Fitzalan square regeneration

[The Joker]

There were no protesters, STAG or otherwise who bothered to turn up at Fitzalan Square. Nimbyism at its finest?

 

That’s ‘coz the Police will forcibly move on scruffy and noisy vagrants from the city centre

[Cyclone]

1. Have you forgotten which thread we're on.

 

2. There were no protesters, STAG or otherwise who bothered to turn up at Fitzalan Square. Nimbyism at its finest?

 

People protest about losing the trees closest to them, that's the opposite of nimbyism, it's protecting their own local environment.

And as has already been explained, protesters can't be in two places at once.

[birobasher]

That’s ‘coz the Police will forcibly move on scruffy and noisy vagrants from the centre

 

No arguments to present then, just abuse.

[Cyclone]

So, are you saying the protesters actively chose to prioritise a different set of trees, so they must have considered these Fitzalan Square trees as less important?

 

(Considering STAG brag about having 9000 members, you'd have thought 1 or 2 could have been spared).

 

Have you forgotten which thread we're on? You get an explanation for why there were no protesters and you try to make a circular argument about the fact that there were no protesters...

[The Joker]

No arguments to present then, just abuse.

 

come on, it was a joke

 

I’ve said earlier on this thread that I’m happy for our complacent city council to get a well-deserved kicking from time to time, but when the tree-protesters have 30 policemen standing round all day doing nowt, while other parts of the city only get a crime number for insurance purposes after they’ve been burgled, I have to ask you what the hell is going on.

 

So please, just what the hell is going on?

[birobasher]

come on, it was a joke

 

I’ve said earlier on this thread that I’m happy for our complacent city council to get a well-deserved kicking from time to time, but when the tree-protesters have 30 policemen standing round all day doing nowt, while other parts of the city only get a crime number for insurance purposes after they’ve been burgled, I have to ask you what the hell is going on.

 

So please, just what the hell is going on?

 

The police - certainly the riot police - are unnecessary. It's a propaganda tactic by the council to paint the protesters as violent. In fact it's the protesters who have been assaulted, repeatedly. Sheffield Council have been refusing to answer questions or carry out a reasonable debate about the issues, instead resorting very quickly to smear tactics.

 

We find ourselves in this sorry state because of an opaque PFI contract and a company that's only working to benefit itself, not the city. Tree protesters are content for dead and diseased trees to be removed, even ones that cause a genuine threat to the structure of houses, or make pavements unpassable. The problem is the last category isn't that common, but Amey just carry on chopping regardless. They ignore the advice of the council's own experts, the supposed Independent Tree Panel, say one thing then do the other. For instance back when the Rustlings Road trees were cut in a pre-dawn raid (!) the tree panel report specified certain trees be retained. Amey cut all of them down. This keeps happening. In fact Amey's own arborists now refuse to carry out this work, meaning Amey have been forced to find sub-contractors who will chop anything down, no questions asked.

 

The attitude of the council is what's escalated this issue: complacent, arrogant, high-handed, undemocratic and bullying. Threatening not just protesters but elected officials with prison or destitution for staging peaceful direct action. In a deep and unpleasant irony, the tool used by the supposedly Labour council is anti-trade union legislation brought in by the Tory government in the 90s. I agree, they deserve a kicking at the ballot box. I'm voting Green next time, but never Tory or Lib Dem. Neither of those will improve things: the Lib Dems are the ones who negotiated the PFI in the first place.

[The Joker]

the Lib Dems are the ones who negotiated the PFI in the first place.

 

I’m pleased you at least pointed this out.

 

Our Labour council get blamed for everything wrong with the city, from the number of bus lanes, to the number of immigrants, to the cost of business rates, but the Lib Dums are just as responsible for some of the cockups we’ve suffered over the last decade.

[Cyclone]

come on, it was a joke

 

I’ve said earlier on this thread that I’m happy for our complacent city council to get a well-deserved kicking from time to time, but when the tree-protesters have 30 policemen standing round all day doing nowt, while other parts of the city only get a crime number for insurance purposes after they’ve been burgled, I have to ask you what the hell is going on.

 

So please, just what the hell is going on?

 

Do you think it's the protesters who've somehow managed to get the police to commit this ridiculous level of resource? Or is perhaps the council?

 

The contract was originally negotiated by a Liberal Democrat led council but was finalised under Labour and signed in 2012.

And it's the current labour council who are doing everything they can to defend the contract, keep it in place and keep the details secret.

[The Joker]

And it's the current labour council who are doing everything they can to defend the contract, keep it in place and keep the details secret.

 

Well then we can all look forward to Lord Bobar’s triumphant return to local government, with him promising a full inquiry into the PFI contract *if* we vote him in . . . only for him to break that promise and refuse to hold an inquiry once he’s in charge of the council.

 

I’m not gonna be fooled twice

[Bruce_Shark]

People protest about losing the trees closest to them, that's the opposite of nimbyism, it's protecting their own local environment.

 

Is that a joke?

 

You've just defined NIMBY.

 

Cut down trees: Not in my area! Carry on elsewhere though...