At the count I got chatting with some Conservative ladies. Much as I am opposed to Conservative policies, I did feel sorry for them- they had seen their poll rise to 20% of the vote, but their reward was to have the last Tory Councillor ceremoniously booted out of the Town Hall. I have a lot of respect for Anne Smith as she has been a hard working councillor and has always been open to discussions and debate.Our ridiculously unfair electoral system has now thrown her out of office. However the conversation soon became much more heated when one of the Tory ladies said, "but of course, we're all Green now!" How I wish that was true, then I wouldn't have to bother with politics! But the truth is all the 3 main political parties, at local and national level, still haven't grasped the serious situation we are in. I believe the next decade will determine whether or not we save the planet from catastrophic climate change. We are not just talking about looking after our parks and keeping the streets clean (important though these issues are) we are talking about changing our economic system so that life can continue on this planet. I am currently reading Mark Lynas's new book, 6 degrees. See http://www.marklynas.org/ In it he catalogues what climate scientists predict will happen to the planet as it warms by each degree. It should be required reading for all politicians and business people. It shows how we are already very close to various "tipping" points, which when we reach them will further speed up climate change- for instance as the artic melts, the ice cap, which acts like a massive mirror that currently reflects the suns energy away from the north pole will disappear. This means that the energy will be absorbed by the dark sea, further warming the planet and speeding climate change.
Politicians that say they are green, while proposing new airports, new roads, encouraging wasteful consumption, opposing sustainable energy solutions and encouraging massive hypermarkets while local shops and post offices are shut down should be voted out of office as soon as possible!
Monday, 12 May 2008
Tuesday, 6 May 2008
Station access
Whilst all the sitting and hopeful candidates were busy at Ponds Forge watching the count another very important meeting was taking place in Sheffield. Here is a brief report of what went on. If you are concerned about the issue of gating the station please put June 3rd in your diary and come along to the Area Panel meeting at Victoria Methodist Church, Stafford Road, 6.30pm where it will be discussed, and you will have an opportunity to question a representative of East Midlands trains.
Report of a meeting at Sheffield Station
about access through the station: Held at 11.00 am 2 May 2008
Who?
The meeting was called by Jake Kelly, Customer Services Director of East Midlands Trains (EMT). Jake appears to have responsibility for implementing the plan to make Sheffield a “gated” station.
About 20 people were present, including:
1. Richard Caborn, MP
2. Representatives of a range of Disability Access groups
3. Chair of Transport of All
4. Chair of Friends of Sheaf Valley Park
5. Chair of Sheffield Civic Trust
6. Secretary and Convenor of Victoria Environment Group
7. Member of the petition group
8. Rep of British Transport Police responsible for the policing of the station
9. Sheffield City Council Officers responsible for Highways, Planning and Regeneration
10. Several station employees with a range of responsibilities
Why?
Jake Kelly explained the rationale for considering restricting access. It is to reduce fare dodging but also to reduce crime within the station and on trains.
MP Richard Caborn pointed out that the huge financial investments involved in Park Hill and the e-campus, are reliant on good access through the station. He requires the Director to provide detailed figures on how much would be saved in fare dodging if the station were closed. When available, a cost benefit analysis would need to be carried out and considered in the wider context of
·the huge sums already committed and
·the possibility of future income to be generated by communities which could be cut out.
The MP also required the police representative to give figures on crimes and arrests over the last 6months, 12 months, 18 months and two years, so that a similar analysis could be carried out. This was agreed.
Towards the end of the meeting another train employee said that the Dept for Transport included a requirement to gate 5 stations on their network, was a condition of awarding the franchise to East Midlands Trains. Other stations such as Chesterfield could be considered. Jake confirmed that the reason that Sheffield is being considered at the moment, is that it is the station with the highest income.
It is clear that the main motivation for this proposal is financial and currently EMT does not perceive that the wider issues of the city and the communities around the station are it’s concern.
How?
A Design Consultancy has been commissioned to draw up plans for gating the station.
The needs of train users with disabilities will be one of the design criteria but there is no commitment to include the needs of people “in transit” through the station, rather than catching trains. The impression is that EMT plans to divert “none-travelling “ public via other bridges and routes. A couple of routes suggested were a “goods” bridge which is used by station staff and could be upgraded for use by the public, or the old south bridge. The view of the meeting was that the latter is an unacceptable alternative - it has no lifts and it lands on a back street. This will merely displace any of the alleged theft, begging and mugging that the British Transport Police spokesperson was concerned about. There was some discussion about allowing none travelling people with disabilities to have access through the station, but the representatives felt that separate arrangements for them would be divisive.
When?
The Director anticipates that any gating would take place around May 2009.
Jake plans some consultation and said that the views of today’s meeting would be passed through to the consultants.
Outcomes
· EMT will be in no doubt that there is strong and vocal opposition to gating the station and that it is a coalition of national politicians, local councillors and officers, representative disability groups, city wide groups concerned with access and local residents.
· As Director of Customer Services Jake Kelly is looking for a solution to “mitigate the effects of the gates in the interim” period before a public bridge makes the connection across the valley - however there is no current , proposal for a bridge, with identified funding .
We Want:
· A copy of the brief given to the design consultants
· Opportunities to meet the consultants at a convenient place and time, before they start serious work on the plans.
· a further consultation meeting at a convenient date and time. (Mid morning on a week day excluded many.)
· to see any plans as they emerge
· genuine consultation, which is structured rather than ad hoc and as part of this Jake Kelly was informed that the station issue will be a key item on the next Area Panel meeting at 6.30 pm on Tuesday 3rd June…( venue to be confirmed) After the meeting he confirmed that although he personally cannot be there a senior member of EMT will attend the Area Panel.
Jake Kelly appeared to agree on further consultation and was prepared to look at ways of enabling us to meet the designers when they come to look at the station.
This report was compiled from notes made at the meeting by
Doug Bell, Terry Gallagher, Simon Gedye and Geraldine Roberts
5th May 2008
Report of a meeting at Sheffield Station
about access through the station: Held at 11.00 am 2 May 2008
Who?
The meeting was called by Jake Kelly, Customer Services Director of East Midlands Trains (EMT). Jake appears to have responsibility for implementing the plan to make Sheffield a “gated” station.
About 20 people were present, including:
1. Richard Caborn, MP
2. Representatives of a range of Disability Access groups
3. Chair of Transport of All
4. Chair of Friends of Sheaf Valley Park
5. Chair of Sheffield Civic Trust
6. Secretary and Convenor of Victoria Environment Group
7. Member of the petition group
8. Rep of British Transport Police responsible for the policing of the station
9. Sheffield City Council Officers responsible for Highways, Planning and Regeneration
10. Several station employees with a range of responsibilities
Why?
Jake Kelly explained the rationale for considering restricting access. It is to reduce fare dodging but also to reduce crime within the station and on trains.
MP Richard Caborn pointed out that the huge financial investments involved in Park Hill and the e-campus, are reliant on good access through the station. He requires the Director to provide detailed figures on how much would be saved in fare dodging if the station were closed. When available, a cost benefit analysis would need to be carried out and considered in the wider context of
·the huge sums already committed and
·the possibility of future income to be generated by communities which could be cut out.
The MP also required the police representative to give figures on crimes and arrests over the last 6months, 12 months, 18 months and two years, so that a similar analysis could be carried out. This was agreed.
Towards the end of the meeting another train employee said that the Dept for Transport included a requirement to gate 5 stations on their network, was a condition of awarding the franchise to East Midlands Trains. Other stations such as Chesterfield could be considered. Jake confirmed that the reason that Sheffield is being considered at the moment, is that it is the station with the highest income.
It is clear that the main motivation for this proposal is financial and currently EMT does not perceive that the wider issues of the city and the communities around the station are it’s concern.
How?
A Design Consultancy has been commissioned to draw up plans for gating the station.
The needs of train users with disabilities will be one of the design criteria but there is no commitment to include the needs of people “in transit” through the station, rather than catching trains. The impression is that EMT plans to divert “none-travelling “ public via other bridges and routes. A couple of routes suggested were a “goods” bridge which is used by station staff and could be upgraded for use by the public, or the old south bridge. The view of the meeting was that the latter is an unacceptable alternative - it has no lifts and it lands on a back street. This will merely displace any of the alleged theft, begging and mugging that the British Transport Police spokesperson was concerned about. There was some discussion about allowing none travelling people with disabilities to have access through the station, but the representatives felt that separate arrangements for them would be divisive.
When?
The Director anticipates that any gating would take place around May 2009.
Jake plans some consultation and said that the views of today’s meeting would be passed through to the consultants.
Outcomes
· EMT will be in no doubt that there is strong and vocal opposition to gating the station and that it is a coalition of national politicians, local councillors and officers, representative disability groups, city wide groups concerned with access and local residents.
· As Director of Customer Services Jake Kelly is looking for a solution to “mitigate the effects of the gates in the interim” period before a public bridge makes the connection across the valley - however there is no current , proposal for a bridge, with identified funding .
We Want:
· A copy of the brief given to the design consultants
· Opportunities to meet the consultants at a convenient place and time, before they start serious work on the plans.
· a further consultation meeting at a convenient date and time. (Mid morning on a week day excluded many.)
· to see any plans as they emerge
· genuine consultation, which is structured rather than ad hoc and as part of this Jake Kelly was informed that the station issue will be a key item on the next Area Panel meeting at 6.30 pm on Tuesday 3rd June…( venue to be confirmed) After the meeting he confirmed that although he personally cannot be there a senior member of EMT will attend the Area Panel.
Jake Kelly appeared to agree on further consultation and was prepared to look at ways of enabling us to meet the designers when they come to look at the station.
This report was compiled from notes made at the meeting by
Doug Bell, Terry Gallagher, Simon Gedye and Geraldine Roberts
5th May 2008
Saturday, 3 May 2008
Fly tipping fruit and veg
On the Victoria Environment Group litter pick today we went to the the little triangle of land at the junction of Granville Road and Fitzwalter Road. It was a terrible mess again, and it seems that a fruit and veg trader has taken to regularly dumping rotten fruit there.If you have any information about who is doing this please let me know and I will report him to the authorities. The ironic thing is we haven't got a local fruit and veg shop- a few years ago there was a lovely greengrocers on City Road, just near Skye Edge Avenue, but it had to close and the local shops there have never been the same since. All we seem to get now is take away shops! So whoever it is is driving into our area especially to dump their waste. I hope we catch him! We didn't manage to shift all the fly tipping, but have reported it to the council.
Friday, 2 May 2008
Results
This was the result in Manor Castle Ward.
Pat Midgeley (Labour) 1621 53%
David Croft (Lib Dem) 687 22%
Christina Stark (Con) 400 13%
Graham Wroe (Green) 357 12%
Thank you to those of you who supported me in any way- leafleting- putting up posters, and especially voting. I was very disappointed to come last- but my vote didn't go down very much (I was 13% last time)but the other two parties managed to take votes from Labour. What's most upsetting is that the Conservative candidate beat me without doing anything- there wasn't even a poster in her window! So the Conservative vote was purely on media coverage- the "David Cameron" effect. The Lib Dem vote again increased and their leaflet wrongly insinuated that the Greens always support Labour.
It was very clear that the postal vote was not Green. Postal votes favour the 3 main parties as people often vote before the election leaflets are distributed and are much more influenced by the national media. Despite our excellent election broadcast the Greens have struggled to get a fair representation in the national media. The Question Time debate not giving the Green mayoral candidate, Sian Berry, a platform is a a prime example of this.
In Central Ward our hard work paid dividends and we now have a third Councillor, Rob Murphy. Result
Rob Murphy Green Party 1611 40%
Mohammad Maroof Labour 1563 39%
Mohammad Azam Lib Dem 522 13%
June Ledbury Conservative 311 8%
It was nail bitingly close, but we have now managed to complete the team of 3 councillors in Central.
Throughout the city Lib Dems swept to power and how have 45 seats, Labour 36 and Green 3. The Independent lost in Stocksbridge and Anne Smith lost the only Tory seat in Dore & Totley. We now have an important role to play as the third council group with a clear alternative agenda to Labour and the Lib Dems. Other noteable Green results include
Rob Cole came second in Broomhill, 756 votes 27%
Gareth Roberts beat the Tories in Gleadless Valley 781 15%
Chris Sissons beat the Tories in Burngreave 638, 14%
Julian Briggs beat Labour in Crookes 698, 14%
Mervyn Smith came 3rd beating Con/UKIP in Nether Edge 780 13%
James Wilson came 3rd in Walkley beating Cons.540 12%
Jason Leman beat Labour in Ecclesall 615 9%
The full results are on the Council website
http://www.sheffield.gov.uk/your-city-council/elections/election-results/election-results-2008
Pat Midgeley (Labour) 1621 53%
David Croft (Lib Dem) 687 22%
Christina Stark (Con) 400 13%
Graham Wroe (Green) 357 12%
Thank you to those of you who supported me in any way- leafleting- putting up posters, and especially voting. I was very disappointed to come last- but my vote didn't go down very much (I was 13% last time)but the other two parties managed to take votes from Labour. What's most upsetting is that the Conservative candidate beat me without doing anything- there wasn't even a poster in her window! So the Conservative vote was purely on media coverage- the "David Cameron" effect. The Lib Dem vote again increased and their leaflet wrongly insinuated that the Greens always support Labour.
It was very clear that the postal vote was not Green. Postal votes favour the 3 main parties as people often vote before the election leaflets are distributed and are much more influenced by the national media. Despite our excellent election broadcast the Greens have struggled to get a fair representation in the national media. The Question Time debate not giving the Green mayoral candidate, Sian Berry, a platform is a a prime example of this.
In Central Ward our hard work paid dividends and we now have a third Councillor, Rob Murphy. Result
Rob Murphy Green Party 1611 40%
Mohammad Maroof Labour 1563 39%
Mohammad Azam Lib Dem 522 13%
June Ledbury Conservative 311 8%
It was nail bitingly close, but we have now managed to complete the team of 3 councillors in Central.
Throughout the city Lib Dems swept to power and how have 45 seats, Labour 36 and Green 3. The Independent lost in Stocksbridge and Anne Smith lost the only Tory seat in Dore & Totley. We now have an important role to play as the third council group with a clear alternative agenda to Labour and the Lib Dems. Other noteable Green results include
Rob Cole came second in Broomhill, 756 votes 27%
Gareth Roberts beat the Tories in Gleadless Valley 781 15%
Chris Sissons beat the Tories in Burngreave 638, 14%
Julian Briggs beat Labour in Crookes 698, 14%
Mervyn Smith came 3rd beating Con/UKIP in Nether Edge 780 13%
James Wilson came 3rd in Walkley beating Cons.540 12%
Jason Leman beat Labour in Ecclesall 615 9%
The full results are on the Council website
http://www.sheffield.gov.uk/your-city-council/elections/election-results/election-results-2008
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