West Burton Power Station, 30 miles away, as seen from Blacka this morning.Sheffield Wildlife Trust have written a report for the City Council's Scrutiny Board. I would have liked to be able to comment and forward my view to members of the board before they considered it, as I feel sure they will not have been able to interpret it anywhere near adequately. Unfortunately I wasn't aware of it until the weekend, several days after the board's meeting.
The report is signed not just by Nigel Doar SWT's Director but also by the Director of the council's Parks and Woodland Department Mary Bagley. There's a strong whiff of closing ranks and internal politics in this report and its authors are playing games of their own. Presentation, PR and spin are evident all the way through, building up and adding gloss to minor achievements and ignoring problems and mistakes. How far you can expect local councillors to see through this kind of marketing exercise and reach a balanced conclusion I don't know. I suspect not at all.All I can say is this: my sole knowledge of SWT has been their activities in connection with Blacka Moor which is their grandest asset (irresponsibly handed over to them by the council 6 years ago). They may do fine work in their other activities. But I would be very sceptical about concluding so from what is written in this report without enquiring of independent minded people with good local knowledge.
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I've just read this self-serving report, just what could be expected from Sheffield Wildlife Trust. But why did Mary Bagley put her name to it? Her independence of thought as Director of Parks and Countryside for Sheffield City Council must now be in serious doubt. This bodes ill for the future of Blacka Moor.
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