Notes of the Joint Meeting held on 17th January, 2008

JOINT MEETING OF THE OWLERTON/SOUTHEY GREEN AREA PANEL AND SOUTHEY/OWLERTON AREA REGENERATION BOARD

 

Notes of an Inquorate Meeting held 17th January, 2008 at 7.00 p.m.

at the Wolfe Road Centre

 

 

PRESENT

 

 

 

Owlerton/Southey Green Area Panel

 

Councillor Gill Furniss (Joint Chair).

 

 

 

Independent Directors

 

Rachel Barber, Ellie Brown, Lynne Hilson, Steve Robinson and Paul Voyse.

 

 

 

Community Directors

 

Sharon Ashton, Janet Bagshaw, Louise Nield (Joint Chair), Cyril Olsen, Ian Smith and Richard Wildgoose.

 

 

 

City Council Officers

 

Stuart Bolton (Area Co-ordinator), Matthew Rush (Area Support Officer), Vicky Penn (Development Services), Rhian Thomas (Parks and Countryside), Valerie Cotter (Neighbourhood Renewal and Partnership Service), Nick Slater (Community Buildings Team) and Harry Clarke (Committee Secretariat).

 

 

 

Also in attendance

 

Ian Drayton, Sarah Larssen and Susan Sisson (Southey/Owlerton Area Regeneration (SOAR) Team), Margaret Pearson (Sheffield PCT), Mark Wilde (Foxhill Forum) and Richard Thorpe (Yorkshire Forward).

 

10 members of the public attended the meeting.

………………

 

 

 

On the basis that there was only one Member of the Owlerton/Southey Green Area Panel present, the meeting was declared inquorate.

 

 

 

 

 

ACTION

1.

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

 

 

            Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Leigh Bramall, Steve Jones, Alan Law and Chris Weldon (Owlerton/Southey Green Area Panel) and Winnie Cartwright (SOAR Board).

 

 

 

 

2.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

 

 

            There were no declarations of interest.

 

 

 

 

3.

MINUTES/MATTERS ARISING

 

 

            The minutes of the meeting held on 20th December, 2007, were noted and, arising from their consideration, it was noted that:-

 

 

            (a) Paul Voyse, Sheffield Homes, would make further enquiries with regard to the policy for compensating tenants for damage caused during renovation work, particularly the payment of such sums into the rent account of those tenants who were in arrears.

 

 

 

Paul Voyse

 

            (b) Councillor Leigh Bramall was looking at alternatives for funding youth provision in Shirecliffe due to the decision by Shirecliffe Community Forum not to fund the cost of hiring Shirecliffe Community Centre for proposed/possible Sheffield Futures’ activities. The Shirecliffe Community Project Board had yet to make a decision on whether to allow youth activities to take place in Shirecliffe Community Centre.

 

 

Cllr. Leigh Bramall

 

            In relation to the circulated Rolling Action Checklist, Stuart Bolton reported that consideration was being given to the installation of parking bays at the Southey Green Shopping Precinct, that Barratt Homes had received a very positive response from the public about their proposals to redevelop the College site and that future funding for community festivals may be available through the Working Neighbourhoods Fund (WNF).

 

 

 

 

4.

PUBLIC QUESTIONS AND PETITIONS

 

 

            A petition was received relating to the future of Foxhill Community Centre and, in response to a question, Councillor Gill Furniss stated that the holding of these Joint Meetings was a pilot scheme, which aimed to avoid the duplication which had arisen as a result of holding separate meetings of the Area Panel and SOAR Board.

Andy Cain

 

 

 

5.

FOXHILL NEIGHBOURHOOD WORKER’S UPDATE

 

 

            Mark Wilde, Manager of the Foxhill Forum and the Wolfe Road Centre, referred to the circulated copy of a slide presentation, which provided a snapshot of the activities of the Foxhill Forum.  He outlined the Forum’s five priorities which were to develop a learning culture, promote active lifestyles, promote a cleaner, greener and safer environment, develop the organisation and develop community assets and resources.  Current Forum projects included “Active Foxhill”, the pocket park at Wolfe Road, redevelopment, the provision of community resources, capacity building and the volunteer programme.  In relation to Forum achievements, Mark Wilde referred to funding which had been secured to support local priorities which included the £12,000 Learning Contract from the City Council’s Lifelong Learning and Skills Service, £20,000 for health and sport activities through the Wolfe Road Project and £7,000 capital funding for the Learning Centre and the achievement of Investors in People recognition in December, 2007.

 

 

            Mark Wilde went on to describe the achievements of the Wolfe Road Healthy Living Centre and particularly mentioned that the Wolf Road Project was on target to achieve project spend and was now meeting Big Lottery Fund requirements, that tenancy agreements for the building were almost completed, that £25,000 capital funding for improvements to the Centre, which were in the process of being carried out, had been obtained and that utilities/service costs were being reduced.  He also referred to the process of engagement and communication and referred to various events which had been held, publicity materials which had been circulated, the holding of meetings and the provision of a “drop-in” centre.  In relation to sustainability, Mark Wilde made reference to maximising funding opportunities, the production of a video about Foxhill Forum and the Reaching Communities outline proposal, which was a bid for £400,000 over a three year period to employ a regeneration team and recruit local people as community champions.

 

 

            In response to questions, Mark Wilde stated that he would seek to involve the Foxhill Tenants’ and Residents’ Association (TARA) more in activities, accepted that he had not emphasised partnership work in his presentation and indicated that the Healthy Living Centre and the new Primary Care Trust (PCT) facility would complement each other.  Margaret Pearson added that the services presently provided at the Healthy Living Centre would continue.

 

 

            Councillor Gill Furniss thanked Mark Wilde for his presentation and for his efforts in making a success of the Wolfe Road Centre.

 

 

 

 

6.

FOXHILL COMMUNITY CENTRE UPDATE

 

 

            Nick Slater referred the meeting to the circulated report and explained that Foxhill had not been regarded as a priority, but the development of the park and the arson attack had prompted the future of Foxhill Community Centre to be considered within the context of a full Community Space Review for the Foxhill area.  He stated that consultation had taken place with local community groups and that the Community Buildings Audit completed in June 2006 had found the condition of the Community Centre to be reasonably good, with a life expectancy in excess of 50 years.  However, repairs were required which would cost approximately £102,000 and a period of uncertain management had led to a decline in use.  Nick Slater emphasised the importance of identifying an appropriately skilled management group, prior to any repair investment being undertaken, and indicated that, according to the Foxhill TARA, eight people had expressed an interest in assisting in the running of the Centre, in some fashion, on the Petition form which had been submitted at the start of the meeting. 

 

 

            Nick Slater went on to inform the meeting that, due to vandalism and arson, the use of the Centre had declined, with users finding alternative venues in the area, and, at present, it was not in a usable state.  In addition, the Foxhill Forum Community Building Group had been unable to identify enough users to make the Centre viable, as there was sufficient space for previous users at other facilities in the area.  Consequently, the Centre would not be viable.  There was, however, a continuing gap in Foxhill outdoor sports facilities linked to internal sports provision including changing facilities and, in terms of the Centre adding value to the area, it could provide a link to the park with sports changing facilities, a possible part-time café, possible links to the Medical Centre and the provision of office space.  There was a strong community desire to keep the Centre open and this was shared by officers, but it was important that the Centre was viable and sustainable.

            In relation to outstanding questions, Nick Slater indicated that it would be between two and four years before the development of the park and completion of housebuild on the redevelopment site would lead to potential increased use and, if the Centre was repaired, it would still be as vulnerable as it was now.  In addition, it was possible that, if user groups were attracted, this could affect the viability of other buildings in the area.  It was also possible that sports facilities could be provided at another site in the area and, in view of the gap identified in the provision for young people, it may be better to use the money for this rather than building repairs.  A further possibility was that other organisations such as the PCT or SOAR could assist in facilities management of the centre and there was also the issue of where the money would come from to effect the repairs.  Finally, he stated that the establishment of a management group and the time frame involved needed to be considered.

 

 

            In response to questions and comments, the following points were made:-

 

 

 

 

 

·                    Nick Slater emphasised the importance of involving residents in the discussions about keeping the Centre going.

 

 

 

 

 

·                    Councillor Gill Furniss highlighted the need for funding to make the Centre usable and added that approximately £40,000 was required for the fabric of the building and £60,000 for the roof.

 

 

 

 

 

·                    Ian Drayton suggested that the Centre could be managed by Foxhill Forum along with the Wolfe Road Centre.

 

 

 

 

 

·                    Nick Slater indicated that, when previously enquiring about demolition costs for another Community Building, the Community Buildings Team were quoted an approximate cost of between £30,000 and £70,000 .

 

 

 

 

 

·                    Lynne Hilson stated that the Centre could be used for the Foxhill Youth Forum, but at the moment it was not safe for it to meet there.

 

 

 

 

 

·                    Nick Slater indicated that he was considering the involvement of Artisan in the process.

 

 

 

 

 

·                    Councillor Gill Furniss stated that no decision had been taken to close the Centre, but she was aware that the community wanted to keep it going.

 

 

 

 

 

·                    Nick Slater indicated that the Centre had been previously managed by Sheffield Homes and he would try to find out details of running costs.  It was important to consider that, if the Centre was repaired and viable, this may have a detrimental effect on the viability of other facilities in the area.

 

 

 

 

 

·                    Nick Slater stated that the Community Buildings Team would consider the situation of the whole area, but research had suggested that currently there was no evidence of a need for the Centre, as activities which were previously held there, and current forecast activities, could be held elsewhere.

 

 

 

 

 

·                    Joesanne McLean, the Treasurer for the Centre, explained that it had been receiving approximately £3,000 per annum in rent and was costing between £2,000 and £3,000 per annum to run.  The Centre’s bank account currently contained approximately £3,000.

 

 

 

 

 

·                    Councillor Gill Furniss indicated that account would be taken of other local developments.

 

 

 

 

 

·                    Stuart Bolton queried whether the Neighbourhood Strategy for Foxhill could inform the process.

 

 

 

 

 

·                    Ellie Brown highlighted the importance of keeping people informed of meetings on this issue.

 

 

 

 

 

            Councillor Gill Furniss suggested the formation of a Working Group to deal with this issue and invited anyone interested in being a member to leave their name and address with her at the end of the meeting.

 

 

            Councillor Gill Furniss also suggested that Nick Slater take away actions from the meeting to:-

(a)   Investigate where monies would come from for the repair of the Centre.

(b)   Investigate the possibility of involving other agencies in the running of the Centre/provision of community space, eg. the PCT (new Medical Centre connections).

 

 

 

 

7.

FOXHILL DOCTORS’ SURGERY UPDATE

 

 

            Margaret Pearson reported on proposals for replacing the Foxhill Medical Centre and explained that a schedule of accommodation had been agreed by the PCT and the practice, which had now been passed to private sector partners.  Discussions were to take place between the development company and the City Council about the site relating to cost and any other issues and a meeting was to be held the following week to draft a timetable for the project.  Architects would then draw up relationship drawings, following which consultation with the community and users would take place.  She saw this as a unique opportunity as part of the park development.

 

 

            In response to questions and comments, Margaret Pearson made the following points:-

 

 

 

 

 

·                    Progress reports would be made to this meeting as appropriate.

 

 

 

 

 

·                    Practice Based Commissioning involved bringing services nearer to the patients and could involve possible changes in services.

 

 

 

 

 

·                    As part of the consultation process, she would be attending meetings of the various groups in the area.

 

 

 

 

 

·                    Planning and access were integral parts of the process and the architects would be happy to attend meetings to discuss this.

 

 

 

 

8.

AREA CO-ORDINATOR’S REPORT

 

 

            Stuart Bolton referred to the circulated Owlerton and Southey Green Area Panel e-briefing and the “How Your Neighbourhood Works” handout.  He explained that the “How Your Neighbourhood Works” initiative was a training programme organised by the Open Forum for Economic Regeneration (OFFER) in conjunction with the SOAR Board and the Area Panel, which sought to inform participants about how the Council and other agencies worked together with the community to improve the area.  An outline of the programme was included in the handout, together with contact details.

 

 

            Stuart Bolton informed the meeting that Neighbourhood Renewal Funding would come to an end in March, 2008 and it was hoped that this would be succeeded by the WNF. A proposal for a similar allocation of funding had been submitted and a decision on this was expected at the beginning of March.  The Area Panel presently had 16 projects, of which only three did not directly relate to employability, which was the prime criteria for access to the WNF.   Valerie Cotter added that the WNF was an area-based grant, which would be allocated following consultation with the Sheffield First Partnership.  She considered that the prospect for continued funding was promising.

 

 

 

 

9.

PARTNERSHIP MANAGER’S REPORT

 

 

            Sarah Larssen referred to the circulated report which provided an update of the key issues in which the SOAR Board had been involved over the past month.  She went through the report and made particular reference to staff and human resources issues, the work of the Stop Smoking Adviser, the launch of the Knutton Road design competition, the Parson Cross Library Learning Centre, the SOAR HeartSmart Project and affordable housing interim planning guidance.

 

 

            A member of the public wished to record their appreciation of the work of the Stop Smoking Adviser for organising a successful No Smoking event at Chaucer School.

 

 

 

 

10.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

 

 

            Stuart Bolton thanked Norma Ashmore and the Parson Cross Forum for organising the Christmas market at Margetson Neighbourhood Centre, which had proved to be an excellent event with a good public response.  Councillor Gill Furniss requested that a letter of appreciation be sent to her from the Area Panel/SOAR Board.  Chief Inspector Rachel Barber announced that, due to her changing role, she would be standing down as a member of the SOAR Board and would be replaced by Chief Inspector Stuart Walne.  Louise Nield thanked Chief Inspector Barber for her work on the SOAR Board.

 

 

 

Stuart Bolton/Lois Downes

 

 

Lois Downes/

Andy Cain

 

            Ian Drayton suggested that there should be a SOAR Board business meeting for one hour prior to the next joint meeting.

Lois Downes

 

 

 

11.

DATE OF NEXT MEETING

 

 

            It was noted that the next Joint Meeting would be held on Thursday, 21st February, 2008 at 7.00 p.m. at a venue to be arranged.