A Neighbourhood Plan for BBEST (Broomhill, Broomfield, Endcliffe, Summerfield, and Tapton Area Planning Forum)

Play a part in the preparation of a plan for the area you live in!
The Government has introduced new planning rules which give more power to local people.
Communities such as ours are being encouraged to prepare Neighbourhood Plans which will give them more influence over what happens in their area. A group of residents in consultation with local Community Associations, representing most parts of the BBEST area, have come together as the BBEST Neighbourhood Planning Forum with the aim of preparing a Neighbourhood Plan for the area. This will set out a vision for the neighbourhood in which we live and set out our priorities for the future. Sheffield City Council will have to take the plan into account when making planning and development decisions. The plan will also help the community to secure funding for projects to improve the area. Our inaugural Annual General Meeting will be held at Broomhill Methodist Church (next to Oxfam in Broomhill centre) between 6.00 – 7.30 pm on the 10th December, 2013 to give you an opportunity to contribute your ideas and for members to vote for officers and a steering committee to take the plan forward. We would welcome your attendance to ensure all parts of the community are represented.

PLEASE COME TO the Inaugural Annual General Meeting of BBEST at Broomhill Methodist
Church in the Fulwood Room (Broomhill centre next to Oxfam)
Tuesday 10th December 6.00 – 7.30 pm
If you have access to the internet and intend to come to the meeting please let us know by emailing information@BBEST.org.uk

Broomhill Library - the latest update from the Chair of Broomhill Forum

The Chairperson writes:

Further to my letter of October, I would like to remind you that there will be a meeting on Saturday 9 November at 10.30am at the Broomhill Beacon Methodist Church, Fulwood Road, Broomhill, about the Council’s proposals for the library service, and what this could mean for the Broomhill Library.  The purpose of the meeting on 9^th November will be for people to hear further from Cllr Iqbal and the local councillors, to gather views on what could/should be done, and to discuss what practical steps are possible and feasible to ensure the continuance of all or some library service. 

Some of the main questions to be considered include:

1.      Is it a financially feasible proposition to continue the library as it is?

2.      If not, what alternatives are possible?

3.      What venues are available?

4.      What staffing would be required?

5.      Where would the funding come from to support a new venture?

6.      Who is willing to form themselves into a group to take the matter forward?

The meeting will be attended by local councillors and by Councillor Mazher Iqbal, the Council Cabinet member with responsibility for the Sheffield Library Service, who has kindly agreed to attend and present information and answer questions.  The Broomhill Forum is organising this meeting as it is clearly a matter of great concern to local residents, including those in neighbouring areas, such as Crookes, Crosspool, Ranmoor and Fulwood, and the meeting is open to anyone from those areas, and elsewhere, who wishes to attend.  However, it should be made plain from the outset that the Forum is not in a position to take on the running of a library: it does not fall within its remit, which is that of a discussion (and advice) forum for local businesses, major organisations and local residents to discuss matters of common concern.  However, the Forum is happy to facilitate the community’s discussion of the issues, and bring together any local businesses, residents and other individuals who may wish to form themselves into a suitable grouping in order to take on the task of organising a community library.

In essence, the Council’s report on the future of Sheffield Libraries indicated that there will only be two libraries on the west of the city, namely Hillsborough and Ecclesall, and there will be no mobile library service.  The Home Library Service will remain for those who are housebound. The Council has stated its intention to support financially 5 co-delivered community libraries, for two years, and has listed 16 possible libraries for this support in rank order of preference, relating to demographic needs.  Broomhill is now ranked 6^th in this list.  Both the co-funded and the prospective independent libraries are asked to submit business plans to the Council by January 10 2014 outlining how they propose to manage the library in their area.  If any of the 5 libraries identified as possible co-delivered libraries do not choose to go down this route then libraries below the cut-off line may move up into the co-funded category.

At the councillors’ meeting with local residents about the possibilities for the Broomhill Library which was held on 16 October, various questions on possible finance were put to the councillors who undertook to investigate both facts and possibilities. Answers to some of the questions are listed below but fuller detail may be available at the meeting on the 9^th November.

1.      What are the costs of running the Broomhill Library premises at the moment?

Answer: These amount to c £24,250.00 plus insurance costs of circa £1k. The staffing costs are not included in these figures.

2.      Could the city provide some funds to move the library to a different location?

Answer: This may be possible but it would be a time limited offer.

3.      What would be the capital costs of providing a fit-for-purpose library where it is currently located in Taptonville Road (i.e. bringing it up to accessibility standards, and fire regulations) ?

Answer: £756,000.00 (costings by Kier)

4.      Is there the possibility of the £300k which was previously allocated to the library being available for use if Broomhill Library were to continue?

Answer: Cllrs are still seeking clarity on this matter.

5.      Will there be section 106 monies from the Taptonville development which can be devoted to the library?

Answer: Cllrs going to ask for clarity on this but the money would usually be retained for open space, or transport, or for infrastructure projects.

6.      Could the council sell the current Broomhill Library and the money be used for a new facility?

Answer: Cllrs are currently enquiring from colleagues about the possibility of this, because the funds would usually have to go into a capital project and not revenue costs.

7.      Broomhill is not as yet on the list of five areas eligible for support for a co-funded library so current discussions are interesting but academic. If Broomhill were to move onto that list of 5 when would we know?

Answer: Broomhill could move up from the independent category to the co-funded category but this would not be known until after 20 December and the business plans have been put forward by the five front runners. The deadline for a final business plan is 10 January but Cllr Iqbal is prepared to be flexible on this.

8.      Would there be funding available for the set up costs, and the running and security of the library stock.

Answer: There would be funding for the set up costs, but not for any further costs. There would not be any funding for buying book stocks other than through applying to the Broomhill Ward funding pot.

9.      What form of governance for the co-funded libraries would the Council require? A limited company? Formation of a charitable trust with a board of trustees? 

Answer: The information pack will spell out the information/expectations on people who wish to run a library, e.g. formation of organisation such as ‘Friends of Broomhill Library. Such a body would not pay a market rental for the existing property but that charged to a third sector organisation. Training and support needs would be provided to such a group to help them with the work.

It is expected that those libraries which are independent would be best served by operating in a consortium for buying book stock and providing services.

  

I would urge you to attend the meeting to make your views known.  Broomhill has one of the highest usage rates of all the libraries in the city. There are also at least two petitions being circulated in Broomhill for submission to the Council. Please do sign one of these if you feel strongly about the issue.

The replacement for our Community Assembly - and Broomhill Library Update

As you will know the Community Assemblies were disestablished and we are now working as Local Area Partnerships. As part of this, in the Central Area, we are developing and improving upon the ways we communicate with the public. We have a new blog and we are trying to utilise Facebook and Twitter more effectively.

Here are some recent posts that may be of interest, including some funding opportunities:

Small Grants for Broomhill, Central and Hillsbrough Wards Closing Date 21 October 2013

Broomhill Library Meeting – 16th October

Library Review Consultation Period

To get posts as soon as they go live click the ‘follow’ button on the blog.

Please like us on Facebook and follow us Twitter. You can also use these to start discussions or ask questions. We can post events and notices for you.

BBest: A neighbourhood planning forum for Broomhill

There's been steady progress in organising a Neighbourhood Planning Forum for Broomhill and nearby areas such as Harcourt Road. An inaugural meeting is planned for 22 October, in the Methodist Church. This is the meeting where we envisage that the boundaries and a constitution will be agreed subject to any immediate amendments. It's a critical meeting where we need 21 signatories to be present in order to formally launch the Forum. Afterwards, the proposal will be subject to any further amendments which the planners require as a condition of acceptance.

We've also got an informal Question and Discussion meeting planned for Monday 7 October at the University Arms. If you'd like to know more about this project and what it might mean for the area, why not attend and get your questions answered. Great beer too.

The future of Broomhill Library looks bleak...

Since the last Broomhill Forum meeting, the Council's report on the future of Sheffield's Library Services has been published and it will come as no surprise to learn that the future for Broomhill Library is bleak. We are not one of the 11 'hub' libraries that are proposed, nor is Broomhill considered to be eligible as one of 5 co-delivered Community Libraries, for which the Council will initially fund running, but not staff costs 

Walkley, Stannington, Upperthorpe and Totley will also probably close, so the only libraries that will remain open on this side of town will be Hillsborough and Ecclesall and of course, the Central Library. The Mobile Library Service will also close, but the Home Library Service will remain for those who cannot get out.

We have therefore agreed to hold a PUBLIC MEETING at 10.30am on Saturday 9th November at The Beacon Methodist Church, Fulwood Road, Broomhill, to discuss the future of Broomhill Library and give local residents and our neighbours the chance to have their say.

Please publicise this meeting and come along.

BANG is 40 years old - and having a birthday picnic!

BANG is one of Sheffield’s oldest community associations, having been founded way back in 1973 to protest against Council plans to drive a dual carriageway road through England’s Prettiest Suburb, flattening many of our best-loved streets and houses.

Since that time, BANG members through the years have generously devoted huge amounts of time, money and effort to keep Broomhill special and we have many, many successful campaigns under our belts. Together we have built a wealth of expertise and experience that will help us to face tomorrow’s challenges. We think that is something really worth celebrating!

Join us in Victoria Park on Saturday, 14^th September, 2.30 to 5

  o   Bring your own picnic food and drink

o   Bring a chair if you need one, or a blanket to sit on the grass

o   Bring the whole family

o   Period dress (1973) optional…

Where is Victoria Park?

It’s the small green space at the corner of Whitham Rd and Parker’s Lane.

Next to the small car park.

Between Ellis’s shop and the Nottingham House Pub.

See you there!

Latest development scheme for the SECRET GARDEN arrives....

The next chapter unfolds in the saga of the Tapton Halls of Residence and Experimental Gardens site (The Secret Garden). It seems that with Miller Homes now off the scene, the University are now working with Taylor Wimpey to bring forward a new planning application for the site, replacing the scheme that was given planning permission in August 2011.

The new scheme has more houses and fewer flats and is largely within the footprint of the approved scheme, so retains the open space in part of the former botany garden. However in the new scheme, the density of development along the Taptonville Rd frontage is higher than has been approved; we once again have town houses along Taptonville Rd, including in the walled garden. Also, the crescent of houses within the botany garden site has increased from 10 town houses to 12 semis.

The University's planning consultant has allowed one week for 'community consultation' (generous, considering it's august), after which we can expect the application to progress through the usual planning process.

We will post the documents on the Broomhill website www.broomhillonline.org.uk and keep people updated through The Banger and the website.