Residents on Sheffield estate team up to build community spirit after lack of support from council

As Mick Underhay takes me on a tour of Carpenter Gardens, a tiny Sheffield estate sandwiched in between Richmond and Intake, it is clear how much he cares about the area.
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After moving there with his wife Sue six years ago, the two former publicans made an instant impact, quickly helping foster a community spirit on the estate that was previously absent.

Three years ago the couple helped set up a twice-weekly coffee morning which has since become a lifeline for the many elderly and disabled residents who live there.

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But many residents say they still have to fight the council every step of the way for them to take their concerns about the upkeep of the area seriously.

Carpenter Gardens: Joyce Turner.Carpenter Gardens: Joyce Turner.
Carpenter Gardens: Joyce Turner.

So much so, Mick says, that they have ended up doing most of it themselves.

Along with a neighbour, the 72-year-old now puts in so much work on the estate he describes it as being like a full-time job.

The pair now look after many of the gardens and shared areas on the estate, with Mick buying his own leaf blower and edge-trimmer and others buying bird boxes for their gardens and scraping flaking paint off their own flats.

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“I don’t do it for the council, I do it for myself,” he said.

Carpenter Gardens: The twice-weekly coffee mornings are extremely popular.Carpenter Gardens: The twice-weekly coffee mornings are extremely popular.
Carpenter Gardens: The twice-weekly coffee mornings are extremely popular.

“It costs us a fortune but you have to be proud of where you live.”

But looking after the entire estate is too much for the residents on their own, and some gardens are still overgrown and unkempt, while many of its paths completely disappear under a carpet of leaves during the long winter months.

“For the first time in my life I didn't vote Labour because of this - it wouldn’t be left like this in Totley,” added Mick.

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“You have got to listen to people. They say you lose your voice after 50 and I think that is right.”

Carpenter Gardens: Overgrown gardens on the estate.Carpenter Gardens: Overgrown gardens on the estate.
Carpenter Gardens: Overgrown gardens on the estate.

For many of the residents of the small east Sheffield estate, another bone of contention is the community centre itself, and how much they have to pay for it.

They would be able to use the small building on Hollybank Road rent-free if they became a formal tenants’ and residents association, but currently have to pay £2,500 a year as they don’t want the fuss of a committee and all the extra work it would entail.

Group member, Joyce Turner, 73, said: “That is a lot of money for a little group like ours so we had to cut back on what the bingo paid out.

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“The council say they support community groups but they were forever putting objections in our way.”

Carpenter Gardens estate coffee morning.Carpenter Gardens estate coffee morning.
Carpenter Gardens estate coffee morning.

Residents are also worried about the character of the area changing after the council decided to sell off one of the flats, in contravention of promises the residents say they were given when they moved in.

Joyce herself says she was forced to leave her last flat in Woodhouse after the council started selling flats off which were taken up by people who brought trouble to the area.

“It is really scary,” she said.

“We have such a lovely community and we can turn to anybody for help. I had to leave my previous flat after these young druggies they moved in started threatening me.

“I can’t move again it is too much.”

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After the coffee morning’s hustle and bustle is over, Mick’s wife Sue, 70, was helping tidy away plates and cups and shutting the place up.

Carpenter Gardens: Paint peeling off one flat's exterior.Carpenter Gardens: Paint peeling off one flat's exterior.
Carpenter Gardens: Paint peeling off one flat's exterior.

She said: “It feels like communities have gone and the council are doing nothing to support them.

“They say they are a caring council but they don’t. If every community had something like this, people would want to move there.”

Councillor Paul Wood, cabinet member for neighbourhoods and community safety at Sheffield City Council, said the flat had been sold by mistake under the Right to Buy scheme, but reassured residents that and concerns they had would be addressed.

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He said: “Until this case, we have always refused Right to Buy applications for properties in Carpenter Gardens, because they are part of our essential council housing stock for elderly or disabled people.

“We regret that an error led to this sale going through and we have reviewed all our systems and put additional steps in place to prevent this happening again.

“I would like to reassure the tenants of Carpenter Gardens that our housing and neighbourhood officers visit the estate frequently and can provide support when needed. Any issues that tenants have raised have been addressed quickly.

“We are not aware of any current anti-social issues or outstanding maintenance problems on the estate, but if there are any, we encourage residents to contact us immediately on 0114 2734444 so they can be resolved.”