Dore to Door internet edition

News & Comment - Winter 2003

Tilting at windmills - Supertram to Dore? - Councillor surgeries - Doremouse - Letters

Tilting at windmills

Readers of ‘The Star’ will have been blown over by the recent provocative front page story and picture showing giant wind turbines near Fox house.

The story hinged on a hunt for land in Sheffield on which to build a wind farm, and the Council’s plan to take the initiative by developing its own wind farm using its land on the western outskirts of the city.

Fortunately wind farms are not allowed in national parks. The boundary of the Peak Park runs comfortably below the highest ground from Ringinglow, along Sheephill Road, down Whitelow Lane to Shorts Lane and then up to Bolehill Lodge. The Fox House site is therefore not at risk.

Supertram to Dore?

Proposals have been published for extending Supertram, with one line terminating near Dore railway station. The proposed route from here to the city centre is on-road along Abbeydale Road South as far as Millhouses, then on track alongside the existing rail lines as far as Heeley. Two possible city termini are being considered; one at Midland Station and the other in the High Street area. Details of the route to the latter are not yet available. The Supertram consultation team is asking for comments on these proposals before the end of November.

The Village Society has responded by saying that, in principle, it favours an improvement in the public transport service between Dore and the city centre. However, the proposals raise some concerns, mainly because they lack detail. The main question relates to the means of access to the proposed terminus. Already, users of Dore railway station have a problem finding places to park cars. If Supertram is to come to Dore, sufficient secure and convenient parking will be needed. The proposals do not show how this might be achieved. The viability of "feeder" bus services, as an alternative means of access, must also be questioned.

The proposal documents say that a further extension to Totley has been considered but insufficient additional passenger traffic would result to justify the extra cost. We have asked that the figures supporting this conclusion be re-examined.

The effects on the 97 and 97A bus services have not been explained. Should Supertram provide an attractive and well-used route as far as Dore station, bus operators may find it less attractive to maintain the existing service frequencies on both these bus routes, meaning the Totley residents and those in the Totley Brook and Furniss Avenue areas of Dore will suffer. We have asked for an explanation of the strategy covering the bus and Supertram services.

We have also commented on the idea of a city terminus at the Midland Station. This location seems to be less attractive than one closer to the centre of the city and would probably result in lower passenger numbers. Such a location also raises a much more important point, in that the Supertram route would then closely follow the existing rail route from one end to the other. We question whether the huge capital cost of a Supertram line can be justified. Could not the same or less money be spent on providing an alternative "light rail" approach using the Network Rail land and lines to a greater extent? Not easy, we know but, given that Network Rail recently announced that it now intends to spend less on rail improvements in South Yorkshire than it had planned, the question has to be asked again.

Even if the Supertram extensions can find political support and funding, it's going to be a long haul, with completion no earlier than 2010. Residents wishing to make comment can do so to the Supertram Extensions Team at SYPTE, Exchange Street, Sheffield S2 5YT.

Roger Millican

Councillor surgeries

Local councillors from both parties will in future be holding regular surgeries in Dore, using the Dore Village Society rooms at the Old School.

A Liberal Democrat councillor will be available to discuss local problems and issues on the second Saturday of each month between 10.30 am and 12 noon. Future dates are: 13th December; 10th January and 14th February.

A Conservative councillor will be available to discuss local problems and issues on the last Monday each month between 6pm and 7pm. Future dates are: 24th November; 26th January and 23rd February.

Did you know....

I recently made the mistake of trying to go down Furniss Avenue one afternoon, just as the children were leaving the primary school. Chaos was too polite a word for the traffic situation. Yet I found out later that it was International Walk to School Day (Wednesday 8th October), in which children from 106 Sheffield primary schools were supposed to be taking part. What must other days be like?

Meanwhile another petrol station bites the dust with planning permission granted to demolish Totley Bridge station at the corner of Abbeydale Road South and Devonshire Road, in order to make way for a three-storey block of 10 flats with 13 car parking spaces. This follows closure of the Esso station in Millhouses and new flats on the site of the petrol station at the junction of Abbey Lane and Abbeydale Road South. So now we will have the petrol run to add to the school run!

Another explosive issue is the increasing miss use of fireworks, especially the large Chinese made ones. This year the weeks around November 5th have been punctuated by extra large explosions, often late into the night. Two of these were particularly damaging, involving the complete demolition of the post box at the junction of Cross Lane and Brick house Lane, and the blowing up of Totley telephone box on Baslow Road. How long before someone is seriously injured? How long before the Government gets its act together and bans all but organised displays? Don’t hold your breath!

And don’t hold your breath about a Supertram link with Dore either. Not only does this seem an excessively expensive and long winded way of improving public transport from the south west of the city, but will our existing council countenance spending money to the benefit of this part of Sheffield - I doubt it. And anyway, who wants the eyesore of a Supertram terminus at the bottom of Dore Road, with all the traffic and parking chaos it would inevitably generate, on top of the parking problems that already exist there.

Doremouse

Letters

Dear Sir,

Concerns have been drawn to my attention by many people about the parking on Devonshire Terrace Road and the manner in which inconsiderate parking is causing inconvenience to others.

Some people seem incapable of following the road markings. The double yellow lines on the corner outside the Coop are there for a specific purpose - it enables the bus to move down Devonshire Terrace Road without obstruction. Yet a number of people persist in parking on these double yellow lines and blocking the buses. This causes enormous frustration to the bus drivers, the passengers and local residents who are disturbed by the bus sounding its horn.

I urge people to think before they park. The consequences of the bus constantly being blocked in by poor parking not only effects others in the short term, but could have long term consequences for the future of the 50 bus route ie the possible terminating the 50 route at Ecclesall.

I ask all fellow Dore residents to think carefully before they park.

Councillor Colin Ross

Dear Sir,

New Group Formed for Preservation of Sheffield’s Oldest Buildings

The church tower at Beauchief Abbey is probably the oldest standing structure in Sheffield, built around 1200 AD. It was part of the Premonstratensian monastery, of which various fragments remain – the tower, some ruined stonework, some surrounding buildings, the remains of the Abbey’s waterworks and fishponds, a spring of pure water. It is almost surrounded by golf courses and farmland, and though it is only 4 miles from the centre of the City, it remains calm, isolated, and still functions as a church. In its heyday the Abbey played a major role in developing ironmaking along the Sheaf. There are indications that Abbeydale Hamlet’s early origins were linked to it, as was Norton Hammer. In other words, the Abbey was at the centre of an early industrial complex.

The whole area – golf course, Abbey, associated buildings– belonged to Mr. Frank Crawshaw. He sold the golf course area to the Council, but gave the Abbey and its buildings as a gift to the people of Sheffield, to be cared for by the Council on their behalf.

The Council has not pursued its responsibilities very actively, since the gift in 1931.The Abbey building with its tower has been well looked after by the City Council. However, maintenance of the outbuildings, themselves listed, has been neglected. Some of the barns’ walls have been damaged by tree roots. Nonetheless, the site has remained intact, and valued as one of the earliest parts of Sheffield’s heritage.

The Council has recently proposed to sell or lease part of the complex of Abbey buildings, for conversion to two houses. This proposal is thoroughly inappropriate for such an ancient and interesting site. It would destroy the archaeological integrity of the site of what had been an important Abbey. These parts of the Abbey remains would become inaccessible to visitors. It would seriously change the character of a hitherto beautiful and unspoilt landscape – a rarity in such a big city. It is not even clear that the Council has the right to alienate a gift which, essentially, is held in trust for Sheffield residents.

Local groups, including Beauchief Environmental Group, FEW (the Friends of Ecclesall Woods), the Church Council of the Abbey, ASWAT (Abbeydale and Shepherd Wheel Action Trust), and others, have joined to form a new body, Beauchief Abbey Barns Association (BABA), to resist these plans of the Council and come up with a plan to use the buildings appropriately – to provide meeting rooms for local groups, accommodation for school parties, and a small museum and information room. This gives local facilities for local people, instead of profit for a few at the expense of the environment and heritage.

We call on the Council to abandon the plans to convert the barns to houses, and give full and vigorous support to the local groups who have formed BABA.

Professor Francis Evans

Chairman of BABA

Ed. You can contact BABA on 0114 258 5346