A view across the city centre from Penrhyn Road in Hunter’s Bar

This week, the Liberal Democrat council have launched the new Community Assemblies that will bring decision-making down from the Town Hall down to the different communities in Sheffield.  The one that covers Nether Edge Ward is South Community Assembly and will be made up of all of the local councillors in the four wards that it covers.  It also has Nether Edge councillor Colin France as its Vice-Chair.

The big change between the old Area Panels and the new Community Assemblies is that each Community Assembly has a budget and will ask communities how this should be spent on local projects.  Communities will also be able to influence decisions on how much is spent on parks, street cleaning and libraries so those services are designed to meet local needs rather than having a one-size-fits-all system for the whole city.  More services will be added to the Community Assemblies over the coming years.

Although final decisions will be made by local councillors who can hold to account at the ballot box, all Community Assemblies will have a team of staff who are dedicated to working with local communities to try and get the most our of their assembly.  They will also actively encourage residents to get involved in the decisions the assemblies make.

The first meeting of South Community Assembly is on 2nd June at Gleadless Valley Methodist Church on Blackstock Road.