“You can vote for change”

The Planning and Highways Committee meeting on January 28 underlined the woeful state of democracy in Sheffield. I missed the first hour covering the decision to approve a 38-storey tower on Rockingham St with tiny 4.5 metres square living spaces. I was there for two big decisions which will have a massive impact in and around Hillsborough.

For the Lidl store at the bottom of Stannington Road next to the Malin Bridge gyratory, planning officers offered reassurance on the impacts from traffic modelling undertaken. A Labour councillor who lives in Walkley offered a helpful, real-world overview of the nightmare reality of traffic jams in and around Malin Bridge familiar to many. Green councillor Peter Garbutt cast the only vote against as the application was approved.

Next was the mixed development, including an Aldi store, on Penistone Road on vacant land opposite Hillsborough football ground. In the real world every high street retailer and shopping centre wonders whether they have a viable future. But, looking at the cumulative impact of both applications, planning officers outlined a thriving Hillsborough District Shopping Centre according to statistical analysis.

Can it really take the £13.55 million annual hit outlined in the officer’s report and survive? Can Catch Bar Lane and Halifax Road local centres really lose 25 per cent of their business and survive?

More than five hours into the meeting, I think eight committee councillors remained to vote. At least three other councillors had wandered off during the meeting without any explanation from the chair. With one eye on the clock after a far too long agenda, I was the only member of the public left to witness the final vote following a rushed process.

Coun Garbutt abstained with enough others clearly going to approve the application, as they voted to do.

On May 7, you can turn around a broken democracy in Sheffield. You can vote for change in the Sheffield City Council governance citywide referendum. You can vote in council elections to end the Labour majority and create a “no overall control” council.

Collectively, this is the opportunity to review and refresh the way Sheffield City Council works. It’s being resisted every step of the way by the Labour cabinet but is desperately needed.