Backlash at Tapton school academy bid

The Sheffield Star reports on the furious backlash over plans for Tapton school to become an academy:

 The NASUWT union says the decision has been taken unilaterally without consulting staff, parents or the local community.
“We hope parents and the Tapton community as a whole will have time to reflect on why they are being steam-rollered into accepting a decision to take their local community school out of local accountability and control,” said Sheffield secretary David Haigh.

Tapton school: to become an academy?
There is a backlash at plans to turn Tapton into an academy

Readers of this website have also raised their concerns on a previous article about the plans. What do you think? You can comment below.

Sheffield Star: Furious backlash at school academy bid

Bring and Buy plant and vegetable sales

Bring and Buy plant sale
Bring and Buy plant sale at Hagg Lane allotments

Hagg Lane and District Gardeners’ Allotments Society are hosting several Bring and Buy plant and vegetable sales over two upcoming weekends.

The events are scheduled for Saturday 30 April and 1 May, and then again on Saturday 14 May and Sunday 15 May,  9.30am-2.30pm.

Organised by local volunteers, the sales take place at Back Lane allotments. The non-profit making group hopes to raise funds towards a new trading hut for the benefit of the allotmenting and wider local community Refreshments will be available.

Below are some of our planned surplus fruit, vegetable and flowering plants they hope to have on offer.

Vegetables:

Tomatoes (10+ Varieties) Tomatoes-Tumbling Tom Cucumber Lettuce (inc cut and come again) Aubergine Beetroot Broad Beans Broccoli Butternut Squashes Cabbage x4 Cauliflower Chard Chilli Peppers Collard Courgette Fennel French Bean Heritage Cabbage Jerusalem Artichoke Kale Leeks Pak Choi Parsnip Peas Peppers Pumpkins
Rhubarb Runner Beans Spinach Sprouts (3 Varieties) Sprouts (Club Root Resistant) Swede Sweet Corn

Flowers:

Begonia Chrysanthemums Cosmos Dahlia Echinacea Foxgloves Geranium Lavender Lobelia Marigold (4 Varieties) Pansy Petunia Rudbeckia Streptocarpus Sunflowers Sweet Peas Fruit Blackcurrants Blueberries Melons Gooseberries- Red Gooseberries- White Strawberry Plants

Plus various herbs.

Hagg Lane and District Gardeners’ Allotments Society

Tension mounts for Countrymen in relegation fight

A haul of six points from five games in nine days has left Hallam FC just three points behind Arnold Town and a position of safety.

The Countrymen picked up wins against Armthorpe Welfare at Sandygate and away at Lincoln Moorlands Railway, but suffered defeats to Farsley AFC, Tadcaster and Selby Town.

Hallam and Arnold each have three games left. They come head to head on the final match of the season, a game which could decide which team will join Dinnington Town in relegation to Division one.

Official Hallam FC website

NCEL results, fixtures and tables

Crosspool schools in ice cream van row

The council’s licensing board meets today to discuss concerns from Tapton and King Edward VII lower school teachers regarding the safety of pupils as they are drawn onto Darwin Lane at busy times in order to buy from the ice cream van.

In January, a boy was hit crossing the road to reach the van. Ice cream man Chris Turner has been trading on the site since May 1971.

Sheffield Star: Schools in ice cream van row

Police attend the scene of the accident on Darwin Lane
A boy was hit crossing the road to reach the ice cream van in January

Convenience store planning application appeal dismissed

The Planning Inspectorate today published its decision regarding the Lydgate Lane convenience store planning application and has concluded that the appeal is to be dismissed.

The appeal decision document (PDF, 98KB) gives the full reasoning for its dismissal, citing the main issue as highway safety being compromised by the proposed development. Alison Lea, the Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, concludes:

“…the lack of adequate off street parking and servicing provision would be likely to lead to conditions which would be prejudicial to highway safety and that this would be contrary to Policy S10 of the Sheffield Unitary Development Plan which provides that in Shopping Areas new development will be permitted provided that, amongst other matters, it would provide safe access to the highway network and appropriate off-street parking and not endanger pedestrians.”

Download the appeal decision document (PDF, 98KB)

The original planning application was made last August. Following the planning officer’s recommendation for refusal, it was rejected by the Council. An appeal by the applicant followed and today is was announced that this has been dismissed. A more detailed summary of events can be found here.

Motor World, Lydgate Lane, Crosspool
The convenience store planning application appeal for the premises currently occupied by Motor World on Lydgate Lane has been dismissed

New Crosspool Computer Courses start on 6 May

Following in the success of our three previous computer courses, and wishing to build on achievements of the students so far, Crosspool Forum has managed to secure patronage for two further National Open College Network (NOCN) 12-week courses.

The courses are due to commence on Friday 6 May 2011 at St Columba’s Church Hall on Manchester Road. The Internet for Beginners course (9:30am-11:30am) will be followed by Internet for the more Advanced (11:45am-1:45pm). Laptops are provided.

Anyone wishing to join either of the above courses you should contact Ian, Crosspool Forum Chairman on 0114 335 1674 or crosspoolforum@fsmail.net.

Calling all Crosspool artists!

Painting by Rosie HoylandDo you want to be part of the Crosspool Festival art show and have your work on display at St Columba’s church in July?

The organisers are appealing for artists who live in the Crosspool area or are involved in the Crosspool community to submit work for the show.

If you are interested in taking part, please contact Margaret Townrow on 0114 230 1098 or towniesrm@talktalk.net, or Judith Hanson on 0114 268 1505 or hasseandjudith@btinternet.com with your name and telephone number.

They will need details of your paintings by 11 June.

Washday Blues by Margaret Townrow

Ken Hoyland painting

Crosspool restaurants to merge

Artisan restaurant, Crosspool: now on both floors
Artisan restaurant, Crosspool: now on both floors

Richard Smith’s Catch seafood cafe at Crosspool is closing as a separate venture and merging with Artisan downstairs. The same menu will be running on both floors, with fish a specialty.

The Sheffield Telegraph reports that Artisan was turning people away at busy times.

New timetable and continuing discount fares for route 51

Bus operator First has confirmed that current discount fares will ‘continue indefinitely’ on the 51 bus running from Lodge Moor to Charnock via town.

The promotional fares, which were launched last June, mean that a single journey from Crosspool to town costs £1.60, compared to the previous price of £1.95. The original announcement indicated that the discount fares might only run until March 2011.

Meanwhile, a new timetable (PDF, 623KB) will be in operation on route 51 from 8 May.

Route 51 on Travel South Yorkshire

New route 51 timetable from 8 May 2011 (PDF, 623KB)

Bus route 51: new timetable and continuing discount fares
Bus route 51: new timetable and continuing discount fares