Stop passing the buck

Now I could think of one or two things I could blame Theresa and her pale male stale gang for but if children are having surgery to remove teeth that’s hardly the Tories’ fault.

Any sensible parent makes sure their kids don’t have too many sweeties and fizzy drinks and that teeth are brushed morning and night. We shouldn’t have to be told this, it’s what we should know.

Stop passing the buck, if your kids are having their teeth removed. Nobody else is to blame except the parents who do not care if there kid’s’ mouths ever see a toothbrush.

Jayne Grayson

by email

The World Stupid Games

Councillor Price’s letter about street trees is an exercise in trying to come up with any facts that back up the council’s plan to chop down 6,000 trees, and ignoring the facts that get in the way.

Sheffield street trees and pavements suffered years of neglect, whereas pet projects like town twinning with Donetsk in the Soviet Union always seemed to find the money. Yes, trees can be blown down and cause damage, but entire roofs can be ripped off by gusty winds, and the insurance companies put it down to an “Act of God”.

The independent tree survey of 2007 showed that over mature trees needed to be managed (eg by pollarding and pruning) not replacing them wholesale with eight-year-old saplings to make it easier for Amey to maintain the pavements over 25 years. The core of this problem is a badly set-up PFI contract which the council does not want to admit to.

Whatever independent experts say, in the end the council and Amey simply stick to the original plan to chop down the trees. Reports by the Independent Tree Panel are routinely overruled.

The most egregious distortion in his letter is “there are experts who claim that large tree canopies do more to keep in pollution, in particular nitrogen oxide from cars restricting dispersal”. This is a half argument taken from a report that alluded to “street canyons” ie narrow streets with high buildings either side, where street tree canopies could contribute to, not create, nitrogen oxide build- up.

Yet the same report, in a number of paragraphs, refers to the ways that large street trees can absorb a range of particulates. This is not going to happen with saplings. The fact on the ground is that perfectly healthy trees, set in wide pavements like the Nether Edge area, are being chopped down because the council simply cannot admit to its original mistakes with the Amey contract. This is the World Stupid Games of our era.

ST

Fulton Road

Benefit answers

Research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) has found 300,000 more pensioners in the UK were living in poverty last year compared with 2012-13. At the same time £billions in benefits remains unclaimed.

Why do the pensioners not claim these benefits? Because they do not know they may be entitled and are often too afraid or too proud to ask for advice. Or is it because claiming is such so difficult with complicated claim forms and intrusive, repetitive questions? Benefit Answers aims to ensure people are aware of the benefits available to them.

We would be delighted to offer readers a FREE no obligation check to see if they may be entitled to claim any benefits.

For further details call 0330 223 2593.

Jane Brain

by email

Do what I do

In reply to Graham Barnett and everyone else who criticises the likes of Susan Richardson or Jayne Grayson. Do what I do, look to see who wrote the article and choose not to read it if it annoys you that much.

I personally like those two ladies. Not everybody is the same, Mr Barnett. And I too am in my ‘bonus’ years, two years older than you in fact.

EB

by email

Streets Ahead miles behind

Well I hope that Streets Ahead’s highways operations manager Lynsey Connelly isn’t expecting an MBE any time soon for clearing all the streets and highways around their grit/salt depots.

Thousands of people just like me would love to live right by the motorways or the A roads that you’re all so proud of clearing but how on earth are we supposed to get there?

It’s high time someone at Amey realised just how hilly Sheffield is and that people are unable to reach these well-treated roads and so are unable to go about their daily business, such as going to work.

So don’t get above your station, Ms Connelly, because thousands of us are just stuck on all the hills. Thanks for nowt!

John Vintin

by email

I’ve got some news for you

Regarding the comments by Ken Tomlinson about the women who are involved in football, the commentators, officials, etc., I’ve got news for him.

I believe he said that the young lady assistant referee had gone. Well, she hasn’t Ken, she is still doing a great job running the line at Premier League games. I guess you are referring to Sian Massey.

I watch a lot of football on the television and have noticed that there seem to be more and more ladies involved, but if they are doing a good job, which they seem to be, then let them do it. That’s my opinion.

JD Arnold

S7

Time Nick Clegg shut up

So Nick Clegg seems to think that drug addicts should not be called crackheads or junkies. Police are being told to go easy on them. Why?

I suggest he goes and lives a few days on some of the housing estates and places these people live and see what they do to law-abiding people and the misery they go through, but that won’t happen, will it? He lives in a cocooned world, so it’s time he shut up.

We moved because of the druggies and anti-social behaviour. By the way, I cannot call him Sir ,I’m trying to find out what was special about him.

PH Siddall

Brinsworth