Agenda item

12.1

The Committee received the following questions from members of the public, in attendance at the meeting.

12.2

Approximately 38 members of the public attended the meeting.

a)    Karen from Burngreave.

More education was needed for children in schools around littering.  Environmental agencies or council workers should go into schools to talk to the children about environmental issues and crime in the local area. Needles had been found in green spaces, these are regular hotspots.  Needles that had been reported to the council on pathways had been cleared, but not from the surrounding trees and bushes. Children may use these areas as dens, or to play hid and seek in.

Margaret Hill from Burngreave Tenants and Residents Association, stated that they had council litter picking teams in the area.  One particular team regularly picked litter from the Brunswick Road area. She had asked the council to check Ellesmere Green before they held a community event on it, and this had been actioned.

b)    Member of the public.

Another member of the public stated that his house was next to a green space, and he did not have a fence to separate him from the green space, he had found needles in his garden.

Margaret Hill stated that she would make contact with the council to help with the clean-up and making safe of the Catherine Street area.

Councillor Safiya Saeed, Chair of the Local Area Committee asked the resident to leave his address with the LAC so that the missing fence issue could be investigated.

Lindsey Hill, the North East LAC Manager stated that they had an environmental project which supported litter picking groups with equipment.  Another initiative was called ‘Little Pickers’.  The LAC had worked with predominantly primary schools to talk to the children about litter picking.  The children log the litter picking they had completed and got a certificate for their work.  The LAC was trying to extend this initiative to senior schools.  Lindsey Hill advised the member of the public to speak with her team, who would advise further on this initiative.

Councillor Dawn Dale also advised that there were National initiatives that had been delivered into Sheffield academies and maintained schools. The school would appoint an environmental champion and a lead member of staff.  This had been part of the curriculum.   

12.3

The Chair of the Committee congratulated Ann Bently for the Radio Sheffield BBC award.

12.4

c)    Mick Daniels - Brushes Estate Tenants and Residents Association.

Mr Daniels stated that there had been very little communication from the council Housing Service, he wanted to know how a Committee had spent £4 million and £3 million, with no consultation with the tenants, who had contributed to this fund by paying their rent.  He stated that the £4 million had funded the installation of shutters and cleaning of properties. He felt that if the properties had been let to tenants quicker, the shutters wouldn’t have been necessary.  The removal of the windows in order to install the shutters, resulted in the properties getting damp.  He explained that the £3 million had been spent on treating damp and mould in properties.  He fed back that workmen had been observed attending properties, working for a couple of hours and then sitting outside the properties.  He asked if tenants should have been consulted with, before money had been spent from the Housing Revenue Account?

Councillor Mike Chaplin stated that with regard to the cleaning of properties, the reason for this could have been that the tenant had passed away and did not have family to clear the property. The shutters had been installed to protect the properties. Cllr Chaplin advised Mr Daniels to direct his question to the Housing Policy Committee.  If he could not attend in person, he could submit a written question and would receive a written response from the Chair of the Housing Policy Committee, Councillor Douglas Johnson.

Mr Daniels responded stating that he had met with Cllr Johnson prior to the Housing Policy Committee meeting, and he had raised it with him. Mr Daniels stated that no reference to his questions had been raised in the Policy Committee meeting, so was unaware of any feedback or answer.

Councillor Jayne Dunn stated that as a committee, they could write to the Housing Policy Committee.  If a public question had been submitted to the Policy Committee and a written answer supplied, the questioner then had the opportunity to submit a supplementary question to the Policy Committee on-line.

Councillor Fran Belbin stated that public questions could be submitted to the Full Council meeting without the need to be there in person and that Mr Daniels’ question could be escalated to the Housing Policy Committee. Councillor Belbin continued to say that the issue he raised regarding contractors working on the damp problems on the estate, had been reported.

Mr Daniels requested that the new interim officer (Chris Ellison – Interim Director of Housing) who had replaced Janet Sharpe, introduced himself to the tenants and residents` group.  He stated that Janet Sharpe used to have meetings with the Tenants and Residents Association.

Councillor Chaplin responded stating that there was a Tenants Voices Meeting forum, to voice concerns and speak with senior housing officers. 

Mr Daniels confirmed that he had raised concerns at that meeting.

12.5

d)    Wathek Gabor– Chair of the Wensley Tenants and Residents Association.

Mr Gabor thanked the Councillors, especially Councillor Saeed, for the hard work and commitment they had shown to his area.

Mr Gabor asked if the application called ‘Fix My Street’ was still in use, he had reported issues of fly tipping to the council using this tool, but nothing had been done?

Councillor Dawn Dale addressed the question and stated that this was an independent organisation who would then contact the council in turn, but this could take up to five days.  She advised to report any issues of concern directly to the council.

Mr Gabor responded saying that he had reported an issue with street lighting to the council previously and was not satisfied with the delayed rectification of the issue.

12.6

e)    Margaret Hill – Burngreave Tenants and Residents Association TARA).

Ms Hill informed the group that charities would collect rubbish from tenants’ homes if they called the numbers she and her TARA had advertised, rather than leaving the rubbish outside. 

Mick Daniels added that he had reported an issue to the ‘Fix My Street’ application previously and the issue had been rectified within a couple of days.

12.7

f)      Member of the public

He stated that he had experienced anti-social behaviour outside his home.  He had some negative interactions with those committing the anti-social behaviour, some of which had been under the influence of drugs.  He was concerned to leave his wife in the house alone and asked the committee what was being done about this?

Councillor Safiya Saeed stated that she would speak with the gentleman after the meeting and asked the police officer present if she could assist with the query.

PC 257 Jo Lewis, who was attached to the Page Hall Neighbourhood Team, told the member of the public that she would take some details after the meeting to make further enquiries.