South East Area Panel Minutes 8th March 2006

SOUTH EAST AREA PANEL

Special Meeting held on 8th March 2006 in the Art Space, Crystal Peaks


	PRESENT:		Councillors Chris Rosling-Josephs (Chair), Helen Mirfin-Boukouris, Mike Pye and Ian Saunders

			Also in attendance:- Councillor Martin Lawton and Pete Marshall (Development Services), Dianne Hurst (Area Co-ordinator), Jenny MacPhail (Area Panel Support Officer) and 27 members of the public.

............

1.	APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
	Apologies for absence were received from Councillors David Barker, Majorie Barker, Bryan Lodge, Mike Peat and Sam Wall and Ken Matthews (Lead Officer).

2.	SHEFFIELD DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK
	Pete Marshall, Area Planner for the South East, gave a presentation on the Sheffield Development Framework and circulated a newsletter entitled “Core Strategy: Preferred Options and Emerging Options for City Policies, City Sites and Proposals Map” and copies of the emerging proposals map were on display at the meeting.
	Pete Marshall stated that the Sheffield Development Framework (SDF) would comprise a family of planning documents that would cover all Sheffield, except for that part of the City which was within the Peak District National Park.
	The Core Strategy was the first document in the SDF family of documents and every other planning document would need to conform to it. It would provide the overall spatial strategy for the City for the next 15 years up to 2021 and, last summer, consultations had taken place on the emerging options for the Core Strategy.
	The Cabinet had now agreed, in broad terms, how the City should develop and the transformation would be in step changes to revitalise the economy, create more modern business sectors, transform low demand housing areas and identify radical transport solutions. Changes and growth were expected in the City’s economy and it was anticipated that this, in turn, would lead to people travelling more around the City. It was also important that the natural environment should be conserved and resources used and managed responsibly.
	It was planned to boost the role of the City Centre, so that Sheffield could realise its ambition to become a major player in the region. As a consequence, large scale office and retail developments would be concentrated in the City Centre, with the Lower and Upper Don Valley continuing to be a focus for new business and industrial activity. Other areas that had been identified for some large offices would be the Hillsborough Centre, Crystal Peaks and Meadowhall because of their close proximity to good transport links.
	Pete Marshall turned to the Core Strategy Preferred Options for the South East and stated that when the emerging options were being examined, consideration had been given to whether the South East could be made a more self-contained community To that end, the Preferred Options now proposed to use vacant sites at Holbrook, Oxclose and Drakehouse for industrial development, and to prioritise sites close to Crystal Peaks for office development.
	There had recently been substantial expansion of shopping at Crystal Peaks and further major shopping expansion was planned in the South East in the foreseeable future. However, it was planned to improve access to Crystal Peaks by foot, cycle and bus. It was also planned to strengthen Neighbourhood Centres, as an accessible focus for nearby communities, including better provision of small food and convenience shops and other local facilities.
	It was recognised that many residents in the South East would have to travel into the City Centre to access jobs (at peak times) and major shops and services (usually during off-peak times). As a consequence, improved transport connections (particularly by bus and supertram) would be promoted; for example, a park and ride facility at the former Woodhouse Station.
	It was planned to provide housing on the three greenfield sites at Owlthorpe which were closest to Supertram. This would achieve the physical completion of that community, including completion of the Moorthorpe Way link road, allowing regular future bus access. In addition, the development would provide significant funds from developers to upgrade the greenfield framework in this area. In the longer term, there could also be housing development at Beighton Road, Woodhouse.
	Pete Marshall explained that the City Strategy Proposed Options suggested that three large greenfield sites that had previously been proposed for housing should be added to the Green Belt at Woodhouse East, Mosborough Moor and Moor Valley. It was also proposed to include the site of the former Holbrook Colliery in the Green Belt, which had significant natural history interest.
	Pete Marshall went on to provide brief examples of how the contents of the emerging City Policies, City Sites and Proposals Map could support the approach to development in the South East promoted by the Core Strategy Preferred Options. He stressed that the contents of the emerging documents represented Officers’ first thoughts, and they were presented now to give people a chance to make their comments, which would help to influence the preferred versions to be produced later in the year.
	The Proposals Map showed industrial areas at Holbrook and Oxclose, where manufacturing and warehousing would be the preferred types of development; and the City Sites document suggested protecting five sites for industrial development.
	Sites close to Crystal Peaks would be within a General Employment Area, allowing office development in a mix of possible uses; and sites would also be protected as City Sites at Waterthorpe Greenway for offices, leisure and an improved transport interchange and at Drakehouse Crescent for offices or industry.
	City Sites (within Housing Areas on the Proposals Map) would be protected for new greenfield housing at Owlthorpe and Beighton Road, Woodhouse. Brownfield housing developments would also be promoted where opportunities arose. The Scowerdons, Weaklands and Newstead Estates were to be redeveloped to provide better quality houses in a much improved environment.
	Westfield School was to close later this year and high quality housing was likely to be developed on the site of the school buildings. However, the playing fiends would be protected from inappropriate development by inclusion in the Green Belt.
	A planning application for housing development had already been submitted in respect of the City Site at Junction Road, Woodhouse.
	Crystal Peaks and Woodhouse District Centres, and a variety of Neighbourhood Centres across the South East, would be identified on the Proposals Map. Relevant City Policies would ensure appropriate types of future development to a high design standard. It was hoped to stimulate the future vitality of the eastern end of the Woodhouse Centre by achieving high quality development at Market Square.
	The existing supermarket at Halfway was shown in a Flexible Use Area on the Proposals Map where, in the unlikely event of the shop’s closure, the area would be promoted for a range of other uses, including housing.
	Pete Marshall also gave some examples from the emerging Proposals Map to illustrate where extensions of the Green Belt were being proposed, such as at Bridle Stile and Owlthorpe Hill in Mosborough Village. In all, over 120 hectares (300 acres) of additional Green Belt was now being proposed in the South East.
	Pete Marshall concluded by identifying how the various SDF documents could be accessed and read, via the City Council’s website and at all Libraries and First Points. He emphasised that the deadline for comments on the options was Monday, 10th April 2006 and comments could be sent by letter or e-mailed to sdf@sheffield.gov.uk. Organisations in the community were also invited to send representatives to a City Conference to discuss the SDF, to be held on 15th March 2006.
	Members of the public asked a number of questions about the proposals, which were answered by Pete Marshall and the Chair (Councillor Chris Rosling-Josephs) as follows:-

	Q.	Are there planning models which incorporate land use with the delivery of services and facilities, such as dealing with poverty, providing sustainable communities with provision for children and older people and health and recreational facilities where people need and want them? Also people are concerned about the closure of Post Offices in the area.

	A.	Within the emerging options, there is a community facility section where the aim is to try and provide a policy to promote facilities in accessible locations such as the City Centre, District Centres and Neighbourhood Centres and to attempt to try and control the change of use of post offices, etc.

	Q.	What about the closure of the Post Office at Crystal Peaks?

	A.	The closure of the Post Office has been a commercial decision over which the City Council has no authority. However, the Council has been activity seeking another operator.

	Q.	I am concerned about the effect on the environment and infrastructure if more houses are built in the area. The infrastructure is struggling to cope as it is.

	A.	Any new housing developments will need to be sustainable in terms of their proximity to schools, shops, other local facilities and designated public transport and be served by necessary capacity in infrastructure and services.

	Q.	900 houses on the Scowerdons, Weaklands and Newstead Estates are being demolished and are being replaced with 1200 houses but the facilities serving those estates are not being increased.

	A.	It is planned to promote improved transport links.

	Q.	Can you tell us more about the City Conference?

	A.	The City Conference will start at 9.00 a.m. at Ponds Forge, Sheaf Street and is aimed at involving representatives of organisations. Anyone wishing to attend the Conference should telephone 0114 273 4212 or e-mail sdf@sheffield.gov.uk to register, or let Pete Marshall know after this meeting.

	Q.	All the small shops in Woodhouse are struggling for trade and I don’t think that anyone will be interested in bringing new shops to the area.

	A.	Woodhouse has been identified as a District Centre and, as it will continue to provide the most accessible location in the area, will be the most appropriate location for new shops. Discussions have been held with the architect representing the owners of certain properties in Market Square and preliminary proposals are being prepared. It is likely that, as well as upper storey flats, the redevelopment will include some new shops on the Cross Street frontage plus a mix of other activities suited to a District Centre on the ground floor frontage to Market Square which could promote greater activity within the Square.

	Q.	We represent a number of residents from the Owlthorpe area and we have obtained over 200 signatures to a petition stating that people strongly oppose building on greenfield sites at Owlthorpe. We would prefer it to be landscaped, with provision for wildlife areas and also play areas and playing fields for young people. There is no provision for young people at the moment and this would benefit the community. The only benefit the proposals will bring is the road, which will link the whole area.

	A.	One of the benefits of the proposed new road is that it provides the opportunity for a regular bus service to serve the whole area and traffic will diffuse more effectively across the area.

	Q.	There is very little recreational provision at Owlthorpe and I have to take my children to Graves Park. There is very little recreational space in the whole of the South East Sheffield.

	A.	It has always been the intention to provide a centralised play and recreational area at Owlthorpe, probably close to the doctors’ surgery, but the Council is still waiting to receive planning gain monies owed by the developer of the Woodland Heights Estate. As soon as that money is available, it is intended to consult with the community to identify how best it can be spent.

	Q.	I am concerned that the SDF is a 15 year programme because no-one can be sure that there will be sufficient schools, etc. However, my principal concern is about health issues and I think that we need a general hospital to serve this area of increasing population. In addition, more consideration should be given to the infrastructure, which is inadequate to serve the area.

	A	One of the Government’s aims in regard to the introduction of the SDF, is to make plans more responsive to changing circumstances and Officers will be revising various documents as and when regular monitoring reveals it to be needed.

	Q.	Handsworth has a lack of green leisure facilities for small children and youths. The road infrastructure is strained and the air quality is poor and yet more housing development is proposed for the area. I applaud the global vision but there is no mention of what will happen to Handsworth.

	A.	The preferred option is to maintain and improve public transport across the area. A park and ride is planned at the former Woodhouse Station and this will address some of the issues. Travel by public transport will also lessen the impact on air quality. In addition, one of the preferred options identifies proposals for new bus corridors and one of these is between the City centre and Woodhouse Mill via Handsworth.

	Members of the public expressed their appreciation at the proposals to extend the Green Belt, particularly at Bridle Stile, Mosborough and Moor Valley. A member of the public stated that they were opposed to floodlighting the football area near the Edenthorpe Estates because this was a foraging area for protected species and the lighting would cause an imbalance of species in that area.
	RESOLVED: That (a) the information now reported be noted and Pete Marshall be thanked for his presentation and for responding to the questions of members of the public;
	(b) members of the public be urged to send their comments on the options by 10th April 2006; and
	(c) Officers be requested to provide an update on the SDF to a future meeting of the Area Panel.

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