First Community Assembly meeting attracts great attention

Approximately 100 people from all across the North East Community Assembly area attended the first community assembly meeting to witness local ward councillors make decisions about the allocation of over £200,000 of funding within the area.

It was the first opportunity for members, officers and the public to experience the new format meetings, which will be held quarterly in different venues across the area.

These meetings are where elected members of the community assembly make decisions in a public setting and have been compared to the more formal cabinet meetings which the city council holds.

While there is time for public questions at the beginning of the meeting and at set points in the agenda the format was very different to area panel meetings and some residents felt that they had not had enough opportunity to ask questions or make comments. However, the real opportunity for residents to have their say is at ‘Your Say’ events across the area. This summer the Community Assembly team have already visited Firth Park festival, where they received feedback from over 140 residents, Parson Cross, Abbeyfield and Fir Vale festivals.

It was reported at the meeting that Area Based Grant allocated to the community assembly had been split between the different areas to ensure a fair allocation across the whole of the North East Community Assembly area.

At the meeting, residents were informed that a decision had already been made to purchase the Burngreave New Deal Consultation Vehicle for £20,000. Some residents at the meeting were not happy with this decision however, it was explained that it is being used as a key element of the assembly’s Community Involvement Strategy and the decision to purchase the vehicle had been taken following a full engineer’s inspection and a cost-benefit analysis.

Other funding agreed was:

• Continuation of the provision of Childcare Training Pathway Coordinator in Brightside Shiregreen (£21,525)

• Firth Park Summer Festival (£2,000)

• Shiregreen Festival (£500)

• Wincobank Festival (£500)

• Fir Vale Festival (£2,000)

• Abbeyfield Festival (£5,000)

• Shirecliffe Festival (£500)

• Longley Festival (£500)

• Southey Festival (£500)

• Foxhill festival (£500)

• Parson Cross festival (£400)

• Floral features across the assembly area (£28,416)

• Activity Sheffield (£63,000)

• Burngreave Messenger (£5,000)

• Burngreave Street Champions(£2,000)

• Community Chest (£3,000) – to be provided across the area.

• Community North Forum (£20,000

• Burngreave Community Action Forum (£6,000

• Pakistani Advice Centre (£6,000)

• Free swimming for the under 16s voucher scheme £4,000

• Purchase of Burngreave Mobile Information Unit £20,000

• Provision for annual running costs for Burngreave Mobile Consultation Vehicle (£5,000)

• Provision for consultation costs(£10,000)

• To continue the provision of Sheffield Homes’ wardens in parks and neighbourhood centres in Southey Owlerton. (£7,500)

• Continuing the extension of Saturday opening at Burngreave library (£1,400)

Other items agreed at the meeting were the process for the development of the assembly’s Community Plan, the principles for the Community Involvement Strategy and the summer programme for Activity Sheffield. The full reports can be accessed at http://www.sheffield.gov.uk/your-city-council/council-meetings/community-assem blies/ north-east/agendas-2009.

To contact the North East Community Assembly, please contact the team on 0114 203 7646.