Tag Archives: sheffield

New piglets at Heeley City Farm

A Sheffield farm has become the new home to seven piglets.

They are a rare breed and have been attracting much attention from the visitors.

Heeley City Farm has been targeted by youths over the years. In April there were five break ins over five nights.

They broke into the cash office, but after finding little money lying around, they caused deliberate damage to the farm.

Now the volunteers are concerned for the safety of the animals.

Kathryn Smiles has been to Heeley City Farm to meet the new arrivals.

Eid Mubarak

Sheffield Live! Joined thousands of people in Millhouses Park for the EID Festival in the Park.

The cross cultural event celebrates the end of the month long festival of Ramadan, when millions of Muslims around the world go on a month long fast in which they do not eat or drink during daylight hours. MC Nige compared the main stage, with other entertainment including fun fair rides and stalls.

Sheffield Live! had its own stall with presenter Jawwad Janjua headlining both days, providing entertainment for those at the event and interviewing people who were attending the festival, including the Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Peter Rippon and Local MP Paul Bloomfield. Jawwad was joined by fellow Sheffield Live! presenters Jawaid Qazi, Shafaqat Mohammed and Wajdi Raweh.

Armed man arrested

By Alice Rose

Extra police patrols are working around Abbeydale Road today after a man was found carrying a firearm.

Members of the public alerted officers when they saw a man who was acting suspiciously in the area on Tuesday afternoon.  A 30-year-old was arrested after a police chase, in which he was knocked off his bike. Superintendent Colin McFarlane said “Neighbourhood policing officers are carrying out extra patrols in the area to offer reassurance to the community following this incident” he continued “We are also working with our partner agencies to support residents in the local area and I would urge anyone with concerns to contact us”

 

Doncaster makes shortlist

Nick Clegg, Liberal Democrat MP for Sheffield Hallam, has offered support in a bid to secure a new college in South Yorkshire.

The College would offer apprenticeships to young people and give them skills to help build the planned HS2 high speed rail line. The line would connect London Euston station to the Midlands, North West England and Yorkshire, almost halving commute times from Sheffield to London. The bid, from Doncaster, has been short-listed by the government as one of four possible locations for the HS2 college alongside Derby, Birmingham and Manchester.

If Doncaster bid was successful, the college would be equipped with cutting-edge technology and state of the art facilities. It would also provide training courses for the specific requirements of the rail project, which is expected to generate more than 2,000 apprenticeships.

As a Sheffield MP, Nick Clegg has written to the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills to outline his support for the bid.  In his letter, Nick Clegg MP states that the region – in particular Doncaster – is the “spiritual home of British railways” with the Flying Scotsman, Sir Nigel Gresley and The Mallard all being built there in 1923, 1937 and 1938 respectively.

The high speed service would have trains running from London St Pancras twice a day with a commute time of 1 hour 09 minutes.

Burglaries Reduced

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By Sam Newton

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”

Major Boost For Sheffield’s New Retail Quarter

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By Samuel Newton

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”

Sheffield GP Surgery’s threatened

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sign of devonshire green GP Surgery

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

Academic Tour de France

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By Sam Newton

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/

Bents Green Pub Puts goes distance

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By Andrew Tildesley

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.”

Residents urged to make their vote count

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By George Torr

Sheffield electors are being reminded to use their vote in this Thursday’s up and coming elections.

Like many other local authorities across England, Sheffield is holding local elections on Thursday (22 May) and electors will also be having their say in the European elections for Yorkshire and 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.