Government has announced that Sheffield city centre train station has been approved for connection to the high-speed rail route HS2. The route will provide two trains an hour between Sheffield and London. The decision has been welcomed local businesses and politicians. Baillor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!
Citizens Advice Sheffield has called on the government to fix the new Universal Credit welfare scheme before it is further rolled out in the city. Sheffield has a temporary Universal Credit ‘live service’ for people with straightforward claims but the charity has warned that implementation has been problematic, putting people at financial risk as they wait six weeks or more for their first payment. The numbers struggling to set up on the Universal Credit scheme could grow rapidly from July 2018, when ‘full service’ arrives, meaning anyone still in receipt of older benefits, such as tax credits or housing benefit, has to apply for Universal Credit. It is projected that 69,000 households across Sheffield will be moved to the Universal Credit scheme by 2022. Simon Thake reports for Sheffield Live!
Health workers are celebrating 69 years of the NHS with a campaign to highlight health service achievements and the challenges of underfunding. Members of Unison have been travelling across the region, encouraging people to sign a giant birthday card and to share their stories of the NHS. Baillor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!
Dozens of people joined a protest outside the Town Hall as part of the campaign to halt the felling of trees by Sheffield Council and contractor Amey. The protest follows a threat of legal injunction sent last week to 17 people, including Green Party councillor Alison Teal, which seeks to prevent action to disrupt Amey from carrying out their work. Baillor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!
Humanitarian activist and spoken word artist, Assim Khan, of Darnall, is to embark on a trip to the Syrian border to deliver aid to those displaced by war. The project has taken over six months to plan and will deliver £50,000 of humanitarian aid supplies. Sheffield Live! reporter Azz Mohammed spoke to Aasim Khan about the mission.
The former Labour Party councillor for Nether Edge and Sharrow, Nasima Akther, who stood down for health reasons, has spoken out in praise of her replacement Jim Steinke. Councillor Akther had had previously been suspended by the Labour Party for not voting along party lines on a motion regarding tree felling. Simon Thake reports for Sheffield Live!
Labour won the Nether Edge and Sharrow by-election by a narrow margin, with Jim Steinke beating Rob Unwin of the Greens by just 132 votes. Steinke told Sheffield Live! that he accepted the tree felling programme had boosted the Green Party vote but he insisted Labour had run a positive campaign and called for a “progressive alliance” within council. Simon Thake reports.
The Sheffield Council by-election takes place on Thusday 22 June, with candidates from the Liberal Democrats, Labour and the Green Party all in the running. The by-election follows the resignation of Labour councillor Nasima Akther and the winning candidate will join Labour Party councillor Mohammed Maroof and Green Party councillor Alison Teale as representatives for the Nether Edge and Sharrow ward. On the ballot paper are Shahid Ali (Liberal Democrats), Jim Steinke (Labour Party) and Rob Unwin (Green Party). Sheffield Live! reporters Azz Mohammed and Simon Thake interviewed the candidates.
The chair of Gleadless Valley Tenants and Residents Association has challenged Sheffield Council to prove that cladding installed on the six high rise tower blocks at Callow Mount is safe and different to the cladding installed at Grenfell Tower in London. Sally Dale, chair of Gleadless Valley TARA warned that residents are nervous and would like written evidence to prove their buildings are safe. Councillor Jayne Dunn has said checks are being carried out by South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service. Simon Thake reports for Sheffield Live!
A YouGov poll of 50,000 people estimates 63 per cent of voters aged between 18 and 29 supported Labour in the General Election compared to just 22 per cent for the Tories. Earlier this week Sheffield Young Labour held a rally to protest Tory proposals to negotiate with the Democratic Unionist Party to support a minority government. Sheffield Live! reporter Simon Thake spoke to Sheffield Hallam Conservatives for their perspective on the election.