Planning Master Class

Richard talked about his Master Class on The National Planning Policy Framework.  A film was shown about a successful campaign opposing the building of an incinerator in Merthyr Tydfil.  Before the campaign FoE was thought of as a bunch of tree huggers but afterwards as a very useful organisation with expertise.  The NPPF does not include National Infrastructure, Waste or Transport.  Local and Neighbourhood Plans can be drawn up but they have to fit in with National Policies.  If there is no Local Plan then as from
March 2013 there will be a presumption in favour of sustainable development.  ‘Sustainable development’ is defined as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.  Applicants should always consult with the community before submitting planning applications.  Sheffield FoE could apply to be on a consultation database.

Community Involvement in Planning

Community Involvement in Planning - An Environmental Law Foundation (ELF) event for local communities

This was a quick overview of how communities can be involved in planning.  The government is currently tearing up the planning guidelines, replacing thousands of pages with just fifty, in its new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).  Throughout the short document the words ‘presumption in favour of sustainable development’ are continually found.  What ‘sustainable development’ means is not clear and it may well mean economically sustainable, although it seems green roofs and the like are also recommended to ensure the colossus gets through planning.  The main point is that if there aren’t any new plans for an area designating land for various uses, the presumption is in favour of sustainable development.  Developers can probably ride roughshod over the area as long as it will make them money and not devastate local businesses.  Many environmental organisations, including Friends of the Earth, are alarmed at the changes and are still working to change the document.

So it is important that we take a look at such boring documents as the ‘Sheffield Development Framework (SDF)’ and check which areas have been given ‘preferred predominant use’ and ‘acceptable uses’.  If you don’t check now it may be too late when planning applications are made that comply with the designated use.  The SDF is in its final stages but the ‘City Policies and Sites Development Framework’ is at a draft stage so you could find your remarks have more of an impact on the final document.

Natural England is able to fund ‘Green infrastructure’ projects.  Communities are able to draw up their own ‘Neighbourhood Plans’ through a Neighbourhood Forum.  This is essential for any area not covered by any other local plan, as once again there will be a ‘presumption in favour of sustainable development’ where no particular land use has been designated.

Planning applications are usually issued and the public are given 21 days to comment.  One valuable piece of advice is that if you haven’t time to write your full comments before the deadline then send in a quick overview and explain you’ll elaborate at a later date.  Extended comments are usually accepted whereas late submissions can be ignored.

Maureen Edwards

Group News Aug 2006

Local Groups’ Conference

The annual Friends of the Earth Local Groups’ Conference will be held in Nottingham this year, from Friday 8th to Sunday 10th September. As usual it provides local group members the opportunity to learn, interact and be inspired. Over three packed days there will be speeches, debates, workshops, networking opportunities and a fair bit of partying.

There are three big reasons to go to conference this year: Commentators and activists from the media will be joining local group members from around the country to seek better ways of engaging the public in environmental issues.
The conference will be used to prepare for a big push on the Big Ask climate campaign for the Queen’s Speech in the Autumn. The conference will mark the start of the full consultation in developing the next Five Year Plan

Several members of Sheffield Friends of the Earth usually attend each year, but there are usually plenty of spare places. The whole conference costs £60 including 2 nights accommodation, refreshments and meals. Attendance subsides are also available. Please contact Steve if you would like more details about the conference.

Northern Groups’ Gathering
FoE held the Northern Local Groups’ Gathering on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd April in Langdale (Lake District). It was a great opportunity to network, learn, workshop, talk, walk, drink etc in great surroundings.

Planning
Maureen from the group sent comments to the Yorkshire and Humber Plan – The Regional Spatial Strategy, commenting on transport and renewable energy.

Eco Law Workshop 
The Environmental Law Foundation (ELF) invited us to an Environmental Law Question Time, held in the offices of Irwin Mitchell solicitors in Sheffield, on Wednesday 8th March

The evening  included a panel of ELF's lawyers and technical consultants
and was chaired by a former Labour MP for Hillsborough and Sheffield, Ms
Helen Jackson.

Newsletter
As you can see, the newsletter has changed format. It now copies the same style as Change Your World, the local groups’ newsletter produced by Friends of the Earth.

Membership Leaflets
New membership leaflets have been produced allowing new and existing members to pay their subscriptions by a yearly standing order. This will save everyone time and money.

Future Stalls
Do you have a couple of hours to spare? If so why not help out at some of our other stalls in 2006.

We are planning to run a stall at this year’s Green Fair on Saturday 15th July. An additional stall will be held indoors at the Town Hall in November for the Peace and Craft Fair. This takes place on Saturday 11th from 10.30am until 4pm.

Digital Camera
Sheffield Friends of the Earth has purchased four rechargeable batteries for the digital camera. This will save the group money in the long term and will also result in less batteries to dispose of.

Carole Zagrovic
Carole Zagrovic, Campaigns Coordinator for our region will be leaving us. She will be replaced by Sally Snowball. She will work alongside Neil Kingsnorth and a second Northern Network Developer, Jess Dolan.

It Asda Be Bad For Hillsborough

Asda are planning to build a new supermarket on the site of the Sheffield Wednesday training ground at Middlewood Road, Hillsborough. The area is already plagued with traffic problems and the new development, if built could destroy the local shopping area and undermine the existing five supermarkets.

A public meeting was held on Friday 7th February in Hillsborough with local residents to create an action group to stop this development.

The residents at the meeting made the following points:

• The land is actually owned by the Council and not Sheffield Wednesday. 
• The loading bay will be situated next to housing at Winn Gardens.
• Gilders Car Showroom may be shutting down soon. If ASDA build a store on the training ground this would be an ideal location for an ASDA petrol station.
• It was suggested that 463 car parking spaces would be provided.
• Residents were not sure of store opening times and delivery times for large lorries.
• At some point in the future a road may be built linking the site with Clay Wheels Lane.
• In the Hillsborough area 23 of 172 shops are vacant . 11 of 53 shops are vacant around  Middlewood Road. Both of these areas have above average levels of vacant shops.
• If people decide not to shop at Morrisons, for example, and instead visit ASDA then it will create more traffic crossing through Hillsborough.
• If people making the planning decision attend more than 15 Wednesday matches they aren’t allowed to make a decision on the proposal.

 If you would like to get involved then please contact

Christine Gilligan
christina.gk@virgin.net
46 Overton Road  S6 1WG

Or Contact Chris on 08977 618 089
noasda@gabadon.co.uk

The most urgent action is to write to the planning department before March to formally object to the proposal. The address is:

Head of planning
Planning, Transport and Highways
Howden House
1 Union Street
Sheffield
S1 2SH
The application reference is 03/00005/OUT
Please send any replies to us. Thanks

News - April 1999

Since the last newsletter was published we have:

contacted MPs about food issues and followed up the campaign on recycled newsprint. The transport group have attended the pedestrian and cycle forums, and has been working on the developments in the Don Valley area.

All the issues we are currently working on (food, waste and transport) were all discussed with Asda’s environmental advisor.

To gain and retain active members we have conducted some research into making meetings more enjoyable. Some of the ideas for improving meetings and retaining members have been introduced.

Three members of the group attended the annual local groups’ conference in Bath. Some very interesting speeches and presentations were given and useful and interesting workshops.

Rather than give another report back from the cycle forum, we have obtained copies of a colour brochure that explains what the Strategic Cycle Network is all about. It includes lots of maps showing existing and proposed cycle routes. You should find a copy with this newsletter.  At the back of the pamphlet is an address where you can send comments and suggestions about the cycle network.  

A Green field site near Tapton School and King Edward’s School maybe turned into 2 car parks. If you would like to find out more or get involved then contact Terry Howard, Cross Pool Action Group on 266 54 38

A LOOK BACK IN TIME
10 Years ago Sheffield FoE were involved with tropical rainforests, recycling and the pure water campaign. The newsletter featured the new SCRAP (Sheffield Community Recycling Action Programme) logo.

20 Years ago the group was campaigning on pollution and recycling. Although Sheffield had no glass collection facilities our group was collecting glass for recycling.

FoE Social Events
An evening on a folk train, meals out and bowling were just some of the suggestions from local FoE members at the October meeting. If you would like to join a local FoE social event ring a co-ordinator with your own thoughts and ideas along with any possible dates.

East End Regeneration: Good News?

Redevelopment in the Lower Don Valley, on both sides of the motorway, is carrying on in the absence of a sustainable regeneration strategy but that situation might be about to change.

Opening soon
Valley Centertainment, Broughton Lane (opposite Arena): 20 screen cinema, bowling, night club, drive through Burger King, etc.  600 jobs; new tram stop; 1100 car parking spaces.
Carland car sales, Airport Business Park: 500 cars for sale.

Work starting soon
UK Institute of Sport (various sites around and including Don Valley and Woodbourn Road stadia): 1000 jobs; 300 people athletes’ village.

Other proposals
Many, but some of the biggest are:

• Magna Centre, Templebrough, Rotherham: steel industry heritage scheme. 500,000-900,000 visitors a year; planning permission approved.
• Football World, Meadowhall coach park/cooling towers site: 350,000-800,000 visitors a year/ 6 soccer pitches; no progress on planning application because of doubts over viability.
• Asda, Carbrook Street/Weedon Street (Meadowhall overspill car park): a few hundred yards from Sainsburys.  600 staff; 960 car parking spaces; planning decision January 1999

Magnaline
Mainly public transport route from Rotherham to Meadowhall on existing roads until Tinsley.  Then a new road, known as Magnalink, providing access to vacant sites before going under the M1 to Meadowhall.  Sheffield Council agreed to a funding bid providing Magnalink was the subject of public consultation and was for buses, cycles and pedestrians only into Meadowhall.  Consultation has been so badly mishandled (not by the Council), that they have deferred the bid for the Sheffield element until proper consultation and feasibility can be carried out next year.

Some? good news
Funding for the Tinsley Community Health and Transport Project has been extended for a year.   (FoE on the steering group.)  This is good news.  Neil Parry, the project worker, is campaigning, with active Tinsley residents, to reduce the effects of  too much traffic in the area.

The Council’s environmental action plan for Tinsley is likely to include a reduction in pollutants, mostly caused by road traffic, to meet the Governments Air Quality Standards.  These will have equal status with planning guidance but acceptance by local planners is taking time.  This is a  recurring discussion in the East End Land Use Planning /Air Quality group (FoE Represented).  More formal terms of reference are being drawn up to make this more than a discussion group.

Potentially the best news is that John Prescott, in exchange for paying off the Supertram debt, wants Sheffield to become a Centre of Excellence in implementing the integrated transport white paper.  One of the  projects put forward by the Council is a Regeneration Plan for the Lower Don Valley which includes reducing traffic and car emissions by 10% and reducing incidence of asthma by a third.  This is what we’ve been arguing for in the Air Quality group.

More details from Rob Slow, 18 Badsley Street, Rotherham, S65 2PN. 01709 382478.

Desperately Seeking Sense: Campaigning on Planning in the short and long term

Readers of the last newsletter will recall Sheffield FoE’s support for residents in Heeley, Meersbrook and Nether Edge, in their campaign against the construction of a new Morrisons’ store on the former Tyzaks site, opposite Heeley Baths.  They may also remember the groups’ campaign to get national FoE to pay more attention to planning issues. In an update on both campaigns, Liz Sharp links the problems of local campaigning to the wider need for reform of the planning system.

You can see the old Tyzaks site from the railway. A large area of concreted derelict land, just over a mile from the city centre. This, the last remaining large tract of derelict industrial land to the south of Sheffield, is currently threatened with development as yet another retail food superstore. To me, the case against the development is compelling.  Superstores are designed for bulk purchasing of goods; their existence is intertwined with the expansion of a car culture which we are meant to be trying to resist. Superstores threaten small local shops, shops which are vital to the quality of life of the less affluent members of society.   Moreover, the site is large and flat. While they may not be the most profitable uses, there is nowhere comparable in southern Sheffield where light industry or a large housing development could be located.  These types of developments would bring people and prosperity to the area; a superstore will just bring traffic, pollution and blight.

Sounds simple doesn’t it? Not so! Decisions about how sites like this one should be used are made through the planning system.  This bureaucratic system is, in theory, supposed to give people like us the chance to express our common sense views  and influence Councillors. In fact, the process of making such arguments requires so much effort, and so many barriers to be overcome, it is not really democratic at all. Following Sheffield FoE’s highly successful resolution to conference last year, national FoE is thinking about how to campaign for improvements in the planning system itself. During February I travelled up to London and met with FoE staff and other local group members to discuss the sorts of changes we might like to see in the planning system. I think the Morrisons campaign is a great example which shows how and why these are necessary.

The Morrisons group have worked hard to develop a campaign against the development, and, in particular, to consult with local people to develop a set of alternative proposals for the site. But they are not familiar with the planning system. To develop planning based arguments against development proposals is not easy for community groups. The first step is to get a copy of the application. At the outrageous cost of £2 per A4 sheet Sheffield City Council charge over £500 for applications like the one by Morrisons. The next step is to try to pull the documents apart, to identify false assumptions and question inappropriate generalisations.   Often this means trying to understand the complex professional language of retail or transport analysts. The next step is to put together arguments against the application, backed up by local and national planning documents. Again, getting hold of copies of these documents is not always easy, and finding the appropriate arguments can be time consuming even for those familiar with the documents. Overall then, Morrisons shows how the planning system is a confusing and frustrating process. It is not surprising, then, that one of our major conclusions in London was that The Planning System needs to be made more accessible to all, both in terms of cost and of language.

The common sense reasons to oppose the Morrisons superstore may make sense to you and me, but they do not work as planning arguments. The planning case against Morrisons rests largely on the argument about whether the door of the development is near enough to Heeley to be considered as an ‘edge of centre development’. This absurd situation has led the developers to add an extra door at the far corner of the superstore (no promises that it will be unlocked though!) and provide covered walkways to further reduce the considerable distance from what is already a very run down shopping area. Apparently the developers think that building the superstore will help revive the Heeley shopping centre. I can just see all those shoppers leaving their car in the Morrisons store and then rushing past the superstore, along the 300m of passageways (and under the railway line and over the Chesterfield Road) ..... to what end? To visit the newsagents in Heeley? You’ve got to be kidding! This example shows how the substance of planning guidance needs to be reformed so good sense arguments - like the idea that the Tyzaks site ought to be used for Industrial or Housing development - can be put into practice by Planners. This leads to another conclusion, that Planning law needs to take more account of environmental consequences.

My final point concerns the future of the Morrisons application. If the Local Council refuses the development it is probable that Morrisons will appeal against this decision.  Appeals are heard by a government inspector.  They are expensive in both time and money for the local authority, who must bear the full cost of the appeal if they lose the case.   If, on the other hand, the Council accepts the planning proposal there is no possibility of the local authority incurring any cost, for unimportant ‘third parties’, like a community group, have no right to appeal against a planning decision.  Clearly, the risk of being taken to appeal therefore biases decision in favour of any developers.  This leads to the final conclusion, that community groups and other third parties need the right to appeal just like developers.

The residents campaigning group have now submitted their objections to the planning department, and await a decision on the Morrisons application imminently. Meanwhile, national FoE has resolved to push for a more fair and accessible planning system under the flag of a ‘sustainable politics’ campaign. Background work on this subject is already on the work plan of National FoE’s research unit. The campaigning team promise that this research will be followed up by a national level campaign on sustainable politics within the next five years.  

Too late for this superstore, perhaps, but not for millions more.

Planning Motion to Conference

I am not accustomed to public speaking. I therefore knew in advance that my whole weekend at the local groups’ conference would be pivoted around those ten minutes in the last session when I was due to take to the podium to propose Sheffield’s planning motion.
 
Being ‘author of the land use planning motion’ meant certain people wanted to talk to me. I discovered this before even going into the first session, when a strange man came up to me and said ‘ahh, YOU’re the Liz-the-planner from Sheffield!’ (The speaker turned out to be Roger Higman, Rebecca’s brother and senior transport campaigner who had obviously been well briefed). Later the same day I found myself being inquired for by Uta, FOE’s policy director, who wanted to discuss what we hoped to achieve through the motion. We sat together over the evening meal and discussed strategy - she recognised our point that battling lots of individual planning decisions is fighting the symptoms not the cause of environmental degradation (Newbury, Morrisons), I conceded her point that it might be an uphill struggle to build a public momentum around a campaign for reform of the planning system. We agreed that it would be good if we could stimulate a debate on the nature of the planning system. I didn’t realise at the time, but Rebecca tells me that for our motion to have received this extent of attention from Underwood Street was a considerable compliment.

I was pleased to find that there were also some local group members who had noticed the motion (after all - it was their support that we were going to need when it came to the vote on the Sunday).  At a workshop I attended on regional government the discussion came back again and again to how existing and proposed regional organisations input into planning decisions. Tentatively, I mentioned that the Sheffield group were proposing a motion about planning, and saw a wave a recognition pass over the assembled faces.

Amongst local group members interested in regional government, at least, it seemed we had some support.
My involvement with the motion also had a number of serious down-sides.  At a basic level it probably meant I was a dead bore to talk to - get me on to the topic of institutional arrangements for environmental protection and you won’t fit a word in edge-wise.  It also meant that I kept scuttling off during our rare moments of free time to polish my speech, and that I became an increasingly nervous wreck as the weekend progressed.  While everyone else quite rightly mourned the poor quality of the beer, for me it was a fortuitous excuse to not get horribly pissed the night before I climbed to the lectern.

An advance ballot had placed our motion third, after an emergency debate and the contentious issue of green cars. Despite lots of moral support from Elaine and Rebecca, I sat in the front row quaking as these debates progressed.  I thought it was going to take ages to get there; but suddenly the vote on green cars had happened and I was facing the audience. A practice run had showed that my material would take nothing like the five minutes I was allocated - did that slow me down? - my foot it did.  As I moved from the second to the third point I saw Rebecca out of the corner of my eye desperately waving her arms in slow circles.  ‘Oh yes’ I thought, ‘I forgot’, ‘its not a race’, as I took a deep breathe, and tried to pace myself with a little more care.

The first nice thing which happened as I finished my speech is that I got clapped.  Not everyone gets applause for motions speeches - so that felt good. Then nobody wanted to speak against the motion, so it went directly to a vote.  Then there were lots of votes for the motion; then there were no votes against; then there were no abstentions.....we had unanimous support!

Did I have a good first conference?  Oh yes.  I was obsessive, I was boring, I was a nervous wreck; but I went home triumphant!  

Watch out for how Underwood Street are responding to Sheffield’s Land use planning motion in the next newsletter.

Liz Sharp
Planning Campaigner

Group News: Aug - Nov 1997

Conference 1997
Every September at the annual Local Groups’ Conference we have the opportunity to rant and rave at FoE central office about their campaign priorities. However, local groups can’t have a spontaneous rant, but need to prepare motions in advance which they put to other groups to vote on in the conference. This year our group has decided to request that FoE campaigns to change the planning system.

What we’ve said:
The motion has to be in “conference speak”, but basically says that the planning system isn't helping the environment. As we think it could we therefore request FoE to think about campaigning for planning reform.

The importance of the planning system
Almost all environmental issues are influenced by the way we use land. In Britain, changes to land use are regulated through the land use planning system. While it is local councillors who usually approve development decisions, national guidance and local plans strongly influence both the issues which are considered and the weight given to those issues. We feel that the existing system allows decisions to be made on the wrong issues; this motion details how and why we want this to change.

What’s wrong with the planning system
The existing planning system does not result in sustainable development. This is clear from the many environmental damaging land use decisions which continue to be made. Poor access to information accompanied by bureaucratic and intimidating consultation procedures severely limit the extent to which outsiders, like FoE, can participate in either policy choices (i.e. national guidance or local plans) or in decision about land use on specific sites. These difficulties have resulted in a lack of public confidence in the planning system, a fact demonstrated by the road protests.

What we want instead

• Third part (eg FoE)  rights should be extended
• Environmental protection to be given greater priority, e.g. SSSI sites.
• The system must be more accessible to the public.
• The current presumption in favour of development should be challenged. Such reforms would have potential benefits for many FoE campaigns.

Why we should campaign on planning
FoE campaigners already engage with the planning system at many different levels. These experiences are a ready source of information about the existing planning system which could be collated to provide a blueprint for planning reform. Planning is likely to be under review both nationally and at the European level in the near future. It is vital to ensure that FoE develops a position on planning to ensure that any changes to the system extend its ability to protect the environment.

What happens next?
Having obtained support from Brighton and Hove FoE to second the motion, we submitted it with background information to Underwood Street. They are now in the process of compiling it with all the other motions to send out to all local groups. FoE groups will have time to consider these motions over summer, before instructing their delegates how to vote - or whether to make their own decisions at conference. Come “motions day” in September, some sill bugger (Liz) has to stand up and tell everyone why they should vote for a campaign to reform the planning system.

FoE Post Cards
Why not buy some colourful Sheffield FoE  postcards printed on recycled material. We have two types (Tree Huger shown opposite and one called “Big & Small”). Please send a cheque to our postal address for the appropriate amount and state which cards/mixture you want.

10 cards  £2.00
15 cards  £2.50
More than 15 = 15p each

News in Brief
Since the last newsletter, we have raised money at a street collection, attended a regional meeting in York which included training workshops and a day of action against genetically modified food. We have also toured the open cast sites near Chesterfield and have visited the centre for Alternative Technology. As we plan to do more press work a meeting has been scheduled, but the transport meeting with the PTE was cancelled.

Take Action

Press for change
Write to your local paper (including free titles) asking them how much recycled paper they use and if they will print this on the masthead of their paper. Press them to set a target to increase the proportion of recycled fibre they use. It is perfectly possible to print newspapers on 100% recycled paper.

Food campaign 
Two campaigners from the region will be job-sharing the new food and Biotechnology campaigner post. They are Pete Riley from Barnsley FoE and Adrian Bebb from Leeds/Bradford FoE. The campaign will be aimed at local groups and the public.

Food Miles
Great Britain can produce a rich variety of food yet we import it from all over the world producing millions of tonnes of pollution from road traffic and air freight. Traffic emissions have soared in recent years with total miles travelled by road freight increasing 42% between 1984 and 1994, food transport is responsible for a third of the increase.

The examples below show just how far certain foods travel to get to this country.

• New Zealand lamb 11,404 miles
• South African apples 6,011 miles
• Spanish onions         773 miles.

Climate wreckers
Oil and car companies are actively blocking international agreements to help stop global warming through their main lobby group the Global climate Coalition (GCC). Please write to the following companies asking them to withdraw from the GCC and support green energy and FoE’s targets.

Dr Chris fay, Chief Executive, Shell UK Ltd, Shellmex House, Strand, London, WC2R ODX

Mr Ian McAllister, Ford Motor Co. Ltd, Central Office, Eagle Way, Brentwood Essex, CM13 3BW

Housing Campaign

The Department of the Environment predicts that the number of households in England will grow by 4.4 million over 25 years. All these people will need somewhere to live so there is now pressure for massive new housebuilding. The previous government accepts that this demand, “if met in the simplest way - using greenfield sites - would result in wholly unacceptable environmental damage”.


The housing campaign is therefore aiming to promote high quality urban living which will help to reduce the need to travel and will slow down the damage to the countryside.

Friends of the Earth are calling for:

• 75% of new houses to be built on reused land.
• Policies to regenerate inner city areas, reduce traffic levels and provide suitable housing for varied sizes.
• More emphasis for quality housing which blends in with the countryside.
• More money for affordable social housing, so the poor don’t get squeezed off the housing ladder.

Friends of the Earth is not campaigning to stop house building as shelter is a basic requirement to sustain life. FoE want to see less house building in the countryside with 4 bedrooms and double garages when people need smaller homes located in cities.

Anyone interested in campaigning on this issue should attend the transport group meetings or contact a transport group member for more details.





CLKIMATE



Since the last issue of the newsletter there have been two stalls in Sheffield city centre, aiming to raise public awareness of climate change issues.  The first was on Saturday 12th April, at Castle Markets.  This followed the launch of the national FoE Climate Change Campaign the previous Saturday, and focused on encouraging passers by to sign the Climate Challenge.  This postcard to Regional Electricity Companies highlights the choice available to consumers following energy liberalisation next year.  As well as putting pressure on the electricity companies, it is hoped that this stall will also have alerted the public to the choice available to them from next year.   The postcard contained the following wording:


I am very concerned about the threat of global climate change and the role that burning fossil fuels for energy generation plays in increasing this threat.

I don’t want to contribute to climate change by buying energy produced from fossil fuels.  Nor do I want to add to the legacy of nuclear waste by using energy from nuclear power.

From 1998, liberalisation of the energy industry will mean I can choose my energy supplier.  I will be looking for a company which:
Ÿ comes clean on the environmental damage caused by electricity production
Ÿ tells me how to save money and fight climate change
Ÿ gives me the option to buy electricity generated from a renewable resource

By the end of the afternoon, we had a collection of signed postcards to send off to Yorkshire Electricity on behalf of the public. Efforts then turned to completing the Globe - our wicker and cloth wonder which we commenced building earlier in the year.  Fitting the fabric to such a rotund figure required more mathematics and dress making skills than one might imagine, but eventually it was completed, and the countries were painted on by Jean to add the finishing touch.  The Globe had its first trip out on Saturday 14th June, outside the Town Hall. This coincided with the beginning of FoE’s week of action on climate change.  This time, rather than raising awareness of energy liberalisation and green energy, we decided to focus on energy conservation and reducing carbon dioxide emissions.   Over the last few months, with the help of the City Council, we have produced a Climate Savers Pledge and an Energy Saving information leaflet.  We asked members of the public to pledge to cut their carbon dioxide emissions by making energy savings in their homes and gardens.  This was posted into the Globe, and will be delivered to Tony Blair to show Sheffield’s commitment to  reducing their production of greenhouse gases.  It is hoped that this will encourage the Prime Minister to push for tough, legally binding targets on emissions at the Kyoto Climate Summit later this year.  If you haven’t yet signed a pledge, please do so - the more we have, the better.

If anyone is interested in helping out with forthcoming Climate Change activities, please contact Mike Sparks on 2967324.



TRANSPORT

Following frantic behind-the-scenes lobbying in Westminster in the final days before Parliament packed up for the General Election, the Road Traffic Reduction Bill has passed all its stages and is now law. This is a tremendous success and marks an end to decades of transport policy driven solely by the need to cater for more and more cars. Thanks are due to all those MPs and local councils who supported it, but also to all local group members who have helped with this campaign.

As you will probably be aware, in order to get the support of the Government and thus give us the best chance of the Bill becoming law before the election, it was agreed to drop the demand for national targets. So the Act focuses on local councils. All Highway Authorities will have to prepare a report that firstly must assess current local traffic levels, and secondly should set targets for future local traffic levels. The only way a council will be able to avoid setting targets is by convincing the Department of Transport that it is inappropriate. The DoT have said that they intend to take a firm line on councils not setting targets.

Despite the lack of national targets, the Road Traffic Reduction Act is still a very powerful tool. What will it mean for local campaigners? In the words of Don Foster at the Westminster rally in January, “Your  council will have to consult with you and indeed your whole community on measures to cut back on traffic in your area - and then those measures will be funded in future spending rounds. This will give all of  you leverage - no longer will any local council be able to sideline your demands for road traffic reduction. Your agenda will have a legal force. Your demands will be central to local policy setting in the next few years. You, not the traffic increase lobby, will be driving policy”.

After the general election FoE will be pushing the Labour Government to introduce Road Traffic Reduction Bill II which will push for national targets.

ROAD TRAFFIC
REDUCTION BILL 2

Due to the watering down of the Road Traffic Reduction Act, a second bill has been launched with national targets for traffic reduction. The bill has now had its first reading in the House of Commons which is just a formality. The second reading is not until 30 January 1998 so gives us time to generate more support than ever before.

The activities planned so far include a rally at Trafalgar Square,  Saturday 27 September, 2pm, and a national day of action on Saturday 30 August.

The day of action will be discussed at the transport group meeting, so if you want to know what we are going to do or want to take part in the day of action come to a transport  meeting or phone either Shaun or Rebecca.

As for the rally in London, it would be very useful if people could tell us as soon as possible if they are interested in taking part so that we can arrange a mini bus or cheap train tickets. Phone Shaun (232 6924 after 6pm) if you are interested or want more information.


At last! The long awaited  Local Transport Day finally took place on Saturday 10 May. It was attended by representatives from the Council’s transport unit, the Passenger Transport Executive, health professionals, disability groups, pensioners, bus and tram operators, and groups like Friends of the Earth.

The chief concerns of the pensioners were the  £5 travel pass and poor access to most buses due to steps, the lack of rails and having to walk in the road because of cars parking in bus stops. The access issues were also important to the disability group and most other people.  The good news is that mainline are currently re-designing a 51 bus to make it more accessible and the transport professionals took the issue of getting from the bus stop to the bus seriously. Mainline informed us that the cost of easy access buses are coming down in price and all future buses should be of this type.

Although the Supertram system is a paragon for easy access, their representative outlined some of the company’s future plans for improvements. Firstly, they would like to see further stops added, especially on City Road and Crystal Peaks, but they recognise that this may slow down journeys. They are aiming to put CCTV on all stops with a public address system so passengers can be kept informed. To further improve security, they are thinking about installing alarm buttons on tram stops so people in distress can talk to staff in the control centre. Supertram’s biggest priority is to increase integration of the service with buses and to provide through ticketing.

Some ideas and plans for future transport projects include more bus lanes and public transport priority, trying to open Millhouses station, rebuilding the bridge links around the rail station and spending money on pedestrianisation.

Although it was interesting listening to the various speeches, I thought the most important and enjoyable part of the day was attending  two workshops to look at how we can improve integration, information and ticketing, and the quality of services and routes.

If anyone is interested in reading a more comprehensive set of minutes then please contact Shaun from the transport group.



reclaim the streets
BY GANDOLF PERKINS
Sheffield FoE Campaigner

It was a dull, not quite raining day when a group of us huddled rather than assembled under our FoE banners on Devonshire Green.  At first there were more police than protesters.  (Earlier, as I walked to the gathering, I had seen a number of not so discrete squad cars and officers on horseback waiting down side roads.)   Several Saturday morning shoppers stopped to make remarks to the effect that our boys in blue would be better employed catching real criminals rather than trying to herd a bunch of harmless environmentalists.

Gradually the Green began to fill: Peddle Pushers and other assorted cyclists adjusting their bikes, musicians, families, official observers in tabards, organisers handing out what-to-do-if-arrested leaflets and passers-by pausing then getting drawn into the event.  Eventually the milling around formed into a parade headed by a lorry with a PA system broadcasting bright, sunny music in defiance of the weather. Initially we were diverted down back streets that hardly ever seem to see traffic anyway, but then everything came to a halt on Charter Row.  Another PA system brought up the rear,  stallholders started setting up and selling food, and people drew in chalks on the road surface, sat down in groups for picnics, drummed on the crash barriers, danced, hung ropes from the overhead walkways to make swings, unfurled banners along the multistorey car park, played frisbee with their kids, wandered about talking. The cyclists turned the traffic islands at Charter Square and Furnival Square into merrygorounds, circling with an hypnotic elegance, slowing the cars.  I kept bumping into people I knew, people I never thought I’d see at something like this.


Deciding to get a little more into the party mood, I left the demo in search of an off-licence.  Two things struck me as I entered the main part of the city.  The first was how much more polluted the air here seemed in comparison to that in Charter Row, even though traffic had only been out of the area for a few hours.  The second was the Saturday afternoon crowds; not the numbers, but the fact that everyone was dashing in straight lines from one shop to the next.  Try standing still to talk with a friend and you risked causing a major pedestrian pile-up.  It felt as if the only legitimate reason for being out was to consume.  For me it was a graphic reminder that reducing car use isn’t just about combating pollution, or saving the countryside, or even preventing road deaths, it’s also about giving people the space to be human.