
	The Project aimed to provide a more accessible bus network, better passenger information, reduced journey times, increased reliability and improved bus stops and waiting facilities.
	Bus priority improvements had already been made at the Sheffield Lane Top junction and at over 45 bus stops along the route from Chapeltown to the City Centre. The next stage of the Project was to consider a set of proposals to implement further bus priority improvements along Burngreave Road and Spital Hill, in addition to improved facilities. These new proposals would mean better facilities for bus passengers, pedestrians and other road users and had been designed so that they complimented the Burngreave New Deal Transformational Project. A thorough consultation process was planned and local residents and traders in Burngreave would shortly receive a leaflet about the proposals. The leaflet would also be available in local shops and businesses. A drop-in session had been arranged at Burngreave Library on Tuesday, 14th March, 2006 between 2.00 p.m. and 7.00 p.m. and staff from the City Council and the Transport Executive would be in attendance to provide more information and answer questions. Further information was also available on the website www.citymatters.co.uk/spitalhill or by telephoning the Project team on 0845 303 0343. A report setting out details of the consultation and responses received would be produced at the conclusion of the consultation period.
	At this point in the meeting, members of the public in attendance were invited to view detailed maps of the proposals and raise individual issues with officers.
	When the meeting reconvened the Chair emphasised the need for an extensive consultation exercise to be undertaken with residents and stakeholders, given the road closures being proposed.
	The Panel thanked David Budd, Tracey Allatt and Tony Lawery and noted the information reported.

3.	MIXED COMMUNITIES – DESIGNATING BURNGREAVE AS A PILOT AREA
	The Lead Manager submitted a report which set out the joint approach of Burngreave New Deal for Communities and Sheffield City Council in developing a Mixed Community Project for Burngreave. The report considered the Government’s perspective, the local context and achievements so far and went on to identify areas where more could be done to ensure that the ideal of a mixed community was realised in Burngreave. The report also highlighted the need to develop a Mixed Community Prospectus for Burngreave in order to identify the key elements of the Project and how it would be delivered. The overall aim of the mixed communities initiative was to reduce poverty in the area.
	The report concluded that the Mixed Community Project for Burngreave would be welcomed by the City Council and Burngreave New Deal for Communities. The Project status would focus national attention on the existing regeneration effort in Burngreave and ensure that key partners worked collectively to transform the area. The Project would oversee the development of more than 400 new homes and radical improvements to the Spital Hill District Centre, with these key physical developments being supported by a range of initiatives for the existing and future communities. The City Council had a ready made monitoring system through use of the Sheffield Neighbourhood Information System. There were a number of ways in which Government could help the City to deliver a mixed community in Burngreave and the City Council and Burngreave New Deal for Communities were required to draw up a Prospectus for the Project for submission to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) and other key partners.
	Appended to the report was the ODPM’s Mixed Communities Prospectus, which set out the terms of engagement between the ODPM and demonstration projects. Also appended was a map which displayed the proposed boundary for the Project area and a summary of the Burngreave area statistics and its characteristics.
	David Shepherd responded to questions and comments and indicated that over 400 new homes would be built with a sizeable number being for sale on the open market whilst there would be a proportion of affordable homes, either rented or for sale. He believed that the majority of the new housing would be for families. Councillor Steve Jones highlighted the fact there were project groups established for the developments at Fir Vale and Woodside, which should ensure that there would be sufficient information available to ascertain what people really wanted and he envisaged that there would be a proportion of schemes available, including equity sharing, which would result in affordable housing.
	In response to a question regarding Woodside being a prime site David Shepherd acknowledged this issue and highlighted the economic need for the area to generate a good mix of housing tenure and attract new people and wealth to the area.
	He also highlighted the advantages of the mixed communities approach and referred to the freedoms and flexibilities that would be explored through the development of a Prospectus for Burngreave. This could include a better alignment of funding streams, the City Council and the Arms Length Management Organisation developing new homes for sale or rent, the delivery and funding of neighbourhood centres, restrictions on asylum seekers being rehoused via the NASS contract with the Home Office, a removal of stamp duty for house sales, increased flexibility on eligible service charges for housing benefit purposes and retaining and reinvesting business rates in the area. In response to a question, he indicated that it may not be possible to have influence over some other suggested freedoms and flexibilities, such as the reduction of bus fares or housing rents.
	The Panel thanked David Shepherd for his presentation and noted the report submitted and information provided.

4.	NEIGHBOURHOOD RENEWAL FUNDING PROPOSALS 2006-2008
	The Area Co-ordinator submitted a report which set out details of the Neighbourhood Renewal Funding (NRF) allocated to the City for the period 2006/2008 and the allocation which had been made to the Burngreave Area Panel for the same period. The report also contained Local Action Plan (LAP) proposals for utilising that funding, which amounted to £400,000 over the two-year period, in the Panel area.
	The report provided a timescale for agreeing the LAP, the context in which the LAP had been drawn up, proposed allocations for 2006-2008 and how the public, community organisations, voluntary organisations and other key stakeholders could comment on the proposals.
	The proposed allocations for 2006-2008 were made under the five themes of engaging people in and around the area, improving the streetscene, increasing activity and improving health, improving parks, woodlands, gardens and open spaces and reducing traffic and road accidents. Andy Shallice provided more details of the proposed activities within each of these theme allocations.
	The Area Co-ordinator also provided details of responses that had been received during the consultation to date. The Walter Rodney Housing Association had requested that consideration be given to holding an event for young people and their families regarding gun crime and an event for 14-16 year old children in danger of permanent exclusion. The Burngreave Sports Network submitted a request to employ a Sports Co-ordinator and Burngreave Library had asked what NRF mainstream proposals were being put forward by the Children and Young People’s Service to address the issue of the comparative lack of attainment of 5-7 year olds at local schools, given that the Panel had not targeted its NRF towards this outcome. The Parks, Woodlands and Countryside Service had suggested that support be given to black and minority ethnic voluntary groups to be involved in environmental initiatives. The Burngreave New Deal manager had also asked if NRF could be used to support projects which had previously been supported by New Deal.
	Laura Bell from Sheffield Libraries stated that her Service were highlighting concerns about the performance of 5-7 year olds and that they believed that funding needed to be targeted effectively to address this situation, whether that be from the Panel’s LAP allocation or by ensuring that the mainstream NRF allocation was targeted more effectively.
	Councillor Steve Jones believed that consideration should be given to incorporating the ideas raised, and as an example, suggested that the proposed event to tackle gun crime be given more consideration when specific LAP proposals were drawn up.
	Andy Shallice provided more details of the work that could be undertaken with regard to increasing the safety of children, particularly adjacent to schools in the area, which would hopefully increase the numbers of children walking to school and which would have a consequent effect of improving air quality with the decrease in car travel.
	The Panel agreed that the proposals set out in the report now submitted be approved subject to (a) consideration being given to the additional suggestions reported at the meeting when specific LAP proposals were drawn up and (b) work being undertaken, in conjunction with the Children and Young People’s Service, to look into the possibility of addressing the issue raised by Laura Bell regarding the performance of children in the 5-7 age group in the schools in the area.

5.	PUBLIC QUESTIONS AND PETITIONS
	A local resident referred to speeding traffic on Grimesthorpe Road and asked when the promised traffic-calming work was to be carried out, in view of the previous commitment made by the Panel and the significant increase in the level of traffic in that area.
	The Area Co-ordinator indicated that the Traffic and Road Safety Division had agreed to implement traffic calming measures approximately one year ago at a cost of £311,000. It was his understanding that whilst the scheme had not been originally approved as a priority scheme under the City Council’s process for determining such schemes, he now understood that the scheme had gained priority status. However, the scheme also relied on funding from Burngreave New Deal and he was aware that discussions were continuing to see how much the Burngreave New Deal Board were able to contribute.
	Councillor Ibrar Hussain acknowledged the concerns raised by local residents and reiterated his support for the scheme. He expressed exasperation that the scheme had been delayed, which he believed was due to Burngreave New Deal Board proposing that the scheme be more extensive than the scheme originally approved by the Transport Strategy Group. He understood that the City Council was willing to contribute £50,000 towards the traffic-calming measures on Grimesthorpe Road.
	Councillor Steve Jones believed that a further meeting was required at a senior level and suggested that the Lead Manager of the Panel and the New Deal Board met to work through the final proposals with a view to ensuring that the scheme was delivered in time for Summer 2006.
	The Panel (a) agreed that the concerns of local residents regarding the delay in the proposed traffic calming measures in the Grimesthorpe Road area be acknowledged and noted; and (b) requested the Lead Manager to facilitate further discussions at a senior level between the City Council and the New Deal Board with a view to resolving any outstanding issues.

6.	MINUTES OF LAST MEETING
	The minutes of the meeting held on 24th November, 2005 were approved as a correct record.

7.	DATE OF NEXT MEETING
	It was noted that the next Area Panel meeting would be held on Thursday, 23rd March, 2006 from 6.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m. in the Dining Room at the Firs Hill Community Primary School, Orphanage Road, Sheffield S3 9AN.

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