DTA - Yorks & Humberside

Stocksbridge

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Background to the Steel Valley Project (2000)

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Profile of Steel Valley and Upper Don Project (April 2000)
Stocksbridge Steel Valley and Upper Don Project is a partnership between British Steel (now CORUS Engineering Steels) and local authorities in the area: Stocksbridge Town Council, Sheffield City Council and Bradfield Parish Council. With their support, funding is generated from interested organizations, for example, the South Yorkshire Community Forest and the Countryside Agency, to develop and manage environmental projects in the area. The work of the Project can be described as:

• encouraging access to the countryside through guided walks, producing leaflets on local walks and practical management of footpaths in partnership with local organizations

• managing, creating and enhancing habitats for wildlife and people. These can be woodlands, wetlands such as rivers, ponds, grasslands or features such as dry stone walls and hedges. Landowners or local community groups can also go to the Project for advice on such work, including sources of grants to pay for it.

• through working with local schools and groups, the Project aims to provide help and advice in order to encourage people to understand and care for their local environment. Educational work is not confined to schools, but is available to anybody interested through organized events and activities.

• the Steel Valley Project is also able to provide training in a wide range of countryside management skills. These are available to groups wanting to take on tasks, as well as to individuals who wish to volunteer,or trainees on the New Deal Training Scheme.

The way the projects are managed has changed over time.

If you would like to know more about the Project's work or have any suggestions, please contact Matthew North on 0114 2830880 at the Community Resource Centre, Manchester Road, Stocksbridge.

A sketch map of Stocksbridge indicating the close relationship between countryside and town. It also shows the large expanse of "greenspace" within the township - private gardens predominate, but there are also large acres of public open space, woodlands and school playing fields. The landscape management and associated financial problems posed by such an extent of greenspace have never properly been addressed. Building on the opportunities to manipulate this urban greenspace so as to enhance the social aspects of life in Stocksbridge and at the same time the local levels of biodiversity, is a major part of the purpose of the Steel Valley and Upper Don Project. This map is not true to scale.

The changing structure of the Project management

Stocksbridge Steel Valley Project was founded as a partnership between Stocksbridge Engineering Steels (now Corus Engineering Steels), Stocksbridge Town Council, Sheffield City Council, the Countryside Commission (now Agency), Slag Reduction and the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV).

Note: In the past BTCV provided a Project Officer and management guidance, but it is now linked with supporting the New Deal Environmental Task Force trainees.

Launched in April 1988, the Project's aims were:

to encourage the local community to become actively involved in practical conservation to improve their environment

to develop the interpretation of the local countryside, to enhance the understanding and enjoyment of the general public

to provide advice on all aspects of woodland management and planting.

Achievements from 1988-1994 include: The planting of over 80,000 trees around the steel works, as well as an additional 6,000 on community-based schemes, management work on nearly 60 sites around the parish, the participation of over 1,300 school children in practical work, 60 illustrated talks and the organization of over 50 guided walks for local groups and members of the public.

Work on a variety of schemes continued through the late1990s, although at a slower pace due to shortage of funds. Now the Project has been reorganized through joining with the Stocksbridge Training and Enterprise Partnership (STEP). It can now cope with a larger range of environmental projects and can undertake delegated work from organizations such as the City Council.

Click here to see the Profile of the Steel Valley and Upper Don project work (April 2000).

Click here to see more about project management.

The Project employed Ian Bowes as their Woodlands Officer in the late1980s. He was based in Stocksbridge Town Hall, responsible for tree planting schemes and environmental project work with schools. Ian left the Project in 1990.

In 1991 after a period with no-one in post, the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers was taken on board; it was to provide managerial skills and to administer the new Project Officer. Andy Warren, BTCV's South Yorkshire Area Manager, was appointed as the newly titled Stocksbridge Steel Valley Project Officer.

In l 994 the Countryside Commission which had funded the Project in two 3 year blocks, decided that unless the Project changed significantly, it would no longer continue to fund the Project. It was decided at this stage to take on the newly founded South Yorkshire Forest Partnership as an additional partner.

The Project then started to work to their guidelines and increased its area to cover the 'Upper Don' zone of the South Yorkshire Forest.

Recent changes
At the end of the 1998-99 financial year it was decided that the Project would move from its base at 410 Manchester Road into the new Community Resource that STEP is developing. Because of this move and the fact that the Project partners felt that BTCV was no longer able to fully support the Project, STEP undertook the ongoing management and administration of the Project. Andy Warren's post was advertised in Spring 1999 and Matt North started as his replacement in June 1999 under the new title of 'Project Manager', with Newman Booth becoming the new 'Project Officer'.

Stocksbridge Engineering Steels
Stocksbridge Engineering Steels manufactures some half a million tonnes per annum of high integrity alloy and stainless steels and is actually Sheffield's largest steelworks. It supplies steel worldwide for the most demanding engineering applications - aerospace and defence; the automotive industry, including agricultural and earth moving equipment; energy industries including oil and gas exploration and production; mining and electricity generation; and specialist end uses such as bearings and gas cylinder manufacture. Approximately 25% of the works' direct output is exported and since many SES British customers also supply overseas markets, the final percentage is higher still.

Environmental management
SES makes extensive use of modern computer facile ties. Computer control of many items of plant has increased productivity to levels thought not possible a few years ago. The production route roughly follows the river down the valley. Raw materials are stored at the west end of the plant, with production facilities ( melting, rolling and finishing) following a rough line south eastwards. The works has its own private link to the Stocksbridge bypass, thus reducing to a minimum the amount of heavy commercial traffic which passes through the town centre.

Pollution Control
The plant recycles selected scrap using modern arc furnaces which consume as much electricity as a small town. Particular emphasis is put on minimising the environmental impact of works on its surroundings. In the last l0 years over £10 million have been invested on pollution control measures which ensure that discharges to the atmosphere and the valley's river are well below the limits set by government.

An Environmental Award
As an indication of the success of the Steel Valley Project, in 1989 Stocksbridge Engineering Steels was awarded First Prize in the Environmental Management category of the national 'Better Environment Awards for Industry' for its role in the project partnership.

If you would like more information about the Steel Valley Walk or the Project in general contact the Steel Valley Project Manager on 0114 2888808, or email Matt North.