SheffieldForum

Personally, I really disagreed with Kate Josephs remaining Chief Exec after the Covid parties scandal… …but, I was convinced by a number of business leaders, charity heads and others I spoke to who said she is the first Chief Exec to come in and actually make a difference for them and their organisations. There’s a lot of people in Sheffield — many who were previously convinced that the Council were completely awful and beyond saving — who will defend Kate Josephs and the difference she has made in a short time. So, on that basis I’m happy to give the benefit of the doubt to her right now. And I’m sure she could make well over £250k in the private sector if she wanted.

A message from Kate Josephs, Returning Officer: “Dear Elector, “2024 Sheffeld City Council and South Yorkshire Combined Authority Mayoral Elections “I am writing to you as a postal voter in the Manor Castle ward. Because of a printing error by our third-party printer, you will have been issued with two postal vote packs for the forthcoming elections on 2 May 2024. I want to reassure you that this error will not affect your ability to vote at these elections. “Please return one of the two packs as normal and destroy the second pack. If both packs are returned then the second pack will be rejected by us. No voter will be able to vote more than once. “One of the packs contained an error in the accompanying instructions in asking you to vote for no more than two candidates in the city council election. This should have read ‘vote for one candidate’. The instructions on the top of all of the ballot papers are, however, correct. “If you have already returned one of the postal vote packs and believe you may have voted for two candidates at either election, it is really important that you get in contact with us so that we can cancel both of your original packs and issue you with a new pack. “Please accept our sincere apologies for this error. If you have any questions about anything in this letter, please contact us using the details below. “Our contact details are: Email: electoralservices@she/eld.gov.uk Phone: 0114 2736910 “Yours sincerely, Kate Josephs Returning Officer”

Happening around us! Theres lots to be positive about in the city.

Indeed. Elected councillors are on next to nothing and get a ridiculous amount of criticism and stress for it.

The undisclosed names by the disclosed job titles is strange - for instance, we know that Greg Fell is the Director of Public Health and could probably work out who the rest are with a quick Google. On the topic though - I have no qualms with these salaries personally. If we are to attract the best talent to run what is essentially vital services for the city we should be willing to pay for it to convince people with the right skills to come from the much higher paid private sector. We had many years of underpaying and not being able to compete with the private sector, which led to some... lets say poor quality... officers and executives in the past.

Pretty sure he hasn't called... ...and if he did it might not have led to this thread where we can discuss it and similarly confused people might eventually get an answer...

Oh - are you postal vote?

I've checked my paperwork and have received two sets of correspondence: 1: Polling card for local election and regional mayoral election 2: Sperate booklet pertaining to the mayoral election (which states on the envelope that they are required by law to send the booklet to each person entitled to vote in this election Are these what people are meaning in this thread as to two sets of 'voting papers'?

Did one come from the Sheffield City Council returning officer and one from the Mayoral returning officer? (Are they the same person?)

One of Sheffield's best loved artists Pete McKee is calling on the public to help him locate 25 of his past original artworks. The works are set to star in new exhibition which will make its debut at Weston Park Museum later this year. Opening in November, The Boy with a Leg Named Brian will take visitors on an autobiographical journey through Pete’s childhood in 1970’s Sheffield. You can view all the works Pete is looking for at Sheffield Museums. Pete is only looking for original artworks, not prints, and only the works listed – please don’t get in touch regarding any paintings not included in the list. The originals are easily identifiable – they will be painted on board and will either be unframed or framed in a wooden frame. If you own one of the listed originals, please get in touch with Pete’s team, who would love to talk to you about borrowing it for the upcoming exhibition. You can contact them at chris@petemckee.com

Sophie, GrumpyCatWeasel is a troll poster that we’ve probably tolerated a bit too long — nobody is really planning on sending homeless away on buses (and this topic only remains to show what a ridiculous idea it would be) . 🤣

Ahh, no — it isn’t that building for this development. The William Rowland building is on the diagonally opposite corner to your screenshot (i.e. directly behind where that shot was taken).

Theres actually a good argument by a PhD Researcher in the full article linked that automation is currently proving uneconomical for many businesses: “Cowman-Sharpe says the investment needed to retrofit an entire factory likely means the effect of automation hasn’t been that big so far. “£150 million is a lot of money,” he says. “Given the cost of energy at the moment, it could be cheaper for a lot of places to actually continue to pay a workforce.”” Over time, and as global prices adjust it may change of course.

You can meet the team helping Sunnybank nature reserve next Wednesday:

Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust have been provisionally granted £10,000 worth of funding for Sunnybank nature reserve (off Ecclesall Road) and Crabtree Ponds nature reserve (off Barnsley Road), BUT they need your help to unlock it! Basically, to be given the funding they need the public to match it - if they can raise £10k of donations from the public then they get the £10k of match funding from The Big Give Green Match Fund. HOWEVER, they on'y have ONE WEEK to raise it, starting today. Please give what you can to help plans for nature and health benefits at these locations here: https://donate.biggive.org/campaign/a056900002SEV60AAH Here's what the money will go towards: £4,000 – Crabtree steps replacement £1,200 – Crabtree Woodland and Meadow Management £5,100 – Crabtree Pond Dipping Platform Installation £3,500 – Sunnybank pond restoration £2,000 – Sunnybank Interpretation board £3,000 – Sunnybank Welcome sign x2 £1,200 – Sunnybank habitat management DONATE HERE & THE BIG GIVE WILL MATCH YOUR DONATION: https://donate.biggive.org/campaign/a056900002SEV60AAH From Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust: "As our cities grow, wildlife gets pushed out. Hedgehogs, birds, insects and reptiles are all losing their homes and being forced into smaller areas, resulting in declining numbers. Likewise, people in local communities are losing green spaces to new developments or anti-social behaviour. "Research shows the benefit of time spent in nature to people's wellbeing, however our busy lives and lack of access in urban areas can mean we don't have these opportunities." DONATE HERE & THE BIG GIVE WILL MATCH YOUR DONATION: https://donate.biggive.org/campaign/a056900002SEV60AAH "We are lucky enough to manage a number of urban nature reserves, however without funding for maintenance and upkeep, these are in danger of becoming inaccessible to people and unsuitable for wildlife to thrive. "With your support we will be able to improve access with steps & paths, therefore protecting wildlife as well as creating new habitats including ponds and woodland management. "These actions will support wildlife and provide wider benefits such as improved air quality and carbon capture." DONATE HERE & THE BIG GIVE WILL MATCH YOUR DONATION: https://donate.biggive.org/campaign/a056900002SEV60AAH

But, what is 'aesthetically pleasing'? It's totally subjective. What is horrible to you is lovely to somebody else. Personally, I don't see too much of a problem with this building/ It is functional and far more 'aesthetically pleasing' than the old industrial unit that is there currently! And it works with the other newer buildings going up around that area. Plus, the more restrictions you put on development, the less development you will actually get and developers will just look elsewhere. As long as liveable spaces are decently liveable and functional spaces work to their function then it's all good, surely?

Tonight! Book your place now for this informative online talk.

The Tribune today has an in depth look at controversial automation at Boohoo/Pretty Little Thing’s distribution warehouse on Shepcote Lane, which has led to swathes of redundancies. Here’s a snippet: “In 2021, the warehouse employed an army of ‘pickers’ — staff employed to collect items from around the 615,000 square foot or 14-acre warehouse and hand them to other employees to pack ready for distribution. However, following a £150 million investment in the facility, many of these picker jobs have been automated. “When the warehouse opened in 2018, everything was manual,” says one staff member. Now, paid staff have been replaced by a conveyor belt system. “It brings stuff to you rather than you having to go and get it,” they add. “On the one hand, this makes it “a lot easier” to pick, the staff member says, but it also means they need far fewer workers. The warehouse shed 300 jobs last September, with another 90 earlier this year. The man I’m speaking to works in the hygiene team, cleaning the vast warehouse ready for a new shift to start. This, he adds, is “better than picking” — but not by much. “[Boohoo]’s got a bad name, and it deserves it,” he says. “It’s just ****. You are just like a number; anonymous. They don’t care about you or do anything for you.”” Here’s a link to the whole thing (it’s worth subscribing, The Tribune is a fantastic outlet for quality local journalism!). And here’s a video of the new automation in action 😮:

I think it’s the old William Rowland site? At the end of Scotland Street, where it joins Meadow Street (bounded by Edward Street, Upper Allen Street and Broccoli Street).

Manchester-based award-winning developer Beech Holdings has secured planning permission for its Sheffield Gardens Build to Rent scheme on Meadow Street. The development has a gross development value of £55m and will deliver 158 homes in a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments. Sheffield Gardens is the second development that is outside of the developer’s home city, demonstrating the company’s commitment to becoming a national developer. Residents will benefit from several amenities include a large, private gym, external landscaped courtyard, and roof-top gardens. Beech Holdings has achieved 100% bio-diversity net gain through the inclusion of external amenity and bird/bat boxes to promote and encourage nature. Stephen Beech, CEO of Beech Holdings said: “This is a significant development for Beech Holdings, our very first in Yorkshire and second outside of our home city of Manchester. “It demonstrates our commitment to deliver exceptional apartments across the UK’s regional cities as we grow to be a national developer. “Our company has a 20-year history of delivering exceptional apartment developments and I’m thrilled to be able to offer local people in Sheffield that same standard. “We always look to regenerate where we can; this unused and unloved commercial site is in exactly the location we want to breathe new life into. We’ll be creating over 100 immediate jobs for the construction phase, and we’ll have a permanent staff of at least 10 to deliver residents a premium level of service and maintenance.” The Sheffield Gardens scheme has been supported by architect Leach Rhodes Walker, consultants The Cummings Group, sustainability experts Hydrock and planning consultants Urbana. Works will begin in Q4 2024 with the demolition of the current dilapidated and unused commercial buildings on site. The scheme will remain in the long-term control of the Beech Holdings’ Group, with full property management and a commitment to the community with at least 10 permanent jobs created, alongside the 100+ jobs created in the construction phase. Neil Baumber, Development Director at Beech holdings said: “We are actively looking at other sites in Sheffield, we feel we can offer the standard of accommodation that local people desire. We’ll be getting to work quickly in the final quarter of this year.” Beech Holdings has a 20-year history of delivering exceptional quality, sustainable homes for Greater Manchester, with a particular strength in designing apartments that suit young professionals’ and graduates’ lifestyles that are passive to emissions. The company has its first scheme in Newcastle due for completion this summer and has great ambitions to be a major player in the UK residential development sector. This brings the total number of apartments delivered or in planning to over 1,000 across Sheffield, Newcastle and Manchester.

You’d be the expert in trolling…

Streets ahead will be sending the gritters out from 2am as temperatures are set to go below zero overnight and it’ll be a chilly start to Thursday. “Priority routes above 200m will be gritted” Residents are also advised to read up on the latest winter weather advice. 👍

The property forum is still here: https://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/forum/4-sheffield-property-amp-housing/

An increase of 17% revenue is quite impressive still, considering ticket prices are reduced currently. Politicians probably won’t be able to say much else now (via direct channels) as we’re in purdah before the local elections.

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