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News Stories
Urgent: legal challenge to fracking
Target £10,000 by Apr 28th, 2019, 1pm
Woodsetts Against Fracking urgently need funds to appoint experts for a public inquiry. Ineos Shale claim to listen to the communities where they want to frack but despite 90+% disapproval and less than 1% in favour in the village of Woodsetts, plus two planning refusals from the Borough Council, they are pressing on with their drilling application.
This means a small community faces a large corporation and its multi billion-pound owner at a public inquiry. Please help to fund the best possible case against Ineos which means paying for a professional legal team and a team of experts.
Campaigners have already won a major legal victory against a “draconian” injunction granted to Ineos. An international tribunal recommends worldwide ban on fracking. Woodsetts is a key case ; the tide is turning against fracking and a refusal at this public inquiry will be hugely damaging to the fracking industry. Fracking investors are already considering their position. This is our chance to send a message to them. Please contribute now and share with friends and family.
Fighting Fund at crowdjustice.com
Free cycle training
2019
CycleBoost is delivered on behalf of Sheffield City Council, promoting sustainable travel and encouraging more people to replace shorter car journeys by travelling by bike.
They run free Cycling Courses, whether you are a complete beginner or just want a confidence boost, they can provide a course for you through Pedal Ready. Learn to Ride, Cycle Confidence, Road Confidence, and Electric Bike courses are available. To book your place email admin@pedalready.co.uk.
2019 course details
Dan Jarvis: Save our bus services!
Spring 2019
Since privatisation by the Conservatives in 1986, bus use here has halved, despite the pollution and climate problems. In London it has doubled. Government transport funding per person is £4,155 in London, but only £844 in South Yorkshire (source: IPPR North report, Jan 2019).
Sheffield Green Party is promoting a petition urging more money and public control, and various improvements. It is aimed at Mayor Dan Jarvis, who has powers to manage our bus services.
We urge you to please sign the petition. For further information contact roymouno@yahoo.co.uk or call 07891 484683.
Save Our South Yorkshire Buses petition
Do you want an air pollution monitor?
March 2019
A new group called Clean Air for Sheffield, in collaboration with Univesity of Sheffield are installing air pollution monitors (measuring particulate matter) across Sheffield - these link up to a citizen science project called luftdaten.
So far there are about 20 monitors installed in Sheffield and some show up on the map (it takes a few weeks for them to register).
If you want to get a monitor for your house, workplace or other site, they cost £30 (by PayPal to Graham Turnbull and you need to power them (from a USB cable) and connect them to WiFi.
Graham will make it and bring it to you, making sure that it works. Or people can build it themselves (but it may involves more work and cause delay in getting data). A kit costs £40. The parts take 2-4 weeks to arrive from China.
Graham can be contacted via cyclesheffield@googlegroups.com
Petition to ban slum landlords in Sheffield.
March 2019
The situation for tenants in Sheffield is unacceptable. Most of us struggle to get landlords to carry out basic repairs and far too many houses are not fit for human habitation. Mould, major safety issues, and rip-off landlords are common across private rented houses. ACORN, a union for the community has defended tenants facing illegal evictions or without things as basic as a front door or a kitchen. Defending members is important and necessary, but policy changes are also needed to ensure houses meet a minimum standard for the tens of thousands who rent in Sheffield.
The council has introduced selective licensing in some areas to protect tenants - but the problem covers the whole city of Sheffield. ACORN is demanding that the scheme is expanded to protect tenants across the entire city. Please read the details and sign the petition at the link below.
ACORN petition
Sheffield People´s Petition
Autumn 2018, petition open until Sep. 2019
A petition is aiming to improve the system Sheffield Council uses to make decisions. It urges a referendum to move from the current undemocratic "strong leader" system (just 10 councillors have the power to make nearly all decisions) to a modern committee system where all councillors have real power to represent the communities that elected them. This is a big issue for local democracy, it was covered in an Alt-Sheff article in Now Then magazine.
The petition is being run by It´s Our City, a non-party-political community network in Sheffield.
UPDATE December 2018
Feedback shows there is a big gap in people’s knowledge of how the Council works under the strong leader. Virtually everyone does not know that the power to make nearly all decisions is in the hands of just 10 out of the 84 elected councillors. People are genuinely shocked, and about 80%+ support and sign the petition for change, which is heading towards half of the total necessary signatures.
What can you do?
SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER help on the campaign Communities, Social Media, Publicity or IT teams: www.itsoursheffield.co.uk/get-involved
DELIVER LEAFLETS in your local area/on named streets, email info@itsoursheffield.co.uk if you can do this.
INVITE "It’s Our City" TO YOUR COMMUNITY GROUP to talk for five minutes and to have a discussion about Sheffield People’s Petition, email: info@itsoursheffield.co.uk.
GET PAPER PETITION SHEETS by emailing, and gather signatures from your friends, street, neighbours, colleagues.
JOIN in ongoing street stalls, events, signature collecting all around Sheffield (details posted on Facebook group “It’s Our City! Sheffield”).
SPREAD THE WORD as much as you can, and keep spreading it - ask questions, and stay informed!
A Christmas Single has been made by ‘Jumping’ Jason Leman! youtube.com/watch?v=rP0TvMKQ2a8
It´s Our City Petition
