Self employed people generally work over 50 hours a week - many work considerably longer hours. They get no job security or holiday allowance. Their salary is not paid if they are sick and yet they contribute hugely to the nation's wealth. Many self employed people manage all aspects of their business from the PR, to office admin, to ensuring that they keep up to date with H&S, keeping accounts etc as well as delivering the core nature of their business. A three monthly submission process of tax return would create an unacceptably huge administrative burden on self employed people. It would stifle our collective ability to deliver our core business. It would discourage entrepreneurialism. In terms of the arts and third sector self-employment - it would add further administrative duress to an already ailing and underfunded landscape.

The library belongs to everybody and we do not consent to the Council selling it off or leasing it for use as a private hotel. Our library is more than books. It’s part of our community’s stories, connections, routines, traditions and heritage. Although the Council is suffering from funding cuts, dismantling our heritage and our community piece by piece for the sake of short-term gains is not the answer. We are concerned that the Council is giving undue priority to the potential developer, Sichaun Guodong Group, and failing to properly consider the people of Sheffield, who own the building, and make itself accountable to them. Furthermore, it is our view that the Council’s actions since November 2016, relating to the proposed sale or lease and redevelopment of the Central Library building, have not met the required standards of transparency and openness. We have seen no firm plans or funding propositions for an alternative central library if the purpose built Art Deco library building which was gifted to the city by JG Graves is turned into a hotel. If the council is as cash-strapped as it says, how can it fund a new fit-for-purpose building? And how will it protect and maintain the Graves Gallery and Library Theatre, currently housed in the library building? Our city deserves better than this. We ask Sheffield City Council to: 1. Refrain from signing the proposed 12-month exclusivity agreement with Sichaun Guodong Group (SG), which would block all other potential investment in the library for 12 months, or any other agreement for the sale or lease and redevelopment of the Central Library building 2. Properly consider the alternatives A feasibility study is essential to make sure any actions taken are transparently in the best interests of the people of Sheffield. The Council is in discussions with only one potential developer of the library building, which has not been put on the market. If a private development is truly in the best interests of Sheffield, SCLAG maintains that the building must be marketed openly to ensure best value for Sheffield. 3. Give us evidence of best practice due diligence. In June 2016, The Council agreed Heads of Terms with SG regarding investments in Sheffield, including the proposed hotel project. In November 2016, the Council took the decision to enter into a 12-month exclusivity agreement with the company, to enable project evaluation. We want guarantees from the Council that best practice due diligence has been undertaken, regarding both SG itself and the proposed hotel development, as a basis for entering into these agreements. 4. Allow enough time for proper evaluation and scrutiny The Council now hopes to develop the June 2016 Heads of Terms agreements with SG into full legal agreements, apparently before the expiration of the 12-month exclusivity agreement (which we believe has yet to be signed). Proper evaluation of alternatives and project scrutiny will require more time (18 months for a feasibility study, according to the Council). SCLAG maintains that a longer timeframe is essential to best serve the interests of the people of Sheffield, not just the developer. 5. Guarantee permanent fit-for-purpose Central Library services The Council has not made provision for a new, permanent Central Library building prior to closure of the existing building, and an ‘interim solution’ has been mooted. There is, therefore, the clear risk that a ‘temporary’ solution will become a permanent one. 6. Provide maximum project transparency The Council advises that a ‘formal approach’ was received by SG, leading to the Heads of Terms agreements of June 2016. Neither the content of the ‘formal approach’ nor the agreement has been made public. Already at this early stage, the Council has been unable to provide a consistent or definite answer to whether or not it has signed an exclusivity agreement with SG. To enable full public scrutiny, SCLAG seeks the maximum permissible transparency from the Council regarding the approach from, negotiations with and agreements with SG, as well as project plans, procedures and timeframes. Sheffield Central Library Action Group is a platform for concerned citizens who oppose the sale or lease and redevelopment of the JG Graves Library building in the city centre.

The youth project and KRAN are based at the Shed. They work with local young people many of whom live in Harbour Ward, one of the most deprived in the area. The young people receive sex and health education, drug and alcohol awareness, and help with writing CVs and applying for jobs. They are also encouraged to take part in a range of positive activities (such as sport, art, and music technology) and are able to make friends and integrate with other local young people. The Shed is a safe, non-judgemental space where all are welcome. One young person who uses the Shed said this, "People who find it hard to fit in anywhere else come here which enables them to feel valued...it also provides them with education and teaches them that everyone is equal no matter what their background is. We wouldn't have learnt these life lessons and morals if it wasn't for the Shed and the kind-hearted staff that give up their time to make sure we feel we belong."

If we don't act now, the proposal for this site will remain in the Local Plan due to be sent to The Secretary of State for approval later in 2017. The land is owned by the District Council, so once the Local Plan is approved, it would be very difficult to stop the land being sold and redeveloped in a few years time. The leisure centre and swimming pool will be closed along with most of the carpark which is also used and needed by the 12,000 patients using the local doctors surgery. The site has been in marked for 24 houses. There is nowhere else to build any new Leisure Centre and Swimming Pool in its place in Ongar We have had a great deal of feed back from our "Save Ongar Leisure Centre" Facebook page. Here are some of the comments: "Are they really going to knock down a Leisure Centre that provides facilities for 1000s of people, just to put 24 houses plus lose valuable parking for the doctors" "If EFDC was to take Ongar Leisure Centre away what will be there for the children. It will only bring more crime. When I take my younger brother to football to center is packed full" "Classes are always booked to the max. And you can't get in if you don't book 2 weeks in advance". If the Leisure Centre were to close it deprive over a 1000 pupils of swimming lessons, 1200 fitness members of their facilities and numerous gymnastics, trampolining, badminton, netball and martial arts non member users and clubs. This centre provides a focal point for our community and is so important for our social and physical well being. To lose this Centre would be a disaster and would leave a massive gap in peoples lives and take away the only leisure facility all ages can use.

Moorwell Place sits at the bottom of Eccleshill Recreation Ground. It is public right of way and the only pedestrian footpath leading from Moorside Road to the footpath that runs down the side of the recreation ground, by the bowling green. It is used by the residents of Eccleshill, including Parents with toddlers and pushchairs, children on their way to school, cyclists, followers of the Eccleshill History Trail and many others, along with the residents of the street. At present, it is in a sorry state. It is muddy and full of deep potholes, making it extremely unsafe. It is inaccessible to mobility vehicles/wheelchairs. For a number of years, the residents of Moorwell Place have asked the council to maintain the road which, although they have previously acknowledged responsibility for, they have refused to maintain in an effective manner. More recently the residents have been told that the road is an “unadopted road” and the council have refused to undertake any maintenance work. After some investigation, it has been established that the road was in fact created by the local board (the council) in 1864 and as such cannot be deemed an unadopted road – it is in fact a road created by the council in 1864 and they have failed to maintain it. Further evidence suggests that a court case in 1864 established that the council were responsible for the creation of the road – but that it must remain part of the recreation ground "intact" forever. Council asset management documents show that the road is part of the recreation ground which is a registered village green. The council are owners and managers of the village green and are responsible for its maintenance.

FutureTech is an excellent provision for the children of Warrington who believed in and chose a completely different approach to learning. It's unique selling point was small numbers, small class sizes and work experience. Numbers for the school may be low but the grass roots difference that it is and has made to those attending is imperative for our town. Plus the intake number was originally set at 200 (changed to 300) and currently has 187 students. Some (NOT ALL) of the children there did not engage in the schools that they have left, for a myriad of reasons but under FutureTechs tuition and guidance have engage with education again and gained confidence and self worth beyond measure. These kids will now be left to find new school placements (often to places that will not offer the subjects they are taking now) and will be disrupted right in the middle of their preparation for their GCSE's.

The Potting Shed@Radstock is an important resource for local people who suffer with mental health and isolation issues. Closing the project will result in the loss of a valuable wellbeing project and a possible route into employment for people living in Radstock and the surrounding areas. Many people have benefited from the project. The community also benefits from the project. It makes no financial sense for the Trustees to charge the group rent and water charges to maintain the gardens voluntarily, as without the group they will need to pay a gardening contractor to do the same work. Without a Support Worker managing the project and encouraging people to attend the project is doomed to fail.

The Creative Writing A level will shortly come to an end after the Department for Education decided to turn down the AQA submission for Creative Writing to continue as an AS and A Level subject from 2017 onwards. If writing is a chance to reflect on who we were, who we are and who we can be, it is important anyone has a chance to pursue this career and become a writer. By removing the opportunity to consider this subject for A level, we are guiding students away from considering this career path later on which is then limiting the diversity of who writers are and making it more likely that the same kinds of people will always be the ones who become writers. This is why the Creative Writing A level is so important – it has been shown that the subjects we study at school lead to the subjects we consider for university and/or our careers, then, when we become parents, our own choices influence the choices we guide our children to make.

The library provides a valued learning and leisure resource within a community where such facilities are scarce. The library and its staff provide services that are highly valued and needed by the local community in and around Abbeyview.

The magnificent Galloway Viking Hoard, buried in the region’s soil 1,000 years ago for safekeeping, should have its home in Kirkcudbright’s new art gallery. We are calling on Fiona Hyslop to help make sure this happens and The National Museum of Scotland to agree. This would be good for tourism and the economy in a region that has suffered greatly in recent years and would make Scotland’s 2017 Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology something to celebrate.

The kids love it and with the weather warming up it will be truly be missed! A lot of hard work went into the building of it and is loved by all of the local families.

The enforcement notice at Caverswall Castle means the castle cannot be used for any commercial activity. The castle is unable to operate commercially due to the outdated and ambiguously worded enforcement notice. This needs withdrawing urgently so the castle can have a commercial use which will bring in money to maintain the property. This notice even prevents school children from visiting. If the notice is removed the Castle can be enjoyed by local people and tourists. It would allow the castle to bring in money to help maintain it and bring jobs and tourism to the local economy. 

 If the notice isn’t removed the Castle will continue to deteriorate and this could lead to the ruin of the only moated castle in Staffordshire.