Archives - Letters during 2007

Letters in 2007

December 2007
	Too many blocks of 1 & 2 bedroom flats in the city! In 2007 you published several letters that raised concerns over the replacement of heritage buildings by car parks or new retail and housing developments in the city centre.
	Is Government tackling climate emergency? Recently MP Richard Caborn provided evidence that the government, in spite of its support for airport, road, nuclear and coal expansion, is serious about climate change.....
	No illusions about the true cost of a potholes PFI ISheffield’s potholes are a notorious menace for all of us. But your front page article doesn’t explain the true cost of the private finance initiative.
	Barry New reflects on the incinerator I have recently taken a Veolia tour and presentation of Sheffield incinerator, ahead of the official opening in November. Their capacity for rewriting history is staggering.
	Councillors should be more representative The Star reported that the Green amendment about Councillors’ allowances was rejected at the Full Council meeting. In fact it was passed.
	17 tonnes of CO2 per hour from new incinerator There is one vital statistic missing from the press release accompanying the official opening of the Bernard Road incinerator (Star 26 November)
November 2007
	Independent scientific evaluation of animal testing We need an independent and transparent scientific evaluation of the use of animals as surrogate humans in drug safety testing and medical research....
	Economic masterplan disregards climate change The very latest United Nations report on climate change makes clear we have only 8 years to stabilise carbon emissions or risk catastrophic and irreversible climate change
	Local action is the way to force change Tom Hunt suggested that Sheffield should rely on Government set national targets for reducing carbon emissions. A climate change bill is about to be introduced by the government
	Stocksbridge Futures The public response to the development plans for Stocksbridge (‘Steel town’s new heart’, 2 November) is not as universally positive as the developers make out
October 2007
	Dignity not Detention March to Lindholme I feel very honoured to have walked with such amazing people- asylum seekers and refugees from Cameroon, Zimbabwe, Congo
	Hatters need sponsorship I chanced upon Sheffield Hatters Betty Codona while knocking on doors in Ecclesfield in April. She told me about the underprivileged girls they work with
	An open letter to Richard Caborn MP Your government last year commissioned the Stern Report on the Economics of Climate Change and continues to claim it is committed to reducing CO2 emissions by 20% by 2010....
September 2007
	Stop electoral fraud The Green group supported the Lib Dem motion on pilot voting schemes which was passed at the September 5 council meeting. The May 2007 pilot was an expensive failure
	How do we combat anti social behaviour? Recently you highlighted a website that glorified gangs and anti social behaviour in the city. Also in the news is the sad story of the murder of Rhys Jones in Liverpool
	Taking on Tesco Rejecting Tesco is protectionism - protecting local communities, protecting farming, protecting the environment and protecting fair competition
	Is Councillor Lodge serious? Councillor Lodge, Cabinet Member for Transport, is correct in his statement at the end of your article 'Town Hall in Focus' (Star 27/8/07) that "The Council's battle
August 2007
	Trend in healthy school meals continue News of an 8% drop in school meal take up in Sheffield over the past year (Star website 24 August) is concerning but everyone involved must hold their nerve
	What cost city living? So "City Living" has brought millions for green spaces from developers in the last 5 years (Star August 10). But at what cost ?
	Democracy isn't working The Electoral Commission have told us that the £760,000 spent in Sheffield on telephone, internet and advance voting pilots in May had no real impact on turnout...
	Sheffield is flooded with traffic So "confusion among customers and drivers" has led to the withdrawal of support for Travel Adda and Switcha tickets, according to First Group...
	Reduce congestion and improve public transport The opposition of local residents and the Green Party to the widening of St. Mary’s Road rests on the question of whether more road space attracts more traffic...
July 2007
	Keep grass roots sports alive. Gordon Brown’s call for a "united team effort" to turn Britain into a "great sporting nation" has a hollow ring to it as £100m pledge is nothing compared to the 2012 olympic games
	What would the floods be like if we lived in Asia? Many people in South Yorkshire recently faced the traumatic experience of having to leave their homes, either because of actual flooding or the threat of Ulley dam breaking....
June 2007
	Action needed to combat flooding Having spent Friday bailing out my cellar I am very concerned about the flooding. This extreme weather is exactly what we can expect more of
	Nuclear is not the answer Steel-makers should reject South Yorkshire's Master Cutler Alan Reid advice that Sheffield will benefit from steel making jobs for the nuclear power industry.
	Wisewood School We would like to explain why the Green Group voted against Labour to save Wisewood and Myers Grove as local community schools.
May 2007
	Hung Council Your coverage of the Council's post election Annual General Meeting reported that Green and Conservative abstentions allowed Labour to stay in control at the Town Hall.
	Thankyou voters Sheffield Green Party would like to like to thank everyone who supported us in the recent election. We fought a positive campaign focusing on key issues - good public transport,
April 2007
	Don't make Manor a no-go area I was not surprised to see your headline on Tuesday 24th (RAC Manor no go area) but am very disappointed with the RAC's attitude.
	Green's would make it happen in council Our issues are the insulation of housing, public transport under public control, supporting shops and businesses and stopping the creeping privatisation of schools and hospitals
	Shock rise in booze abuse It is indeed shocking to read that problems of alcohol abuse are growing in Sheffield. Problems caused by alcohol, such as anti-social behaviour and violence, are unwanted.
	Green's position on waste management The Green position on waste is that we should produce less of it. This is known as the “4Rs” – Reduce, Re-use, Repair and Recycle.
	Setting the Carbon Targets There is a big, big, difference between setting a carbon target for Council activity and for the City as a whole (Council Sets Target on Carbon Emissions and Editorial, Star, 7th April).
	Waste reduction is the best solution Labour claims that incineration is "green"; Lib Dems promise to spend an extra £1m on recycling. The Green Party argues that neither of these stances goes far enough.
	Council to commission report to build wind farms Council is looking seriously into exploiting one of Sheffield's most abundant energy sources by commissioning a report into the building more wind farms in and around the city.
March 2007
	Green Party Says No to Renewing Trident The decision to replace Trident nuclear missiles will disappoint many people in Sheffield. We used to be a member of Nuclear Free Local Authorities.
	Reducing Waste is the answer Councillor Price failed to account how much energy has already been used to make the goods and materials we are burning in the incinerator.
February 2007
	Sustainable Buildings As Matt Robinson and Andrew Mitchell rightly point out, the level of sustainability of new buildings in Sheffield makes them unfit for future purpose.
	Flouridation and Tooth Decay The Council intend to provide a new market on the Moor which will be sub-let on only a 35 year lease from RREEF. The council owned Castle market will be closed.
	Scandal of Privatising Schools So the Sheffield City Council wants to privatise schools by giving up the management to business and private trusts. This is a scandal, says, Steve Barnard.
	Council must now on climate change The Council intend to provide a new market on the Moor which will be sub-let on only a 35 year lease from RREEF. The council owned Castle market will be closed.
	Misrepresentation of Green Party policy on cars An article reported our comment that the city must improve and regulate the bus serviceimplying that we want cars banned in the city centre. This is wrong.
January 2007
	Market Traders Fear Move The Council intend to provide a new market on the Moor which will be sub-let on only a 35 year lease from RREEF. The council owned Castle market will be closed.
	30% Rise in Fuel Bills will affect the poorest As fossil fuels begin to get scarcer we can all expect our fuel bills to rise. However, the district heating scheme's main source of fuel is the city's waste, burnt in the incinerator.
	No need to mourn the loss of the airport What is more foolish? To ignore the fact that the airline industry is the fastest growing contributor to climate change and continue to base the survival on depleting fossil fuels?
	Burning single use packaging is inefficient The Christmas switch-on of the incinerator lighting scheme by Veolia celebrates an effective PR campaign to convince us that it creates green energy for the city.
	Government Cares more for Transport Companies We welcome Cllr Fox's call for a Quality Bus Contract made at the We Want Our Buses Back demo (reported in the Star 8th Jan 07). This would bring buses back under public control.
	Energy Advice a Con The media are promoting the idea that switching your energy supplier is the best way to cut your fuel bills. It's a con! says Councillor Bernard Little.