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Bullet points from Crosspool Forum Open Meeting, Thursday 28 July 2011

Crosspool Forum Open Meeting, July 2011
Crosspool Forum Open Meeting, July 2011

The bullet points from last week’s meeting are below. You can also download them as a PDF.

Everyone is welcome to attend the Open Meetings. The next is on 27 October 2011, 7pm, at St Columba’s.

Crosspool Forum Open Meeting 28 July 2011 bullet points PDF (70KB)

Bullet points from Crosspool Forum Open Meeting, Thursday 28 July 2011

Matters arising and Chairman’s report

  1. Funding has been granted for another computer course – start date 9th Sep 2011. As before an entry level course and an advanced course (spreadsheets, emails & the internet). Names to Ian Hague ASAP. If interested.
  2. A car boot sale is expected to take place on 10th Sep, Crosspool Tavern car park as usual.
  3. The Crosspool Festival was a great success – the Open Gardens took £2000, the pie & pea supper £230, the picnic in the park £300, and Summer Fayre £900. All this will go to charities and to Crosspool community use
  4. Diamond Jubilee year 2012; Ian has secured some funding for flags and flowers ot mark both the Queen’s Jubilee and the London Olympics year.
  5. The next Clarion will be out in a few weeks time; residents to send in any articles or ask these to be posted on the webpage
  6. The ‘Crosspool Harvest’ scheme has a new name – Hillside Harvest – & an allotment site on Hagg Hill. The Forum is still looking after Hagg Copse.

There was no Treasurer’s report at this meeting and no police presence.

Councillors’ Report (Geoff Smith)

A lot of reviews and strategy meetings have been taking place in the Counci, and of interest to Crosspool are the following:

  1. Broomhill air pollution issues; by the autumn they hope to have a strategy in place including ensuring vehicles with fewer emissions are using the Crooked hill gradient, and tackling the food outlet problems.
  2. Mayfield Valley lorry problem; the Council is working with freight operators to designate.routes throughout Sheffield so that problems are not just moved from one road to another equally bad.
  3. “Twenty’s plenty” campaign; a strategy is being developed to look, first, at making this the speed limit for roads round schools, and then secondly to work with Highways PFI to extend this further to other streets, from the autumn.
  4. Stephen Hill/Benty Lane junction; after a survey the report is imminent.
  5. Household waste review; the black bins will still be collected weekly, and blue ones fortnightly. In the trial areas of Sheffield where householders were allowed to choose which blue bin to hold which waste only 16 percent altered their use! This will not be extended, so Crosspool will use the wheeled blue bin for alu, steel cans, glass & plastic still.

Mr Smith listened to questions and arguments from the floor about commuter parking (from Derbyshire) on Crosspool streets, and local school car use (teachers & pupils). Erecting meters around Crosspool was suggested. He had not been aware of the long-standing Vernon Terrace bus shelter issue, but will take it on board. Residents are eager to see a satisfactory conclusion to this.

Guest speakers: magistrates Andrew Bentley, Anthea Peers and Grant Laughton

Magistrates at Crosspool Forum Open Meeting, July 2011
Magistrates at Crosspool Forum Open Meeting, July 2011

The JPs from Sheffield gave a most illuminating talk about the role of magistrates in the community, how the judgement is essentially fair and peer-led.

  • Almost anyone can apply to be trained to be a magistrate – age 18-70 – and can expect to be asked to sit on the bench for 26-35 half-day sittings a year. ( Employers are however not obliged to cover the expenses of their employees, which can be a problem).
  • The origins of the magistrate system go back to 1195 in this country, and there are now Adult, Youth & Family courts in operation, with 2 or 3 justices sitting in each court.
  • Sadly some 60-65 percent of the cases in front of them are drug-related, and the officers have the discretion to pass a serious case on to the Crown Court, or to hear the case and to discharge, fine (up to £5000), impose a community order (of up to 360 hours) or send to prison (up to 6 months) those found guilty. There is a large guideline document on sentencing and their powers, but discretion and common sense are also important – fining a youth with no money makes no sense, if it is the parents who will have to pay!
  • The justices regularly visit the local prisons and stressed they are not pleasant or comfortable places – indeed can be very intimidating, very smelly and noisy! – but neither is a community sentence a soft option.
  • Motoring offences were discussed, how all cautions etc stay on the individual’s permanent record for life, and how “crime does not pay” – the court will investigate thoroughly and claim back any proceeds from crime.
  • It was stressed that a motorist must be parked, with the car engine switched off, before using a mobile phone; penalties for misuse are about to be increased.
  • The main speed cameras in Sheffield are at Parkway Bernard Rd, Penistone Rd & Queen’s Rd (Earl of Arundel box junction).

AOB

The No. 51 outbound bus from town now runs from a stop outside HSBC (along with the 52) – though residents still feel there can be 3 x 52s in a row waiting so there’s a real worry of the 51 overtaking them & not picking travellers up!

Next meeting

The next Open Meeting will be 27 October 2011, 7pm, at St Columba’s.

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Bullet points from Crosspool Forum Open Meeting, Monday 9 May 2011

Download as a Word document (41KB)

Matters arising & Chairman’s report

  1. More scrap dealers cruising the area – Pc Louise Atha to be informed.
  2. Crookes/Whitham Rd junction traffic problems? The severe pollution caused at this junction is a serious issue that wants immediate attention. Cllr Holmes is awaiting a response from Pam Horner (PTES) and the newly-re-organized Planning Board decision.
  3. Crosspool is entering ‘Sheffield in Bloom’ again – look out for the tubs & baskets! The Forum will need to acquire funding next year if it is to pay for a 2012 display – for the Diamond Jubilee!
  4. Internet computer course – this started on Fri 6th (St Columbas; 9.30-2pm.) Some places are still available.
  5. Car Boot Sale (profits to Weston Park Hospital) – 11th June. (the ‘Tavern’ car park as usual).
  6. Darwin House Open Day – 18th June
  7. Motorworld site planning permission (Turner Investments)  – this has been refused  by the Planning Inspectorate.
  8. Crosspool Centenary Walk – starting at the Tavern 12 noon on 30th July. Please cheer the 3 walkers on (or join them!)in their huge walk for Weston Park.
  9. Mayfield Valley lorries – a resident there is starting a campaign to prevent satnavs allowing inappropriately  huge vehicles from trying to squeeze down the lanes.

Police issues

As Pc Atha was on leave there was no report, but residents made the following points to be passed on to her – as well as point 1 above.

  1. Drug dealers using the ginnel at the top of Delph House Rd – this is to stopped.
  2. ‘20s plenty’ local speed campaign progress? After the local elections this is waiting until the Planning Boards have been re-organized.
  3. Wooden verge bollards – are more needed at the top of Stephen Hill? There is still some verge parking on that very dangerous road.
  4. Stephen Hill/Manchester Rd/Benty Lane junction – survey conclusions? This junction must be sorted out.

Councillors’ Report (Brian Holmes and Geoff Smith)

New Cllr Geoff Cox was welcomed, & said he was still in a ‘listening mode’, but hopes to get his contact details out to the public ASAP .

Residents being able to choose for themselves what to use their recycling bin BLUE BINS & BLUE BOXES for may start on 23rd May – watch this space!

The proposed hessian bag GREEN GARDEN WASTE SCHEME is not now happening – green bags are available once more from eg the libraries for green waste. At the moment the ‘winter’ scheme of residents ‘phoning to arrange collection is still in force – this may take 21 days. Cllrs agreed that re-opening the Botanical Gardens cafe was a high priority.

Treasurer’s Report

There is sufficient in  the ‘kitty’ to cover this year’s flowers, but (see above) grants will be needed for future projects

Crosspool Festival

Rev Frances Eccleston reported that  the Festival will open with Crosspool Open Gardens on Sat 2nd July, a Street Market on Sun 3rd, and 0 after a range of day & evening events – end with the Summer Fayre on Sat 9th & Picnic in the Park (Lydgate Green) on Sun 10th. More volunteers still warmly welcomed!

Digital Switchover report

Carrie McKenzie (Voluntary Action Sheffield) said that all old TVs & aerials should work fine with the new digital signal. People receiving TV through SKY dishes or by cable will not be affected at all when the analogue signal is switched off, but if TV comes via an aerial some form of ‘digibox’ for the new freeview 15 channels will be needed.  If residents get  their TV signals from the Crookes transmitter then BBC2 will disappear on 10th Aug (& the other channels two weeks later) – if from Emley Moor BBC2 will go on 7th Sep (& the others on 21st) and if from Belmont (not very likely in this area) 3rd August (& 17th).  Residents over 75 will have received a letter already asking them whether they need an installer to call & tune their sets in – if they biined this by accidents further letters will be sent!  Video recorders will still work to play old videos, but not record any longer..

AOB

  1. Cold callers – (Pat of Neighbourhood Watch) said the digital switchover might mean scams with callers pretending new aerials are needed. The real switchover installers will have contacted households ahead & made an appointment.
  2. Guests for next Open Meeting – Ian Hague will try to get a Magistrate to attend (having been at a very interesting meeting re sentencing etc).
  3. Old ‘Threshers’ shop? No-one had any information on this site.
  4. Local King Edwards schoolgirl Alicia Cannon has been named as winner of the Big Challenge for her fund-raising work for Weston Park.
  5. Crosspool litter pick (2nd April) – thank you to everyone who attended, and helped pick up 9 bags of rubbish! A special thank you to a Tapton girl & her Essex friend for their assistance!
  6. School involvement in the Open Meetings? The Forum would like to hear from anyone in Tapton or King Edwards who would like to speak at the Meetings – to give their points of view on their community.

Next Open Meeting will be on Thursday 28 July 2011, at St Columba’s, 7pm.

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Bullet points from Crosspool Forum Open Meeting, Thursday 27 January 2011

Download as a Word document (30KB)

Matters arising & Chairman’s report

Unfortunately due to an unforeseen commitment, Ian was unable to be at Thursday’s meeting and sent his apologies.

In his absence the meeting was left in the capable hands of Roger, Chris and Steve.

  1. The usual spring-flowering bulbs were planted round Crosspool in the autumn of 2010.

Police report & incidents

  1. A new email etc newsletter is being produced by the Broomhill SNA; anyone interested can fill in a Neighbourhood News form & email/send it back to the police. Gary Hizam hopes to have enough forms to include one in the next edition of every Clarion.
  2. Watch out for an illegitimate door-to-door salesman ( – selling sticky tape & pens!); remember to check peoples’ ID.
  3. Recent police monitoring of the Crosspool shops caught a cannabis dealer. Residents are to report any suspicious behaviour to the Broomhill police on 296 4876 or use the 220 2020 number.
  4. There is a new anti-social behaviour car that patrols the streets at night; this can be deployed instantly once a problem is reported.
  5. Scrap-collecting vehicles; the scrap dealers are now targeting houses – eg flat roofs to porches & bay windows. Please report any suspicious van registration numbers for PC Louise Atha’s database.
  6. Vernon Tce in-bound bus –stop. After a meeting with the schools, PTE & police about the unruly behaviour of children waiting to catch a bus into town at the end of the school day, the PTE is considering whether to de-commission this stop during that time.
  7. Levels of crime; burglaries have been low but opportunistic car crime is still happening. (The Broomhill SNA has some packs of internal-use Smartwater still available).

Councillors’ Report (Sylvia Anginotti & Brian Holmes)

  1. Junction of Benty Lane/Manchester Rd/ Stephen Hill; a Highways Officer will survey this shortly.
  2. The crossroads formed by Sandygate Rd. Coldwell Lane and Carsick Hill Rd was the subject of a Tapton School survey, and a request made for a crossing here. This has been turned down.
  3. Pot holes; residents were requested to telephone Streetforce to report these (273 4567) as soon as possible. A large team is going round Sheffield filling them in.
  4. Despite the reduction in the amount of money available from the Government to repair all Sheffield’s roads (and it being 12 months behind schedule), this ‘fence to fence’ initiative will cover footpaths, verges, trees, street lighting & highways – and roads are already being prioritised for this work.

Treasurer’s Report & Crosspool Festival etc

The treasurer reported that the Crosspool Forum has 1 bank balance of £2430, having paid for last summer’s floral displays. The 2011 Crosspool Festival will of ahead again, starting on 2nd July with the Open Gardens, a ‘Crosspool’s got Talent’ show, a streetmarket (3rd), art exhibition (4th onwards), local walks, kids’ treasure hunt, folk evening, ceilidh, Summer Fayre at Coldwell Lane, and then ending with a Sunday open air service at Lydgate Green. Any ideas, art works for the exhibition and offers of help for the Festival and Fayre warmly welcomed.

Crosspool Harvest Project

After a difficult winter the Harvest organizers now have 20 families, both Lydgate Schools, and the Council on board. They hope to find a piece of suitable land, or several smaller sites, on which to start their small-scale, local food-growing cooperative. Please see crosspoolharvest.org.uk for further information.

AOB

  1. Tree removal on Den Bank – these were apparently diseased, but will be replaced.
  2. Ditto Stephen Drive – although one area appears to have been asphalted over!
  3. ‘Twenty is Plenty’ campaign; the decision whether our local streets should be a max. of 20mph has been delegated to the SWCA. Anyone wishing to see a particular street part of this should contact the Forum or their Councillors.
  4. Dog waste bins; there appears to be a problem with non-collecting of their pets’ waste again! The Council is hoping to order 100 more bins, but as these cost about £400 p.a. each this might need to wait.
  5. Council heavy pruning & clearing of the bench-area at the top of Stephen Hill. There was a suggestion the Forum might ‘adopt’ this bit if green space (like it has done of Hagg Copse).
  6. ‘Dig for Charity’ – a local King Edwards’ pupil, Alicia Cannon (12) is running a project selling 5 packets of veg seeds for £2.50 – profits to Weston Park Hospital. Please see her website digforcharity.co.uk for further details.

Next Open Meeting will be on Monday 9th May 2011, at St Columba’s, 7pm