This page is produced by Andy Shallice, area Co-ordinator for Burngreave Area Panel
A blizzard of public meetings – and no election in sight
Over a month ago now was the night of the last Area Panel meeting. It was the ‘day of the snow’, and the meeting was cancelled. Marilyn spent all afternoon on the phone and as 6.30pm came, there weren’t crowds of people trying to get into Pitsmoor Methodist.
Two people fought their way through and I think they deserve a mention. Laila (from Owler Brook School) came on the 76 from High Green; and Robin (from South Yorkshire Forest) came armed with his pamphlets on using renewable fuel – willows to you and me – as a contribution to a sustainable Burngreave. Laila and Robin will be ‘guests of honour’ at the re-arranged environment meeting (see below).
The next Area Panel meeting is looking at Parkwood Landfill site. The operators Viridor have submitted plans to increase the capacity of the site to handle waste, but also to shorten the time Parkwood will be a landfill site. Viridor (Dan Cooke) will be using the meeting to explain why.
The councillors have also asked the Director of Public Health (Jeremy Wight) to bring us up to date with what the local NHS have done in tracing if there are any links between the site, and illness and chronic conditions in the local communities. We’re hosting this jointly with Southey and Owlerton Panel – Tuesday 12th April at 6.30pm at Shirecliffe Community Centre on Shirecliffe Road (near Busk Meadows school).
The following week the meeting will be about the Masterplanning process, which includes plans for Spital Hill, Woodside, Catherine Street, Owler Lane, Skinnerthorpe and Page Hall. You’ve been living with this for over twelve months now – exhibitions, door to door interviews, consultants, big angry meetings and smaller gatherings.
The City Council’s Cabinet are being asked in mid- May to back plans that will go to the government for approval. The Panel councillors have insisted that before that, local residents will have the chance to hear what is being proposed. So that’s on Sunday 17th April at 12 noon at Fir Vale School.
We’ve re-arranged the Area Panel meeting on environmental improvements – especially the parks, bits and pieces of open land, woods and ponds – for Thursday 28th April at 6.30pm at Pitsmoor Methodist. And there’s three local projects and people to receive environmental awards, John Lawson and Helen Warburton of the Greenfingers project, Christine Steers of Friends of Burngreave Cemetery and Chapel, and Friends of Abbeyfield Park.
The bulldozers are out behind the hoardings at Nursery Street preparing the site for the inner ring road from Shalesmoor to the Wicker. Gibraltar Street is now one way for over a year. Two years plus of construction work lie ahead. How will it affect our area? One way of finding out is that local groups and schools are being invited to have organised visits to see the work at first hand – and talk to the workers involved.