Park and Ride wins funding

Posted December 3, 2011 * Comments (0)

Good news that the Park and Ride project at Dore and Totley station has won the funding necessary to see it completed.

Parking capacity at the station has been a long-standing problem which has seen cars parking a long way up Dore Road and shopping areas being blocked by commuters. And many commuters will have stayed in their cars rather than take public transport for want of somewhere to park.

Councillors Colin Ross and Joe Otten raised the importance of this project personally with Rail Minister Norman Baker when they met at the Liberal Democrat conference in Birmingham.

More details can be found here.

Progress on Mickley Lane allotments and Totley Bents pavilion

Posted October 3, 2011 * Comments (0)

Cricket or cabbages?

The good news is that work on both these projects is due to start this month and should be finished by the end of the year.

The south west of Sheffield has a waiting list of 878 for an allotment (July figures), more than a third of the total for the whole of the city. So it is good to be able to increase provision to meet some of this demand.

The Totley Bents pavilion is another project with significant community support and fundraising. I’m pleased that the South West Community Assembly was able to top this up to enable the project to go ahead.

Bradway Natwest under threat

Posted June 11, 2011 * Comments (0)

Residents, shoppers and traders in Bradway are fighting to save their local NATWEST BANK from closure. Ward councillors are actively supporting the Bradway Action Group’s protest.

Locals point to the impact on the community of losing its local bank. ‘Closing this bank will have a profound effect on the community,’ states Cllr Keith Hill.  ‘Local businesses will suffer, and customers, particularly those with mobility issues, will find it hard to reach alternatives.’ Petitions are in the shops and letters of protest should be sent to:

The Manager
The NatWest Bank
997 Abbyeydale Road Road
Sheffield S7 2QE

Thankyou for your support

Posted May 14, 2011 * Comments (0)

It is a great honour to be elected to represent Dore and Totley ward. Thankyou to everyone who voted for me. The full result:

Daniel Kevin Gage
The Conservative Party Candidate
Votes: 2419

Jen Henderson
The Labour Party
Votes: 1368

Joseph Otten
Liberal Democrat
Votes: 3248

Rita Louise Wilcock
Green Party
Votes: 530

Electorate: 13465
Turnout: 56.2%

I will be holding surgeries, in conjunction with Cllrs Colin Ross and Keith Hill, each 2nd Monday in the month 6.00-7.00 pm, Totley Library, Baslow Road, and each 2nd Saturday in the month from 10.30am to 12.00 noon, Dore Old School Hall Savage Lane, Dore.

South West Community Assembly report 30th March

Posted April 1, 2011 * Comments (0)

A lively and well-attended meeting with a great deal of interest in the plans for Burbage, Houndkirk and Hathersage Moors. The plans were largely well received, see the Telegraph for more.

The proposal for a refuge on Abbeydale Rd South was deferred following a petition from residents. The refuge is also likely to be redundant now as a crossing is expected to be included in the development of the Park and Ride just down the road.

The installation of a footpath on Totley Brook Road to help pupils walking to school was agreed, with the scheme amended in light of concerns raised about trees. Construction to begin May or June 2011.

The assembly agreed to go ahead with consultations and costings for 20mph zones covering residential roads in Dore and Totley ward.

All these decisions reflect how much better it is to have these kinds of decisions made in the community, in front of the people to whom councillors are accountable, and listening to their concerns and objections, rather than in the Town Hall hidden away from such scrutiny, by people less interested in the local area. The policy to bring these community assemblies in is proving to be a great success.

Bradway Action Group meeting

Posted March 31, 2011 * Comments (0)

I was very impressed at the turnout and interest at the Bradway Action Group meeting on Tuesday. It was a great opportunity for me to hear local people’s concerns over planning, recycling, road safety, grass verges, scrap metal dealers, and many other issues, and for Lib Dem councillors Keith Hill and Colin Ross to address some of those concerns, and be tasked with dealing with others.

Regular contact with community groups like this is a vital part of a ward councillor’s job, and it is a pity that none of the other candidates for Dore and Totley ward were there.

Phone mast defeated

Posted March 26, 2011 * Comments (0)

Thanks to a big campaign by local people the phone mast proposed in the Dore conservation area has been rejected.

Around 70 people joined the demonstration on Tuesday 15th, and over 70 objections were sent to the planning department, showing the strength of local feeling on this issue.

Footpaths on Townhead Rd

Posted March 10, 2011 * Comments (0)

This morning, Councillor Colin Ross and I spoke to the residents at Fairthorn about the dangerous state of Townhead Rd outside Fairthorne.

As you can see from the satellite picture, this stretch of road is narrow, has poor visibility and no footpaths. Elderly residents on foot or on mobility scooters must navigate this stretch to access Dore village. There have been two near-misses recently.

We discussed a number of possibilities including a footpath, refuges, signage, and various ways to slow traffic. We will be talking to the highways engineers shortly and hope to make progress. Watch this space.

Opposing the phone mast in Dore Village

Posted March 8, 2011 * Comments (0)

I am campaigning against Vodafone’s inappropriate application to build a phone mast in the conservation area in the centre of Dore.

Local people, with support from the Dore & Totley Lib Dem council team, have worked hard to preserve the unique character of this area. Now, the centre of Dore could be spoiled by this inconsiderately placed phone mast.

I am urging local people to contact the council before 21st March to protest and I hope, together, we can stop it. While I rely on a good mobile phone signal, I don’t agree that it is necessary to erect masts in conservation areas.

Residents can object on the Sheffield Council website at http://bit.ly/dore-mast or by emailing Mark Jackson, mark.jackson@sheffield.gov.uk quoting 11/00271/FULTEL.

Update: There is now a facebook group for the campaign at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_151638124897471&ap=1 and a twitter feed at http://twitter.com/#!/StopTheMastDore