Earlier this year local people had real concerns about proposals to allocate green field sites in the Crookes area for new housing. Two of the sites mentioned were Hadfield Reservoir (behind School Road) and Lydgate Reservoir (off Evelyn Road).
The council has now dropped plans to use the Hadfield site for new houses but the Lydgate site has not been ruled out and remains under consideration. Yorkshire Water has confirmed that they are “undertaking further investigations” at the Lydgate site.
However the council has said in a statement that “to provide advice on the archaeological value and ecological value of the site, an ecological assessment and a desk based archaeological assessment is being carried out.”
Although the council hasn’t made up its mind yet, ostensibly the usually purpose of investigations like these are to see whether a site is suitable for development.
Local residents are concerned at the prospect of losing yet another green and open space and worried about the possible knock-on effect new housing will have on traffic, road safety and local schools.
If you have anxieties regarding this or any other matters, please don’t hesitate to contact your local councillors Sylvia Anginotti, Geoff Smith and Rob Frost.
A Crosspool school is asking dog owners to keep their dogs on leads while they’re on the school site between 8am and 5pm and also think about where their dogs leave their waste.
In recent incidents at King Edward VII middle school on Darwin Lane, teaching staff have experienced dogs running at students and exploring the school’s all-weather pitch during PE lessons.
The school’s Education Manager Laura Drabble commented: “I appreciate that these dogs may only be friendly but to a student who is afraid of dogs this can be quite upsetting.”
Reminding dog owners to think about where they deposit dog waste, Laura explained: “Students have been complaining of dog mess in the bins they use for their litter. In warm weather the smell is very unpleasant. Dog walkers should also only use the red dog bins for their dog mess. We would also respectfully ask that owners do not let their dogs urinate up railings and posts on the school site where students often sit and play.
“We don’t wish to upset residents but we do have a duty of care to our students.”
The space outside Crosspool Tavern where two new planters will be located
Two new planters will be installed at the former entrance to Crosspool Tavern on Manchester Road.
The location will allow for continued pedestrian access to the pelican crossing, the pub entrance and the pavement in front of the pub.
The tubs will be delivered with soil and planting already prepared and Crosspool Forum will take on their future maintenance. An exact date for their arrival has not yet been confirmed.
This former entrance to the Tavern’s car park was earmarked for landscaping as part of the S10 corridor scheme in 2005, although this has not yet happened. The two new floral tubs are expected to make access to the pelican crossing safer.
In 2010 and 2011 Crosspool received Sheffield in Bloom awards for the quality of our floral displays in the precinct.
Voyage into Britain is the topic for the next Rivelin Valley Conservation Group open meeting on Tuesday 13 March, where Mick Spick will be talking about canals.
Members of the public are invited. It starts at 7:30pm at Stephen Hill Church. There is a small charge for entrance fee and refreshments.
Sheffield council has outlined plans to build new homes on Lydgate Reservoir on Evelyn Road, Hadfield Service Reservoir in Crookes and Canterbury Crescent, Fulwood in order to meet government housing targets.
The Lydgate Reservoir land is located at the end of the Evelyn Road cul-de-sac. It is thought that once the reservoir has been decommissioned, Yorkshire Water will market the site after 2017 or 2022.
The council is asking for residents and businesses to comment on the potential new housing plans between 16 January and 27 February 2012.
A drop-in session with Area Planner Sarah Smith has been called at Stephen Hill Methodist Church for Thursday February 2, from 3-8pm. If you have any questions about the consultation, please telephone the Sheffield Development Framework Consultation team on 0114 205 3075.
One Evelyn Road resident, David Smithson, said: “If this pleasant and quiet dead end were to be the sole access to this site, the prospects of an unacceptable increase in traffic and the resultant noise pollution would have detrimental consequence on me and my neighbours’ health and wellbeing. 20 dwellings would probably mean 30 or more cars added to usage of the road.”
The sites are three of 18 in Sheffield earmarked as part of a strategy to build 1,110 new homes.
Stephen Hill/Benty Lane junction still on the agenda – hope to have a report in the next Open Meeting.
Council grant for 20 Union flags & poles – to decorate the precinct in time for the 2012 Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and Olympic games.
Treasurer’s Report (Chris Batchelor)
Our bank account remains healthy– but this is because the grant for the flags has yet to be spent, and next years’ summer flowers will need to be paid for.
Crosspool Festival
This will start on 7th July with Crosspool Open Gardens, and end with the Summer Fayre on Sat 14th, & Open Air service on Sun 15th. The Festival Committee would like some more helpers – please contact Rev Frances Eccleston or Ian.
Police Report (Pc Louise Atha & Pc Dave Hall)
Allotment break-ins – especially to the society’s hut & container, from which several hundreds of pounds were taken, & a lot of mess caused. Residents were urged to post the serial numbers of eg lawnmowers and similar equipment on the website www.immobilize.com so stolen items can be traced back to them. Operation Herbaceous is in place to try to stop this.
Scrap metal & lead nicking; Operation Anchor has been targeting & stopping suspicious vehicles in Dore & Totley (19) and Bramall Lane & Ecclesall Rd (34) – & prosecuting those with unroadworthy vans or no waste carrying licences.
Car crime; there have been some break-ins to vehicles on Crookes/Crookesmoor. Residents were urged not to leave satnav cradles on display.
Operation Dark Nights is about to begin for Halloween & Bonfire Night, & shops being checked to ensure no underage sale of alcohol or fireworks is taking place.
Questions were taken on verge bollard use, bad parking on Manchester rd & the proposed closure of Manchester road round Stephen Hill, Delph Hse Rd & Selborne Rd for resurfacing.
Councillors’ Question time (Sylvia Anginotti, Brian Holmes & Geoff Smith)
Councillors answered questions such as a query on attic extension building and trespass by a neighbour, bus timetabling & the new Optio scheme (voluntary partnership agreement between Stagecoach & First – nos. 120 & 52 buses), and why the 51 never seems to come on time!
Residents were asked to keep details of timetabling failures & send them on to Ian Hague, or direct by phone to Pam Horner (SYPTE External Relationships Manager – 0114 2211452).
There were concerns over poor bus lane signage (Ripley St), silly bus lane sections (Mushroom Lane head), and why the 120 stop in town is Flat St & not the Interchange. The Vernon Tce bus shelter issue was raised again – & Cllr Anginotti suggested an online petition direct to Council about this.
Residents asked whether the post box could be moved from outside Craft Angels to a less congested spot in the shopping precinct, but this has been requested before & Royal Mail say they can not do so.
There was also a request to have the word ‘SLOW’ painted at the bottom of Sandygate Rd hill, where drivers come round the bend to the zebra crossing.
AOB
A special limited edition of Crosspool cards is available from Craft Angels – £2.50 per pack.
There will be a Christmas Disco at St Columba’s on 4th Dec; tickets from the Crosspool Pet Shop. Father Christmas will be there!
The Sheffield to Castleton & Bakewell bus (operated by Derbyshire County Council) that runs along Manchester rd is to change to number 273/4/5.
Ian Hague is hoping to get funding for an over-60s trip …. music will be involved!
Green Garden Waste bags; remember the last collection will be the week starting 31st Oct. A report on all aspects of waste collection throughout the city is expected, so until this is published there will be no green waste collections.
The Rivelin Valley Conservation Group has been given a Lifetime Achievement Award (collected by Graham Appleby & Keith Kendall).
The next Open Meeting will be Thursday, 26 January 2012. 7pm, St Columba’s.
Rivelin valley : the local conservation group has won an award
Rivelin Valley Conservation Group collected top prize at the Sheffield Telegraph Environment Awards this week.
The organisation is now twenty years old and continues to encourage the effective management of wildlife habitats and to reverse the decline of the nature trail.
Volunteers from a membership of 500 meet once a month for regular walks, talks from both enthusiasts and experts and also to improve the Rivelin valley environment.
Thanks for all your ideas for where to plant our spring bulbs. The three locations earmarked to receive this year’s allocation are the top of Stephen Hill, the triangle at the junction of Watt lane and Dransfield Road and on Manchester Road, possibly between the two churches.
Can you spare an hour on Saturday 15 October to help Crosspool Forum plant them on grass verges near to where you live? We’ll be meeting at 10am on the verge in front of the Crosspool Tavern.
If you fancy popping along then telephone 0114 335 1674, email crosspoolforum@fsmail.net or just turn up. You don’t need to bring anything, but if you do have a small spade then please bring it along.
The Friends of Lydgate Green are organising a day to work on the flower beds.
This Sunday 2 October, volunteers will be weeding, moving plants, litter picking and tidying up.
They’re inviting anyone interested in helping to come along from 10am. It’s a family affair, the more the merrier – bring your forks, spades, barrows & buckets!
There are gaps to be filled so any spare perennials for donation are also very welcome.
Lydgate Green is on the Lydgate Lane/Lydgate Hall Crescent junction in Crosspool.
Crosspool News - crosspool.info 