Sirs,
At a time when the Regional Development Agency, Yorkshire Forward, and Sheffield Council are justifiably proud of the efforts they have made to establish a high technology metalworking cluster on the Advanced Manufacturing Park at Orgreave, I am dismayed to find that they may be willing to extinguish an existing and equally important centre of excellence in metalworking at Portland Works. Whilst the building, in part, may be preserved by conversion to flats, the jobs and skills within it will not. I am currently undertaking a PhD at Sheffield University, studying the historical role of steel and developing new techniques for processing steel. Nowhere else, not even in the University or on the AMP, can I find the necessary skills required to help me in my work. I can find them at Portland Works. I can take metal ingots there, have them indelibly engraved with reference numbers, have the same ingots worked down to strip and then that strip made into tools and cutting edges. Under the same roof.
I am not the first to use their services: almost a hundred years ago Harry Brearly took his first stainless ingots there to have test cutlery manufactured. Does Sheffield really want to throw away such a heritage for the sake of a few more flats ?
Yours faithfully,
Stephen Cater.
Monday, 14 December 2009
Sunday, 6 December 2009
New information on objections
Writing objections -the campaign 'hub' portlandworks.co.uk now has full information on how to make a really cracking objection! This will help make sure you hit one of the 'material considerations' for it to really count.
Finally, if someone wants a job, here's a question. How many flats and 'studio apartments' under £100 000 are on the market sale or rent in Sheffield right now? If someone can trawl rightmove and email an approximate answer to me, I'd be delighted! Planning could use the information... derekmor@googlemail.com
To object online, please follow this link:
http://planning.sheffield.gov.uk/publicaccess/tdc/DcApplication/application_detailview.aspx?caseno=JYUXQGNYFY000
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