Minutes of North Area Panel 18 April 2007


NORTH AREA PANEL

Meeting held 18th April, 2007, at Deepcar Village Hall, Helliwell Lane

PRESENT:		Councillors Trevor Bagshaw (Chair), Martin Brelsford and Martin Davis.

		Representatives of Panel Partners:-
		Joanne Holt	-	Sheffield Futures
		Don Morton	-	Stockbridge Leisure Centre
		Janet Thompson	-	Sheffield Homes
		Ruth Wadsworth	-	Sheffield Homes
		Keith Naylor	-	South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue
		Graham Silverwood	-	Stocksbridge Futures
		Tony Crellin	-	Stocksbridge Futures
		Elise Gilwhite	-	Sheffield Primary Care Trust
		Mary Kaye	-	Stocksbridge Town Council

		City Council Officers:-
		John Charlton	-	Lead Manager/Director of Street Force
		Anne Blantern	-	Area Co-ordinator
		Matthew Rush	-	Area Action Officer
		Mark Hible	-	Activity Sheffield

		Approximately 34 members of the public and representatives of Panel Partners attended the meeting.

………………..

					Action
1.	APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE FROM MEMBERS OF THE PANEL
	Apologies for absence were received from Councillors David Baker, Alison Brelsford, Kathleen Chadwick, Patricia Fox, Alan Hooper, Graham Oxley and Vickie Priestley.

2.	PUBLIC QUESTIONS AND PETITIONS
	There were no petitions received by the Panel.
	A number of members of the public asked questions in relation to the status of Hollin Busk and whether the site was to be designated as green belt or open space within the proposals for the Sheffield Development Framework. Responding to this request, Councillor Trevor Bagshaw (Chair) referred to the special meeting of the Panel held on 20th March, 2007, to discuss additional options in relation to Hollin Busk. The minutes of the meeting had been placed in Stocksbridge Library and at the Town Council offices. Councillor David Baker had been requested by Stocksbridge Town Council to represent the case for the site being designated green belt at a meeting of the Council's Planning Policy Advisory Group. The next consultation element of the proposed Development Framework would commence in June and it was proposed that three special meetings of the Area Panel would be arranged to facilitate public consultation.
	Councillor Martin Davis stated that Stocksbridge Town Council had made representations to the City Council on the basis that Hollin Busk should be designated green belt because of exceptional circumstances to protect the site from development.

3.	OPTIONS FOR STOCKSBRIDGE LEISURE CENTRE
	Don Morton, Manager of Stocksbridge Leisure Centre, outlined options for the future development of the Leisure Centre. The structure of the building was in need of extensive work in terms of updating the fabric of the building and maintenance and to ensure that the Leisure Centre was compliant with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act in terms of access for disabled people. There was now recognition by Senior Management in the City Council and political acknowledgement that action was required. The Council had made a commitment in relation to the Leisure Centre following a recent meeting with Angela Smith MP, Martin Davis and Stocksbridge Futures, as follows:-

	“The City Council is committed to securing the future of SLC and regards it as a valuable community asset. The centre has recently moved to new management within the City Council and there is renewed commitment to improve and where possible invest in the centre. The Council is of the view that there should be a period of improvement and investment in the centre for the next 2 years steered by the City Council. During this period, parallel work will take place to explore options for alternative management of the centre. This work will seek to identify the potential benefits of alternative management over and above those offered by the centre remaining in Council management. If the review clearly shows added value from an alternative management model then the City Council will be minded to further explore this with a view that this may be implemented beyond 2008.” The Council would conduct the review of alternative management options and examine the experience of similar 'outsourced' management of sports/swim facilities in the City, and hoped to have some early conclusions by late summer.
	Options for future management of the Leisure Centre were:-

	1. To close the existing building and relocate the Leisure Centre to an alternative site.

	2. To explore potential private investment opportunities, which might offer a number of management models.

	3. To consider management by a Community Trust to retain the building in community ownership.

	Members of the Panel and members of the public asked questions and commented upon the future of the Leisure Centre and responses were given by Don Morton and Members of the Panel as follows:-

	· The City Council had committed to two further years of investment in the Leisure Centre.

	· A further meeting in relation to the future of the Centre would take place in early June, 2007.

	· Concern was expressed that, if a private fitness provider was contracted to manage and operate the Centre, it was likely that facilities would become more expensive for local people to use.

	· Other facilities in the City were not directly managed by the City Council but were managed through Sheffield International Venues. The City Council were not in a position to be able to input the amount of capital funding required to make the improvements necessary to the building. It was estimated that the improvements required would amount to between £500,000 to £1m.

	· Reference was made to the significant input from the Community Health Forum and use of the facility for activities supported by the Health Service. It was considered that the Leisure Centre provided quality services and a diverse range of provision.

	· A member of the public referred to previous discussions in relation to the establishment of a Trust and the input of financial resources by the Council.

	· Councillor Martin Brelsford stated that it would not be acceptable to put in place arrangements, which because of increased prices might prohibit public access to the facility.

	· It was intended that the public would be informed and consulted upon options for the future of the Leisure Centre. ‘Look Local’ would be used to report back to the local community on developments in relation to the Leisure Centre.

	· Reference was made to some discussion of the use of Oxley Park for housing development and the resultant resources from planning gain being used to fund a new Leisure Centre, which was felt not to be acceptable.

	The Panel (a) noted the information now reported and requested that the statement of the City Council in relation to the Leisure Centre be included in the record of this meeting; and (b) that the matter be considered at the next scheduled meeting of the Panel that is held in Stocksbridge or Deepcar, or at an earlier meeting, if there is progress to report.				Don Morton and Anne Blantern

4.	STOCKSBRIDGE FUTURES PARTNERSHIP: EUROPEAN PROGRAMME
	Tony Crellin, Stocksbridge Futures Partnership, made a presentation to the Panel concerning Projects, which formed part of the work of the Stocksbridge Futures Partnership. Also in attendance was the Chair of the Partnership, Graham Silverwood. A newsletter was circulated to Members of the Panel and the public, outlining the Projects.
	Tony Crellin stated that, although Objective 1 resources were primarily economically focused, wherever possible the Partnership had attempted to gain maximum community benefit from the use of the resources. A total of £4m had been made available for Projects in Stocksbridge.

	Children’s Centre
	The Children’s Centre, proposed on the site of Stocksbridge Nursery and Infant School would accommodate the Early Steps Nursery to provide childcare and nursery education and deliver support for children and families, focused upon the 0 to 5 age range.

	Enterprise Development Programme
	Stocksbridge Futures offered support, through the Stocksbridge Enterprise Development Programme (SEDP), to existing businesses and those that were starting up. It was proposed to build on the disused bank between Manchester Road and the existing Victory Club to develop a mixed use site of offices and workshops (known as Fox Offices) to meet local need for more space for small and medium sized businesses and to complement the adjacent redevelopment of the Victory Club.

	Stocksbridge Town Hall
	The Town Hall did not meet the requirements of its users and was not suitable for access to disabled people and a scheme had emerged whereby the Town Hall would be regenerated to address these difficulties. The new Area Regeneration Centre (the ARC) would offer a permanent home to community organisations, access to the Town Council and serve as a community information point.

	The Victory Club
	The Project, including the refurbishment of the Victory Club, was being delivered by the STEP Development Trust and it was planned that the new centre would open in October, 2007, and would include facilities for the whole community.
	Members of the public, the Panel and representatives of Community Partners commented upon the presentation and responses were made as follows:-

	· Comment was made that the Children’s Centre was to be sited at an inappropriate location on the grounds of traffic congestion and the questioner requested sight of the documents relating to the planning application for the Childrens Centre. Councillor Martin Brelsford responded that he would request the full planning application file be made available to Stocksbridge Town Council, so that members of the public could read the information by visiting the Town Council Offices.				Councillor Martin Brelsford

	· A member of the public asked whether resources could be found to improve the Clock Tower Gardens which were experiencing significant drainage problems and which the City Council was struggling to maintain. It was established that the Gardens were on the priority list produced by the Panel and Parks and Countryside and that the Town Council also funded the upkeep of the Gardens. Difficulty lay in the Gardens’ designation as a Memorial Garden, which limited the funding methods, which could be used to improve the site. The questioner referred to extensive planting of the gardens as part of the In Bloom Initiative and expressed disappointment that poor drainage was leading to plants dying prematurely, requesting that investment be made in the Gardens to prevent further deterioration. Graham Silverwood, Chair of the Stocksbridge Futures Partnership, stated that the Partnership could investigate the potential of funding drainage works to the Gardens.				Tony Crellin and Graham Silverwood

	· In response to a question concerning the proposed Development Trust, the Panel were informed that such a development was in the early stages and Objective 1 funding ended in 2008. Both the City Council and the Regional Development Agency had expressed a preference in that they would rather deal with one organisation than a multitude; and local groups in the Stocksbridge area had been invited to consider the establishment of a single organisation to represent regeneration aspirations and activity in the Valley.

	· Councillor Martin Brelsford praised the work of the Stocksbridge Futures Partnership particularly as the Partnership Board and others in the Partnership were volunteers, in the work they had done to improve Stocksbridge.

	· In response to a question concerning whether the Partnership would have a role in the improvement and development of the shopping area in Stocksbridge, Graham Silverwood stated that there were a series of complex relationships in relation to ownership of the shopping area. The owners had indicated that they would not invest further in the shopping area, although they might consider investment if Stocksbridge Pride were to be given the go ahead.

	The Panel noted the information now reported together with the comments made and responses to questions from members of the public.

5.	ACTIVITY SHEFFIELD
	Mark Hible, Activity Sheffield, made a presentation to the Panel in relation to the work of Activity Sheffield in the North area.
	Activities had taken place for infant schools and for primary aged children activities had been arranged including cricket, athletics and basketball and links established to local sports clubs such as Stocksbridge Cricket Club. For teenagers, sessions had been held with open access and free of charge in parks, open spaces, community buildings and using school facilities and in the Leisure Centre which had been supportive in terms of providing staffing and subsidising the cost of facilities higher. Activities had also been arranged for older people in venues such as Grenoside Church and in residential and sheltered housing.
	Training and volunteer activity included sports leadership courses, coaching and other programmes such as strength and balance, Moving More Often and the health walk leader course. Other links had been made to the Health Services in the City. Consultation and the views of both older people and younger people informed the type of activity and approach taken by Activity Sheffield.
	In response to a question from a member of the public concerning the provision of first aid training, Mark Hible confirmed that this had been organised in the past and could be done again if there was demand. Further information was also available in relation to physical activities and the work of Activity Sheffield on the Council's website and in leaflets.


6.	AREA CO-ORDINATOR’S REPORT
	The Area Co-ordinator, Anne Blantern, reported in relation to a number of issues concerning the North area.

	Community Safety
	Forums had been meeting in High Green and Ecclesfield and had developed Action Plans to reduce anti-social behaviour and promote partnerships. A Forum was also meeting in Stocksbridge and would develop an Action Plan to address issues of concern. A Neighbourhood Action Group (NAG) had been created for Stocksbridge and the rural area.

	Action Plan 2007/08
	Work was under way to develop the Panel's Action Plan, following the consultation event held in February, 2007. A detailed report concerning the development of the North Area Action Plan was circulated at the meeting.

	Sheffield Development Framework
	Consultation in relation to the Sheffield Development Framework would commence on 8th June, 2007, for a period of six weeks and the Panel was to host three joint public meetings with Parish Councils during the period.

	Rural Villages Forum
	The Forum was working with the Yorkshire Rural Community Council and OFFER to develop a Constitution and discussions had been held with Parish Councils. The next meeting will be held on 23rd April, 2007, in Bradfield Village Hall.

	Youth Work
	Youth work activity was now being delivered in Wharncliffe Side, Bradfield and Stannington and outreach work was taking place in Oughtibridge.

	Ewden Valley
	It was proposed that a meeting be held in May, 2007, and contact had been made with Partners with an interest in the Ewden Valley.

	Renewable Energy Actions for Sheffield
	An additional meeting of the Area Panel had been arranged for 25th April, 2007, at Chapeltown Methodist Church, Nether Ley Avenue, to consider renewable energy options.

	Charlton Brook
	The outcome of consultation in relation to Charlton Brook was to be released shortly and work would then take place including the Panel and Parks and Countryside to develop an Action Plan to progress work on site. The Area Panel had expressed concern in relation to the lack of comments from young people as part of the consultation.

	Ecclesfield Village Plan
	Ecclesfield Parish Council had approved the Plan and the final version of the plan would be distributed to residents. The Panel had ensured that some funding was available to progress some of the actions in the plan.

	Wortley Road
	A report had been received from the Council's Transport Planning Officer in relation to Wortley Road. A petition had been received by the Wortley Road Action Group, which had resulted in a report to the Council's Planning and Highways Area Board in January, 2007, where that Board had agreed to develop and consult on a comprehensive proposal for the road considering safety around the school entrance as well as bus services.
	It was agreed by the Council to provide the Wortley Road Action Group with copies of the base plan for the area so that Group might produce a proposal. The proposal was submitted by the Action Group at the end of March, 2007. The proposals would be reviewed by Council Officers as part of the development of a preliminary design and the design would be subject to thorough consultation. At the same time, the Traffic Regulations required to support the proposal would be advertised towards the end of May, 2007.

	Small Highway Schemes
	In 2006/07 the Area Panel spent its allocation of £10,000 on small highway schemes and had been recommended as a model of good practise for other Area Panels. Work was under way to prioritise schemes for the coming year and Members were requested to submit proposals for work under the Small Highways Scheme.

7.	PARISH COUNCIL MATTERS
	Councillor Martin Brelsford referred on behalf of Stocksbridge Town Council to proposed options under consideration for changes in relation to the catchment area for Bradfield School. There was concern that this would cause displacement of pupils to Stocksbridge School, particularly as in future years there were not likely to be available spaces at Stocksbridge School.

8.	MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS
	The minutes of the meeting held on 14th March and the Special Meeting held on 20th March, 2007, were agreed as a true record, subject to the addition, in relation to the minutes of 20th March, 2007, at page 4 of the words "and able" so that the relevant sentence read "Councillor Martin Brelsford stated that it should be accepted that the Hollin Busk site should originally have been designated green belt and that the City Council should be willing and able to defend challenges to the green belt from developers arising from such a designation".
	Arising from the minutes of the meeting held on 14th March, 2007, John Charlton reported in relation to the request for double yellow lines around road humps on Main Street, Grenoside and stated that the proposal had been submitted for assessment using the Council's criteria and that a contribution by the Area Panel towards this work might be considered. The Chair, Councillor Trevor Bagshaw stated that the member of the public who raised this issue should be informed of progress.

9.	DATE OF NEXT MEETING
	The next scheduled meeting of the Panel would take place on Wednesday, 23rd May, 2007, at 6.30 p.m. at Bradfield School, Kirk Edge Road and a Special Meeting of the Panel would be held on Wednesday,