On the 12th May 2009, those living around Devonshire Green found out about an event named Tramlines Music Event, at a City Centre Forum meeting David Hempshall seemed to caught out, and no doubt the city centre management team failed to inform people living in the city centre about this event.

Acting for a number of concerned persons, we have written to Councillor Sylvia Dunkley a number of times and she has failed to even reply to any of these concerns, and simply deferred them on. Before you, is a copy of our last email, and would ask what action is going to be taken regards the concerns raised in the copy of the email before you

To whom it may concern,

There is now no doubt that the deliberate failing of Sheffield City Centre Management, and others behind Tramlines was an act to impose and placate people into accepting this blight, which this has been done. It was following the press launch 12th May 2009, along with a city centre forum meeting where it come to light.

At that meeting David Hempshall seemed to be caught off guard, and just did what is always done – refer it back to a future city centre forum
meeting, at this meeting the full propaganda assault come out. However, again we only learned following the meeting that £40,000 of public monies has been given to make the Tramlines Music Festival happen.

One week 22 June 2009 we wrote to the following:

Dave Healy”
“james O’Hara
bernie dqsheffield
Vicky Coates
Mothersole John
Dunkley Sylvia
Hempshall David
Crofts Michael

Asking them

That the proposed stewards are extended around the whole area, with full support of South Yorkshire Police, to stop and prevent anti social activity such as urinating in the street and other drink related problems. If need be, the proper and right enforcement of relative laws are implemented, yes this could mean arrest for the most serious of anti social activity.

That all roads are blocked of traffic, this giving more a free flow of people, a temporary taxi and free bus area is created using the Wellington Street Car Parks, that people leaving the event are ushered towards them, the Car Park on Charles Street is open for free use?

That the next full meeting of Sheffield City Council, (which we thought was Ist June 2009) agree to having the noise nuisance team out and about, along with Street Force and all city ambassadors are on duty that day, to watch and monitor the event, a full de-briefing meeting of all involved, the organisers, Sheffield City Council and residents is hold within 7 working days of Tramlines to look at the problems created and how they were dealt with, what action and lessons can be learned.

That a donation from any profits made, i.e. venues sale of drinks etc, is given to The Archer Project, and NOMAD (housing advice) showing good will from the organisers of Tramlines?

One week on 30 June 2009 we have not heard any reply from those we wrote to, the only chance we will have to make further representations is at the full council meeting following the event, the one on the 1 July a “Scrutiny Council” where we can’t put motions, so the next opportunity would be after the event, i.e. end of July, was the timing of this event done with this in mind?

We feel strongly those living in around the planned event were not consulted, not as an oversight but an act to impose this event upon residents living here, indeed the minor concessions given are only due to fact that some of us did find out and acted, if had not been for the press conference 12th May would have we been at all told?

We are now left in the circumstance of having to prepare ourselves for this blight, some however do not have the good fortune to make such plans, as they are housebound for many reasons, and the lack of proper sound insulation, due to their homes being built pre the current city centre boom, means ongoing problems of noise.

Sunday 28th June 2009 was another case in point, when at 6.30pm, you could hear the murmur of noise, and feel the bass under your feet, this time coming from Bungalows and Bears, this is due to fact they have been given consent for opening windows onto the street, at the time people objected and were ignored in those objections.

We rang 101 only to be told there was not much they could do, it seems to some us at least the commercial interest is more important than the living stranded of those around the such venues, when people moved here, such problems was not present, it is only over the last few years of the city centre living boom have they become so.

We very much object to the Tramlines Music Event, what plans are being put in place to ease some the problems this event will no doubt create, a copy of this e mail has been printed and passed onto all city councillors, and released as press statement.

Some of us have given our time effort, only to be named nutters by some of those involved with the event, others have said it is a one person vendetta against the middle class, such remarks are crass and are at the best disinformation to make it seem there is no legitimate complaint, the concerns raised are very real, and we will no doubt be proven to be right following the event.

With this in mind we have drawn up a plan of direct action, that is non arrestable, but we hope will highlight the very serious blight the Tramlines Music Event will be, we feel it is a shame we are driven to take such action, but from the outset the lack of conversation from those involved with organising the event has, to us, proven the utter contempt they hold for those living here. It has proven that the interest of commercial venues is far more of importance than the living standards of those living here.

We welcome a vibrant diverse multi cultural city centre, but to get this all sides have to engaged, once again this has not happened, we need only look to Sunday 28th June 2009 where our objections to that application was proven right, towards Players Bar, SOYO Bar where our objections are proving to be right, we openly invite those giving such consent to come and see on any given night the very real consequence of their actions, and their lack of real engagement with people who have to suffer due to this.

Would it not have at least been polite for city centre management team to have spoken with those living in the city centre regards Tramlines Music Event or was it fact they knew there would be some concerns raised, and they simply hoped it would happen then deal with the fall out their actions following the event, therefore it has been imposed on people. Is this not crass considering 40k of our monies has been given to this event, where has the cash been spent and are there public records of how it has been spent? Or has it simply gone into the void of the quango that is Creative Sheffield who seem, like Councillor Dunkley and the city centre management team, unaccountable to those living in the area this blight of Tramlines Music Event are they not servants of the public the fore is not right we should raise such concerns with them, why is it they have once again failed the people of Sheffield?

This was at a full council meeting 1 July 2009, then up stands Councillor Sylvia Dunkley to Placate which is to appease or pacify, esp. by concessions or conciliatory gestures: to placate an outraged citizenry, much the same from Sheffield Green Party and we could get into there bullshit further, and formerly make complaints to more Middle ClassTramlines Music Event has been imposed, 40k of our monies spent, we can now but sit back and wait for it to happen, now we have learnt some lessons, but did we need to know that the working class can never trust The Middle Class, we understood that one all to fucking well, here is not to talk about future plans

But the revolution is thoroughgoing. It is still travelling through purgatory. It does its work methodically…And when it has accomplished this… Europe will leap from its seat and exult: Well burrowed, old mole!

- Karl Marx, Eighteenth Brumaire

Marx tried to understand the cycle of working class struggles that were emerging in nineteenth century Europe in terms of a mole and its subterranean tunnels. The mole would surface from below in joyous revolutionary moments which developed from the ground up (1830, 1848…). Between these joyous moments, the mole moves underground, not to hide passively, but to dig out new paths, finding new possibilities for subversion

As things stand in this city, without access to money or property you can not have a creative and challenging input to the development of this city. There are so many people that have positive things to offer the people of this city from which social and economic benefits can flow. Without space these ideas are still born.

UNDERCLASSRISING

There has been no conversation, with us the people living in around where Tramlines Music event will take place, indeed this truth has been spoken, but still the likes of Councillor Sylvia Dunkley and Sheffield Green Party feel they have Placated which is to appease or pacify, esp. by concessions or conciliatory gestures: to placate an outraged citizenry and they come with there fine words, and feel we are going to walk from this fight?

We shall be at the next full council meeting, with a further question, this time not only for Councillor Sylvia Dunkley but Sheffield Green Party, our time will come when we are not told what is good for us and just where has that fucking 40k been spent?