Site name: Smithy Moor open space	Zone: Inner Zone
Land owner: SCC Estates (on lease)	Date of survey: 22-Feb-00
Current management: Grass cut regularly on most of site. No management of scrub, tall herb & rough grassland on southern part of site.	Proposed management: Playground equipment improvements (play equipment), landscape improvements (wildflower meadows, wildflower bulb planting, edible plants, pond restoration/building, butterfly gardens, community orchards), multi-sports facility, nature trail and possible community composting area.
	Date of Visual Survey - Aug 2004	Click map to see details and location of photographs

The ideas and possibilities outlined below are designed to help members of the local community as they think about what could happen on this site. Nothing is fixed and alternative solutions may well emerge over the coming decade - it is for the local community to decide and enable it to happen.

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7.	Visual Attributes - update 2004 An attractive mature oak tree marks the main entrance to this site, which is a tarmac drive leading into the car park of the adjacent community centre. This tree grows on an unmown verge, which contains a colourful display of rosebay willowherb, ragwort and thistles.  The majority of the site consists of a large, monotonous expanse of mown amenity grass, bounded to the north side by a hawthorn hedge. Along the top side of the site there is a raised strip of untouched land, separated from the amenity grass via a short bank, lined with a row of small trees, mainly oak. This area is covered by an untidy mass of thistles, rosebay willowherb and cow parsley, with a fairly large area of hedge bindweed in the southwest corner. This vegetation supports a lot of insect and bird species. At the east end of the strip, a couple of elders and an oak mark the edge of an unimaginative playground consisting of a tarmac surface with four swings, a slide and two benches, surrounded by mown grass. Housing surrounds the north and east sides of the site and farm land lies to the south, above the site. Green Lane forms the west boundary, a tree-lined street with houses at the bottom and which narrows to a footpath leading up to Green Farm at the top of the hill.
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Safety Although the site is overlooked by houses on two sides, it feels quite isolated as it lies above them and is very open. The playground and field is often deserted, contributing to this sense of isolation. Despite this, it does not feel like a threatening place and its size and excellent views mean that it has considerable potential for improvement. Activities that the site supports at present The amenity grass provides space for dog walking and ball games. The limited playground equipment is used occasionally by local children.	Activities that could be supported in the future The size of the site would support a variety of uses, which could include informal, more adventurous play provision (e.g. exploiting the existing topography), a picnic area and outdoor seating for local residents and users of the community centre, and an area left undisturbed for wildlife. A marked route for dog walkers, joggers, etc. could also be established, linking the site to surrounding footpaths (up Green Lane, to Underbank Reservoir). Ideas for change This site backs onto houses with gardens on the north side. It is used by children for ball games, etc. and for dog walking. There is considerable potential for improving the biodiversity of the site - for example, a small circular route for walking would be enhanced by sensitive wildflower planting along the bank, with standards planted in to break it up.

HABITAT TYPES FOUND ON SITE
	found 2002	aim by 2012		found 2002	aim by 2012
Amenity Grassland	*		Mosses and Bryophytes	*
Amenity Shrubs			Heath Land
Amenity Tree Planting			Wetlands
Amenity Flower Beds			Open Water
Amenity Hedges	*		Running Water (adjacent to site)	*
Rough Grassland	*		Cultivated/Disturbed Land
Acid Grassland			Bare Earth/Erosion
Marshy Grassland			Hedges	*
Trees Broadleaf	*		Walls	*
Trees Coniferous			Fences	*
Trees Mixed			Invasive Species
Scrub	*		Other (Please state)
Tall Herbs	*
Low Herbs and Shrubs (Native)	*
Amenity Bulb Planting

Stocksbridge SRB5 Greenspace Audit undertaken by Jim Flanagan for Sheffield Wildlife Trust - see their Community Action Handbook - full of good ideas for your local site

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Ash Lane / New Street

Belmont Drive 1

Belmont Drive 2

Bocking Hill

Bowling green

Carr Head

Deepcar

Don Field

East & West Cres.

Edward Street 1

Edward Street 2

Edward Street 3

Gibson Lane

Greenway

Haywood Lane

Hole House Brook

Manchester Rd 1

Manchester Rd 2

Manchester Rd 3

Manchester Rd 4

Manchester Rd 5

Manchester Rd 6

Manchester Rd/Newton Ave

Newton Ave/Churchill Rd

Pearson Street

Peggy Tub

Pot House Wood

Quarry Hill

Ridal Croft

Ridal Close

Rundle Road

Smith Road

Smithy Moor

Stocksbridge Clock Tower

Stocksbridge Fire Station

Stocksbridge Methodist Church

Stocksbridge United Reform Church

St John

Webb Avenue

Wilson Road

Wood Willows

Wortley Road

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Web pages by Map21 Ltd - latest update 26 june 05

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