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Minutes of Owlerton/Southey Green Area Panel 22 May 2007
OWLERTON/SOUTHEY GREEN AREA PANEL
Notes of an inquorate meeting held on 22nd May, 2007, at Holgate Meadows Community School
PRESENT:Councillor Leigh Bramall - Sheffield City Council
Neil Soloman - Development Services
Alison Rayner - Neighbourhoods and Community Care Directorate
Jenny Harvey - Neighbourhoods and Community Care Directorate
Shamim Hasan - Libraries, Archives and Information
Chris Spafford - Street Force
Dawn Young - Activity Sheffield
Chris Love - Healthy Cross
Richard Wildgoose - Southey/Owlerton Regeneration
John Crowther - Sheffield 50+
Andy Wier - Joint Area Co-ordinator
Stuart Bolton - Joint Area Co-ordinator
Matthew Rush - Area Support Officer
Harry Clarke - Committee Secretariat
……………..
On the basis that there was only one Member present, the meeting was declared inquorate.
1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Gill Furniss, Vic Bowden and Chris Weldon.
2. APPOINTMENT OF CHAIR
In the absence of the Chair, Councillor Gill Furniss, Councillor Leigh Bramall chaired the meeting.
3. SOUTHEY/OWLERTON ACCESSIBILITY STRATEGY
Neil Soloman, Road Safety and Transport Planning Officer, circulated a copy of the Southey/Owlerton Accessibility Strategy, together with an Executive Summary, and explained that the Strategy reflected the concerns of local people, which had been brought out through public consultation. He indicated that the Strategy provided 23 action points, which related to local problems on four themes which were access to employment, education, leisure and open spaces and health care. These points were listed in the circulated executive summary. As a result of working with local people and the Southey/Owlerton Area Regeneration (SOAR) Board, a priority had been identified for a pedestrian crossing facility across Herries Road at Scraith Wood Drive and the initial estimate for this work was £100,000. Cabinet approval had been given for approximately this sum of money, as this was considered to be a top priority in the area. The design was progressed and a more detailed estimate for this scheme came to £200,000 and, when the SOAR Board had been informed of this, it had given a clear indication for other forms of funding to be identified in order that the crossing could be put in place.
Neil Soloman directed the meeting to the Strategy document and Executive Summary and asked for any feedback to be communicated to him within the next two weeks. In conclusion, he stated that, when the funding issues had been resolved and the design had progressed, he would come back to a future Area Panel meeting to provide details of the scheme proposals.
In response to a question, Stuart Bolton stated that the Crosslink Steering Group had not met for a while, but he would provide the meeting with feedback when it did eventually meet.
In response to a further question, Neil Soloman indicated that he would bear in mind the inclusion of libraries in the Strategy. Councillor Leigh Bramall highlighted the reliance which the Skate Park had on the proposed crossing and encouraged people to let Neil Soloman have their comments on the Strategy.
The meeting approved the circulated Southey Owlerton Accessibility Strategy, subject to ratification at the next quorate Area Panel meeting.
4. LIVEABILITY UPDATE
Alison Rayner gave a presentation, which she illustrated with a series of slides, on the Liveability Project which was taking place in the area. She explained that Liveability was a National Programme, created in 2004 by what was then the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Its purpose was to create places where people wanted to live and work and it provided both capital funding, to transform or create new public spaces, and revenue funding to improve service delivery, by piloting new ways to manage and maintain public spaces. Capital funding of £3m and revenue funding of £400,000 had been provided.
Alison Rayner informed the meeting that the Southey/Owlerton area had been chosen for this project because it covered one tenth of the City and was a garden City estate, with extensive views and large areas of park land and naturalistic spaces. The project was being developed within the five neighbourhoods of Parson Cross, Fox Hill, Southey Green, Longley and Shirecliffe. She highlighted the position in 2004, in terms of unrealised potential, unmodernised streetscape and an outdated model of working. Progress in trying to transform areas was then illustrated by using before and after slides of various locations which had been improved and she explained that matched funding had been used to supplement the finance provided. It was hoped that these improvements would encourage the community to look after these areas and lead to a reduction in vandalism. Alison Rayner also provided the meeting with a revised model of working in the area, which consisted of a Liveability Theme Group, which was an area-wide customer group which would link to the Area Panel, and an Operational Management Team which dealt with the provision of services.
Alison Rayner outlined other work which had been undertaken as follows:-
· The area had been mapped out to indicate who was responsible for which areas of land.
· The area had been monitored to work out where resources should be directed.
· The work of the various service providers had been co-ordinated so that each dealt with litter in a specific area.
In relation to working with the Area Panel, Alison Rayner stated that Neighbourhood Renewal Funding had been used to fund:-
(a) Safety Wardens to patrol parks and Neighbourhood Centres.
(b) The provision of activities for all ages in the parks by Activity Sheffield.
(c) An extra lengthsperson to help keep the area clean.
(d) Activities such as the cleaning up of "grot spots" and additional litter bins.
Alison Rayner went on to inform the meeting of an event which was to take place in Parson Cross on 11th June on Working at a Neighbourhood Level, which it was proposed to hold in each of the other neighbourhoods. Current activities included the appointment of consultants, to prepare a masterplan for the Tongue Gutter and Parson Cross Park, and consultations with the shopkeepers on Herries Road, in relation to the improvement of the streetscene.
In conclusion, Alison Rayner indicated that future proposals were to:-
¨ Expand the Safety Warden Scheme to the Neighbourhood Centres.
¨ Work with the Sheffield Wildlife Trust to expand their Community Stewardship Scheme.
¨ Work with the Council's Enforcement Team to tackle litter in the area.
¨ Review the Liveability Project at the end of June with a full evaluation at the end of 2007, which would include consultation with service providers, Councillors and Managers.
In response to questions, Alison Rayner stated that extensive consultation would be required if enforcement action was to be taken against people who were found to be in parks outside the normal opening times and any charges for entry into parks would result in people not using them. Councillor Leigh Bramall stated that he would make enquiries with regard to policy on locking cars in parks after the normal park opening hours.
5. OWLERTON/SOUTHEY GREEN AREA PANEL ONE YEAR PLAN
Stuart Bolton circulated a copy of the Owlerton/Southey Green Area Panel One Year Plan which covered the period May, 2007, to June, 2008. He explained that Area Action was the Council's way of working to create successful neighbourhoods and seek to increase local voice, improve local services and support local regeneration. This was achieved through Area Panel meetings, the preparation of an Area Plan and the use of Neighbourhood Renewal Funding. The Area Panel would continue to work to the key priorities of environment, community safety, children and young people, service improvement, particularly in relation to access to opportunities, and neighbourhood issues, which had all been identified as a result of public consultation. He went on to highlight last year's successes under each of these priorities and the issues and influences which needed to be considered in the Area Plan. Stuart Bolton highlighted the headlines for the coming year and specifically referred to the preparation of masterplans in relation to Fox Hill and Parson Cross Parks, the continuation of the Liveability Project, the extension of the operation of the Safety Wardens to the Neighbourhood Centres, the taking forward of highlighted issues in relation to neighbourhood management and continued joint working and engagement. In conclusion, he gave details for accessing the Area Plan and added that progress updates would be provided throughout the year.
The meeting approved the circulated Owlerton/Southey Green Area Panel One Year Plan 2007-8, subject to ratification at the next quorate Area Panel meeting.
6. CALCULATE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT
Matthew Rush led a participative exercise which encouraged people to think about their carbon footprint. Each person gave themselves a score in relation to various categories such as heating, waste, transport and holidays, so that a total score was calculated to give some indication of each individual's carbon footprint.
7. AREA PANEL BUSINESS
The meeting noted the minutes of the meeting held on 27th March, 2007, together with the associated rolling action checklist. Andy Wier stated that a summary of the issues raised at the last meeting had been circulated, together with the responses received so far from the various agencies. He added that the Chair, Councillor Gill Furniss, would report on the specific issue raised in the rolling action checklist at a future Area Panel meeting.
Stuart Bolton referred the meeting to the circulated questionnaire on Health and Health Services in Sheffield and indicated that this should be completed and returned before the end of June. Chris Spafford then referred the meeting to the Street Force questionnaire which had been circulated and encouraged people to complete and return this.
Finally, the meeting noted that this was to be the final meeting which Andy Wier, Joint Area Co-ordinator, was to attend as he was to take up a post with the Netherthorpe and Upperthorpe Community Alliance and also to work with the Church and undertake research projects. Councillor Leigh Bramall thanked Andy Wier for the work which he had undertaken on the Panel's behalf over a number of years.
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