Crosspool News – crosspool.info
The Crosspool community website run by Crosspool Forum
Sheffield City Council has announced that Broomhill library could close within two years unless a community group comes forward to run it.
The mobile library service that visits Crosspool is also due to be scrapped.
Under the plans, just 12 of Sheffield’s 28 libraries will be saved, five will become community-led and 11 – including Broomhill and Walkley – will become ‘independent libaries’.
The council is seeking your views on the proposals.
BBC News: Half of Sheffield’s libraries facing axe
An update from Councillor Geoff Smith following his letter to the Police and Crime Commissioner last month.
Following the Crosspool Forum meeting in July I wrote to the Police and Crime Commissioner, and various Sheffield police commanders about concerns that had been expressed about the future of neighbourhood policing.
I have been contacted by one of those I wrote to, Inspector Deborah Pickering, who is responsible for policing in the south west of Sheffield. She was unable to give me any definite information at this stage but she did make a number of comments.
First she said that South Yorkshire Police is fully committed to neighbourhood policing with local police constables and police and community support officers responsible for a particular area and known in the locality.
Second she referred to the closure of Crewe Flats where our neighbourhood police officers are based at present. She said that because of cuts to the policing budget there was some rationalising of police stations with some closing. She said that it was almost certain that Crewe Flats would close with a likely closure date of early January.
She also said that she was committed to police officers being based within reasonable distances of where they were working but could not at the moment say where police officers for Crookes and Crosspool would be based. She seemed sympathetic to my view that Woodseats would be too far away.
I will be meeting Inspector Pickering in September when I hope to be given some more definite information which I will report.
Former Tapton student Matthew Fitzpatrick is bringing the US Amateur Championship title back to England for the first time in 102 years.
Matthew’s victory this weekend in Brookline, Massachusetts sees him join an illustrious list of former winners of the trophy including names such as Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus. Harold Hilton was the last English winner of the tournament back in 1911.
18-year-old Matthew has just completed his A levels in geography, history and PE at Tapton school in Crosspool. He’ll now join Northwestern University in September for four years where he’ll be taught by Pat Goss, one of the best-regarded golf coaches in the US.
His victory in the US Amateur Championship also means he’ll play in the US Masters and US Open next year.
In July Matthew won silver at The Open at Muirfield.
The new issue of the Crosspool Clarion will soon be landing on your doormat. If you can’t wait, then download and read a PDF of it below.
Download current issue: Autumn 2013, volume 11, issue 3 (PDF, 1MB)
Download current issue: Summer 2013, volume 11, issue 3 (PDF, 1MB)
The Crosspool Clarion is the official newsletter of Crospool Forum. It is a free, quarterly publication, with over 2,500 copies delivered to local households.
Some back issues of past editions of the Crosspool Clarion are also available to download.
To read PDFs on your computer, you may need to first download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Lilian Rowden was found safe just after 10.05pm last night (Thursday 1 August) in the Rivelin area of Sheffield.
This followed an extensive search involving police officers, Edale Mountain Rescue Team, Woodhead Mountain Rescue Team, and search and rescue dog handlers from neighbouring areas.
South Yorkshire Police are thanking those involved in the search and everyone who supported their appeal.
Update 2 August 2013, 1am: Missing 54 year old woman Lilian Rowden has been found safe in Rivelin after an extensive search.
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Police are growing increasingly concerned for the welfare of a missing 54-year-old woman from the Crosspool area of Sheffield.
Lilian Margarete Rowden was last seen at 7.30am yesterday morning, Wednesday 31 July, at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital where she works.
Lilian’s vehicle was found around 8.30am this morning at Rivelin Dam and an extensive police search is taking place in the local area.
Lilian is described as white, 5’4” to 5’6” tall, slim build, with brown shoulder-length hair and she speaks with a German accent. She was last seen wearing a black cardigan, white blouse and black trousers.
Anyone with information about Lilian’s whereabouts is urged to call South Yorkshire Police on 101 quoting incident number KX/2269/2013.
One of our councillors, Geoff Smith, has written to Shaun Wright, South Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner after concerns over the future of policing in Crosspool were raised at last week’s Crosspool Open Meeting.
Residents voiced concern following the news that our nearest police station on Clarkehouse Road is set to close due to funding cuts, and some well-known local officers could be deployed elsewhere.
The letter is published below. Geoff has promised to share any response he receives.
Date: Friday, 26 July 2013
To: Shaun Wright, Police and Crime Commissioner, South Yorkshire
CC: Chief Constable, David Crompton, Sheffield District Commander, Chief Superintendent David Hartley and South West Inspector Deborah PickeringDear Mr Wright
I am one of the councillors for Crookes Ward in Sheffield. I am writing to you to raise concerns which have been expressed by local people and groups about the future of neighbourhood policing in Crookes, Crosspool and Sandygate.
I am writing to you as Police and Crime Commissioner but also copying it to the Chief Constable, David Crompton, Sheffield District Commander, Chief Superintendent David Hartley and the local inspector, Deborah Pickering.
We value our neighbourhood policing. We know who our local PC is and who our local PCSOs are. They attend local meetings regularly, make themselves available on our high streets to listen to local concerns, are known to local traders and community leaders, know the local area well and move quickly to deal with any particular crimes or patterns of anti-social behaviour.
We are not of course one of the higher crime areas in Sheffield but we have problems with burglary from houses, gardens and allotments, car crime, traffic congestion, noise and graffiti. Local people support the police and are reassured by knowing that familiar faces are near at hand and will deal appropriately with problems and keep local people informed.
We are worried that this is going to change for the worse.
The key elements of neighbourhood policing are police officers and PCSOs who have responsibility for a particular neighbourhood, know it well, and are known locally; and that they are based sufficiently near the neighbourhood that they can get to it easily and quickly by various means of transport.The future of these key elements seems to be in doubt. It appears that a number of PCs and PCSOs might have a responsibility for a much wider area with a dilution of local knowledge and responsibility. Regarding location we are concerned by the proposed closure of the base at Crewe Flats and the possible relocation to Hammerton Road, or even further away at Woodseats.
The local Neighbourhood Watch has organised a petition on the location issue which you should be receiving soon.
I would appreciate it if you would look into these matters and respond. I will be making this letter public and will be making your response public.
Yours sincerely
Councillor Geoff Smith
Councillor for Crookes, Labour Group, Sheffield City Council, Town Hall, Surrey Street, Sheffield, S1 2HH.
Email: geoff.smith2@sheffield.gov.uk
The organisers of Once Upon a Sensory Story invite all 0-5 year olds to come and join us in the telling of Going on a Bear Hunt on Tuesday 30 July from 2-3pm at Lounge @ Crosspool.
Sensory stories allow children to use all of their senses to help retell a story. For example, on the bear hunt the group will be running or crawling through swishy-swashy grass and paddling in the deep cold river, to name but two challenges.
Tickets cost £5 per child and include a snack and drink. Phone or text 07725 228 127 to book your place – hurry as places are limited and are selling fast.
Over the last seven days there have been at least three reports of cars being vandalised overnight in the Crosspool area.
Owners of vehicles parked on Cairns Road, Manchester Road and Watt Lane have found their cars with smashed rear/passenger windows and broken wing mirrors.
The police have been informed but do be vigilant and report anything suspicious by calling 101.
Has your car also been vandalised? If so, please comment below.
The top half of Dransfield Road was closed on Friday afternoon to allow children to play out in safety on the street.
Four local mums were successful in their application for Sheffield’s first-ever ‘playing out’ session, which saw the road closed to traffic from the Barholm Road junction upwards, with stewarded access for residents.
Householders on the road were invited to come out to play or pop out just for a chat after school between 4pm and 5.30pm.
Over 30 children from Dransfield Road and neighbouring Barholm Road and Cardoness Drive enjoyed a fantastic afternoon.
One of the mums, Bron Ray, initiated the event after reading about a similar scheme in Bristol which encourages residents to close their roads for an hour or two. The scheme aims to provide local children with a rare opportunity to ride their bikes, kick a football and play chalk games in the street.
The event on Dransfield Road was a huge success and the residents are planning to reapply to the council to secure future Playing Out events for their children.
As one five-year-old said on the day, being allowed to play out on the road was ‘absolutely awesome!’
Crosspool News - crosspool.info 