Minutes of South East Area Panel 5th August 2003

SOUTH EAST AREA PANEL

Meeting held 5th August, 2003 at Brookhouse School, Beighton


	PRESENT:	Councillors Barbara Belcher, Bryan Lodge and Sam Wall

		Also in attendance: Jayne Wilson (Sport and Community Recreation), Joe Horobin (Sheffield Out of School Network), Claire McManus (Eventus), Dianne Hurst (Area Co-ordinator) and 26 members of the public

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1.	APPOINTMENT OF CHAIR
	RESOLVED: That, in the absence of the Chair (Councillor Chris Rosling-Josephs), Councillor Barbara Belcher be appointed Chair of this meeting.

2.	APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
	Apologies for absence were received from the Chair (Councillor Chris Rosling-Josephs) and Councillors Marjorie Barker, Mick Rooney and Angela Smith.

3.	PUBLIC QUESTIONS AND PETITIONS
	Owlthorpe Medical Centre
	Maureen Stoneman, a member of the Owlthorpe Liaison Group and the South East Primary Care Trust, expressed continuing concern about the difficulty for people on the west side of Owlthorpe in accessing the Owlthorpe Medical Centre. She stated that a petition had been submitted to the City Council at its meeting on 2nd July, 2003 but, so far as she was aware, no response had been received.
	Councillor Barbara Belcher stated that a representative from the Health Centre had attended the City Council meeting and the lead petitioner had addressed the City Council. The petition was referred for consideration by Councillor Gill Furniss, the Cabinet Member for Development, Environment and Leisure who had indicated that she would investigate the matter.
	RESOLVED: That the Area Co-ordinator be requested to speak to the Cabinet Member for Development, Environment and Leisure about action being taken in regard to the petition and inform Maureen Stoneman accordingly.

4.	MINUTES
	The minutes of the meeting of the Area Panel held on 17th June, 2003 were approved as a correct record, subject to the amendment of item 5 (Access Policy for Disabled People) by the substitution of the words "Birley Spa" for the words "that Office" on the last line of the second paragraph.

5.	MATTERS ARISING
	Former Mosborough School
	The Area Panel noted that (a) the trustees of the Joseph Stone Trust were preparing a scheme for discussion with the Charities Commission and others and agreement on the way forward was anticipated by the late summer and (b) a report would be submitted to the next meeting of the Area Panel if the proposed arrangements had been secured.

	Fox Lane Recreation Ground
	The Area Co-ordinator reported that a meeting had been held on 24th July, 2003 with community groups, Elected Members and Officers of the Council in regard to the Fox Lane Recreation Ground. Agreement had been reached on priorities for the site and a number of pieces of work had been put in hand.
	The Area Panel noted this information.

	Hackenthorpe Village Action Group
	The Area Panel noted that the Hackenthorpe Village Action Group was corresponding with the Head of Planning, Transport and Highways regarding their request for traffic calming measures to be implemented on Sheffield Road and Beighton Road.

	Normanton Springs Tip – Public Rights of Way
	The Area Co-ordinator reported that difficulties were being experienced in locating the public records in relation to the land ownership of the former Normanton Springs landfill site so that the Public Rights of Way across the land could be reinstated. It was suggested that the documents might have been held by the former South Yorkshire County Council and that enquiries should be made of the authorities in Barnsley.
	RESOLVED: That the Area Co-ordinator be requested to make further enquiries on the lines now discussed.

	No. 127 Bus Service
	The Area Co-ordinator reported that the Area Panel, at its briefing meeting held on 18th July, 2003, had raised the concerns that had been expressed by members of the public about the withdrawal of the No. 127 bus service with Pam Horner, South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive. Pam Horner had stated that the route was not commercially viable and, because of funding arrangements, the Passenger Transport Executive had not been able to support the service. However, the Area Panel had requested that a letter be sent to the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority, urging that the criteria for funding be reviewed in this case.
	The Area Co-ordinator added that the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive was monitoring the N40 bus service with a view to extending its provision.
	RESOLVED: That the information now reported be noted.

	Birley Spa Lane Road Safety Scheme
	The Area Panel noted that the plan that had been approved in regard to the accident saving scheme at Birley Spa Lane would be on display between 4th to 29th August, 2003 at the Hackenthorpe Community Centre, Four Wells Drive, off Birley Spa Lane, Birley Spa Community Centre (Birley Spa Bathhouse), Birley Spa Lane, Waterthorpe Community Library, Crystal Peaks and Frechville Community Library, Smalldale Road.

	Crime and Community Safety Community Cohesion Grants
	The Area Panel noted that (a) three bids had been received so far for the Crime and Community Safety Community Cohesion grants and (b) there were still monies available and Community Groups should contact either Dianne Hurst or Andrea Peers if they wished to make an application for funding towards appropriate schemes.

6.	THE BIZZY BEES PROJECT
	Joe Horobin, Sheffield Out of School Network, gave a presentation on the Bizzy Bees Playgroup project. She stated that Bizzy Bees began as a traditional playgroup 20 years ago and over the years had developed in response to community need. It became an eligible provider of nursery education places in 2000 and since then had received an excellent OFSTED inspection.
	In September, 2001 the Management Committee had agreed that the Playgroup should be a company limited by guarantee, Directors had been appointed and a Board formed. In addition, the Board was looking to apply for charitable status.
	Joe Horobin outlined the role of the Sheffield Community Childcare Network and stated that a group of about five people worked to support and advise community childcare groups and she had been allocated to work with the Bizzy Bees project. The Playgroup had received funding for a feasibility study and market research had shown that there was a real need for a community childcare provider in Beighton. A business plan was being prepared in order to access capital and revenue support and Neighbourhood Nursery Funding had been secured, subject to 52 childcare places being available by March 2004. In order to access further funding from Objective 1, the project had entered into a partnership with Sheffield City Council, a site had been secured close to the two local schools and the building would be leased for a period of 25 years.
	Joe Horobin stated that the project had been put out to tender and once confirmation of Objective 1 funding and planning permission had been obtained, it was anticipated that by March 2004 the building would be available.
	Joe Horobin expressed appreciation to a number of organisations who had assisted with the project. She stressed that Bizzy Bees would be a "not for profit" family resource centre run by local people within the community, to reflect the needs of that community. In conclusion, the Bizzy Bees project was not just about childcare and early education but was one of the key ingredients in the development of the Beighton community.
	Roger Mossman stated that the Bizzy Bees were currently using Church premises in Beighton and he requested that the Church be given as much notice as possible about the impending move. In response, Joe Horobin stated the Bizzy Bees were aiming to be on their new site and open by February 2004 but they would want to use the Church Hall up until the last possible moment. However, she assured Mr. Mossman that the Church would be kept fully informed of the situation.
	RESOLVED: That the information now reported be noted and Joe Horobin be thanked for her presentation.

7.	WESTFIELD SCHOOL PFI
	Jayne Wilson, Sport and Community Recreation, stated that Bob Porter, Head of Westfield School, was unable to be present due to illness. She stated that she would give a presentation on the leisure element of the Westfield School Private Finance Initiative (PFI) but would be unable to answer any questions in relation to the School.
	She stated that a decision had been made to use Westfield School PFI as a flagship and discussions had been held with the Department for Education and Skills, the Department of Culture, Media and Sport for Joeint funding to recreate leisure facilities on the new site. The bid had been successful and £6.1m had been received, of which £2.1m would be used to fund the building of the pool and the balance for the 25 year operating costs.
	Jayne Wilson explained that Private Finance Initiatives were a way of promoting public services in partnership with the private sector. Officers were working with four consortia to prepare proposals that would be submitted to the City Council under a commercial tendering procedure which was due to close on 15th August, 2003. A decision would then be taken on two preferred bidders from whom one would be chosen to build the Sheffield Schools PFI 3 projects, which also included two primary schools and Meadow Head Secondary School.
	Officers in Sport and Community Recreation had worked closely with Sport England on the specification for the swimming pool and were pleased with the proposals that were being prepared. The information was commercially sensitive at the moment and she was unable to disclose details to the Area Panel but the next phase of the process would involve the designs being made available for public consultation.
	Jayne Wilson stated that Officers had been keen to improve swimming for disabled people and Sue Stones from the Westfield Disabled Swimming Club had been closely involved in the process.
	There would be a request through the specification for a strong emphasis towards contractors demonstrating their experience in managing leisure facilities. The evaluation process would commence in September and the two preferred bidders would be announced in November, 2003 when a report for the Area Panel would be prepared. The building was expected to be completed by September, 2006.
	The design for the pool would be much bigger than the existing facility at Westfield School and would have a moveable floor, which would give an increased capacity for teaching young people to swim. It would mean that all the local primary schools would be able to access the pool and it was expected that the leisure contractor would also give recognition to enhanced facilities to provide integrated health and fitness alongside the swimming pool.
	Members of the public asked a number of questions, to which responses were given by Jayne Wilson as follows:-
	· It was recognised that the pricing policy would be a big issue for both individuals and swimming clubs and it was expected that the Council's slice card pricing structure would be used.
	· Officers in Leisure and Education Services were working closely together on the project. Bob Porter's vision was of a community facility at the heart of the catchment area.
	· The contractors would submit proposals on opening times but the Council had stated that the pool would be required for educational swimming programmes between 9.00 a.m. and 3.30 p.m. The contractor would then be at liberty to open the pool at other hours for community use.
	· The school would incorporate a sports hall, general activity room and outdoor synthetic pitches and the Council would be looking for an integrated approach to the management of the facilities.
	· Information had been provided to the Consortia on projections for schools numbers.
	· In response to concerns voiced by the Disabled Swimming Club about possible compromises on the design of the swimming pool, Jayne Wilson stated that the PFI 3 contract was worth £90m for two primary and two secondary schools and the swimming pool and there would undoubtedly be tensions in negotiating the best overall package. However, there would be public consultation on the proposals and a series of exhibitions would be mounted.
	· After 25 years, the contract for the management of the facilities would be put out to tender and, if the right contractor was chosen initially, the facility would still have some value at that time.
	The Chair (Councillor Barbara Belcher) stated that the inclusion of the swimming pool in the PFI was groundbreaking and provided an excellent opportunity for the community to enjoy much improved facilities. The Council recognised that the facilities would need to be affordable and this would form a central part of the discussions.
	RESOLVED: That (a) the information now reported be noted and Jayne Wilson be thanked for her presentation; and
	(b) the Area Co-ordinator be requested to arrange for (i) the Executive Director, Education to report on education places in the South East to a future meeting of the Area Panel and (ii) Bob Porter, Head of Westfield School to report to a future meeting on the Westfield School PFI.

8.	BEIGHTON FULL CIRCLE PROJECT
	Claire McManus, Eventus, stated that the Beighton Full Circle Project had commenced in April, 2003 in partnership with Beighton Village Development Trust and she was working with groups to explore the past, present and future position of Beighton.
	Claire McManus stated that the project had first been mooted about three years ago when the Beighton Village Development Trust had obtained outline planning permission to erect two pit wheels on gateways to the village in order to commemorate the important role that the mining industry had played in the history of the village. Unfortunately, it had not been possible to obtain the necessary funding for the pit wheels but arising from discussions, the Full Circle Project had been developed.
	It had appeared, from discussions, that there was a loss of identity in the village and people felt dislocated as a community. The project aimed to reinforce pride of place in the area and the community and two full time workers had been assigned to work on the project for 2½ years with Objective 1 funding. The focus would be on the heritage and the local environment.
	Claire McManus stated that Beighton was a mixture of different styles and the project aimed to involve people in creative activities around the heritage and environment themes. Different age groups were being brought together to work in groups on projects where they could use their differing skills and, hopefully, young and old would realise that each had a lot to offer.
	There had been a focus on litter and its impact on the local environment and a competition had been held for the creation of a poster on litter prevention. There had been 130 entries and the winning poster, which had been designed by Jasmine Fletcher of Reignhead Primary School, was displayed at the meeting. Claire McManus stated that 150 copies of the poster had been printed and would be widely displayed. The printing of the poster had been sponsored by South Yorkshire Police and Crystal Peaks had donated prizes. The Group had examined littering problems in the area and had prepared a draft report which would be considered at its next meeting.
	It was planned to commission two public art works at gateway sites which would reflect the heritage of the area. A list of sites for smaller art works had been compiled as a result of discussions with the community and 77 people had participated in workshops about this. Applications were being submitted to the Yorkshire Arts Council for additional funding.
	The aim was to make the work sustainable after the funding had ceased and an audit had been done of the opinions of the residents of Beighton which had provoked a good response.
	Claire McManus stated that there was a rich farming heritage in the area and memories of Reignhead Farm had been sought. Work was commencing on a community archive and oral history, videos, artefacts and the website would be used to compile a record. This would involve a wide variety of skills, from young people with an involvement in Information Technology (IT) to older members who could provide information on the history of the village.
	Members of the public asked a number of questions and Claire McManus responded as follows:-
	· The work done by the Shire Brook Conservation Group and others on the history of the area would be taken into account but the activity of the Full Circle Project had to be restricted to the target area.
	· Complaints in regard to litter and rat infestation in the Ochre Dyke should be reported to Street Force and Environmental Health.
	· A community-led environment project was being planned and one of the aims was to organise a clean-up of the Ochre Dyke and involve young people.
	· It was recognised that the winning poster on litter bore a generic message and it would appear on the City Council's website.
	The Chair (Councillor Barbara Belcher) stated that the Ochre Dyke had recently been cleared of litter but due to the activities of an irresponsible minority, rubbish had quickly accumulated. However, the situation would be monitored and endeavours would be made to clear the Dyke on a more regular basis.
	RESOLVED: That (a) the information now reported be noted and Claire McManus be thanked for her presentation; and
	(b) the Area Co-ordinator be requested to obtain a statement for circulation at the next meeting on the roles and responsibilities of the Environment Agency, the City Council and the landowner in regard to water courses.


9.	SMALL ROAD SAFETY SCHEMES
	The Area Co-ordinator referred to the discussion that had taken place at the last meeting and invited further suggestions as to where small road safety schemes could be carried out. She stated that approximately eight small road safety schemes had already been put forward for consideration and these were being priced.
	Reference was made by members of the public to a pedestrian crossing on Donetsk Way where the light controlled crossing was dangerous due to the speed in which the lights changed to red; to two recent accidents on Moss Way and to a dangerous traffic configuration on Mosborough Parkway. The Area Co-ordinator stated that small road safety schemes did not cover issues such as these, but she would contact the Head of Planning, Transport and Highways and report the concerns now expressed. Councillor Barbara Belcher added that the Council was focusing on road accidents to children and were targeting additional funding to problem areas.
	The Area Co-ordinator reported this information.

10.	DATE AND TIME OF NEXT MEETING
	It was noted that the next meeting of the Area Panel would be held on Tuesday, 21st October, 2003 at 1.30 p.m. at a venue to be arranged.

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