June 2006 Issue 62

On 17th May 2006 Local councillor Jackie Drayton was made Lord Mayor of Sheffield. Jackie, who has been a Burngreave councillor for many years, was sworn in at a ceremony held at the Town Hall.

Outline planning applications to build houses on the north side of Smithies Field, next to Grimesthorpe Road, were refused by the Council last November, because the Council considers this land to be a greenfield site, partly open space and having trees on it which are subject to tree preservation orders. The applicants, Redwall Developments, are appealing against this decision.

Report on the Burngreave Community Action Trust (BCAT) AGM which was held on 24th May 2006 at Pye Bank School.

• Burngreave is on the brink of significant change…

• Volunteers needed

Grass sledging, climbing and footy! If you fancy having a go at any of these activities, come and join Friends of Osgathorpe Park.

Earl Marshal Under 11s are looking for more players for the coming season.

Burngreave Ramblers walks are five to seven miles long and are usually in the Peak District.

People coming for help at Pitsmoor Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) may notice a change to our service from 31st May 2006. We will be changing our ‘first come first served’ drop-in to an appointment system.

An expectant buzz greeted people at the Vestry Hall meeting on Thursday 18th May 2006 at Shiloh Church in Spital Hill. The Burngreave community was widely represented with a good turn out.

The updated Better Buses proposals, aimed at improving bus journeys through Burngreave, have been met with further confusion and opposition.

Includes:

• Spital Hill response

• Discontent Continues

• Better Buses Team response

A Burngreave Road resident has won the fight to save his garage, which was under threat of demolition under the Masterplan for Catherine Street.

Grimesthorpe residents have succeeded in their six year campaign for traffic calming measures on Grimesthorpe Road and Carwood Road.

Hiwa Ahmedy arrived early to meet me at the Kurdish Community Centre. He was eager to tell his story. Hiwa is a 30-year-old Iranian Kurd who’s lived in Sheffield for ten months.

Fifty-five people attended the Annual General Meeting of the newly re-opened Kurdish Community Centre (KCC), on 30th April 2006, electing eight people to their Management Committee.

The Grapes public house on Gower Street has been run by the same family for a number of years now. The present landlord, Martin, took over The Grapes when his mother Lucy retired. He and his wife Gina have worked very hard to make a very successful local.

Tawfer Alshemari, manager of Monte Carlo Pizza on Spital Hill, has discovered that an authentic blend of ingredients is the key to success in his bid to bring a taste of the laid-back continental café culture to Burngreave’s doorstep.

A new salon on the fringe of Burngreave is teasing fashionable residents with a tantalising range of hairstyles and cosmetics.

In recognition of Adults Learners’ Week Burngreave Community Learning Campaign, in conjunction with other local organisations, launched the Burngreave Celebrates Learning Festival on Saturday 20th May 2006.

A breastfeeding awareness event held at Abbeyfield Park on 15th May 2006 has proved to be a huge success.

Another successful Environmental Day was organised by Green City Action on Sunday 21st May 2006 in Abbeyfield Park.

Ellesmere Youth Project (EYP) has been keeping children safe and occupied in the Carwood and Ellesmere area for many years. Now some of their young people have brought together a dance group who have been entertaining Burngreave.

Rob Smith was invited to meet a young man who’s leading the way for a great local initiative. Eighteen-year-old Jahshanti Wilson has been a local resident all his life and he spoke to the Messenger about the recent fulfilment of his dream.

A new development of ‘eco-friendly’ social housing is under construction at the Earldom site, located on the hillside between Catherine Road and Grimesthorpe Road. The developers, Arches Housing Association, believe that this project might be the first, in Sheffield, to achieve the government’s ‘EcoHomes Excellent’ standard. On completion the site will be officially named ‘Burnwood’.

Stop Press:

New Deal have approved funding to expand the Deliver It Green project, which started with Objective 1 funding, to overhaul community green spaces.

Also:

• Green City Action can provide window boxes up to one metre wide…

• Three new mountain ash (rowan) trees have been planted at the top of Burngreave Bank…

Dear Resident, I would just like to take a couple of lines to introduce myself to you. My name is Alison Reid and I have been with Burngreave New Deal for Communities Partnership for a couple of weeks now as the Communication Manager…

Also:

• How to get advice on community safety

• A summary of minutes from the April Partnership Board Meeting

• Details of June's theme meetings

• Background to the purchase of Forum House

• Celebrate Refugee Day

• Adam's Design Success

Latest news from the Area Co-ordinator for the Burngreave Area Panel. Including:

• A focus on walking

• Walking Groups

• The Area Panel’s efforts to open up local paths.

Plus:

• Bring Out Your Rubbish day

• Councillors' surgery dates

Letters from our readers:

• Gordon Lawton, a former Burngreave resident now living in Australia, reminisces on his childhood in Burngreave.

• Responses to letters in the May 2006 issue, regarding New Deal, BCAT and BCAF.