Letter: Learn from past mistakes so they are not repeated

Labour councillors presented a motion in council talking up a brighter and better future for Sheffield. It’s a no-brainer, Lib Dem councillors all want Sheffield to thrive but we talk to residents across the city who are overwhelmingly in despair at the state of our centre and beyond.
By Barbara Masters
Published 19th Jul 2023, 06:55 GMT
Ecclesall ward LibDem councillor Barbara MastersEcclesall ward LibDem councillor Barbara Masters
Ecclesall ward LibDem councillor Barbara Masters

Labour calls on us to praise without criticism a series of developments in the pipeline which promise much but Sheffield residents see what’s in front of them now and are sceptical.

Sheffield has huge potential. The Marketing Sheffield team of council officers has used our unique offering to successfully promote us as a destination of choice to a wide market. They’ve shown what can be done. But in aiming for a brighter and better future local, national and international communities need to be persuaded it is achievable. It’s challenging given the litany of failings over the past few years and the decades before.

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Previous Labour administrations have often failed to deliver on what has been promised. Where they have delivered, it’s often not as originally intended or grossly over budget.

Sheffield's Container Park project spent a ill-fated six months on Fargate and cost nearly £600,000 before it was dismantled.Sheffield's Container Park project spent a ill-fated six months on Fargate and cost nearly £600,000 before it was dismantled.
Sheffield's Container Park project spent a ill-fated six months on Fargate and cost nearly £600,000 before it was dismantled.

Do we need reminding of the shipping containers? Or the huge increase in costs of the improvements proposed for Fargate meaning plans for the High Street and Castlegate have been scaled down and delayed? Funders consider whether money previously provided has been well spent so failings matters.

We welcome investments in our city but for developments to succeed all partners need to engage fully in proper scrutiny to ensure ‘Right first Time’.

Otherwise we risk the inevitable over promise and under delivery, escalating costs and the need to rectify foreseeable mistakes later.

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Lib Dems are lambasted for identifying the failings of past projects and current ones. We urge councillors and officers alike to learn from past mistakes so they are not repeated.

Labour misunderstands our role. We scrutinise, question and identify the good and the frankly poor or worse. We propose fresh ideas.

We need to prevent the ‘group think’ which led to the tree scandal as Laycock emphasised in his report. And for Labour to accept it does not have the automatic right to rule.

This is not talking Sheffield down. It’s having a process to help us achieve the brighter and better future we all want for Sheffield and improve the lives of our residents. It is why Lib Dems call for Labour to accept and engage with rigorous scrutiny as part of the democratic process.

Barbara Masters

Liberal Democrat councillor for Ecclesall

Related topics:LabourLiberal DemocratFargateBarbara Masters