Letters to the Editor: The Star's readers have their say on the latest Sheffield news and issues
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Here you can read the most recent letters to the editor, and have your say on the issues that affect our city.
Whether you agree or disagree with the letters published here, we really want to hear your views.
All you need to do to for a chance to be featured is email: [email protected]
Readers’ letters: The Star readers have their say
Tuesday October 5
Reader’s letter - ‘Bellyaching’ letter about city centre ‘ridiculous’ - Sheffield is ‘The Coolest City in the North’
Just what is Jayne Grayson bellyaching about in her ridiculous letter, Sheffield city centre looks ropey (The Star, September 20).
When was the last time Jayne Grayson went into the beautifully designed Heart of Sheffield centre, “The Coolest City in the North”, as verified by the Times newspaper no less, the most famous newspaper in Britain!
The investment going into the city now is tremendous and long may it remain so.
MORE HERE: Sheffield is ‘The coolest city in the North’
Do you agree or disagree? We really want to hear your views. Just email: [email protected]
Tuesday October 5
Reader’s letter - Let’s make Sheffield the best city on earth and get rid of these disgraceful, disgusting, dreadful homeless problems forever
I’ve never ever been able to understand why we yet have homeless people in Sheffield and South Yorkshire.
Do Sheffield Council, MPs and the housing department not notice the homeless people on Sheffield streets and nationwide.
How disgraceful. They do little or nothing for our dreadful homeless problems yet MPs and councils don’t take long to have pay rises. How selfish.
We notice across Sheffield, South Yorkshire and nationwide hundreds of stores and shops empty, how come we never turn them into schools, hospitals, homes and libraries.
Do you agree or disagree? We really want to hear your views. Just email: [email protected]
Monday October 4
Reader’s letter: “Let’s try a deterrent that may make people think twice about their actions”
Why, why, why do we let people such as Wayne Couzens, Harold Shipman, Ian Huntley and the murderers of Lee Rigby, be burdens on the state after committing the worst of crimes?
Murder, there is no getting away from it that these people and many more convicted murderers are guilty, no doubt of false arrest.
So why do we keep them in prison getting three meals a day, clean clothes, free TV and many more perks?
I know they have lost their freedom but their victims have lost much more.
Do you agree or disagree? We really want to hear your views. Just email: [email protected]
Monday October 4
Reader’s letter: “I firmly believe we are better out of the corrupt system that the EU has become”
Quite an interesting read in The Star tonight (Thursday, September 30) ranging from the absurd amount of money on offer to new ‘high flying fat cats’ jobs in the Sheffield City Council totalling over £762K for two executive directors and five directors.
This is the same council which has over spent by £43 million or there abouts and is raising the ‘rates’ of the citizens of Sheffield to the max.
However the topic that most raised my interest was that by B Heaton from Doncaster regarding Brexit.
B Heaton starts by referring to the referendum as ‘basically’ an opinion poll.
MORE HERE: I firmly believe we are better out of the EU
Do you agree or disagree? We really want to hear your views. Just email: [email protected]
Friday October 1
Reader’s letter: ‘The death knell of Sheffield’s John Lewis was sounded the day that they started building Leeds’ new store’
A John Lewis article in the Yorkshire Post this week, (John Lewis which has its flagship Northern store in Leeds), relating to their search for 7,000 extra staff was very interesting.
Sadly, it also clearly demonstrated one of the reasons that they closed the Sheffield store.
Clearly the death knell of the store was sounded the day that they started building the new store in Leeds.
That, plus the fact that Channel 4 are now presenting their News programmes from the new HQ in Leeds demonstrates that the city of steel is falling even further behind its Yorkshire neighbour.
Do you agree or disagree? We really want to hear your views. Just email: [email protected]
Friday October 1
Reader’s letter: ‘Council are resorting to reeling out the red tape’ over Roy Chubby Brown petition
Hayley Madden who started the Roy Chubby Brown petition has now contacted fellow petitioners with the following information based on a reply she has received from Sheffield City Council.
“Not sure if you are aware, but under the council’s Petitions Scheme, at least 5,000 of the people who have signed petitions where the lead petitioner has requested a debate, must either live, work or study in Sheffield.
“Appreciate that this can sometimes be difficult and onerous but in order for us to arrange for the petition to be included, as a debate petition, on the agenda for the council meeting on October 6, we would need proof of this.
“Please, therefore, could you have a look, and send us the names and place names/postcodes showing that at least 5,000 of the 39,000 meet the above requirements. We would require this by noon tomorrow at the very latest.”
Do you agree or disagree? We really want to hear your views. Just email: [email protected]
Friday October 1
Reader’s letter: ‘Bus drivers are leaving at an alarming rate, at my depot alone at least 20 have left’
Your article on the bus driver shortage puts staff shortage in inverted commas almost as if Stagecoach are lying about a shortage of drivers.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Drivers are leaving the company at an alarming rate.
Partly due to the derisory wage increase offered but also the increased stress created by other road users complete lack of patience with buses and abuse from certain passengers who seem to think they can travel for a reduced fare or free.
When they are told this won’t happen the abuse they hurl is completely excessive for the situation, and escalates to threats if extreme violence against yourself and family members! All this to save £2.10!
MORE HERE: Bus drivers are leaving at an alarming rate
Do you agree or disagree? We really want to hear your views. Just email: [email protected]
Friday October 1
Reader’s letter: ‘More concerted effort needs to be made to combat and redress present-day anti-Chinese racism’
In the first quarter of 2020, the advocacy group – End the Virus of Racism – identified a rise of 300 per cent in hate crimes towards Chinese people compared with the same period in 2018 and 2019.
The Home Office figures, at the same time, which did not break down hate crime by ethnicity, recorded an eight per cent increase. We in Equalities and Human Rights, from our own direct experience of dealing with racism in all its forms, knew that this latter figure was an under-reportage of the facts.
Readers may recall, that at the start of the Covid pandemic, I was obliged to condemn a spate of incidents of anti-Chinese racism that were taking place here in Sheffield. These incidents involved the targeting of some Chinese students and other sections of the diverse Chinese community too.
Sadly, of late, there have been a frequency of reports coming in of anti-Chinese racism increasingly rearing its ugly head again, this time through haters combining verbal and physical assaults on Chinese ethnic people.
Friday October 1
Reader's letter: 'Stick with it, the new Sheffield city centre will be very successful once completed'
I saw the comments in Wednesday’s emailed Sheffield Star bulletin where your article said “a couple of readers’ letters today lament the decline of Sheffield city centre”.
Then further down you gave a link to a video at: https://vimeo.com/601704729 The video is the answer to their complaints. Everyone should watch it.
Our city centre is going through a huge redevelopment that has been on the cards since 2014, but failed because the Sevenstone developer fortunately pulled out. Now the council is going through with a different and much more appropriate remodelling exercise that, when complete, will put Sheffield ahead of the curve.
All city centres are having to re-examine their situation now so much retail buying has gone online and so many large shops have closed. As the residents’ association for the city centre, we have seen the plans, discussed them with the people manging the new development, have made suggestions – many of which are being included – and are convinced that the new Sheffield city centre will be very successful once completed. It will have 60,000 residents living here when finished and this will be a most exciting place to live, work, visit and enjoy.
Do you agree or disagree? We really want to hear your views. Just email: [email protected]
Wednesday September 29
Reader’s letter - ‘What an absolute dump Sheffield city centre is - places like Doncaster and Leeds have left us behind’
I was born in Darnall nearly 61 years ago and so thought I knew the city pretty well.
However this Sunday, after bringing my wife into town for the Sheffield 10k, I along with my daughter and grandson walked up Fargate and down the Moor which was a real eye opener.
What an absolute dump the city centre is along with the drunk drug addicts sat around on the floor – what a disgrace.
I thought about what Sheffield was with busy thriving businessess and a clean looking place to shop.
MORE HERE: Sheffield city centre is an ‘absolute dump’
Do you agree or disagree? We really want to hear your views. Just email: [email protected]