Lib Dems launch 'Not in our Name' Park Hill campaign

12.01.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 7th Oct 2005

Sheffield's Liberal Democrats have today launched a petition which demands Sheffield City Council reverse their decision to approve the outlay of nearly £35m in the recently revealed Park Hill project.

The 'Not in my Name' petition argues against nearly £35m of public money being used to subsidise the development of 550 private flats by the developer Urban Splash. It also calls for the Council to take immediate steps towards the de-listing and the eventual demolition of the Park Hill complex, ensuring that the gateway to the City secures a better and brighter future.

The Park Hill project will see only 200 flats out of the 880 flats refurbished used for social affordable housing. Lib Dems believe that the Council cannot justify the amount of public money being used for the relatively small amount of social housing.

Liberal Democrats have also highlighted that, of the 700 families who had occupied the Park Hill complex, only 200 will be allowed to move back. They believe that the development is not about improving things for the local community, but allowing private developers to use taxpayers money for gaining a large profit margin when they come to selling the flats off.

Over the coming weeks Lib Dems will be collecting names for the petition across Sheffield, the petition will also be available to sigh on their website at www.sheffieldlibdems.org.uk. They believe that the vast majority of people in Sheffield do not want to subsidise the development of the notorious eyesore which was listed by Labour in 1998.

Cllr Paul Scriven, Leader of the Liberal Democrats in Sheffield, said: -

"Our campaign starts with this petition which demands the Labour Council to reverse their decision to approve the project and immediately move towards the de-listing and demolition of Park Hill. Our campaigns ultimate goal is to secure a better and brighter future for this gateway to our City, we all want a development that we can be proud of"

"I also believe that the vast majority of people in Sheffield do not want to see their tax going towards subsidising a private developer to create luxury flats in this ugly building. The Council cannot justify approving nearly £35m of taxpayers money for a development which will see just 200 flats developed as social housing, it works out at around £175,000 per flat"

"The development is not about the 700 families who lived in Park Hill, only 200 will be allowed to move back. This is about using public money for the development of 550 luxury flats which will be sold off for as higher price as possible. I have no problem with developers making money, but taxpayers should not be subsidising a project which they will get very little out of"

"We will be collecting names for our petition over the coming weeks in an effort to make the Labour Council finally listen to what the people of Sheffield want. You can also sigh the petition by going to our website at www.sheffieldlibdems.org.uk, the more names we can collect the more chance we have of making the Council realise that this development 'is not in our name'"