We care about clean air: It’s time to think about our next car purchase

December 1, 2021December 1, 2021 ~ sipsshu ~ Leave a comment

In Sheffield, the air we breathe has been above legal limits for Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) for 10 years, contributing to 500 deaths each year from lung cancer, cardiovascular disease and stroke. The biggest cause of air pollution is transport, especially diesel vehicles. Sheffield City Council (SCC) have pledged to reduce the number of people driving diesel cars and are promoting electric car use with electric vehicle trials, alternative fuels, green parking schemes, publicity and awareness raising events.

Cruel, impracticable, and false: the bogus assumptions underlying the New Plan for Immigration

June 4, 2021June 10, 2021 ~ sipsshu ~ Leave a comment

The New Plan for Immigration (NPI) published in March 2021 lays out a ‘comprehensive reform of our asylum system’ in order to ‘address the challenge of illegal immigration’ (1-2)...

Why Recording Misogyny as a Hate Crime Shouldn’t be Celebrated

May 26, 2021 ~ sipsshu ~ Leave a comment

Following the outrage at the abduction and murder of Sarah Everard on the streets of London, the government has (finally) agreed to ask police forces to record crimes motivated by misogyny (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-56435550).

The Community Trigger case review: does it help victims of anti-social behaviour?

May 21, 2021 ~ sipsshu ~ Leave a comment

This blog is based on an article published in People, Place and Policy entitled: Anti-Social behaviour victims’ experiences of activating the ‘Community Trigger’ case review

The Community Trigger case review is supposed to act as a safety-net. Victims of anti-social behaviour (ASB) can activate the Community Trigger if they have not received a satisfactory response to their complaints, if the number of complaints meet a locally-defined threshold within a specified period of time. If the case meets these requirements, a formal multi-agency case review meeting is held with key stakeholders such as the police and local authority, with the purpose of creating an action plan to address the ASB in question. However, new research has shown that some victims experiences of utilising the Community Trigger have been far from satisfactory and embarking on the policy process resulted in additional suffering.

In the Wake of Sarah Everard

May 19, 2021May 19, 2021 ~ sipsshu ~ Leave a comment

I am angry and tired of being angry. I am scared and tired of being scared. I am grieving for another lost woman, and tired of grieving for lost women. In the wake of the Sarah Everard case, women around the country have been expressing their collective grief, anger, pain and fear. She was just walking home. She followed all the ‘rules’ (it wasn’t late, she was appropriately dressed, etc. etc.).

The demise of the high street: Britain’s new de-industrialisation

April 14, 2021April 14, 2021 ~ sipsshu ~ 1 Comment

The changes in the retail character of our town and city centres may be as sweeping and significant in their way as the effects of de-industrialisation in the 1970s and 1980s, and similarly irreversible.

A Healthy and Active Sheffield: What role for active travel?

January 28, 2021January 28, 2021 ~ sipsshu ~ Leave a comment

Physical activity is a key part of ensuring we stay healthy. Achieving sufficient levels of activity can help to reduce the risk of chronic diseases (such as heart disease and Type 2 diabetes) and help to prolong our activity into older life[1].

Exploring the effect of Covid-19 on the future of Sheffield’s greenspaces

November 9, 2020November 9, 2020 ~ sipsshu ~ Leave a comment

This year has demonstrated a renewed interest in greenspaces, as the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in greenspaces becoming even more important for facilitating social interaction, exercise, and respite from the household (Kale, 2020). Recognising this growing area of research, over the ‘Summer’ I was involved in a staff/student research project in collaboration … Continue reading Exploring the effect of Covid-19 on the future of Sheffield’s greenspaces

SIPS Postgraduate Research Poster Competition now in its fourth year!

July 3, 2020 ~ sipsshu ~ Leave a comment

The Sheffield Institute for Policy Studies (SIPS) is delighted to have hosted its 4th Annual Postgraduate Research Poster Competition. The Competition is open to postgraduate students at all levels, and within all disciplines, across Sheffield Hallam University. The event was organised by a staff/student team including Dr Jill Dickinson, Benjamin Archer, Ruth Squire, Tracey Holland, Elouise Hearnshaw, Katrina Fleming and Sophie Negus.

COVID-19: Blurred Spatial Boundaries?

May 7, 2020May 7, 2020 ~ sipsshu ~ Leave a comment

The social, economic and environmental impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have led to the UK Government issuing instructions for members of the public to 'stay at home' with limited exceptions for shopping, exercise, medical need, and essential travel for work purposes. These directions are supported by Regulations that restrict the operation of public meeting places (or Third Places) including restaurants, cafes, bars, cinemas and gyms. The guidelines for entering a public space, and the maintenance of a 2 metres distance from other individuals not of the same household, pose fresh questions about blurred spatial boundaries.