And after that there's plenty more to be getting on with...

The council's Green Spaces Strategy will look at what improvements can be made to parks and open spaces across the city, some of which are already underway.

He said: "Sheffield is blessed with so many parks in many different areas and we want to make them accessible for everybody, so they are actively used."

Where there are "Friends" groups representing users of particular sites council officials plan to consult with them about what changes will be made.

Bodies such as The Wildlife Trust and Groundwork are also being asked for their views.

Work is continuing to revive the Botanical Gardens in Broomhill, and Weston Park is also receiving a facelift which will see the bandstand brought back into use and the recreation of original features, such as wooden bridges across the pond.

These are being rebuilt using locally-produced wood from Ecclesall saw mill.

Meanwhile Coun Lodge's department must also develop plans to provide a second kerbside recycling service across Sheffield by 2010, which is required by the Government.

Paying for the collection will be difficult because funding must come from existing budgets. Other local authorities have managed by halving rubbish bin collections but Sheffield Council remains committed to emptying them on a weekly basis.

Coun Lodge said: "We may look at green waste because we already have a collection in part of the city and it could be use to produce fuel, which would allow us to recover some of the cost."

He added the council wants to provide more recycling banks in local communities for items such as glass, cans and plastic, in addition to those at supermarkets.

But Coun Lodge is keen to point out that Sheffield already has one of the best records for keeping its rubbish to a minimum - through the Bernard Road incinerator.

Because so much is burned, producing heat for homes and public buildings, the city avoids having to pay Government tariffs which penalise councils that do not reduce landfill.