15th February 2008

Dear Editor

Phil Roberts, the Director of Creative Sheffield (Sheffield Telegraph January 31) says that sustainability is written through the Masterplan "like a stick of rock." The word "sustainability" or "sustainable" may well occur in the document many times, but it is unclear if the definition used is the same as in the draft Sheffield Development Framework, which itself is based on that used by Defra. Broadly, this is 'development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs'.

A significant proportion of recent and planned new developments have or will involve the destruction of publicly owned buildings that are less than thirty years old, as well as some of our little remaining heritage stock, some of which has lasted 100 years or more. On present performance can we expect their replacements to have more than a 30 year life cycle?
From April new properties empty after 3 months will have to pay full business rates. In the 4 January Sheffield Telegraph, Helen Rana of Sheffield Chamber of Commerce wrote "This may mean that developers will look far more warily at starting new schemes if they are in any way speculative and we may even see empty buildings being taken down to avoid the additional holding costs."

Yet Defra says that to achieve a sustainable economy "efficient resource use [should be] incentivised". How is putting up buildings simply to tear them down again or see them rot within a single generation an efficient use of resources?

We welcome the aims of the Economic Masterplan to create jobs, raise the average income and inject money into the local economy. But by focussing too much on building offices, apartments and shops instead of the city’s technical and engineering expertise, the Plan is missing a golden opportunity to invest in renewable energy systems and other “green”
technologies. The ‘Made in Sheffield’ mark is the perfect brand to promote our manufacturing capabilities.

The Government-financed city development company Creative Sheffield could begin by creating a post designated to support small businesses and by developing a strategy for helping our engineering industries exploit applications concerning energy savings and technologies used in renewable energy systems. This would lead to true sustainability, in terns of resources, the economy and the environment.

Yours sincerely,
David Hayes
Co Chair Sheffield Green Party
Tel 0114 274 6880
Davidha43@hotmail.com