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1.2 This proposal leaves the Hillsborough shopping center split down the middle, and puts an area with strong ties to the rest of Hillsborough into a Walkley ward. The Hawksley/ Broughton area has long been part of the rest of the Hillsborough area. The enclosed extract from the 1905 map (Map A) of the area shows Hawksley/Broughton in a Hillsborough ward, and a boundary running along Holme Lane and Bradfield Road. This has been the case for most of the past 98 years since Hillsborough was incorporated into Sheffield.
1.3 There appears to be unanimous belief that the proposed line is incorrect. I have discussed this informally with members of the Liberal Democrats, the Labour Party, the Green Party and residents of Hawksley Avenue. All of them agree that Hawksley/Broughton should be included in the Hillsborough ward, not the Walkley ward.
1.4 On re-examination of the electorate figures it is apparent that the electorate for the new Hillsborough ward is incorrect. The Middlewood Hospital development is expected to grow by about 360 electors between 2001 and 2006. While the Middlewood site has been included in the Stannington ward, the Boundary Committee have included the increase in the electorate in the Hillsborough ward.
1.5 I recommend that the boundary should run from Malin Bridge along Holme Lane, Bradfield Road and Owlerton Green, joining up with the River Loxley at Livesey Street. It should then follow the rivers to Parkwood Road and then to the railway line. This is shown on Map B. This is a much stronger feature on the ground and ensures strong community ties are ensured. It also balances the electorates
1.6 This would result in the following electorates, based on the City Council's figures:
PER Final Proposal, Middlewood incorrectly included in Hillsborough:
| 2001 | 2006 | ||
| Electorate: | 16: Hillsborough | 12937 -4% | 13265 -3% |
| 24: Stannington | 13107 -3% | 13128 -4% | |
| 26: Walkley | 14048 +4% | 13953 +2% |
Recommendation, Middlewood included in Stannington:
| 2001 | 2006 | ||
| Electorate: | 16: Hillsborough | 13494 +0% | 13461 +1% |
| 24: Stannington | 13107 -3% | 13489 -1% | |
| 26: Walkley | 13491 -0% | 13396 -1% |
This reduces the electorate imbalance from -3%/-4%/+2% to +1%/-1%/-1%.
1.7 This is my only recommended change to the Committee's recommendation that makes any electoral changes.
2.1 The following comments are on some minor technical boundary alignments that have no electoral change, but would make for a clearer line on the ground.
2.2 The boundary between Broomhill and Crookes passes through Crookes Sports Ground on Crookes Road. It follows part of the western boundary, and then a track to the southern entrance. The Crookes community see the Crookes Sports Ground as part of their neighbourhood. There have been planning applications to build on part of the land. As the Sports Ground is built over a covered reservoir, the only land suitable for building on is the western boundary. This would result in the ward boundary passing though any new properties. I recommend that the boundary at this point follows the easternmost boundary of the Sports Ground, as shown on Map C.
2.3 The boundary between Broomhill and Fulwood passes alongside Endcliffe Park and along the centre of Riverdale Road for a short length. This would result in a short section of about 100m of only one side of the Riverdale Road carriageway being in a different ward to the rest of Riverdale Road. I recommend that for clarity, the whole of the highway be included in Fulwood at this point, and that the boundary link direct to the Porter Brook near to the middle Dam, as shown on Map D.
2.4 The boundary between Gleadless Valley and Graves Park follows Derbyshire Lane for a short length. This section of road is immediately above a steep cliff to the shopping centre on Chesterfield Road. As with Riverdale Road, above, this boundary would be clearer if it followed the edge of the cliff along the edge of Derbyshire Lane, thus placing the whole carriageway in Gleadless Valley as shown on Map E.
3.1 Most of the proposed ward names are the best fit that is going to be possible considering the diverse communities encompassed within them.
3.2 The City Council and communities in the old Castle and Manor wards have recommended that the new ward 18 be named "Manor & Castle". This reflects the strong community identities in the old Manor and Castle wards, and I can agree with any recommendations to name this ward "Manor & Castle".
3.3 When discussing the ward review, the one ward name that caused the most confusion was the ward 7, the Central ward. Different people referred to it as "Centre", "Central", "City Centre", and "former Sharrow" and were very unsure what was being referred to. Most people understood it much more when referred to as "City Centre". I therefore recommend naming this ward "City Centre".