But a town hall spokeswoman was quick to point out flaws in the figures, insisting that only 18,333 people were actively bidding for social housing in the city - the same as the previous year.

Now the council intends to write to all whose names are on the register as wanting a home to find out what the correct picture is in Sheffield.

Everyone will welcome that. The trend to use statistics as a means of measuring performance and direct resources will always be questionable while those figures are challenged. And that seems to happen every time a statistics are issued which paint a critical picture.

The public needs to trust what it is told by officials. But that trust is constantly undermined every time we are given a new batch of figures only to be told they are inaccurate, out of date or were compiled differently from previous sets, which happens too often.

Grasp the chance while it is offered
SHEFFIELD Council plans to scrap area panels and replace them with community assemblies. This could herald a significant change in how services are delivered to local neighbourhoods, with the new assemblies given their own budgets and the power to direct how that cash will be spent.

But the flaw in this scheme is that they can only achieve their full potential when all members of all communities fully embrace them and take part.

And the sad thing is that the public is notoriously apathetic as a body, leaving decision making to the few - and complaining when they get it wrong.

This is a good chance to have a direct effect on the quality of life in our neighbourhoods. We should all grasp the opportunity when it is offered.


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