The following is a press release from Scase, the campaign against the "super" casino in Sheffield. Councillor Jillian Creasy is on the steering group of this campaign.
Following publication of the Sheffield First Partnership Casino Task Force's draft report, businesses have expressed dismay at the report’s recommendations and findings.
In particular, scathing criticism has been made of the Task Force’s failure to realistically address the Tinsley air-pollution problem, the Junction 34 traffic congestion issue or the commercial impact of the casino on existing businesses.
Ken Torres, owner of award-winning pump manufacturing company Torres Engineering and Pumps Ltd., based at Newhall in the Lower Don Valley, commented "The report recommends that wages in the casino must be set at a higher level than those paid by other employers in the local economy. This will serve only to encourage key staff from existing employers to ‘jump ship to work for the casino at better rates of pay! The first casualties of a super casino opening in the city will be local businesses such as retailers, restaurants, pubs and the entertainment industry. Meadowhall traders in particular will be hardest hit as they will find it increasingly difficult to recruit and retain a stable workforce."
The Task Force's recommendations are proof positive that those business leaders who believed the propaganda put about by Sheffield City Council and the Chamber of Commerce were ill-advised. Labour costs generally will increase, making it all the more difficult for small businesses to compete and survive.”
Meanwhile Richard Edwards, Managing Director of long-established cutting tool manufacturer G & J Hall added "Sheffield has a global reputation as a centre of excellence for manufacturing technology and innovation. We have always encouraged our young people to stay in education and aim to develop the skills that will keep our business – and the prosperity of Sheffield's local economy – at the very forefront of world technology. This report recommends that Sheffield should establish a strong brand identity that links the city with the casino. With all the associations one relates to the casino industry – such as organised crime, money lending and exploitation – I'm far from convinced that a profile as the gambling capital of the UK is one we should be pursuing or selling to our young people.”
The report also misses a prime opportunity to address the environmental issues, according to Neville Martin, spokesman for Sheffield's Business and Professional Ministries. “The report is totally naïve in recommending unworkable solutions for the air pollution and traffic problems at Junction 34. The Council has an irrational determination to impose this facility in the Lower Don valley, close to some of the poorest communities in the UK, in a location which is already suffering from air pollution which exceeds EU directives, and where traffic is gridlocked for much of the time. I shudder to think what would happen on a foggy Saturday afternoon in November, with Sheffield Wednesday playing a home game at Hillsborough, Disney on Ice at the arena, Christmas shopping in full swing at Meadowhall and the punters piling into the casino for a pre-Christmas flutter. Seen in this context, the report's recommendations of ‘high-occupancy vehicle lanes and targets for carbon dioxide reduction are, frankly, ridiculous.”
ENDS
Published and Promoted by Graham Wroe for Sheffield Green Party at 62 Penthorpe Close, Sheffield, S12 2GU