Bell Hagg Inn to be converted into seven bedroom house

There are plans to convert the The Bell Hagg Inn into a house
There are plans to convert the The Bell Hagg Inn into a house

Plans to convert a derelict Crosspool pub into a seven bedroom house will be considered by the council planning board on Tuesday.

The Bell Hagg Inn on Manchester Road has stood empty for years but the new proposals would see the two buildings turned into a single dwelling and extended. A two-story structure would also be demolished. Planning officers are recommending that the new scheme is approved.

Loxley Valley Protection Society is critical of the plans, but Rivelin Conservation Group has welcomed the proposal.

The former pub is located opposite the entrance to Valleyside Garden Centre, and its position offers commanding views over the Rivelin valley.

View planning application 11/00131/FUL

The Star: Home conversion for disused former pub

The Bell Hagg Inn has great views over Rivelin
The Bell Hagg Inn has great views over Rivelin

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.

Lydgate Lane to close for a month

Lydgate Lane is to close between Crookes Road and Ryegate Crescent from Monday 9 May for essential water mains work.

The road is due to reopen on 7 June 2011. If you have queries then the helpline for contractors Balfour Beatty is 0800 121 4444.

The bottom section of Lydgate Lane, around the Grindstone is already closed, with a diversion running via Nairn Street and Bute Street.

Last summer, Manchester Road and Glossop Road closed for the replacement of gas mains, but they reopened nearly a month early as the work took less time than originally anticipated.

Lydgate Lane: closed for a month
Lydgate Lane: closed for a month

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.

Crosspool in bloom, March 2011

Over the last couple of weeks, it seems that Spring has sprung in Crosspool. These photos, taken over the last few days, show some of the daffodils and blossom on view as you walk around the neighbourhood.

You can view them using the slideshow or gallery below.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

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

Manchester Road electronic speed signs return

This week the speed indication displays returned to Manchester Road.

As well as showing drivers how fast they are going, the signs also display a happy face for vehicles travelling under the speed limit and a sad face for those exceeding it.

The idea is that they slow cars down by making drivers aware when they are driving at unsafe speeds. The speed limit for this stretch of road is 30mph.

Two speed indication displays were installed in a similar location last summer for a few weeks. We’ll report back anything we hear about the data collected.

Background information about Manchester Road speed signs

Manchester Road speed signs return
The electronic speed signs on Manchester Road have returned

Crosspool Coffee Shop closes: property to be sold as a house

The coffee shop situated on the plot between Manchester Road and Lydgate Lane has now closed.

An application to change the use so it could become a house was accepted by the council last year. The two-bedroomed property been put on the market for £264,950 and now includes planning consent for a drive.

Former Crosspool coffee shop, 315 Lydgate Lane property on rightmove.co.uk

Crosspool coffee shop, 315 Lydgate Lane
The former Crosspool coffee shop at 315 Lydgate Lane: now being sold as a house

Crosspool businesses open despite major snowfall

Shops and businesses in Crosspool opened this morning despite what the council is describing as the deepest December Sheffield snowfall for a century.

The photos below were taken just before 9am this morning, and show Philip James butchers, GT News, Spar and the greengrocers all open for business. MG Mosley & Sons milk float was also out and about making deliveries as normal.

Local community spirit was also in evidence, with residents assisting with the clearing of snow and making trips to the shops to pick up supplies for neighbours. With the local schools all closed today (Wednesday 1 December 2010), children are also making the most of the snow with sledging and snowballing.

People are being encouraged to only use cars if absolutely necessary and also check that elderly neighbours are coping with the conditions.

Travel South Yorkshire advises that bus services have been suspended until further notice.

Latest Travel South Yorkshire updates

Extra news and updates about the snow will also be posted to our Twitter account and Facebook page.

Snow arrives in Crosspool

This week has seen the first snow fall of the season in Crosspool.

After a light dusting on Wednesday night, around an inch of snow was awaiting residents this morning.

At 9am, the main road through the precinct and Manchester Road were clear. Less major roads in the neighbourhood were still coated in snow so until it melts, be careful if you are heading out.

The first snow of the season fell this week in Crosspool
The first snow of the season fell this week in Crosspool: the precinct at 9am this morning