TIME is running out for people to give their views on plans to earmark green and open spaces around Sheffield for up to 500 new homes.

Sheffield Council’s consultation exercise into the proposals ends on Monday.

The authority says it needs to earmark 18 areas - which include playing fields and farmland - to help meet a target of 35,000 new homes by the year 2026, as there is not enough brown-field land for all the properties required.

One of the areas where the plans have caused the most controversy is Woodhouse where three sites are earmarked, among them farmland off Beighton Road where as many as 200 homes could be built.

Members of Shirebrook Conservation Group have already objected.

Woodhouse resident David Newbould, a craftsman who lives half-a-mile from the farmland, said: “These fields are council- owned and are let to a local farmer, for him to produce crops.

“Council planners now think it’s a good idea to schedule this land for 200-or-so new houses, because private developers do not see brown-field sites as profitable enough. The council should grow some teeth and insist on brownfield sites first.”

Other sites earmarked for development include land surrounding reservoirs being decommissioned in Crookes, former Sheffield Hallam University playing fields at Norton and a farm at Worrall. Coun Helen Mirfin-Boukouris, Sheffield Council cabinet member for growth, said: “We are under pressure from the Government to identify enough land for future new homes.

“We also want to protect as much of Sheffield’s green space as we can. With the pressure on land there are some hard choices to make.

“This land is not going to be built on overnight, but it’s about having a plan of land supply for the future.

“If we do not identify enough land, developers could ask to build in places where we do not want them to - like in the green belt.

“We don’t want this to happen. We want to try to protect as much of Sheffield’s green space as we can.”

n View the plans online at https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/planning-and-city-development/planning-documents/sdf/consultation-on-the-sdf.html or at libraries.

To comment, email sdf@sheffield.gov.uk

A SHEFFIELD man is warning smallholders to be on their guard after his chicken house was deliberately set on fire and destroyed, killing two of his birds.

Dad-of-two Tom Brown, aged 38, who has an allotment in High Storrs close to his home, said his family had been left distraught by the attack.

“A neighbour sounded the alarm as he saw the flames, and by the time I got there the shed was well alight,” he said.

“We called the fire brigade but they weren’t able to save the shed, it was completely burned to the ground.”

Tom managed to rescue three of the chickens, which are kept as family pets.

“What has upset us is that this was a deliberate act and the shed was very obviously a chicken house. My wife Amanda and our two boys are gutted - they can’t understand why someone would do something like that.

“The boys are seven and five and they both helped me build the shed in the first place after our other chickens were killed by a fox.”

Tom said the chickens had suffered two fox attacks.

“They were in a smaller run then, but in one of the attacks half the birds were killed. So we haven’t been very lucky. The two that were lost this time were young, just a few weeks old, while another one was adopted.

“But there’s just one chicken who has now survived all three attacks - she must be as hard as nails,” he said.

Police are investigating the attack and Tom said they found a footprint at the scene.

“Whoever did this had to get through a hawthorn hedge, so is likely to have scratches on their face or head, and someone may have seen someone in that condition,” he said.

“But smallholders should be on their guard, it could happen again.

“Kids are passing by the allotments all the time and it’s likely that one of them is to blame.”

Images have been released of men police want to trace over a jewellery scam.

Officers want to speak to them after a man had a chain stolen after being approached by strangers offering to sell him jewellery.

The victim said three men offered to sell him a chain and some rings outside The Portland Hotel, Chesterfield, on Saturday, February 4, at about 4pm. and put the chain around his neck.

When the 48-year-old refused to buy the items he thought the men removed their chain - but later found they had taken his and left a fake in its place.

The conmen were all aged between 20 and 30, of Eastern European appearance and dressed in black.

n Officers are also looking for a thief who approached a 70-year-old woman outside the same venue and grabbed the necklaces she was wearing.

She was approached by the thief on Friday, at about 10.25pm. He put his arm around her, before grabbing her jewellery and fleeing.

The thief was in his late twenties, about 5ft 9in, of medium build and Mediterranean appearance with dark hair and stubble. He was wearing a pink top and blue trousers.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101.

WELL, it made a change from the Lord Mayor...

A bomb disposal robot was the VIP with a difference to unveil a new beginning for the St Dunstan’s rehabilitation and training centre for blind ex-servicemen and women in Sheffield.

The charity, which has its city base on Fulwood Road, Broomhill, now has a change of name.

From now on it will be known as Blind Veterans UK - a name organisers hope will help to spread the message about the vital services the charity provides.

Centre of attention was a bomb disposal robot visiting Sheffield from the Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire.

The robot, also known as the wheelbarrow, was operated by members of the 521 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Squadron.

Captain Peter Graham, who helped the robot to draw back the blue velvet curtain and reveal the new sign, said: “Blind Veterans UK is a charity held in high regard by our squadron, as two of our soldiers were caught in IED blasts in Afghanistan.

“One lost his right eye and the other suffered reduced eyesight to his right eye. Blind Veterans UK will assist them, and other serving and ex members of the forces, for the rest of their lives if they require it.”

Although Sheffield’s is the smallest of the charity’s three centres - the others are in Brighton and Llandudno - it helps hundreds of ex-servicemen and women each year to improve their IT, communications, mobility and independent living skills.

Andrew Jones, Blind Veterans UK’s director of fundraising, said: “Being the only charity in the UK for blind veterans, the new brand reflects much better what we do.

“It puts us in a better position to achieve our vision that no one who has served our country should have to battle blindness alone.

“The name Blind Veterans UK will allow us to raise awareness among the public about the life-changing services we provide to blind and vision impaired veterans.”

Blind Veterans UK was founded in 1915 as St Dunstan’s. Anybody who is blind or has severely impaired vision and has served in the Armed Forces is eligible for its specialist support - even if they served many years ago.

The charity believes there are over 50,000 people who could still benefit from its support.

Pop sensation group win Best British Single.

Now local pop sensation Louis Tomlinson is off to make it big in America after winning the Best British Single last night at the Brit awards with song What Makes You Beautiful.

Doncaster’s Louis Tomlinson exhaled in disbelief as the winner was announced, then told the screaming crowd: “We cannot believe that we are stood here on this stage.

“I wanna start off by saying this award is for the fans - we would be absolutely nowhere without them so thank you so much.”

But South Yorkshire One Direction fans shouldn’t worry about missing them for too long in America - they’re coming back for their first arena tour, including a date at Sheffield’s Motorpoint Arena on Tuesday, March 19, 2013.

Tickets are expected to sell out almost instantly for the 11-date tour when they go on sale on Saturday, at 9am.

Hundreds of screaming fans queued for up to 23-hours for tickets for last month’s Sheffield City Hall concert.

Now Arena bosses are preparing for more One Direction-mania as fans throw the biggest homecoming party for Louis since the X Factor.

The former Hall Cross School sixth former, from Bessacarr, Doncaster, is first jetting off with his band to play a tour of the US after attending last night’s Brit Awards.

Currently number seven in the American downloads chart, they recently filmed a cameo appearance for top Nickelodeon show iCarly, as well as appearing on the cover of the likes of M Magazine. Over 100,000 fans in America have already signed up to the band’s US Facebook page in a bid to bring 1D to their home state – Dallas showed the most love for the band to emerge triumphant.

They have already had number one hits in Italy, Japan, Sweden, Hong Kong and the Phillipines.

Louis’s proud mum Johannah is planning to join her son for part of the tour - for what will be her first ever visit to America. She says 1D will share the headline spot with boy band Big Time Rush.

She said: “They are really keen to do well in America because it has been so difficult for other groups to crack it there. They see it as a challenge.

“But they are very clear that their main fan base is here in Britain and they are not forgetting that.

“I’m going to see them when they’re playing in Los Angeles, and I’ll be celebrating my birthday over there. I’ll also be going to an awards ceremony with them.”

Best pal Stan Lucas is also heading out to see him, while girlfriend Eleanor Calder will meet with him in New York.

n For more tour and ticket details visit www.onedirectionmusic.com

Sheffield Council wins controversial ballot to bring running of 42,000 homes back under its control

AN OVERWHELMING majority of tenants have voted to return control of their homes to Sheffield Council.

A total of 26,465 votes was cast in the ballot on the future management of estates - and 88.2 per cent were in favour of a return to council management.

Just 11.8 per cent voted to continue the current arrangement, where arms-length management organisation Sheffield Homes is paid an annual fee to run properties.

Turnout among the 42,000 households was 55 per cent - as high as a general election, and almost double the level seen at local elections in some wards.

Sheffield Council cabinet member for housing Coun Harry Harpham said: “Tenants have voted with an extremely strong voice.

“The result is a show of confidence in the city council and particularly the Labour administration.

“The detailed business will now start on planning how we manage properties in the future.”

The ballot followed a £400,000 consultation exercise which included two letters sent to every household and public meetings held around the city.

Coun Harpham promised a wide consultation process will now begin to find out tenants’ views about how management should work in the future.

The first step has involved further letters being sent to every household immediately asking for their ideas.

Sheffield Homes will continue to manage properties until the end of March 2014, when new arrangements will begin.

The organisation has won praise in recent years, receiving a top rating from the audit commission for the last three years plus several independent awards for performance.

But the council believes returning management in-house will save £1.2 million in running costs, which can be spent on improving estates.

The majority of Sheffield Homes’ 1,000 staff - many of whom worked for the council before the firm was set up in 2004 - will be returned to the local authority.

But Coun Harpham said he could not rule out some job losses.

Redundancies are most likely in top-level management and ‘back office’ roles, where savings are to be made.

Tenants’ representatives today welcomed the ballot result.

June Smith, who chairs the Flower Estate Community Association in Wincobank, said: “We feel safer with the council managing our homes.

“Under Sheffield Homes, councillors had less influence and less work seemed to be done maintaining our area.

“I think it will be more democratic to have housing back under the council’s control.”

Gordon Garratty, chairman of Fraser Tenants’ and Residents’ Association in Woodseats, added: “I was highly satisfied with the council before Sheffield Homes came about.

“I think it’s good that councillors will have full control over housing again.”

But Linda Daniels, of Brushes Tenants’ and Residents’ Association, Firth Park, said: “Tenants were not given enough information before the vote on which to make their decision.

“People were not told about Sheffield Homes’ good record when it is the best-rated housing management company in the country.

“Some people didn’t even realise they were not being managed by the council at present.

“I think tenants should also have been asked to vote on a full range of options, including transfer to a housing association.

“The council now needs to get everyone’s view and hold an open and honest process to come up with future management arrangements.”

Opposition Lib Dem housing spokeswoman Coun Alison Brelsford said: “If the tenants of Sheffield have spoken through a fair and open ballot, then the council should be bound by the decision and go ahead with the change, ensuring a smooth transition.

“Tenants were promised that at least £1.2m a year would be saved through reductions in management costs if they came back within the council. Liberal Democrats will be watching to ensure that promise is honoured.”

FORMER NUM presdient Arthur Scargill has won a partial victory in a legal dispute with his union.

A judge has ruled Mr Scargill’s contract of employment with the union was legal and enforceable.

The judge at Sheffield County Court found Mr Scargill was entitled to a car allowance of £12,000.

Byut he judge rejected Mr Scargill’s claim his phone bills should have been paid by the union.

The judge has also ruled the 74-year-old former union leader had been denied benefits of union membership for a period and awarded him £1,000.

The judgement is continuing, following a two-day hearing in Sheffield last week.

]]> 1.4269462 Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:50:38 +0000 http://www.sheffieldtelegraph.co.uk/cathedral_s_100_000_mission_1_4268067

SHEFFIELD Cathedral is facing “a big challenge” to get its finances back on track after seeing the end of the protest on its doorstep but being left with a bill it estimates at around £100,000.

Cathedral authorities were reflecting this week on a loss of income as a result of some event organisers shying away from the building while members of the Occupy movement were camped on the forecourt.

After Sheffield County Court granted a possession order, before an official eviction hearing later this month, part of the agreement that paved the way for the tents to be removed last Saturday was that the Cathedral will not be claiming legal costs.

When added to lost income from proposed events such as farmers’ markets, a food festival and vintage fairs, the cathedral says the tiotal estimated cost is approaching £100,000.

The Dean of Sheffield, the Very Rev Peter Bradley, said: “Through some careful financial management and a large donation, before the Occupy camp, we ended last year more or less even.”

This year would present a bigger financial challenge, he said. “But I am confident that with staff free and able to focus on it, we’ll get there. We feel very positive about the future.”

The cathedral forecourt was clear this week, 99 days after the protesters moved in as part of an international campaign raising issues about the economic system, corporate greed and funding cuts. They had opted for Church Street after considering locations in front of the City Hall, the Peace Gardens and Devonshire Green.

Cathedral authorities made clear that they had not given permission for the camp, but accepted they had a “duty of care” towards the protesters.

Over the three months, according to court submissions, there were two incidences when a protester interrupted services by screaming obscenities, and Midnight mass on Christmas Eve was interrupted by music from the campsite.

It was also claimed there was a lack of supervision on site, many tents were left unoccupied, arguments could be heard, health and safety was compromised and an “inappropriate” workshop called ‘Cannabis the cure for cancer’ was advertised.

The Cathedral authorities are relieved that the demonstration has ended, and that Occupy Sheffield “can now focus attention on the issues they raise rather than their location, and we can return to our ministry and continue with our development plans”.

The Gateway Project is designed to improve the entrance to the building and to install new heating, lighting, seating, flooring, a shop and a new organ.

It is also intended to resume plans for farmers’ markets and a food festival.

Mr Bradley said the outcome had allowed “everyone to step away with their heads held high in a very reasonable and respectful way.”

He added he had been moved by people’s support for the Cathedral. “We will now focus on our mission alongside addressing some of the issues raised by the Occupy movement such as poverty and social inclusion. I will do my best to affect change in my capacity as an active member of city boards and community organisations.”

Church leaders said found negotiations difficult with the demonstrators, partly because different people were pressing for different things, and one lesson learned had been the impact of social media, such as Twitter.

Meanwhile, the protesters, who are squatting in the old Salvation Army citadel in Cross Burgess Street, say the Cathedral camp may have gone, but Occupy Sheffield will continue.

A statement said: “The snow has been fun, but the threat of over £100,000 of High Court costs, and the Cathedral’s answer to peaceful, public protest as eviction has made the decision easier.

“Our stand against excessive greed and corruption of our democracy continues. Since November 5, thousands of people have come to show their support for the camp in many ways.

“Thank you Sheffield. Occupy is a global movement, manifesting itself in the heart of this city with a occupied space that has been a mission for fairness, a sentry point for justice and an outpost for compassion. But we are more than the sum of our parts; more than tents and sleeping bags. We will continue this process with events, and build on discussions with peaceful direct action.”