Eamonn Ward

Just seen this thread. I spoke at the Licensing meeting and have previously posted this on social media in the Hillsborough area. It's one off gigs not a festival that will recur - SJM plan 2 dates plus a 3rd added if the tickets sell well - Friday to Sunday only will be allowed. The estimated build time is 7 to 8 days with a fence but access to the park will be mainly maintained other than for 3 to 4 days. I don't know about take down time and reinstating full access. The event area will be a lot smaller than Tramlines – not the whole park. The Tramlines build time with limited access to the park was 20 days this year - Tramlines said it was 2 days longer due to the Government rules that allowed the event to go ahead. I spoke at the Licensing meeting seeking to raise awareness of the local impacts and sought a decision that did not give blanket permission for all dates from May to September in 2023 and 2024 on behalf of local residents and park users. I made 3 requests: -Should not be held within 1 month of the Tramlines restricted park access period noting that Tramlines appear to be settling into a consistent date slot in late July. -Should not further restrict access to Hillsborough Park during summer school holidays. -Should avoid clashing with a Sheffield Wednesday home match. I was fully aware that there are no criteria under the Licensing Act 2003 which would result in anything other than the decision made by the Licensing Committee. From the start Hillsborough Greens have taken a pragmatic approach to work with SJM Concerts to minimise impacts on local residents on the basis that the concerts will go ahead. SJM have a lot of experience of inner city concerts and have shown a willingness to engage with us to understand the local issues they need to manage. It may well spell good news for Arctic Monkeys fans (the most likely headliners) but, as with Tramlines, there are mixed feelings among local residents especially those who live close to the stage on Parkside Road and Broughton Road. But it's going ahead if the headline acts are available to book and we will be looking to work with SJM to minimise the impacts on local residents. SJM Concerts said that Don Valley Bowl has a capacity of only 15,000 which will have limited attraction to concert promoters adjacent to the 12,000 capacity Arena. SJM advised at the meeting that they actively sought Hillsborough Park - the licensed capacity of 40,000 fits the size of events they want to promote.

As always I post with my full name and clearly indicate my party links. This site has a tradition of respectful political debate at council election time. Jeffrey I think you were around in the days of Red Robbo - the sadly missed Labour councillor John Robson.

If you are waiting, note that the Elections Office now advise that most postal votes are due to arrive today for people who signed up before early April. Others should follow by around by early next week. Most people will have 3 votes: Election 1 of your 3 ward councillors for a 3 year term (reduced by 1 year due to the May 2020 election postponement). Police and Crime Commissioner Council governance referendum - see https://www.itsoursheffield.co.uk/ 7500 households will have a 4th vote to adopt a neighbourhood plan in the BBEST area http://bbest.org.uk/ There are also some parish by-elections in North Sheffield. There is still time to apply for a proxy vote while emergency proxies are available up to 5pm on polling day. See http://www.sheffield.gov.uk/.../your.../voting/vote-by-proxy I'm the election Agent for all Green Party candidates standing in Sheffield. We are supporting a vote to change to committees in the governance referendum and have delivered 73,500 leaflets for It's Our City with our leaflets. We also recommend the adoption of the BBEST neighbourhood plan resulting form 7 years work by the excellent, dedicated BBEST team.

Here is helpful information from the campaign group https://friendsoftheloxleyvalley.com/2020/05/15/developers-propose-up-to-300-new-houses-in-loxley-valley-township/?

Sheffield City Council verified that more than 21,000 signatories were on the electoral register in Sheffield and stopped further verification at that point as it was 100% clear that more than 5% has been achieved. It was a phenomenal effort by It's Our City activists involving thousands of hours work. The vast majority of people signed after conversations at events that It's Our City attended citywide. The first green shoots of a possible return to genuine community democracy in the city after a disastrous decade.

The University of Sheffield Community Liaison manager advised that SUFC asked for an away game this weekend to ensure no repeat of the 2018 chaos.

Front Room, recently rebranded to FR was brilliant. I kept trying new things on the menu and was never disappointed. I thought something was not quite right in the last couple of months and was very distressed to see it boarded up. That location allowed them to attract a decent amount of sit down diners but they needed to offer quality food and service which they did. It was walk to for me - very disappointing.

I witnessed this myself yesterday and I have reported it on the Tramlines helpline at 0900 today. The number is 0114 483 0873 and should be operational from now until 2300. I only got to leave a message.

The Don Valley Railway Group has been reinvigorated in the last few months following publicity in the Star and elsewhere. It lost momentum when the focus in Stocksbridge changed overnight to urgent community action to save the Leisure Centre. The plans have been looked at by people working at a high level in national Transport projects and are seen as credible and deliverable if they get the right support. Do attend the monthly meetings (See the Facebook page) at The Harlequin pub to find out more and offer help.

The council issued an order to clear above ground ie trees and vegetation on safety grounds responding to a complaint by a member of the public. No advance notice was given to ward councillors or local people - this is the big local issue for the well informed Harcourt Community Action community group. So lots of of people, including myself (supporting Green ward councillors), wasted a lot of time finding out what was going in and whether it was legal. A lot of council officer time was needed that could have been avoided just by informing relevant people.

Jared now suspended for 6 months from Labour - the suspension was on October 25th. The outcome now dragged out until after the election with other internal enquiries occupying their time as well.

Greens got about 9000 more votes than UKIP in 2016 citywide. Jonathan Harston's stats site the best place for past results in detail plus analysis. http://mdfs.net/Docs/Sheffield/Election/2016/

People should be aware that the H1 hospital shuttle bus between the Hallamshire and Northern General hospitals is quietly being downgraded from January 29th. SYPTE say "Changes to the times with buses taking slightly longer to travel along the route to assist with punctuality." In practice the current 25 buses running every half hour between 0600 and 1800 are being cut to 21 buses during the same period. Unhelpful.

See also http://www.sheffieldeastend.org.uk/AQmonitoring.htm - the key air pollution group in Sheffield.

The inglorious twelfth is approaching. Support this campaign to protect birds of prey http://wildeaboutbirds.blogspot.co.uk/2017/06/inglorious12th-thunderclap.html