How disruptive will Pedway/Steps work be at Wembley Stadium?

A reader has asked about the demolition and construction phase of the replacement of the Wembley Stadium pedway with steps. They were concerned about safety and impact on local roads. Please see an extract below from the Site Management Plan published on the Brent Council Planning Portal HERE 

The works are planned to take approximately 87 days and some phases will require work from 7am until 11pm. The work will not take place on Event Days.


EXTRACT

Upon taking possession of the site, it will be secured around the areas of immediate construction work. The initial work activity will focus on clearing the site below and around the Pedway of those utilities and other items that will obstruct the pedway demolition and subsequent staircase construction. As areas become clear works to the foundations of the steps and substructure will commence. 

The foundations to the steps will be constructed in and around the existing pedway str ucture in advance of its demolition. Therefore, there will be a need to utilise small / specialist plant, such as restricted access piling rigs that will be able to access the low headroom areas beneath the existing Pedway to construct the piles. 

In conjunction with the construction of the new staircase substructure , earthworks will be undertaken to create crane mats to the south and west of the proposed staircase. These will be required to accommodate the craneage that will service the construction of the staircase superstructure. It is anticipated that these crane s will be greater than 100T in capacity/size. 

Any superstructure elements of the new staircase that fall outside of the existing Pedway may also be built in this phase , however, this will require further consideration in due course as such elements will need to be protected during the demolition of the existing Pedway structure .

Phase 2 – Pedway Demolition and Construction of Steps

Demolition 

This phase will commence within an agreed window of time to minimise the impact to Wembley National Stadium. This will be through a window on non - events ( or , if this is not feasible, where there are minimal events ). Due to the constraints in agreeing such a suitable timeframe, extended working hours to ensure that the works are completed within the agreed timeframe will be required (as agreed with the Local Authority) . 

The Pedway will be demolished in two stages. It is anticipated that the Pedway will be demolished using traditional excavator mounted munchers and breakers. The majority of the Pedway will be removed using excavator mounted munchers will minimise the noise and dust that will be create by this operation. Water spray dust suppression will be utilised to prevent dust from the demolition operation. 

The first stage of demolition will focus on removing the Pedway structure from the area of the new staircase construction. Once this is removed , the demolition will focus on removing the remainder of the Pedway (as it runs across Engineers Way towards Olympic Way and Wembley Park station north of the Stadium). A road closure of Engineers Way will be required whilst the Pedway is removed across the carriageway area (details as to the number and timeframes required for the road closures are not yet available but will be agreed , at the appropriate time, with the Local Authority ) .

Construction of Steps

The construction of the staircase is anticipated to be a combination of pre - cast and cast in - situ concrete. It is anticipated that the podium section that will connect to the S tadium will be cast in - situ and the staircase will be formed from precast struc tural elements. The staircase is of a modular construction and will follow a step by step process that will be prescribed by the designer and supplier. Through this phase of heavy lifting it may be necessary to have lane closure on Engineers Way to facilitate easy delivery and unloading of the precast elements. Pedestrian management will be a key feature of this phase to maintain safety exclusion zones around the works. 

The podium area will be formed using a birdcage scaffold system that will be designed and installed by specialist contractors. This will be used to support the permanent formwork panels that will form the soffit of the deck. 

Temporary works will be required to support the precast elements before they are permanently stitched into the main structure. This support will be provided by either a birdcage scaffold system, steel trestles or similar . This detail will be established early in the project . 

Two cranes in excess of 100T capacity will service the construction of the staircase to allow for lifting and installation of the concrete units and temporary works systems. 

Once the structure is completed, it will be waterproofed using a proprietary waterproofing system to allow the paving to commence and the handrailing and lighting to be installed. 

The attendant craneage will be utilised to service the paving and street furniture installation. The paving will be finished in sections and will work up the staircase. The paving at the podium level will be progressed concurrently with the stair case paving. This will be essential to ensure the programme is met within the time constraints for delivery .

Queens Parade planning application deferred

Brent Planning Committee has deferred a decision on the application LINK to build part 6,7,8 storey development on the site of the current one storey parade of shops on Queens Parade, Willesden Green.

The submission was for 117 units of student accommodation and 5 retail units.

The Committee's decision was as follows:

Minded to refuse and deferred to next meeting for a report to deal with the following;

(i)         Principle of the development,

(ii)        Servicing arrangements,

(iii)       Traffic impact and overspill

(iv)       Impact on neighbouring properties in terms of outlook, daylight and sunlight

The decision makes no mention of the possibility of fraud in comments on the application that were published on the blog the day before the Planning Committee met. LINK

New Facebook group launched for Wembley area

A range of outlets for the many voices of Wembley residents is healthy for democracy and social cohesion so I warmly welcome a new Facebook group called Wembley Online.

The group describes itself thus:

Wembley Online is a media page for Wembley and Brent. The page shares the latest news/events/offers/adverts/competitions and many more posts from Wembley and the surrounding areas. The page also shares various articles from local newspapers and magazines and keeps the members up to date with all the news from Wembley. The public also engage with the articles by commenting/liking and sharing the posts and also expressing their views on the latest developments in Wembley and Brent.

Link to site:  https://www.facebook.com/WembleyOnline/

Quintain lodges planning application for replacement of Wembley Stadium pedway with steps

Artists' impression of the steps

The pedway in use

Quintain's planning application for the replacement of the Wembley Stadium Pedway by steps is now on Brent Council's Planning Portal  LINK. The application will be heard by Brent Council Planning Committee. Brent Council has controversially given £18,000,000 Community Infrastructure Levy monies back to Quintain for this and other claimed improvements to the public realm between Wembley Park station and the stadium.

The steps are very similar to those at the station with the addition of a broader landing at the top of the steps.

The full application contains proposals for the possible  use of the 'undercroft' beneath the steps similar to that on the South Bank which was only saved for skateboarders after a spirited campaign.

The plan involves the planting of trees along Olympic Way and the construction of two roads parallel to the steps connecting the stadium to Engineers Way.

Summary of the Planning Application:

18/0973 | Full planning permission for the demolition of the existing 'Pedway' ramp structure to the front of Wembley Stadium and the construction of a set of steps (with associated lighting) to connect ground level to Wembley Stadium Landing Level (concourse); and use of the void created beneath the proposed steps as secure storage for estate maintenance equipment; the reconfiguration of an existing unadopted estate road (Perimeter Way) to create two new roads either side of the steps connecting to Engineers Way; the use of land beneath the steps bridge as temporary event space; a revised vehicular access to Plot W03 immediately west of the application site and public realm works comprising the installation of hard landscaping, street trees, lighting columns that can incorporate advertising banners, street furniture, underground water attenuation measures, services, tree pits and other associated works. AND Advertisement consent is sought for banners to four lighting columns on Olympic Way, as proposed under this application. | Zone C, Olympic Way & Perimeter Way, Wembley, HA9

Putting aside the issue of all the alternative uses that Brent could have made of the £18 million the issue of safety arises when the stadium empties down the steps. The station steps are steep but are not used in one massive exit from the station but staggered as trains arrive at intervals. People wlll exit the stadium at the same time and descend the steps. We already know how rammed it gets on the pedway and Olympic Way at exit times - one slip and there could be a serious accident.  The illustration on the application gives a clue to how crowded it will get:

Stables in Exile Spring Group Show

Free Entry

                         Normal opening times :  Monday- Thursday  10-2pm
                    Friday 2-5pm  Saturday 10-4pm Sunday 11-1pm & 6-8pm

                              Curated by Stuart Gould  sgould27@hotmail
                                                                                                   

Hey kids, get down to St Raph's tomorrow for the Great Brent Easter Egg Hunt!

Quintain up for sale again as Lone Star acts on post-Brexit concerns

The Financial Times LINK is reporting that the US private investment firm Lone Star that acquired Quintain in 2015 LINK is looking to off-load the Wembley developer to reduce its exposure to the London property market ahead of Brexit.

Lone Star acquired Quintain for about £1bn, including debt, in 2015 and the sale may raise more than £3bn.

The change of ownership last time produced accelerated, denser and higher development as well as the switch to the country's largest private 'build to rent scheme.

Who knows what the next owner will do with Wembley and whether the Labour Brent Council will continue its close relationship with them.

A spokesperson for Quintain told Wembley Matters this afternoon:

Lone Star is exploring options to introduce a new strategic investor into the ownership of Quintain. It is likely that any new investor will acquire all or part of Lone Star’s shareholding and make available new long term capital for the next phases of the development of Wembley Park. This process is in its early stages. If a transaction does go ahead, and there is no certainty that one will, it is simply an “equity reshuffle” amongst the top shareholding base and will have no impact on the management team, strategy or day to day running of the company.

The confused Conservatives of Brent North

Well, look what popped through my door from Brent North Conservatives today! Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery of course, but that's not really what caught my attention.

Tories sell themselves on the basis of their efficiency  so I was struck by the fact that the front page ad for what's inside the four page paper got both items wrong: 'Reducing litter and flytipping in our neighbourhood Pg2'  was actually on Page 3. 'Our streets peppered with potholes and broken pavements Pg 4' does not appear at all on any page.,

An item on Roe Green villages battling a commercial Powerleague pitch says it is on the 'Bacon Lane campus' but does not mention the school's name (it is Kingsbury High). However, the article is illustrated  rather unhelpfully with a picture of Roe Green infant and Junior School.

I live in Barnhill ward but there was no  mention of any issues in the ward.  I am not sure what the residents of Chalkhill Estate will make of it.

Caroline Pidgeon and Sadiq Khan's exchange on Cricklewood Aggregate Terminal

Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrat Assembly Member,  has also written to Sadiq Khan about the Cricklewood Aggregate Terminal:

It is my understanding that planning permission was granted by Barnet Council last week, however, there are a number of reasons why I believe it is vital that you now carefully examine this planning application.
The reasons why I believe this is necessary include:
1) The Barnet Council planning committee decision was made by a majority of only 1 vote: 6 councillors were in favour and 5 were against.
2) The London Borough of Barnet was both the planning authority and the joint applicant
3) The votes in favour appear to have been cast on party lines with all 6 of the ‘aye’ votes being by Conservative Councillors (and with no Conservative Councillors voting ‘no’).
4) The neighbouring boroughs of Brent and Camden both posted objections to the applications and councillors from those authorities spoke against the development at the meeting, along with London Assembly Member Navin Shah.
5) The development has the capacity to impact profoundly on the wellbeing and amenity of residents in three boroughs (Barnet, Brent and Camden) in terms of air quality, congestion on the already-over-used A5 and traffic safety. It is predicted by the applicants that there will be a further 452 HGV movements per day on the busy A5 (with consequent NO2 emissions and traffic impact) and PM10 emissions from the proposed stockpiled materials.
6) The impact on air quality report presented by the applicants was formulated by comparison with a baseline scenario gleaned from an inaccurate/non-representative traffic recording for previous use of the site (for example the traffic count included about 200 bus movements when the site was being temporarily used as a bus park whilst Cricklewood Bus Garage was unable to accommodate the buses in the usual way).
7) The broader previous use of the site was as a result of uncontrolled/illegal subletting and so, even if the counts had been accurate, they represented a scenario unfit for comparison with a proposed permitted development. Proper bases for comparison would be the current situation or, arguably but sub-optimally, the existing section 73 permission.
8) The applicants had previously released (informally and to only one residents’ association during the consultation process) an air quality addendum, which contradicted the results of the addendum that they later relied upon, but they did not publish the previous report on the planning portal. That previous report suggests that there may be ‘substantially adverse’ impact on air quality from the development.
9) There is good evidence that the traffic data is flawed in relation to both junction safety and the overall capacity of the A5.

For all the above reasons I would urge you to call in, review and then reject this planning application.
Yours sincerely,

Caroline Pidgeon AM

 Sadiq Khan replied:

Reminder: Comedy at Ark Elvin Saturday April 7th

Peer Support Group at Chalkhill Community Centre - next meeting April 6th

Click on image to enlarge

Green AM urges London Mayor to reject Cricklewood Rail-Freight Facility

Caroline Russell, Green Assembly Member for London, has written to the London Mayor urging him to reject the planning application for the Rail-Freight facility in Cricklewood.

Her letter is below (click on bottom right square to enlarge)

'Brent is no place for hate' - Islamophobic letters condemned by Council & Brent MPS

Brent Council has issued the following annoucement

Recent threatening, Islamophobic letters sent to addresses in towns and cities have shone a spotlight on the national conversation around hate crime and the targeting of faith-based communities.

Brent Council and the Metropolitan Police Service have condemned the Islamophobic threats made in letters encouraging violence against Muslims.
 
Cllr Tom Miller, Cabinet Member for Stronger Communities said:

Brent is no place for hate. Let me be clear: these disgusting messages and their attempts to normalise hatred towards Muslims will absolutely not be tolerated. We are in close contact with the Metropolitan Police Service and are working hard to support residents to feel safe in Brent.

We are proud to be home to one of the most diverse communities in the UK and if anyone believes they have been the victim of a hate crime or knows someone who has, I would urge them to contact the local police force on 101 or 999 for emergencies. Reports can be made by community advocates or faith groups on behalf of those involved

In 2016 Brent Council launched the Time to Talk Campaign, giving people the space to talk openly about difficult issues.

Since then, the council has widened the remit of referral services and its community support officer to include hate crime and has commissioned a hate crime manual. An online portal has also been developed to learn and report different types of hate crime.

Advice and guidance on what to do if you are the victim of or witness to a hate crime is available here.
 
You can also report Islamophobic hate crime to TELL MAMA, an organisation dedicated to recording anti-Muslim incidents and bringing them to the attention of the police.

Meeting convened on College Green Open Space March 22nd

There will be a meeting about the College Green Outdoor Space at 7pm Thur 22nd  March at St. Mark's Church, Bathurst Gdns NW10 5HX. Brian Grady, Brent Council's Operational Director of Children and Families, will be attending.

A meeting about the future of the Green had been requested at the last Full Council meeting where it was proposed that the Council convene a meeting of the College Green Preservation Society, the nursery, scouts and local residents to sort out the issue of the screening of the open space. LINK

Brent Council's response to Islamophobic April 3rd letter

In a welcome move Cllr Tom Miller, Brent Council lead member for Stronger Communities, has written to all councillors setting out his response to the Islamophobic  'Punish a Muslim' 'April 3rd' letter which has received much publicity on social media.

Cllr Miller writes:


The letters sent are just one example of a swathe of Islamophobic material reported and made more widely available by Tellmama, who are a partner organisation in our own anti-hate crime drive. For those members who have not come across Tellmama’s work in cataloguing incidents like this, more information can be found here: https://tellmamauk.org/

The letters concerned involve a general threat of violence against Muslims on April 3^rd. Thus far, I have not received any indication from members, police, Council officers or members of the public about people receiving the letters in Brent. I have also received no information about any other threats, specific or general, made against targets or communities in Brent. It would be unusual if a police investigation into the letters is not underway.

I would be very keen to hear about any specific incidents or threats (including receiving this letter) if they have taken place. This should also be reported to Police immediately.

I’d stress that the council has also invested in a number of measures to tackle hate crime which can help people to report, make sure that cases are dealt with appropriately and that victims are represented, and that people receive the support they need. You can find information for reporting and the rest of the activity we have undertaken by using the link below:
https://www.brent.gov.uk/your-community/stronger-communities/hate-crime/

In addition to making sure that any incidents are reported, I would be very happy to hear of any specific preventative actions residents are keen on us adopting, and will pass them on to Police colleagues, who are also copied in here and may be able to update further.

On the issue about Prevent, far right activity certainly falls within its scope, but Prevent is really about flagging radicalisation during its development, and in Brent is specifically about safeguarding its victims. The kind of threat made in this letter is in my view clearly a criminal threat of violence and is therefore more seriously developed than we would expect Prevent to deal with, as well as being anonymous. Prevent doesn’t give us powers to detect extremist threats, for example; in a case like this, Prevent would aim to reach the person who wrote the letters before they had carried out any kind of criminal activity and offer interventions such as counselling, usually because of a concern highlighted by professional they are dealing with, for example social workers. So, although Prevent covers the far right, in this particular case the anonymity and criminal aspect means that this will usually fall within the ‘Pursue’ or ‘Protect’ parts of the government’s CONTEST strategy, being dealt with through the Home Office and Police

Alperton's Andria Zafirak a deserving winner of Global Teacher Prize

Andria Zafirak, a textiles teacher at Alperton Community School, has won the Global Teacher Prize. Andria's commitment to seeing her pupils lives in a holistic way, going beyond the school gates and recognising the role of creativity in education, are an imnpressive aspect of her practice. Congratulations Andria!

The BBC in reporting the award LINK said:
 
In her acceptance speech, she said schools should be "safe havens" and called for greater recognition for the value of arts subjects in school.

She warned of "deprivation" and "tough lives" where "children may not eat well because their lunch boxes are empty".

But she said school could make a great positive difference - particular through creative subjects.

"Too often we neglect this power of the arts to actually transform lives, particularly in the poorest communities."

The teacher from Alperton Community School has been praised for her work with the local community as well as with pupils.

She says the mix of people and languages in this part of north London is a "beautiful challenge" which creates a "buzzing" atmosphere.

Brent is claimed as one of the most ethnically diverse places in the UK, with 130 different languages spoken in the London borough. 

She has learned basic phrases in languages such as Hindi, Tamil and Gujarati and has visited homes to build links with the school.

Mrs Zafirakou has been praised for making her pupils feel secure, working with the police to make sure they travel to and from school in safety.

And she will have to stay in teaching, because a condition of the prize is remaining as a teacher for at least the next five years.

Quiet place to work

When she reached the top 10 shortlist, she spoke of the disadvantages facing many of her pupils.

"By getting pupils to open up about their home lives, I discovered that many of my students come from crowded homes where multiple families share a single property," said Mrs Zafirakou.

"It's often so crowded and noisy I've had students tell me they have to do their homework in the bathroom, just to grab a few moments alone so they can concentrate."

In response, she organised extra lessons during the day and the weekend, including giving pupils a quiet place to work.

 The nominations from Andria's school said:

"I am submitting a nomination for a teacher who is a true gem, one who inspires such possibility and potential in her students, their parents, the staff, her peers, the local community, and future teachers and leaders." 

"A phenomenal teacher and leader. She is guided by a moral compass that underpins a passionate desire to give every student at her school the world - no ceilings, no limitations, no boundaries." 

"She is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to ensuring that students deserve the best education possible."

"One lady with care and passion can make a huge difference to the lives of many. She is upbeat, full of character, highly regarded and I wish all schools were blessed with a senior leader such as her!"

Somalis in World War 1 - tomorrow Willesden Green Library

Conservation event at Welsh Harp Environmental Studies Centre tomorrow

The frogs had been busy in the lower pond at the Centre when I visited today

Friends of the Welsh Harp Environmental Studies Centre are holding another conservation event tomorrow  Saturday 17^th March, 10am – 12.30pm

We will be starting at 10am and finishing at 12.30pm. Here is a link to the event with details:  https://www.thames21.org.uk/event/friends-welsh-harp-education-centre-monthly-conservation-days-3/

At the next event we will be working on the following tasks:

-          Vegetation and small tree stump clearance in Forest School Zone

-          Prune the apple trees in front of the buildings.

-          Cut back shrubby vegetation growing in the meadow and pond.

-          Other tasks as they come up.

A present the event is planned to go ahead despite the forecast of snow. If cancelled an update will appear here.  Wrap up warm.

 

Leopold Primary School

I will not be reporting on this issue because I have an interest in the matter. I am Chair of Governors at Chalkhill Primary School and in that role have approved the appointment of our headteacher as Executive Headteacher of Chalkhill and Leopold starting after the Easter Holiday for one year in the first instance.

For the same reason I will not be publishing any comments on this issue.

Martin Francis

Wembley & Alperton Residents' Meeting Monday March 19th 7pm

This is the rearranged date for the meeting that was cancelled due to the 'Beast from the East'. Better luck this time!

Brent gives a little funding to family play project

Press release from Brent Council. (Given the closure of the Stonebridge Adventure Playground and all but one of Brent's youth centres,  as well as Brent's child obesity problem, this funding seems rather stingy.)

Place2Play, an inspirational project which hopes to transform underutilised parks as venues for inclusive and family play challenges, has received £1500 funding from Brent Council.

The pledge follows Brent's partnership with Spacehive, the UK's crowdfunding platform for projects that improve local places, to support local groups to get their great community project ideas funded.

Spacehive's project, Place2Play, will help local families get fitter and they will also have the chance to learn new lifelong skills together through access to qualifications.

Brent's pledge comes at a critical time for the campaign with only 19 days left for Place2Play to raise the remaining £7821 of their £22,361 target.

Cllr Krupesh Hirani, Cabinet Member for Community Wellbeing said: "I am thrilled to be supporting the Place2Play project which will create exciting opportunities for families to be active and enjoy physical activity together while learning new skills. I'm calling on everyone in Brent to help us make this project a success and make our parks even better."

London Sports Trust, the group running the Place2Play crowdfunding campaign have run an incredible campaign, attracting over 110 pledges from local individuals and organisations.

Ulick Tarabanov, CEO of London Sports Trust, said: ""London Sports Trust is delighted that Brent Council have pledged £1500 towards our new family play programme Place2Play. We are looking forward to using local parks and open spaces across Brent for inclusive and fun family play challenges bringing families together outside teaching healthy lifelong skills. If we can teach a parent or carer to play with their children then we will change a lifetime of behaviour."

If the campaign is successful, Place2Play activities will take place in the following parks in Brent: Roundwood Park, Gibbons Rec, King Edward VII Park.

For more information, visit www.spacehive.com/place2play

Diabetes Awareness Preston Hub Friday 16th March

Shefffield Trees and Labour: 'They just don't get it'

 

Lobbying Labour

Guest blog by Alan Story

When you in a very bad relationship or in a marriage that cannot be saved, the first thing you need to do is to admit to yourself: “you know what, I've made a horrible mistake.”

But nearly six years after Labour-control Sheffield City Council (SCC) signed a disastrous £2.2 billion PFI contract and on a day when the Sheffield trees crisis featured in the New York Times no less, the local Labour Party has again pulled down the shutters and refused to address the havoc that SCC’s relationship with Amey plc is causing to our now-privatised streets and privatised street trees.

The occasion was the monthly meeting Tuesday night (13 March) of the Sheffield District Labour Party (DLP) meeting. Outside, 35 picketers/ tree campaigners had come together for what was likely the largest picket ever held in front of a Sheffield Labour Party meeting.

But as delegates inside discussed the draft election manifesto it will use for the 3 May election, it was clear that most of those in attendance at the local party's highest decision-making body still did not grasp the basics of what was going wrong on the streets of Sheffield. (Those in attendance included Council Leader Julie Dore who came late and, sadly, after most of the 35 picketers had dispersed.)

Yes, there was concern raised about the contracting out of public sector jobs as a result of the work being done under the profit-making auspices of Amey plc. And yes, that is ONE problem with this PFI deal and, indeed, all PFI deals.


But what delegates failed to understand is that it is the very nature of THE WORK being undertaken which is the main problem. In other words, the planned felling of 17,500 street trees is NOT the same thing as the contracting out of NHS jobs to a US-owned healthcare corporation. Or transforming state schools into profit-driven academies.

This is what a significant number of LP members just do not get.

On one level, to bring contracted out jobs "in house" has, since the September 2017 national Labour Party convention, become National Labour Party policy. It is becoming harder and harder for the SCC to operate a PFI deal that is in direct contravention to the national policy of its own party.

But by focusing almost exclusively on the contracting out jobs issue, the local Labour Party last night again missed the big picture, they didn’t see the forests for the trees ….if you will.

As several observers at last night's meeting confirmed, most DLP delegates failed to address a wide range of issues, such as:

1) Why 17,500 mostly healthy trees were ever planned for the chop back in 2012. (It took a recent successful FOI request by Paul Selby to uncover that SCC has being duplicitous to Sheffield residents about planned tree felling number since the 25-year-long contract was first signed.) More than 5500 mostly healthy trees have already come down.

2) The value of trees for the slowing climate change. SCC cabinet minister Jack Scott, who also attended last night's session, denies they have any value.

3) Why SCC is acting with such contempt for local democratic functioning when it ignores the advice of tree experts and the wishes of local residents and simply carries on willy-nilly with its ruthless chainsaw war.

4) Why squads of South Yorkshire Police have been mobilised across the city and are at the beck-and-call of SCC, who are in a serious political fix, and Amey, who are only interested in their bottom line. (It is hardly surprising that tree campaigners now call SYP “Amey’s police.")

5) Why SCC has applied for civic injunctions to stop peaceful protest and has forced tree campaigners to raise tens of thousands of pounds to defend themselves against the actions of this profoundly authoritarian local council. (Pardon the plug: in the current campaign, 440 supporters have raised more than £11,500 in less than five days: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/stump-up-sheffield)

6) In fact, you don’t even get the sense that some of these so-called LP “lefties” really grasp what privatisation means. For example, how can it be a step toward socialism when a public agency like SYP (directed by a Labour Party Police Commissioner) protects a Spanish-owned multinational corporation (operating under a PFI deal negotiated by the free market LibDems) as it pillages a street of much-loved cherry trees on Abbeydale Park Rise (that are lit with lights every Christmas to raise funds for a hospice)?

7) The value of street trees as things of beauty, as a home for birds, and as promoters of mental health (If I hear one more Labour Party flunky tell me that working-class people "hate trees" I will scream.)

8) Why it is just so wrong to call in (or threaten to call in) social services against the parents of youthful tree campaigners, one of whom rode over on his bicycle and was with us last night.

9) Why there was a leak to the media of the preposterous tale that a 59-year-old architect served poisoned tea to three street tree fellers on her own street. Hold The Star’s front page: next thing you know they'll be telling us that Calvin Payne's backpack is stocked up with nerve gas.

The list could on and on.

What local Labour does not get is what a newspaper headline said back in October: “Look to Sheffield: this is how state and corporate power subverts democracy.”

Wembley Futures: Comedy Night at Ark Elvin April 7th

This is a 'not for profit' event for Wembley Futures