Tree sculpture

All it takes is a bit of imagination. That’s why this picture was taken in Hull, not Sheffield.

This despotic Labour council are doing a dreadful job of winning hearts and minds with their bludgeoning of the environment.

Instead of turning trees into art they prefer turning them into firewood.

So not only are they reducing the amount of carbon that the environment can absorb, they are actually adding to the carbon in the atmosphere by burning the trees.

Then they complain that our polluted air is caused by drivers of diesel vehicles and something must be done about them.

Only in Sheffield could such twisted logic be policy.

David Farrell

Greystones Rd, S11

There is a better way

At times, city councillors put party politics ahead of taxpayers when making decisions on important matters.

I believe councils should exist to serve their communities first and put power back where it belongs, in the hands of local people.

Sheffield City Council should be looking at a policy of “in-sourcing” not “out-sourcing”following the examples of Liverpool, Cumbria, and Essex.

On January 15, Carillion Plc and assorted subsidiaries declared insolvencies.

This 10 per cent organisation had around 450 government contracts, taking money from the taxpayer, slicing off their cut then subcontracting the work to local, national and international companies. They have left a trail of destruction in their wake.

The practice of allowing multi-national corporations, private companies and management consultants to flood local government, is flawed.

They treat the public sector as a gift that keeps on giving, charging inflated amounts of money for consultant templates that read as if they have been written by a child, with only the names of the local authorities changed on these documents.

This is the practice of “risk and reward” contracts, profits made from money saved from local council budgets, then given to these private companies.

The poorest in society paying towards the wealthiest.

I am totally opposed to the cabinet system of governance, which puts too much power in the hands of too few people.

I advocate a committee system which brings more openness, transparency and cross-party collaboration.

The behaviour of professional party politicians over the last four decades, has shown their self-serving system has completely failed democracy, and the people.

At all times taxpayers should be given the best services, the best value for money and the best representation,

There is a better way.

Councillor John Booker

UKIP, West Ecclesfield

Save our buses

Yet another round of “minor changes” to bus and tram services has been put into effect by South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE), only four months after the last round.

Certain phrases keep coming up in the description of the individual route changes:

Some of the changes, they say, are to “improve punctuality”, but what they mean in effect is that the journeys will take longer, there will be less frequent bus services and this will lead to even more people using cars and clogging up the roads.

They say other changes are to “improve sustainability” or are “due to a reduction of patronage” but in effect, there will be service cuts to maintain profits for bus companies, leading to even less usage and more service cuts in a downward spiral that leads to more people giving up on buses and increased gridlock and air pollution.

We are heading towards an ever-worsening crisis but in South Yorkshire, nobody seems to even show awareness that the poor bus service is a serious problem for our communities. Sadly, SYPTE, First and Stagecoach aren’t providing a service to the public, they are just managing and organising service decline.

Greater powers and more funding for bus and tram would be a massive help. According to a report last week, London receives nearly five times more government funding per head for transport than South Yorkshire and has the power to dictate the service that the public needs.

As a result, since 1984, bus use in London has doubled whereas in the rest of the country, including South Yorkshire, it has halved.

We should all campaign for similar funding and powers in South Yorkshire, but, in the meantime, please, SYPTE, SCR, bus companies, Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield, the future and infrastructure of your cities and region is at stake. Recognise the problem, come together, get organised, look for solutions and save our buses

Roy Morris,

Concerned bus user

Teagate poem

Sheffield’s Teagate

I’ve just heard, what in my opinion, is the most ludicrous unlikely plot

That a pensioner might have poisoned three Amey men via a tea pot

One went to the hospital with ‘suspicious’ stomach pains months ago

But at the time, the Council and most of Sheffield didn’t appear to know

Would a respectable pensioner really proffer a ‘dodgy’ cup of toxic tea

In full view of independent witnesses and other Amey tree fellers to see?

This apparently took place last October which is really much too late

To suddenly bring up an Agatha Christie tale, or indeed a Sheffield ‘teagate’

Even if one man had stomach poisoning and gone to hospital months ago

Surely before now the whole of the campaigners and the council would know?

If he really did believe he’d been poisoned, why on earth did he not request

A toxicology report or at least some relevant diagnostic blood test?

I could be wrong of course, it might be that innocuous looking tea mug

But isn’t it more likely to have just been some nasty tummy bug?

Incidentally last autumn many of us had a stomach virus, including me

But mistakenly perhaps, I did not think to call out the CID!

Street Tree Supporter

S11

Famous, for what?

There’s lots of publicity about kids and their aspirations for their future jobs.

What’s been said is it’s all very well wanting to be a famous youtuber or blogger but back in the real world let’s celebrate all the jobs that are out there.

How many times do you read about kids saying for a job they want to be famous?

Famous for what?

That’s not a job but today it’s seen as a career, total madness.

When you watch shows like 24 Hours in A&E or the new one about brain surgeons, these are fantastic individuals saving lives.

Kids today want to be looking at these people for future career choices not some nobody from Love Island.

Jayne Grayson

by email