Andrew Cooper | Sheffield Green Party

Thomas Atkin-Withers, Green campaigner on public transport

Sheffield Green Party welcomes the long overdue movement towards public control of our buses, which is over 6 years in the making, and congratulates the campaigners at Better Buses for South Yorkshire for their victory. A consultation has opened, finally asking the people of South Yorkshire their opinion on what is best for their bus network, but it does not mention public ownership.

While public control via franchising is a needed step, we encourage people to push for full public ownership, cutting out the middle-men and instead running our own services, as we did prior to 1986, when our buses were the envy of Europe.

We urge residents from across South Yorkshire, and those from outside South Yorkshire who use buses in South Yorkshire to fill out the consultation in full: www.southyorkshire-ca.gov.uk/bus-reform Alternatively, if you don’t have access to a computer, you can call 0800 9520002 for more information.

Green Councillor for Ecclesall ward, Peter Gilbert said,

“I welcome the long overdue movement towards public control of our buses, and the success of the Better Buses for South Yorkshire campaign. This consultation, much like franchising, is a stop on the journey to better public transport, and I ask all residents to fill it out. However, franchising isn’t the final destination, and so I would urge the Councils, the Mayor and the people of South Yorkshire to push to follow London in investigating using new powers from Central Government to set up an authority-owned operator, to return to full public ownership of our buses.”

Disappointingly, at the same time as this badly needed step towards better buses is taken, the Labour government has decided to raise the bus fare cap by 50%, from £2 to £3, a decision that working people, mainly those less well-off, will have to bear the brunt of. Approximately 160,000 people in Sheffield don’t have access to a vehicle, mainly in less wealthy areas.

Sheffield Green Party demands the government reverse its course, pledge to reinstate the £2 bus fare cap and extend funding of it for the foreseeable future, instead of raising it. Greater London and Greater Manchester have their own fare caps and would become the only parts of England with a £2 cap on single bus fares.

Thomas Atkin-Withers, a Green campaigner on public transport from Jordanthorpe said,

“For a government that says it doesn’t want to increase costs for working people, it’s unbelievable that they are raising the bus fare cap to £3. As someone who comes from an extremely deprived area, where 46% of households don’t have access to a car, it’s clear who this is going to affect the most, and it isn’t the wealthy. We are in a situation where a government supposedly for working people would rather increase a basic living cost, rather than tax their wealthy friends. This shortsighted choice is only going to prevent people from using public transport.”

Sheffield Green Group responded to questions on Labour’s Budget Statement for ‘The Star’

What do you think of the measures (to be) introduced?

“The government is in a desperate pickle and it shows. It desperately needs to raise taxes to fill the holes left by the previous government but has still ruled out taxing the people with the broadest shoulders – the very, very wealthy.

“Measures like a modest increase in the minimum wage are welcome and needed. This will, of course, put an extra financial burden on employers, in addition to the increase in employers’ national insurance. This will particularly affect public sector employers like hospitals and local councils.
A new approach to carer’s allowances and extra money for special educational needs are also welcome.

“However, things like the burden of rising bus fares will fall far more on lower income households. It’s astonishing that a so-called Labour government will put up bus fares by 50% whilst spending £3 billion to keep fuel duty down for petrol and Diesel. This is unhelpful when we are trying to give people decent public transport options so they can choose to leave cars at home. All in all, it looks very much like climate-denial and continuing austerity.”

-Do you think the proposed tax increases and other increases (such as the bus fare cap) on the working people are fair?

“A fairer system would be to tax the very wealthy, taxing income from assets the same as income from work. Greens want those with the broadest shoulders to contribute more in taxes – those with assets above £10 million at 1% and assets above £1bn at 2% annually. With only a very small minority of people subject to a wealth tax, the overwhelming majority would benefit and people who are struggling would not have to bear the burden.

“Regarding the increased bus fares, it’s really disappointing that our Labour Mayor isn’t showing initiative like his counterpart in Greater Manchester who has already stated they will keep the cap at £2 for their residents.”

Do you think the people of Sheffield will welcome the changes?

“It’s a big budget and the devil will be in the detail but we don’t think anyone is going to see the big change they had been hoping for after 14 years of the Conservative government. It is going to look very much the same. What people will see is bus fares going up by 50% and the service not getting better. We risk more cuts to local services as local councils continue to feel the pinch. The budget will add big pressures to local councils’ wage bills so we need to see the detail of how the government will compensate for these extra costs.

“It’s unlikely that people in Sheffield will agree with the Chancellor that there’s “no return to austerity.”

What do you think Sheffield will gain by these measures?

“The big question is what Sheffield will not gain. This city is in a great place to benefit from investment in green businesses but we haven’t seen any indication of this type of investment in this area. We have the technology and people to insulate homes and businesses, and promote solar and wind power generation. Instead the government green offer is just further research into questionable “carbon capture” technology instead of real action.

“Sheffield Supertram was mentioned in the Chancellor’s speech and we know that £400 million is needed to replace a large part of the capital infrastructure. There is an extra £200 million allocated for city transport projects across the whole country but we don’t know how much Sheffield will see of this money.

“We will need to work through the detail of the budget but the headline is that there is no more money for councils or local services and 2% cuts to most government departments. This is going to look very much like the previous government.”

The Star’s report is here.

The Green Party has called on the Council to make Sheffield a Pedestrian Friendly City.

In a motion to next week’s Council meeting Green Councillors have submitted a motion calling on Sheffield to become the UK’s first Pedestrian Friendly City.

Hillsborough Councillor Christine Gilligan-Kubo said,

“If Sheffield becomes a Pedestrian Friendly City, it will have environmental, health and financial benefits for all Sheffielders.

“Everyone is a pedestrian at some point in their journey, even if they catch a bus or drive a car. So we need to make sure that their experience, walking or wheeling, in our city is a good one

“That means pavements that are free of obstructions such as illegally parked cars, bins or digital advertising boards. We also need to ensure that pavements are cleaned and clear of leaves, litter, ice and snow. This is particularly crucial for people with mobility issues, such as wheelchair users, or a visual impairment, or people pushing a pram or buggy. We need to install dropped kerbs at key points on pavements to make access for disabled people easier.

“We can improve safety for pedestrians by having more 20mph zones in residential areas, safer crossing points and introduce low traffic neighbourhoods that prioritise pedestrians over unnecessary access for motor vehicles.

“Making Sheffield a truly Pedestrian Friendly City will require the Council to lead on action across services in terms of investment, enforcement and better working practices”

City Ward Councillor and member of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Committee, Ruth Mersereau, said

“In Sheffield, walking and wheeling is currently made unnecessarily difficult and dangerous by numerous obstructions, obstacles and hazards. As a Council, we urgently need to address this, and properly enforce against obstructive parking and ensure our footpaths and pavements are cleared of obstacles like advertising boards, and hazards like slippery leaves and ice.

“We are also calling South Yorkshire Police and the South Yorkshire Mayor to prioritise and properly fund road safety, and to improve accessibility for pedestrians, including reversing the decision to abandon Operation Parksafe.”

References

Transport Vision | Sheffield City Council

Bad parking crackdown extended after 900 drivers face action

Following the 40th anniversary of Threads, the seminal and horrific film depicting the aftermath of a nuclear blast on Sheffield, Councillor Peter Gilbert asked,

“How does the development of the nuclear industry help Sheffield towards a nuclear-free world?”

Councillor Gilbert’s question followed remarks by South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard where he welcomed the announcement that components for small modular nuclear reactors would be manufactured in Sheffield (1) . Speaking after the October Council meeting, Councillor Gilbert said,

“I am disappointed that Labour is backing dangerous and expensive nuclear energy when there are so many cheaper and more benign alternatives.

“The waste produced by nuclear energy remains radioactive for thousands of years and storage of this waste is an expensive issue with no long term solution. There are ongoing issues with storage at the Sellafield site which are just one example of the difficulties in managing this toxic waste. (2)

“Nuclear is the most expensive way of generating electricity in the UK, and we will be paying for this in our energy bills for years to come. Both the International Energy Agency and the Nuclear Energy Agency have confirmed this. Hinckley C is going to cost £24.5 Billion with a further 10 nuclear sites planned (3). A much better use of these funds would be to invest in super insulating people’s homes so they are warm and cheap to heat. We need a plan to invest significantly in retrofitting our homes to make them more energy efficient and reduce carbon emissions and our energy bills.

“We know climate change is happening now, but nuclear energy plants are far too slow to get on line. Hinckley C was announced in 2010 but won’t come on line till 2027 at the earliest (4). By contrast renewables and insulation schemes can be up and running relatively quickly.

“Those who argue that renewable energy isn’t a solution because it only works when the sun shines or when the wind blows are behind the times. Energy storage has come on leaps and bounds and is used on a small scale in people’s own homes and linked to large wind and solar farms.

“If we want a safer world we need to ditch nuclear energy. The technology used to process enriched uranium is the same as that used to make nuclear weapons. The strong links between the nuclear industry and the production of nuclear weapons is well documented. If we want to end the nuclear proliferation that ends in a nightmare like ‘Threads’ we need to work towards a nuclear free world.” (5)

References

1 – News – South Yorkshire MCA (southyorkshire-ca.gov.uk)
2 – Revealed: Sellafield nuclear site has leak that could pose risk to public | Energy industry | The Guardian
3 – New nuclear power in UK would be the world’s most costly, says report – Carbon Brief
4 – New nuclear power in UK would be the world’s most costly, says report – Carbon Brief
5 – The links between nuclear power and nuclear weapons – CND (cnduk.org)

Sheffield Green Councillors with the flag of Lebanon

Sheffield Green Party Councillors have condemned Israel’s escalation of violence in the Middle East. In the last few weeks, Israel has launched an aerial bombing campaign and ground invasion of Lebanon, attacking residential tower blocks, hospitals, journalists and UN peacekeepers in an illegal and indiscriminate campaign similar to its assault on Gaza. So far over 2000 people are reported to have been killed and over 1 million people displaced.

Last night, the world awoke to the sight of Palestinian civilians being burnt alive in their tents as Israel escalates its genocide in Gaza – attacking hospitals, encircling Jabalia refugee camp, and ordering 400,000 people to leave the north of Gaza despite there being no safe route to do so. This is amid reports that it has decided to “ethnically cleanse the entirety of northern Gaza through a campaign of starvation and extermination” known as “The Generals Plan”. The World Food Programme reports that no food has reached northern Gaza since 1st October.

We also note with horror, the UN’s Third Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel . The report details attacks on hospitals and the use of violence, torture, rape and sexual assault against Palestinian detainees, including children and medical personnel. It states that “Acts of sexual violence documented by the Commission were motivated by extreme hatred towards and a desire to dehumanize the Palestinian people.”

Sheffield Green Party Councillors now call on all Sheffield politicians – MPs, councillors and the South Yorkshire Mayor – to end their silence about Israel’s clear breaches of international law and crimes against humanity and publicly call on the Labour government to end its participation in them.

We request that all Sheffield politicians demand that the UK’s Labour government:

(a) Impose a two-way arms embargo on Israel.

(b) End negotiations for a free-trade agreement with Israel.

(c) Cease aiding and assisting in the commission of violations of international law through diplomatic support for Israel, the use of the UK Akrotiri military base in Cyprus, and intelligence sharing, reconnaissance and all other military support.

(d) Investigate the Israeli ambassador to the UK, and dual-nationals returning from service with the IDF as potential perpetrators of international crimes and grave human rights violations, including the crime of incitement to genocide.

A Green Party Councillor has used the planning system to address the harm caused by installing digital advertising displays on busy city centre pavements.

In her objection to planning applications by the marketing company, City Ward Councillor, Ruth Mersereau, said,

“These screens/boards are to be situated in pavement space, and so we’re very concerned at any obstacles on the footway of key pedestrian routes in the city centre. We believe that owing to the siting, height, and bulk of the proposed installations, these would form overly conspicuous and obtrusive features that would have a significant adverse effect on visual amenity and cause material harm to the character and appearance of each area.

“The proposed displays will cause increasing conflict with pedestrian and/or cycle traffic as the city centre increases its footfall, especially in the context of the proposed increase in the city centre population in the next 15 years. Obstacles in footways and cycleways have recently been refused by the Council as the harm envisaged is not outweighed by the benefits and the proposal could therefore be contrary to several Unitary Development Plan Policies and the National Planning Policy Framework.

“These digital advertising screens significantly increase the number of bright, intrusive adverts local residents and road users are exposed to. This will have an adverse effect on road safety. The most recent research suggests there is a direct link between roadside advertisement and car crashes and that is especially the case for digital billboards. This research showed that roadside advertising can increase crash risk, particularly for those signs that have the capacity to frequently change. The main two reasons that make digital billboards more distracting are their brightness and the fast changing images, for example when transitioning from an ad to the next .

“In terms of the visual impact, the billboards would impose visually aggressive streetscapes upon commuters or people working in the area. This is an unacceptable detriment to the street scene in an area filled with heritage structures, and in a key destination shopping/hospitality area.

“The consumption of an electronic billboard such as those proposed is estimated to be 63kwh, or the same as six average UK homes. Advertising itself contributes massively to our collective CO2 emissions, and promotes unhealthy products, damaging wellbeing. Permitting these boards would be in direct opposition to Sheffield’s declaration of a climate emergency.

“Residents and visitors will be exposed to harmful advertising content. Although living near digital advertising screens has an impact on people who live near them, there does not appear to be any consultation with nearby residents and businesses regarding these planning applications.

“Sheffield already has 926 outdoor advertising sites (billboards, bus shelter ads and free-standing advertising screens). Research has shown that these are more concentrated in lower income and more polluted areas, with 32% of outdoor ads in Sheffield located in the most deprived decile.
Allowing more digital advertising screens into Sheffield risks further compounding existing inequalities in health and wealth.”

Councillor Mersereau had specific comments relating to the proposals for boards at 3 locations:

108 Pinstone St

“This proposal would require digging up a newly-created piece of paving in the Heart of the City area, where substantial investment has been made in creating a well-designed, high quality public realm. The addition of this advertising display would seem particularly out of place. It would be helpful to obtain comments from the Heart of the City team”

45 Division St

“This is outside Star House at 43 Division St, the home of Sheffield Futures and therefore disproportionately affecting children and young people.”

Outside Lidl, High St

“This is an area of very high footfall and there is already substantial conflict in this area, all the more so because it is a de facto link for cycle routes through a congested part of the city centre. It is also a hotspot for ASB and regular police intervention. Obstacles to sight lines will risk making it harder to police the area.”

References

1) Driver attention is captured by roadside advertising signs Driver attention is captured by roadside advertising signs (diva-portal.org)
2) Impact of digital advertising The impact of road advertising signs on driver behaviour and implications for road safety: A critical systematic review – ScienceDirect
3) Brightness of signs distracts drivers The impact of the luminance, size and location of LED billboards on drivers’ visual performance-Laboratory tests – PubMed (nih.gov)
4) Energy use of digital display boards Advertised Emissions — Purpose Disruptors

Green Party Councillor Henry Nottage, who is a member of South Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel, has called on the South Yorkshire Mayor to drop plans to appoint a Deputy Mayor for policing.

Following revelations of a £65 million of unaccounted debts in South Yorkshire Police Authority’s budget, Councillor Nottage has asked for the money that was to be for the salary of a political appointee as Deputy Mayor, to be reallocated to better financial management.

Councillor Nottage said following today’s South Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel,

“In West Yorkshire the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is paid an annual salary of £72k per year. Given the financial mismanagement of the Police Authority it seems the money would be better spent on better administration of the public money entrusted to them, rather than on a big salary for a Labour Party appointee.

“The £65 million of debts that were not accounted for in the policing budget could have a serious knock on effect on policing in South Yorkshire. We have all seen the increasingly difficult issues that frontline police have had to deal with locally and they need the reassurance and certainty that they will not lose the resources they need to do their very difficult job.

“Rectifying this serious financial situation in the medium term will mean spreading out the cost of this error over several years. What we can’t risk with all the additional ramifications that would entail.

“It is clear that financial management in the office of the Police and Crime Commissioner was under-resourced, making mistakes much more likely. Giving a choice of a potential £50-70k to a new politician or someone to ensure the financial controls are more robust, I know which I would choose.”

Sheffield Green Councillors were successful in a vote calling on the Labour Government to increase funding for mental health services to give them parity with physical health services.

Broomhill and Sharrow Vale Cllr Angela Argenzio and Chair of the Adult Health and Social Care Committee said,

“As the Sheffield City Council representative on the South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board I have raised the issue of staff mental health of employees of the NHS & how this affects the general public and especially people who are already waiting for a long time to get treatment. But until we have parity between physical & mental health resourcing we cannot say that there’s parity of esteem.

“The latest statistic I have had says that 92% of resources are for physical health, only 8% for mental health. (1) I would be very interested to see how colleagues in the Labour group intend to challenge the new Government on this issue or if they just go along with whatever narrative the Government will spin to excuse their lack of political will to do the right thing”

City Ward Cllr Martin Phipps said

“ For many people work takes up a large portion of their lives, which is why it’s so important that mental health and wellbeing is valued properly in work.

“As we know, local government level finances are unsustainable, and this comes with its own stresses and pressures on local government employees. This is why in our amendment we called for sustainable funding for local government.

“One of the biggest issues with mental health support is the lack of accessibility to NHS services. I looked at the CAMHS (Child, Adolescent Mental Health Services) waiting times and here in Sheffield Community CAMHS has an expected wait time of 130 weeks to get a first appointment. While that’s particularly bad, long waiting times for mental health support is a nationwide story.

“One of the areas the Labour motion falls short is that it misses that the Parliamentary Labour Party now have the ability to make mental health financially equally valued to physical health – which is why we’ve added calls to government to make parity of funding a reality.

“ This is really critical and underlies many of the conversations we’ve had around mental health and waiting times in health committees over years.”

Labour voted against the sections of the Green amendment to write to the government to request parity of funding

References

Mental Health 360 | Funding And Costs | The King’s Fund (kingsfund.org.uk)

Councillors Marianne Elliot and Henry Nottage

Planning and Highways Committee today considered the next phase of Park Hill flats refurbishment (1). Green Party Councillors on the Committee argued that the development could be made more environmentally friendly and in light of the results of the Grenfell Inquiry, safer as well.

A Park Hill resident speaking at the meeting, while supportive of the scheme, expressed his disappointment with the lack of cycle storage and the lack of commitment from the developers Urban Splash to install solar panels on the roof.

There is a planning condition that 10% of the energy comes from renewable energy but the Council has not specified how this should be supplied.

Following the Planning and Highways Meeting, Councillors Elliot and Nottage commented on the application.

Gleadless Valley Councillor Marieanne Elliot said,

“It is disappointing that the installation of solar panels has not been included as part of this development. Installing solar panels on a flat roof will not require extensive scaffolding and as such should be a relatively easy and cost effective installation.

“I know that Park Hill flats is now a Grade 2 listed building but that should not be a reason not to install solar panels. St James’s Church in Piccadilly in London has solar panels (2) on the roof. It was designed by Sir Christophen Wren and is a Grade 1 listed building, but like Park Hill it has a significant flat roof where the solar panels will be impossible for anyone to see from ground level.”

Hillsborough Councillor Henry Nottage, who proposed fire safe battery storage lockers for the development, said

“It’s great to see the final phase of Park Hill going ahead. Park Hill is ideally placed for people wanting to live a lifestyle less dependent on private car ownership due to its proximity to the city centre and excellent public transport links.

“The provision of cycle storage, either in the communal cycle store, in flats or on the walkways is to be applauded, but does it really go far enough to ensure that the flats are ready for people’s active travel requirements?

“The advent of the electric bicycle has opened up cycling as a really viable alternative to car use. You can carry a significant amount of shopping, transport the children and arrive at work sweat free without a piece of lycra in sight.

“ Following the outcome of the Grenfell Inquiry we should seek to reduce and eliminate all fire risks, however small. Though the risk of electric bikes lithium batteries catching fire is relatively low, I strongly believe that the provision of fire-safe battery-charging lockers should be a feature of the refurbished units at Park Hill. This will ensure that people can make the most of the fantastic and improving active travel options in Sheffield without compromising the safety of themselves or their neighbours.”

The Committee placed a condition on the developers to produce a plan to provide safe storage of electric bikes and the charging of their batteries.

Councillor Marieanne Elliot also successfully proposed a directive requesting that that the developer work with the Council and the Police to address anti social behaviour in the area,

Councillor Elliot said

“Most evenings 20 to 30 cars congregate outside the flats, The vehicles’ occupants are known to engage in criminal activity which makes residents feel threatened. This is of a particular concern to women who are concerned for their safety. We want the developer to engage with the Council and the police to see how they can work together to address this problem. This could help make the area one where people can live comfortably and without fear and would be the actions of a responsible developer”

There was disappointment that no affordable housing would be provided as part of the Park Hill development for this application. The Council’s Local Plan did not specify the need for affordable housing in the Park Hill area.

Councillor Elliot said,

“Given the history of Park Hill, which was originally Council housing, it is disappointing not to see affordable housing being mandated as part of this phase of the development. There is a dire need for more affordable housing to rent across Sheffield. It was reassuring to hear the developer at the meeting commit to 20% affordable housing after all.

References*

Park Hill Flats – Wikipedia Entry Park Hill, Sheffield – Wikipedia
St James’s Church, Piccadilly Solar Installation Photovoltaic Systems at St James’s Church, Piccadilly (simondawson.com)
Battery charging with fire suppression Buy A Lithium-Ion Battery Cabinet | 2 Door with FirePro® Suppression & Charging Points Online At Yellow Shield

At September’s meeting of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Change Committee, Green Councillors have raised concerns over the deteriorating bus services being experienced by many local people in Sheffield.

Councillor Alexi Dimond, Deputy Chair of the Transport, Environment and Climate Change Committee said,

“The bus cuts and changes to services this September have made an already poor service worse. The communication has been shambolic. Many bus stops are still advertising services which no longer exist.

“The withdrawal of the number 11 bus on Gleadless Road means that many residents of Heeley Green, Newfield Green and parts of Arbourthorne do not have a viable bus service.

“The impact on older residents without access to a car is particularly stark. In Heeley and Newfield Green, 70% of pensioners who live alone do not have a car. In neighbouring Arbourthorne, the figure is 81%. The loss of the bus services means they will be trapped at home at a time when the Winter Fuel Allowance is going to be withdrawn.

“It is vital that the bus companies are held to account and the South Yorkshire Mayor moves forward with franchising or public ownership. Funding plans must be urgently brought forward so Sheffield and South Yorkshire can have an affordable, reliable, accessible and clean bus service fit for the 21st century.”

City Ward Councillor Ruth Mersereau, who is also a member of the Committee, said,

“Public transport is an equality issue that disproportionately affects women, those people in poverty and people with a disability. Roughly a third of Sheffield households have no access to a vehicle. They are now being offered a third class service or no service at all.

“Offering such a scant service at night doesn’t help the night-time economy nor leisure industries, which are key to the regeneration of the city centre. Poor bus services don’t help people who finish work in the city centre after 6pm. There is a real lack of communication about these changes to bus services.”

Author: Andrew Cooper

“Franchising is not final destination for our buses”, say Greens

Green Response to Labour’s Budget Statement

“Let’s make Sheffield a Pedestrian Friendly City” say Greens

“Sheffield should drop its support for Nuclear” say Greens

Sheffield Green Party Councillors Statement on Israel’s assault on Lebanon and escalating genocide in Gaza

“Digital advertising displays are obstacles for pedestrians and have a negative impact on road safety”, say Greens

Greens call on Labour to drop Deputy Mayor for Policing.

Success in call for equal funding for mental health

Greens call for greener, safer development at Park Hill Flats

“We need better bus services” say Greens