Great strides have been made in Sheffield to cut crime over the last 12 months, according to South Yorkshire Police District Commander Chief Superintendent David Hartley and highlighted in a recent BBC Two documentary.
The documentary “Police Under Pressure” – depicted the challenges being faced by South Yorkshire Police staff as they aim to reduce burglaries and vehicle crimes in the city amidst a number of budgeting cuts to the Force.
Since the programme was filmed in Autumn 2013, officers have managed to successfully drive both of these crimes down to a level where there were almost 3,000 fewer crimes reported at the end of 2013 compared to 2012, across all offences.
Chief Superintendent Hartley said: “There is not a shred of complacency from me or my colleagues at Sheffield when we look at some of the reductions achieved – we still have more to do”.
Commenting on the importance of public protection, Hartley continued: “Our job as the police is to stop as many people as possible from having to suffer the upset and trauma of being the victim of crime, and we do that by tackling those who prey on others. We may use targets and statistics, but this is all about striving to keep people safe”
Ongoing work to tackle burglaries in Sheffield includes “Operation Kingbird” which has seen covert cameras set up in “trap houses” to attempt to catch criminals in the act. This operation, running in partnership with Sheffield City Council, has been deployed to tackle burglaries in areas of Sheffield with above-average crime rates.
Mr Hartley concluded: “work such as operation Kingbird show that we constantly strive to find the best way to bring crime down”
A long-awaited city centre regeneration scheme looks set to finally come into fruition after Sheffield City Council announced that it is committed to moving plans forward.
The New Retail Quarter scheme, previously marketed as Sevenstones, was shelved last year after a partnership between the project’s contractors Hammerson and Sheffield City Council fell through.
The project has now re-surfaced and will see the property between the Devonshire Quarter and The Moor developed into high-class retail spaces.
The options for structuring the property deal are being finalised and will be presented to Cabinet for approval. The Council will then consider whether to find a forward sale with interim funding or fund the scheme directly themselves.
Talks are currently being held with affected property owners in the area, who are hoping to be able to continue trading in their properties, until building developments are due to commence.
The Council’s Cabinet Member for Business, Skills and Development, Leigh Bramall said: “We are fully committed to moving the development of the New Retail Quarter forward urgently now and this decision to secure the ownership of the properties needed for the development is key to making things happen”.
Drawing on the necessity to keep the area attractive to shoppers until the development gets underway, Mr. Bramall continued: “We are also conscious that the existing businesses should be able to continue their trade in their current premises whenever possible to ensure the area remains attractive to shoppers during this crucial period of transition”.
The Quarter is set to be a crucial element for the regeneration of the city centre as it sits alongside other developments including new improvements to The Moor which have already seen success as the Heart of the City scheme looks to shift up a gear. It is expected that the scheme will provide around 2,500 new jobs.
Councillor Ben Curran, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources said: “Once completed, the New Retail Quarter will help to improve the status of the City and will help to stimulate further office, commercial and leisure opportunities in Sheffield City centre. This development will bring significant external investment into the city as well as giving a massive boost to the city centre’s retail offer”
GP surgery’s in Sheffield have said that they may have to close if funding cuts continue to be phased in over the next few years.
Cuts to the Minimum Income Practice Guarantee (MPIG) pose a real threat to the survival of up to five surgery’s in Sheffield.
Sheffield could see up to 13,000 patients being directly affected because of the withdrawal of MPIG funding.
The additional funding supports GP surgeries which serve populations with more complex and demanding health needs. The Government began withdrawing MPIG funding in April 2014 and plans to phase it out totally over the next seven years.
NHS England says 100 GP surgeries across the country are threatened by closure as a result, whilst the British Medical Association has warned that the number of surgeries seriously affected will be far higher.
Some practices under threat could lose more than £100 per patient per year, while others will lose £20 or £30 per patient.
Devonshire Green Medical Centre and the Hanover Medical Centre are two of the affected surgery’s in Sheffield. MPIG funding cuts could be in the region of £140,000 between them.
Staff are concerned that they may have to close. Dr Graham Pettinger, who works at both practices said: “At the moment, NHS England have a poor understanding in my view on the impact this is going to have on practices and the patients in Sheffield and across the country on a whole.” Dr. Pettinger continues “This is an extremely serious threat to our survival – if we are unable to find replacement money then the practice may have to close its door to the patients and the community.”
Paul Blomfield, MP for Sheffield Central, challenged Health Minister’s on this issue. He said: “Local GPs have expressed serious concerns to me about the consequences of this vital funding being withdrawn. The Health Minister’s answer to my question was shockingly complacent. He’s putting patients at risk and I’ll now be seeking a meeting with Ministers to press this issue further.”
Mr Blomfield added “Our local GP surgeries are the first port of call for most people who are unwell or have health difficulties. No-one wants to see service cutbacks having to be made which is why I’m raising this issue now before the situation gets critical. The Government should be talking to GP surgeries now and rethinking this decision.”
A spokesperson for the South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw area team of NHS England, said: “We are committed to making sure patients have access to high quality GP services. The minimum practice income guarantee (MPIG) payment is being phased out to make funding for GP services more fair for everyone.” They continued “This is a national plan. Future funding for GP services will be based on the numbers of patients that a GP practice serves and the health needs of those patients. These changes started in April this year and will happen over a seven year period.”
Dr Graham Pettinger speaks to Sheffield Live! George Torr
With just under a month remaining until the Tour de France proudly rattles through Yorkshire, academics from the University of Sheffield have created an innovative website designed to offer a fresh perspective on the world’s most prestigious cycling event.
This will be the first time the Tour has come to Yorkshire and the University of Sheffield are eager to celebrate it. Their new interactive website – Deconstructing the Tour – gives an academic viewpoint of the Tour de France. It drawing on the event’s diverse history and evolution through video clips, sound files and blog posts.
Perhaps owing his career to the Tour, the first set of videos on the site comes from Emeritus Professor of French David Walker. A cycling enthusiast from a young age, Walker became interested in the Tour and began learning the vocabulary of the event, alongside taking a serious interest in France’s language and culture.
Noting the importance of the event in France, Professor Walker said “The Tour de France is significant as a cultural event in France and dates back before the invention of modern bikes. “ Walker continues, “It can initially be traced back to young apprentice artisans travelling around France to work with skilled masters in their field to learn their craft. This was a process known as the ‘Tour De France”.
Running between Saturday 5 July and Sunday 27 July 2014, the 101st Tour de France will cover 3,656 kilometres split into 21 stages, with the 2nd stage culminating at Sheffield’s Motorpoint Arena on July 6th after a 201 kilometre flat race from York.
The Deconstructing the Tour website will be regularly updated with new content between now and the start of the race, and can be found at www.deconstructingthetour.group.shef.ac.uk/
The staff and regulars at The Hammer and Pincers of Bents Green have hit on an innovative exercising method of raising money for charity. This Saturday they will be cycling the full length of the Yorkshire leg of the Tour de France – on a static bike!
Manager Anthony Crawford will be cycling in between shifts he will be joined by both pub regulars and 9 members of his staff, all with the aim of raising over £1000 for Cancer Research. Taking turns on the static bike to cycle at a steady speed of 20km per hour, and beginning at 4am, they aim to tackle the 390kn route of the first two stages of the Tour de France in just 20 hours, with the aim of being finished by midnight.
Local Bents Green businesses, including Cannisters Butchers, Le Crunch and Bents Home and Garden, have been happy to jump on board with sponsorship and the fundraiser is intended to be a community event, with a barbecue and bouncy castle laid on (British summer weather permitting!).
Hammer and Pincers’ manager Crawford said, “We’re a small part of a larger company, Mitchells and butler, which has raised over £34,000 for cancer Research already, we hope to do our own small part.”
JB Gill, former member of the band JLS today helped launch Sheffield Colleges new Show Business School. Speaking to Sheffield Live!, JB Gill shared his thoughts on who the course might appeal to.
“The course is obviously going to help people who want to be artists, dancers or singers, but it’s also going to be an opportunity for people who don’t want to do that; those who want to manage the artists or want to work on stage in a theatre. There’s so much here for people to tap into”.
Today also marks National NVQ day, an annual celebration of vocational qualifications. Earmarking such qualifications as the one gained through the show business school, Julie Byrne, Principal of Sheffield City College spoke of their importance and where they can lead.
Courses, like this one are absolutely vital to employment growth and lead onto careers or university, and we know that employers value vocational qualifications as much as academic ones”
Gill’s enthusiasm for the course was something which resonated with students as they gathered after the session for a photo call. Queen Uwacu, 22, said “I was really impressed by the fact that JB is giving something back. That’s really important when you’re a celebrity who a lot of young people look up to”.
Aimed at assisting young people interested in breaking into the entertainment industry, the show business school offers a two year course working towards a vocational Extended Diploma equivalent to 3 A-Levels. Modules including event management, music production and public relations will be primarily taught by college business lecturers, but will also feature a number of guest lectures including at least two master classes a year from Gill himself.
JB Gill was on site this afternoon to host an hour-long Q&A session to share his knowledge and insider expertise on what to expect from the entertainment industry,telling themhis own experiences which have led to him claiming Brit and MOBO awards along the way.
Full details regarding course content and entry requirements can be found on the Sheffield College website http://www.sheffcol.ac.uk/
Fire and police investigators have revealed that the most probable cause of the fire on Wake Road, Sheffield in which five people tragically lost their lives was an electrical fault involving a faulty charging device.
The five people who tragically died in the blaze in Wake Road, Nether Edge were Shabina Begum, 53, her daughter Anum Parwaiz, 20, Adyan Parwaiz Kayani, nine, Amaan Parwaiz Kayani, seven, and nine-week-old Minahil Parwaiz Kayani.
Miss Parwaiz was aunt to the three children and Mrs Begum was their grandmother. Post-mortem examinations found that all five family members died from smoke inhalation.
South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue have given out the following general safety advice
Do not leave things to charge overnight or beyond the recommended charging time
Do not buy cheap, unbranded chargers
Make sure chargers are compatible to the device you are using
Keep electrical items away from flammable materials when charging
Do not overload sockets – long strip adaptors are safest but only take a maximum of 13 amps.
Head of Strategy and Engagement at South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, Steve Chu spoke to Sheffield Live! George Torr.
The leader of the Liberal Democrats has lost his seat, the Green Party and UKIP won seats, and Labour maintain their position running Sheffield City Council. Sheffield Live! were at the election count on Friday 23rd March, covering the exciting results as they were announced.
The biggest story of the day was in Crookes. Shaffaq Mohammed of the Liberal Democrats, their leader on Sheffield City Council, had previously represented Broomhill, but had decided to switch to stand for the previously safe neighbouring ward. But his vote fell and Labour picked up votes to win the seat, forcing the Lib Dems to find a new leader over the next few weeks.
Shaffaq Mohammed speaks to George Torr after the results were in
Elsewhere in the city, the Liberal Democrats performed better than in 2012, holding vulnerable seats in Graves Park, Stannington and Beauchief and Greenhill, where their 2010 candidate, Clive Skelton, had defected to Labour and has now lost his seat. But they lost seats in Nether Edge and Walkley which they also failed to win 2012, and end up with six fewer seats on the council.
The Greens were celebrating after winning both their target wards, Sarah Jane Smalley taking the final seat in Central, and Brian Webster gaining Broomhill – their first ever win outside the Central ward. They managed second in the remaining wards in Central constituency (Manor Castle, Nether Edge and Walkley).
Sarah Jane Smalley speaks to Mickey Conn
Jillian Creasy speaks to George Torr after the results were in
UKIP attracted the most headlines, following big gains in Rotherham with three seats on Sheffield City Council: Jack Clarkson taking Stocksbridge and Upper Don, their top target, along with two surprise victories in East and West Ecclesfield. They managed strong second places to Labour across most of the east of the city, while in the west, despite increasing their vote share, they didn’t challenge the leading parties.
John Greenfield speaks to George Torr
Labour saw their votes slightly down on the previous elections of 2012 in many wards, but still well up on 2010, the last time these candidates were up for election. Their gains from the Lib Dems slightly outweighed their losses to the Greens and UKIP, leaving them up one seat overall and with an even larger majority on the council.
Olivia Blake speaks to George Torr after the results were in
Among the other parties, the Conservatives for the first time didn’t stand in every ward, and struggled in their target areas around Dore & Totley, Ecclesall and Fulwood. TUSC picked up only a handful of votes in most wards, their strongest performance by Maxine Bowler in Burngreave only 443 votes and well down on 2012. Independents also failed to feature heavily, with two Liberal Democrats doing the best: John Hesketh in Crookes taking 549 votes and Martin Brelsford in Stocksbridge & Upper Don on 526.
Overall, Labour now have 59 seats (up one), the Liberal Democrats remain the official opposition on 18 seats (down six), the Green Party now have 4 councillors (up two), and UKIP have 3 (up three).
This week marks the now annual Dementia Awareness Week, a nationwide campaign fronted by the care charity Alzheimer’s Society, aimed at generating a more thorough understanding of dementia amongst the general public. Under the slogan Don’t bottle it up, the charity is encouraging people to speak to them should they have any worries or reservations that either they or someone close to them may be suffering from dementia.
Dementia, an umbrella term which describes a set of symptoms that may include memory loss and difficulties with thinking, is catalysed when the brain is damaged by diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease or a series of strokes. There are currently estimated to be 670,000 sufferers of dementia living in the United Kingdom, while Sheffield is currently home to a figure just in excess of 6,500. Providing quality care to the people suffering from the syndrome, as well as those undiagnosed, is of high importance to Sheffield’s National Health Service.
“The provision of high quality care and support for people with dementia and their carers is a top priority for NHS Sheffield” said Dr Steve Thomas, GP and NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Dementia Portfolio clinical lead.
This care provision offered in Sheffield has recently been highlighted and celebrated in a report produced by NHS England, published in correspondence with Dementia Awareness Week, entitled Dementia Diagnosis and Care in England: Learning from Clinical Commissioning Groups. Within the report, Sheffield was earmarked for the high standard of its dementia training programmes across all care providers including general practitioners, care home staff and the council. Furthermore, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was also commended for its endeavours to ensure all new staff within a dementia-relevant role receive the training necessary to fully understand the condition and its side effects.
As well as those directly suffering from dementia, there are also new streams of support for those who may be caring for someone with dementia, such as the newly launched DementiaCarer.net website, a project jointly funded by both Sheffield City Council and NHS.
“DementiaCarer.net has been designed specifically for carers by carers, with support from ourselves and other project partners”, said Kath Horner, Health Improvement Principal from Sheffield City Council. “It provides practical tips and advice with videos of carers talking about how they cope with everyday tasks such as washing and dressing the person they care for. The carer clips also include useful tips and advice about how to stay positive, active and well – all of which is vital for people providing such important care.”
Dementia Awareness Week, which kicked off last Sunday, runs until Saturday 24th May. Detailed information regarding dementia, its symptoms and side effects can be found on the Sheffield City Council website and NHS webpages.
Sheffield electors are being reminded to use their vote in this Thursday’s up and coming elections.
Like many other local authorities across England, Sheffieldis holding local elections on Thursday (22 May) and electors will also be having their say in the European elections for Yorkshireand Humberside.
A total of 128 candidates will be standing for election this year across the 28 wards in Sheffield – a third of the Council seats – plus one additional seat in Walkley following the recent resignation of Cllr Nikki Sharpe. The results will be announced on Friday 23 May and will be available on Sheffield City Council website.
Voting cards
“By now, everyone in Sheffield who’s on the electoral roll should have received a polling card, showing which polling station they need to go to in order to vote,” said John Mothersole, Returning Officer for the local elections in Sheffield.
“All polling stations are open from 7am in the morning until 10pm, so you have all day to go and vote. You don’t need to take your polling card with you to vote, so don’t worry if you don’t have it with you when you call in, although sometimes it can be helpful to have it with you.
Postal votes
“If you have a postal vote and you haven’t already posted it, you can hand it in to any polling station up to 10pm on Thursday. If you do have a postal vote, then please take responsibility for it. You need to complete it personally and follow all the instructions. There is a voluntary code of conduct for handling postal votes, which candidates and agents have signed up to.”
The count for the local elections will be held on Friday 23 May at the English Institute of Sport in Attercliffe. The European election count will be held on Sunday 25 May and the results will be sent to Leeds, where they will announce the countywide results on Sunday.
