Sheffield South East

SOUTH EAST

SHEFFIELD

The Sheffield Housing Conversations

CONTENTS Beighton Darnall Halfway Tinsley Woodhouse Conclusions

The Sheffield Housing Conversations

11 17 23 29 35 44

INTRODUCTION For six weeks, masters students from the University of Sheffield have collaborated with South Yorkshire Housing Association on...

We saw housing rise to the top of the political agenda in 2015. The Sheffield Housing Conversations will provide platforms to discuss impacts and explore solutions by hearing about ideas, opinions and experiences of the issues surrounding housing.

The following booklet is an overview of our findings of the issues facing people in Sheffield South East ward.

The Sheffield Housing Conversations

BACKGROUND The following document contains information gathered during six weeks from 25th September 2017 to 3rd November 2017. It is an archival snapshot of the opinions, discussions and conversations which were recorded during this time. This document aims to highlight the key housing issues discussed by people across Sheffield, acting almost as an ethnographic piece of research in understanding the shared and learned patterns of values, behaviours and beliefs of a culture sharing group. We recorded 226 conversations during this period and we are aware that, as less than 1% of the population of Sheffield, our results and findings may be limited. We coded and indexed our dialogued information to draw out the common themes and trends, however we are conscious that as qualitative information, these are only opinions and not facts. As a group of 15 students, it is key to acknowledge that each of us are different and come with different experiences of housing and this may have influenced the conversations we had and thus the results which we gathered.

It is also important to explain the different colours used in the document and the corresponding theme: pink (connection), red (community), green (affordability), dark blue (issues around housing), light blue (environment) The Sheffield Housing Conversations

TRANSPORT

AMENITIES

SOUTH EAST COMMUNITY

GOOD TRANSPORT LOCATION

NOT CARED FOR NO AMENITIES

UNSAFE

HOUSING SHORTAGE UNSAFE COMMUNITY

The Sheffield Housing Conversations

BRIGHTSI HILLSBOR

SHEFFIELD SOUTH EAST WHO DID WE SPEAK TO? HALLAM

S TUDENTS YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

26 PEOPLE

LIVING IN

CENTRAL

FLATS TERRACED SEMI &

ADULTS RETIREES PRIVATE

HOUSES HOUSESHARES

RENTERS HOMEOWNERS

DETACHED The Sheffield Housing Conversations

& SOCIAL

HEELE

IDE & ROUGH

SOUTH EAST

EY

The Sheffield Housing Conversations

SHEFFIELD SOUTH EAST WHAT ARE THE ISSUES?

The Sheffield Housing Conversations

GOOD COMMUNITY - 32%

GOOD TRANSPORT - 23%

TRANSPORT +/-

GOOD LOCATION - 18%

UNSAFE - 23%

DIVIDED CITY

Beauty Saloon

Convenience

LACK OF AMENITIES - 36%

NOT LOOKED AFTER - 36% The Sheffield Housing Conversations

The Sheffield Housing Conversations

BEIGHTON SHEFFIELD SOUTH EAST

The Sheffield Housing Conversations

CARE

PEOPLE

we love...

FRIENDLY CLEAN

LOCAL COMMUNITY CRIME NOT MUCH

WELL CONNECTED

The Sheffield Housing Conversations

LOCALS

NOTHING FOR

GET PEOPLE

YOUNG

TOO MANY STUDENTS

OVERLOOKED

we’d like to change...

The Sheffield Housing Conversations

WHAT ARE PEOPLE

SAYING?

“I live on the estate, it’s a nice place to live. There’s not much crime, and I live close to where I work which is useful. Everyone keeps the estate clean and presentable, it’s nice that people care so much. I don’t think there’s many housing issues around here, there’s not a lot of poverty and everyone I know seems happy”

CRIME LEVELS ARE LOW

“There’s barely any crime here, it feels a bit like a village rather than a suburb most of the time. People are quite friendly to each other which is nice. It made me feel really welcome when I first moved.

It’s really well connected, and close to Crystal Peaks which is good, as there’s not always a lot going on here”

The Sheffield Housing Conversations

“I don’t think there’s much of a housing crisis, but I do think there are too

many students

here. It means that us locals get overlooked more and more.

I’ve lived here my whole life, I’ve lived in a council house with my wife in Beighton for the last 30 years.

I’ve seen the area change as people come and go. I feel really sorry for the young people in the area, there isn’t much for them.”

LOOKED AFTER

SAFE

DIVIDED CITY

Beauty Saloon

Convenience

NO AMENITIES

The Sheffield Housing Conversations

The Sheffield Housing Conversations

DARNALL

SHEFFIELD SOUTH EAST

The Sheffield Housing Conversations

MIXED COMMUNITY

we love...

WELL CONNECTED GOOD TRANSPORT The Sheffield Housing Conversations

THERE’S NOT A LOT OF

INTEGRATION

BADLY LIT

FEELS UNSAFE we’d like to change...

The Sheffield Housing Conversations

WHAT ARE PEOPLE

SAYING? “I live on the new estate here... I bought my house a few years ago, though I had to take in a lodger recently to afford my mortgage! It’s not far to work for me from here... and the train is really useful, although not to get around Sheffield. At night I feel a bit unsafe around some parts of Darnall, they are so badly lit. The shops are a bit mixed too... some are ok but others aren’t very useful to me. There’s a big mix of people around here, but mostly they seem to keep themselves to themselves.”

THE PLACE HAS DIED

“I’ve lived in Darnall my whole life. Recently it’s like the place has died. The pubs are shutting down, and it’s just full of takeaways! There’s no hustle and bustle like there used to be. It all started when they demolished lots of the council housing round here and built these ugly new homes that are all for people to buy instead. There’s also a lot of problems with integration round here. I like the diversity of the area, I just wish there was more of a community feel. I miss the days when everyone looked out for each other.”

The Sheffield Housing Conversations

TRANSPORT +/-

GOOD TRANSPORT

UNSAFE

NOT LOOKED AFTER

DIVIDED CITY

Beauty Saloon

Convenience

NO AMENITIES The Sheffield Housing Conversations

The Sheffield Housing Conversations

HALFWAY SHEFFIELD SOUTH EAST

The Sheffield Housing Conversations

CONNECTED

THE AREA IS VERY WELL

we love...

GREEN SPACE

ACTIVE

COMMUNITY

GOOD TRANSPORT

The Sheffield Housing Conversations

NOTHING FOR LONG WAITS FOR

EXPENSIVE

RENT IS

YOUNG COUNCIL PEOPLE HOUSING we’d like to change...

The Sheffield Housing Conversations

WHAT ARE PEOPLE

SAYING? “I live with my parents at the moment, I’d love to move out and maybe live with friends, but I wouldn’t be able to afford the rent.

There’s not a

lot for young people to do

around here, so it can get quite boring.

It’s well connected to town at least, and the area itself is nice!”

“I’m not sure if there’s a housing crisis. There isn’t for us anyway.

We’ve owned our home for 20 years, but our son is looking for council housing and is having major issues - there are 3 or 4 people looking to move into the same houses.

Our area is nice, we have good transport links, with good green space and shops nearby. The Rother Valley is nice too”

The Sheffield Housing Conversations

“I live in sheltered accommodation in Halfway.

Council housing

“I love the is appalling. area, there’s It’s impossible to great change anything, buses and all the processes it’s got good take such a “I’m very access. long time, and very happy I bought by the time you with where my home hear back, it I live, my 2 years doesn’t matter house is ago, but any more. I can’t great and I’ve always even cut our the local hedge without community lived here.

It’s a great permission! It’s are very place to very frustrating. active and live. There I don’t feel friendly to are a lot of like I have the each other. grumpy old power to make I don’t people, but a change to my have any situation.” complaints!” they’re ok.”

GOOD COMMUNITY

GOOD TRANSPORT

NOT ENOUGH HOUSING

The Sheffield Housing Conversations

The Sheffield Housing Conversations

TINSLEY

SHEFFIELD SOUTH EAST

The Sheffield Housing Conversations

CLOSE TO

MEADOWHALL

COMMUNITY

DIVERSE

we love...

SAFE & QUIET The Sheffield Housing Conversations

POLLUTION

THE MOTORWAY

IS NOISY we’d like to change...

The Sheffield Housing Conversations

WHAT ARE PEOPLE

SAYING? “I live near Meadowhall… The price of houses is a bit lower out here. The community is quite mixed which is nice, and there are a lot of families.

Some of the old terraced houses are getting knocked down and replaced with new houses, which is ok as long as they are good quality! HS2 is going to make the area more expensive, and they’re going to knock down houses too. The independent shops in the city centre are disappearing because rent is too high, which makes me sad”

The Sheffield Housing Conversations

A VERY DIVERSE COMMUNITY “I live really close to the motorway.

It was quite loud at first, but you get used to it after a while.

It makes getting places quite easy! Pollution because of the motorway is quite bad round here though.”

“It’s really safe and quiet around here. There’s a really diverse community too. I like that I can walk to Meadowhall, there are lots of good shops there, and a cinema!”

GOOD COMMUNITY

Beauty Saloon

Convenience

AMENITIES

OUTDOOR SPACE

The Sheffield Housing Conversations

The Sheffield Housing Conversations

WOODHOUSE SHEFFIELD SOUTH EAST

The Sheffield Housing Conversations

FEELS SECURE

NICE

CRIME

LOW

COMMUNITY

GREAT SENSE OF

we love...

AREA

GOOD AMENITIES

The Sheffield Housing Conversations

QUIET

COMFORTABLE

TRAFFIC & DRUGS

DRINK THERE’S A LOT OF

BUSY

ROADS

THERE AREN’T

ENOUGH COUNCIL HOUSES

NOTHING FOR

YOUNG PEOPLE we’d like to change...

The Sheffield Housing Conversations

WHAT ARE PEOPLE

SAYING? “I used to be community bobby around here. I like to think that’s why the area is still so low in crime! Some of the areas around here can be a it rough though. I’ve got a close relationship with the village because I was so involved. I don’t mind the burglars, my worst enemies are the bad drivers! The A57 runs arounds the village, but recently they changed the speed limit.

This means people take a shortcut through the centre of the village instead, sometimes at over 50mph!

It’s a 30 zone here, so it’s getting quite unsafe. It’s cutting the village in half,

the road is becoming so unsafe to cross.”

“This area used to be really nice, but it’s not that safe any more… there’s now a hostel here for homeless people and drug users, so the area has changed quite a bit. It’s really hard to get a council property, there’s such a long wait. My son wants to rent from council but he just can’t.

There is a really good community here, there are these two community hub places now, but they’re mostly for elderly people. There’s not that much to do for younger people, but there’s still a good community.”

THE ROAD IS CUTTING THE VILLAGE IN HALF The Sheffield Housing Conversations

THE COMMUNITY IS VERY ACTIVE “It’s pretty quiet around here, there are a lot of old people. The community is quite active, there seems to be a lot going on. The shops here are really useful, they have almost everything you need without having to drive”

“I’ve lived in my house since the 50’s, and owned my house for 20 years. It originally was a council house and my parents bought it, and I bought it from them.

I think there’s a housing crisis in Sheffield. The neighbourhood is neglected and it’s got no identity.

I’m trying to maintain and renovate the park but there’s just not enough interest and I can’t get people involved. It’s so frustrating.”

“I’m not affected by any housing crisis in Sheffield, I rent my home from the council. The community is pretty lively around here, but there’s also a lot of problems with drugs and drink, which lead to a lot of antisocial behaviour… The quality of the houses is ok. If people look after them, then they can be really nice places to live, but a lot of people don’t seem to care!”

The Sheffield Housing Conversations

“There’s definitely a housing crisis here, but it doesn’t affect me as I own my home.

I love the area! I initially lived in a terraced house, but then they built this new development, so I moved there. It’s great! I really like living in a new build property, though I know a lot of people don’t. It’s a lot warmer than a lot of houses in Sheffield. Housing issues here are because

not enough council properties are being built.

Right to buy was a really bad thing, it didn’t work and it’s created so many problems”

RIGHT TO BUY CREATED SO MANY PROBLEMS “It’s a really nice area, a lovely community. I only moved here recently, but I feel

comfortable

here already.

The only things I don’t like are the traffic, as the roads are quite busy, and the

drunk people who litter my garden.”

The Sheffield Housing Conversations

“There’s a lot of antisocial behaviour here as there’s nothing for young people to do.

There’s so many old people around here that there’s mainly stuff for them to do. I live in a council house, round here they’re really good places to live. I feel really secure”

GOOD COMMUNITY

Beauty Saloon

Convenience

AMENITIES

NOT ENOUGH HOUSES

The Sheffield Housing Conversations

SHEFFIELD SOUTH EAST WHAT CAN WE CONCLUDE?

From our discussions with people in the South East constituency, we found that the constituents liked their location, transport links around the area and links to the city centre. However, they felt the area was uncared for, stemming from a lack of amenities and a general ‘unsafe’ feeling. This is perhaps due to the South East wards being disconnected from Central Sheffield which is, comparitively well stocked with amenities and feels safer. The value of the housing stock is low in this area but rent is high which isn’t allowing younger people access to the market in this area. People who we spoke to in South-East were undecided on whether they thought there was a housing crisis in Sheffield with an almost 50/50 split on those thinking it existed and those who didn’t.

WHAT CAN WE PROPOSE?

A solution would be for the local council and MP to seek funding in providing more amenities, taking care of the existing housing stock and finding ways to help the community feel safe. It also seems that those in South-East aren’t aware of the wider issues of housing that are having implications on the quality of housing in their area, so perhaps an initiative is needed in order to make people more aware of the issues of housing which may be impacting them.

The Sheffield Housing Conversations

WHAT CAN WEHallam CONCLUDE? Central

People in more affluent wards, in and , acknowledge that Sheffield is a divided city. However, no one from less affluent wards in South-East and Hillsborough & Brightside areas made comments about Sheffield being divided. Does this suggest that those in positions of comfort have the luxury of seeing what the problems are and those who are affected by housing issues struggle to identify that there is a wider issue?

Only people in Heeley cited housing as a positive of their area. The positives of most constituencies were regarding community and location. Should councils be taking more pride in the care and service of housing?

Hallam, Central, Heeley all are perceived as having issues with

affordability of housing.

Hallam, Central and Hillsborough & Brightside are all perceived to have a shortage of housing supply.

Generally, we found that despite people thinking the housing crisis doesn’t affect them, they then unconsciously proceed to list reasons that they are being affected by the housing crisis. They cited issues of not having access to affordable housing, not being enough houses and there not being enough quality housing.

Essentially people don’t know what the housing crisis really is.

The Sheffield Housing Conversations

The Sheffield Housing Conversations