Leah Byatt, Sheffield South East Socialist Party
The Socialist Party is involved with the campaign to save Hillsborough Park’s ‘multi-use games area’ from Sheffield City Council’s proposal to build a for-profit ‘activity hub’ on the current space. The plan would see the area significantly reduced in size, with its free-to-use space replaced by chargeable sports activities.
Community group Friends of Hillsborough Park raised concerns and created an online petition to garner the support of the community in standing against this privatisation of a well-used public space.
The council – a coalition of Labour, Greens and Lib Dems – claims that the proposal has the support of the majority of the community. Yet their various misleading surveys have amassed a total of 571 supporters. Whereas, the petition against the council’s plans has almost 2,000 signatures!
Deliberately misleading
Concept images in the council’s consultation package do not match up to what is described in the plans, and many community members have described it as deliberately misleading.
Many community groups who currently utilise the space have not been approached for consultation on the project, including local disability support groups who use the area almost daily.
Socialist Party members have supported the cause by regularly attending Friends of Hillsborough Park’s monthly meetings and activities. And we campaign against the proposal at our regular Socialist Party stall in Hillsborough. There we have logged a further 100 signatures.
In the past week, Socialist Party members have distributed 1,000 Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) leaflets – funded by Friends of Hillsborough Park – directing readers to the petition, and the email addresses of relevant councillors to object to.
The council’s ‘charity trustee sub committee’ will decide on 4 September whether to give the project the go ahead. The online petition is running until that time.
But, regardless of the outcome, the Socialist Party will continue to fight for the protection of the park, and all public spaces across the city.
