Winter 2003

Editorial

Remember.... remember.... the 5th of November. It would be difficult to forget!

Each year the weeks around November 5th are punctuated by deafening explosions, often late into the night. What is more worrying is the increasing miss-use of fireworks, especially the large Chinese made ones.

Some of these can create enough damage on their own, but now they seem to be grouped together or the gunpowder removed and repackaged into larger units. This has led to several serious incidents this year. On Low Edges a bomb-style firework blew out the upstairs and downstairs windows of a maisonette, in Totley the telephone box on Baslow Road was literally blown up and in Dore the brick built post box at the junction of Cross Lane and Brick house Lane was completely demolished. How long before someone is seriously injured?

Talking about demolition reminds me of Sheffield Councils apparent lack of concern for the preservation of historic buildings throughout the city. It’s an old saying but still true, "what Hitler couldn’t demolish, Sheffield Council could". Old photographs of Sheffield show how much we have needlessly lost. Now if they don’t demolish an older building they seem to crowd it with inappropriate modern abominations.

Still if the Sheffield press and recent council statements are anything to go by, we can now look forward to a Peak District fringed by wind turbines. So much for the city set in a beautiful frame!

Not that I want to end the year on a low note. The weather has been great, we now have a new group fighting for the interests of Bradway and the Bugle continues to thrive. So....

Seasonal good wishes to you all!

John Baker, Editor

Calling all residents

- for help in finding missing footpaths.

We need to draw on your memories to confirm the routes of what have since become missing rights of way and to help us try where possible to get these reinstated. There are two current footpath issues that residents could help with, and both concern paths adjoining Dore and Totley Golf Course.

The first is the blocking and disappearance of what seems to have been a long standing footpath. This ran from Bradway Road opposite The Bradway pub, past the caretakers house at the golf club, and along the line of the Bradway Tunnel to a point on the golf course just beyond the far end of Birchitt Road. This far end used to be marked by a footpath sign which has now disappeared. The sign at the Bradway Road end was removed a few years ago.

The footpath seems a logical continuation to the path that runs by The Bradway, and which has also recently been threatened with closure, but fortunately remains open. We have testimony from two ladies who have walked this route regularly over the years, and as recently as earlier this year. Can anyone else vouch for its existence?

The second is "the footpath to nowhere" first written about in the Bugle nearly six years ago. If you are walking in our area using the latest Ordnance Survey map of the White Peak be warned. The map clearly shows a public footpath going up the drive towards Border View Farm, around the north of the buildings and then along the line of a stream towards the golf course and the edge of the map, which happens to coincide with the Sheffield border. The only trouble is, that the next (Sheffield) map to the north has no continuation of the path, it just stops at the border or falls off the edge of the map. Despite years of asking, neither Sheffield, nor Derbyshire Rights of Way Units have done anything about this anomaly. Can any of our readers testify to having used this route in the past?

Footpaths are a valuable asset, but seem to be under continuing threat from land owners, developers and the sheer neglect of statutory duties by local councils. Perhaps it is time for pedestrians and ramblers to fight back.

Do you remember regularly walking across a particular field on the way to school, or going down a local gennel that has now disappeared? Can you suggest a new route for a footpath that would make walking easier?

We would like to hear from you.

Golf range improvements

Despite local objections, plans to revamp the Moorview Golf Range on Bradway Road have been approved by the council.

A new clubhouse, including a bar, cafe and a small shop, can now be built, subject to a list of planning conditions. The scheme also involves refurbishing the golf driving bays, replacing where necessary the perimeter fence, redefining the car park and landscaping.

Previous attempts to make improvements to the driving range have run into concerns from council planners over the effect on the green belt. The latest project, for a crescent shaped building, won council support for its design of stone and timber cladding which, it was judged, would not be too intrusive in its sensitive surroundings.

Fears have been expressed over an increase in activity in a residential area as a result of the bigger complex and that insufficient car parking space on site would result in vehicles spilling out on to the roads creating a traffic hazard. One condition will be that the premises are open only between 9am and 11 pm.

Post Box

Dear Sir,

Spoilt Woodland Walks

The dry summer we have enjoyed has allowed greater use of the footpaths through Poynton Woods to walk to Totley or the Castle Inn.

However, even in the dry weather, this pleasure is spoiled by inconsiderate dog owners who allow their dogs to deposit their mess, right in the middle of the footpath. It is far too prevalent for it to be an occasional lack of supervision.

Surely if you own a dog, you should accept the responsibilities that go with that ownership. After all, the woods and woodland footpaths are not designated dog toilets.

It is my guess that the owners responsible, probably consider themselves sensible and socially responsible people. I say they ought to think again.

A Woodland Walker

Name and address supplied

Dear Sir,

Good News from the Greenhill Bradway Tenants and Community Association.

We are all aware that underage drinking, smoking and solvent abuse can cause difficulties for all in Our Area. Some of our citizens were concerned about this, and informed the GBT&CA. We took the initiative, and lead a project to combat the problem.

The council were very helpful, and, through their Trading Standards Office, gave a presentation and launched the "Responsible Retailer Award" at a public meeting at our meeting hall on 14 May. The GBT&CA is pleased that shops in and around Bradway have joined the scheme, which is proving to be successful, and expanding.

May we place on record our thanks to the people and retailers of Bradway. Together, we are helping to make Our Area an even better place to live.

GBT&CA

Fire station changes

Further opposition is expected to new plans to close Ringinglow fire station as part of a sweeping review of the South Yorkshire brigade. Under the proposals the fire engine would he moved out of Sheffield, leaving the Ringinglow area to be covered by firefighters based in the city centre or Lowedges.

It is the third time the brigade has suggested closing Ringinglow and many Ringinglow residents reacted furiously to earlier proposals. If the closure takes place this would leave just one pump at Lowedges covering the south west of Sheffield although it has been said repeatedly two should be sent to house fires.

Originally the brigade planned to merge Ringinglow with the Lowedges station at a new site on Abbeydale Road. But planning problems and objections from residents saw that idea abandoned. After conducting more research, brigade chiefs decided there would be adequate fire cover in south west Sheffield without the Ringinglow-based fire crew and drew up proposals to simply close that station. Those plans were then put on hold when the Government ordered an extensive review.

Bradway prepares for battle

Sir Harold Jackson parents fight over school choice

Visitors to Bradway normally gain the impression that they have arrived in a docile suburb on the quiet countryside fringe of Sheffield, but there are now signs everywhere that the community is building up a battle zone atmosphere.

A call to arms has gone out with the display of vivid yellow posters in shop windows, pubs and on prominent sites throughout the area, a door to door leaflet distribution, 1,400 signatures obtained for a petition, hundreds of pre-written protest letters sent to the Town Hall, the lobbying of city councillors and officials, and Press and radio interviews.

Probably the best organised campaign ever run in Bradway, it is described in three words at the top of the poster and leaflets ‘HELP SHJ KIDS’ and concerns the proposal to allocate places at Abbeydale Grange School to children from Sir Harold Jackson School at Bradway, who would previously have expected to go on to Meadowhead School.

There is no direct bus service between Bradway and Abbeydale Grange School and road traffic dangers would increase with the extra congestion if parents drove their children from Bradway. There are also fears that property values in the Bradway area will be hit as newcomers look for alternative schooling.

The Bradway protest, organised by an independent group of parents, began when Mr Jonathan Crossley-Holland, Executive Director of Education wrote to parents in September to say that the Sheffield City Council was consulting about a proposal to amend school catchment areas.

It is intended that some 30 pupils a year from Norton Free CE Primary School would eventually go to Meadowhead School instead of Newfield. The effect of this would be to turn away a similar number of Bradway pupils who would have to go to Abbeydale Grange.

Consultation on the matter continued throughout October and a final Cabinet decision was expected to be taken this month as the Bugle was going to press. Full details will be given in the next issue.

Roger Davis

Go to Bradway Bugle Past Issues

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