Park Hill Newsletter - Autumn 2022
Park Hill Newsletter - Summer 2022
Park Hill Newsletter - Summer 2022
Park Hill Newsletter - Summer 2022
Park Hill Newsletter - Summer 2022
Park Hill Newsletter - Summer 2022
Park Hill Newsletter - Summer 2022
Park Hill Newsletter - Summer 2022
Park Hill Newsletter - Summer 2022
Park Hill Newsletter - Summer 2022
Park Hill Newsletter - Summer 2022
Park Hill Newsletter - Summer 2022
Park Hill Newsletter - Summer 2022
Park Hill Newsletter - Summer 2022
Park Hill Newsletter - Summer 2022
Park Hill Newsletter - Summer 2022
Park Hill Newsletter - Summer 2022
Park Hill Newsletter - Summer 2022
Park Hill Newsletter - Summer 2022
Park Hill Newsletter - Summer 2022
Park Hill Newsletter - Summer 2022
Park Hill Newsletter - Summer 2022
Park Hill Newsletter - Summer 2022
Park Hill Newsletter - Summer 2022
Park Hill Newsletter - Summer 2022
Park Hill Newsletter - Summer 2022
Park Hill Newsletter - Summer 2022
Park Hill Residents' Association

Park Hill Residents' Association

Autumn 2022 Newsletter
PHRA logo
Message from the Chair

As the nights draw in, it is exciting times ahead for the Park Hill Residents’ Association (PHRA). Having grown from a handful of dedicated members on the committee to a bustle of engagement from across our community, I am sure that we can look forward to more successful events and a lively Annual General Meeting. You can find out more about this later in this edition of the newsletter.

The Residents’ Association is open to any homeowner, tenant or landlord of both phases one and two who wishes to have a say in the present and future of Park Hill. While this coming winter might be a struggle to some, we are here to help if and when we can, or we’ll point you in the right direction when we can’t.

The working group model, which is discussed in some of the features of this newsletter, means that you can work with like-minded neighbours to focus on specific areas of concern or interest. Please get in touch if you would like to get involved or find out more. 

Tamara

Our cover photo this issue shows a dramatic new vertical perspective on Park Hill and is reproduced with the kind permission of the photographer. We can see the extensive roof coverage which provides the opportunity for solar panels that you can read about below. Take a look at @downdropdrone on Instagram for more of their photos from around the country and follow them if you like what you see!

Phase 2 Working Group - Help Needed

We’re pleased to announce the launch of the new Phase 2 Working Group (P2WG), which has been set up by residents living in Phase 2. Many of us are new to Park Hill (some of us are new to Sheffield too) and we’re really happy to be part of the wider community here at Park Hill.

 

Since moving in and making friends here, we started to notice a few of us were experiencing the same issues - and although overall, we’re all extremely happy to be living in this magnificent Grade II* listed building, we felt increasingly frustrated that some of our concerns weren’t being addressed.  To try and combat this, we’ve joined forces to try and tackle the issues with the help of Urban Splash and RMG (Phase 2 Managing Agents).

 

We’ve set up 6 sub-groups under the umbrella of the P2WG with the hope that each sub-group can concentrate on trying to solve one particular topic. We’re looking now for other Phase 2 residents to get involved with these sub-groups and help us push forward with progress.

 

We understand that everyone is very busy, but no matter how much (or little) spare time you have, we can assure you it will really help. If you’re affected by any of the areas in our Mission Matrix, we’d love to hear from you! You can follow us on Facebook, or email us at: phase2workinggroup@parkhillpeople.org

Heritage Open Day Tours Success

In September, we hosted 120 visitors across 8 free tours as part of this years Heritage Open Days. Such was the level of interest, all of the tours sold out within 24 hours and were heavily oversubscribed, with large waiting lists ready to take advantage of any cancellations. Highlights included an opportunity to visit a flat interior and for those visiting on the midweek evenings, a view of the sunset to conclude the their tour.

“GREAT TOUR. HAVE BEEN INTERESTED IN THE BUILDING ALL MY LIFE. GOOD TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IT!”

Amongst the visitors, we were pleased to welcome some former residents, who reminisced about their time living here, as well as current residents wanting to find out more about their home. In contrast, for nearly half of the attendees, this was their first visit to Park Hill. 97% of them rated the tour Very Good or Excellent so hopefully Park Hill has gained some new admirers and changed perceptions of those possibly hesitant to visit previously. Another satisfying outcome was that half of the visitors reported that they made use of either South Street Kitchen or Park Hill Provisions which demonstrates that the tours made a positive contribution to our local economy.

“A VERY INTERESTING AND INTERACTIVE TOUR AND TALK. REALLY OPENED MY BLINKERED EYES.  THANK YOU"

Many thanks to Nicholas, Andrew, Graham, Dave and Mick for their knowledge and experience in leading the tours and being great ambassadors for our home. And also to David, Surriya and Anthony for helping facilitate access to flats and Béton House. A fantastic team effort!

“REALLY KNOWLEDGABLE AND PASSIONATE GUIDES!”

Due to the success of and demand for the tours, we are currently investigating the possibilities of running regular, monthly paid tours as a further income stream for Park Hill Residents’ Association. We will provide an update on our social media and in the next newsletter.

 

Jonathan K. | tours@parkhill.estate

Help needed to produce PHRA visuals

The Communications Working Group are seeking another member to join us. With increasing activity by Park Hill Residents Association, we need someone with artistic talent to produce striking posters and other visuals.

 

You may be an artist or work in graphic design or be studying a creative subject at university. If this is something you would like to volunteer for, please get in touch at web@parkhillpeople.org

PHRA Summer Party 2022

Park Hill Residents’ Summer party was a wonderful success. Those of you who came along, We sure had a great time! There were lots of stalls selling lots of different items, from local businesses and residents, all of whom reported a really successful day. The sun was out, the music was fantastic, food and drink aplenty. We held a free raffle for tickets to see ‘Standing at the Sky’s Edge’, we gave out 72 tickets and number 66 was the winner, congratulations! This meant at least 72 residents and their families enjoyed the day, which was funded by your residents association and Urban Splash. The committee would like to thank everyone who volunteered, organised and attended this event, making it the best summer party so far at Park Hill and we look forward to many more to come.

Keep your eyes peeled for the Christmas party, date to be arranged!

 

Kay H.

Would you like to be the IT lead for PHRA?

PHRA are on the lookout for a volunteer to be our IT lead. This is not an especially time intensive role but is key to the running of the organisation.

 

Roles and responsibilities include reviewing the annual invoice for our IT services and advising the committee, recommending changes to our IT services, resolving any issues with our IT services including our Wordpress website and Nextcloud cloud storage, setting up new emails and aliases and maintaining a user guide for new members. If this is something you can help with, please get in touch at hello@ parkhillpeople.org

Le Corbusier’s Influence and The Pavement

[Image Credit: Andy Wright]

 

When Jack Lynn and Ivor Smith first started working on the Park Hill flats in 1957 under the supervision of Sheffield architect John Lewis Womersley, one of their main sources of inspiration was gained from Swiss-French architect Charles-Édouard Jeanneret (otherwise known as Le Corbusier) and his housing block in Marseille named Unité d’Habitation which opened in 1952. Unité d’Habitation has become one of the most influential brutalist buildings over the years and was one of the key buildings which revolutionised the idea of tower blocks as housing for the masses. After the opening, Le Corbusier described the building as a “Radiant City” and “the first manifestation of an environment suited to modern life”, with its 337 apartments, hotel, rooftop terrace (with a nursery and swimming pool), and a shopping precinct on the 7th and 8th floors.

 

It is easy to see some similarities between the two projects when comparing the exteriors, though the overarching influence revolved around the ways in which the design of the complex could harbour a community spirit, with the inclusion of the wide decks which encouraged people to congregate. It is thought that the ‘streets in the sky’ concept was adopted from Le Corbusier (as well as from projects that were unbuilt by fellow English architects Alison and Peter Smithson), after Jack, Ivor and John noticed how beneficial Unité d’Habitation was for the local community. One element that they were keen to incorporate with the design of Park Hill that mirrored Unité d’Habitation was the addition of a shopping district, as it would provide a space for residents to gather and build relationships. Rather than have it high up though (as in Unité d’Habitation), one was developed on the ground level at Park Hill and aptly became named ’The Pavement’. The Pavement was actually the first part of Park Hill to be built as the shops along Duke Street were demolished to make way for the flats. Hence they needed reinstating quickly to ensure there were still shops for use by the wider community around Park Hill.

[Image Credit: Sheffield History]

 

The Pavement shopping centre was beneath the Gilbert Street floor (or Gilbert Row as it was originally known) in the area around where the lower car parks off Duke Street are now and it contained a community centre, dental surgery, and a vast assortment of shops including multiple grocers, a bakery, butchers, shoe shop, draper, ladies hairdresser and a fish and chip shop. The name ‘The Pavement’ still endures today as the addresses of the units on the ground floor of Flank A.

[Image Credit: Kelly’s Directory]

 

I found a photo from Kelly’s Directory in which you can see a list of the 31 businesses which populated The Pavement in 1965. Gowers and Burgons Grocers merged in 1962 and were a popular chain in Sheffield with several branches across the city from Abbeydale to Pitsmoor, and the fish and chip shop (Gardiol J. M. Fried Fish Dinner) was lauded by many as one of the best in Sheffield at the time. Last on the list you can see is The Earl George which was one of the four pubs which used to be located on the Park Hill estate (the others being The Scottish Queen, The Parkway Tavern and The Link) and could be found in the spot where the Grace Owen Nursery School is now. The amount of facilities coupled with the access to the old Park Hill infant and junior schools made it an area where residents would almost not have to leave.

 

Joe D.

Solar Panel Update

Urban Splash were initially enthusiastic about the idea of putting solar panels Phase 1 Working Group Updates on the roof of Park Hill, which would make it more sustainable and also lead to a small reduction in the service charge at no cost to residents. This is because a local, not-for-profit social enterprise called Sheffield Renewables would fund the installation and maintenance of the panels, and then sell electricity back to the management companies for the communal areas of the building (lifts, lighting etc.) at a cheaper price than they currently buy from the market. As the landlord, Urban Splash asked their then-head of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) to look into this with me, but he then left. Then, they assigned it to a contractor, who also left. And then to someone else who has stopped replying to my emails. I would like to see Urban Splash either seriously engage in this process or – alternatively – put forward their own in-house plans for putting solar panels on the roof. During a climate crisis and a cost-of-living crisis it’s not acceptable that such a prominent city centre building with a flat roof does not have any panels on it. Last year Urban Splash reported a £7 million increase in revenue. They can afford to do the right thing and become an environmentally responsible landlord.

 

Sam G. | greengroup@parkhillpeople.org

Litter Picks Continue to Grow

Over the last three months we have welcomed many new faces of all ages to join us on our litter picks, partly driven by those who have moved into Phase 2. The free refreshments at South Street Kitchen courtesy of Park Hill Residents’ Association have also been popular for post litter pick socialising. Thank you to everyone who has participated.

 

In July, Friends of Sheaf Valley Park kindly donated a Handi Cart Lite litter trolley, following a successful bid to the Arnold Clark Community Fund. Thank you to our regular volunteer Linda from Sheffield Litter Pickers for facilitating this. It will prove especially helpful for collecting glass bottles and the large, heavy gas canisters that are becoming prevalent on the upper parts of South Street. This particular location continues to have significant litter issues so please report litter to keep pressure on Sheffield City Council to address it.

 

FixMyStreet is an easy way to submit a report and there is also an app you can download to your phone. Otherwise you can report directly to Sheffield City Council.

While the forthcoming months will see the weather turn cooler, we will continue our sessions on the last Saturday of each month and hope you will still come out and support them (the exercise will warm you up in no time!). At this time of year, the vegetation will begin to die back which will expose litter that had been hidden in the grass and bushes, so there is still plenty to do! See the posters in the lobbies or our website calendar for dates and details: https://parkhill.estate/#event-directory

 

Jonathan K. | litter@parkhillpeople.org

PHRA Annual General Meeting

The PHRA Annual General Meeting (AGM) is due to take place later this year. Please keep an eye on our social media for further details of the date and location, or check our online calendar for updates about this and many other activities taking place in and around Park Hill: https://parkhill.estate/#event-directory.

Park Hill Plant Swap

The first Park Hill Plant Swap was held on the grass outside South Street Kitchen on August 14th.  With a steady flow of people throughout the afternoon, there were approximately 30 plants exchanged!  Keep an eye on our social media for details of another event in the new year. 

Windows in the Sky

The redevelopment of Park Hill has seen the installation of street-facing windows beside our front doors. This is the first in a series of hopefully regular items, that celebrate and tell the story behind your most interesting displays. This issue we look at this eye-catching collection that does not fail to get the attention of those who pass!

 

Their owner explains to us, “When my daughter was little, sometimes it fell to me to be a Grumpy Space Camel, and over time the name stuck and I just became “the Camel” whether in or out of character. Therefore, whenever anybody who knew about this found a camel in a charity shop, they would liberate it and give it to me... and in short that’s why I arrived at Park Hill with 50 stuffed camels. Clearly, they had to go in the display window, it was one of those things you don’t really have any choice about. I think there are about 35 in the window. It started to get a bit precarious after that, so the rest are living in one of my kitchen cupboards.”

 

Many thanks to Chris for agreeing to share the background to his window display.

Phase 1 Working Group Updates

The Service Fee Working Group have been working with Az from Plumlife on the Phase 1 timber refurbishment project. We considered that the estimated costs of refurbishing the doors (for all) was too high so agreed a strategy where the door furniture was excluded from the project. We then asked Az to go back to the contractor (now appointed) on the cost of refurbishment of the doors. The revised costs have now been circulated and the project is due to commence in early October.

 

We continue to pressurise Urban Splash on the Nickel Sulphide Inclusion glazing issue but unfortunately they have again changed the personnel responsible for this, so we are knocking on new doors now. We have been told that the legal teams have agreed draft documents, but we have not seen those yet.

 

Apart from that we continue to monitor how our money is spent by Plumlife and contribute where we can to other Residents Association projects.

 

Service Fee Working Group | servicefeeworkinggroup@parkhillpeople.org

Standing at the Sky's Edge returns to The Crucible Theatre

[Image Credit: Johan Persson]

 

Standing at the Sky’s Edge - winner of the Best Musical Production at the UK Theatre Awards and the 2020 South Bank Sky Arts Award for Theatre - will be returning to Sheffield this December! Set in Park Hill to the music and lyrics of Richard Hawley, the musical follows the lives of three families over several decades.

 

Running from 10th December 2022 until 21st January 2023 at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre, you can find out more on the Sheffield Theatres website: https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/events /standing-at-the-skys-edge-2.

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Park Hill Residents' Association
Sheffield S2, United Kingdom
Copyright PHRA 2022
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