Letters: Campaign to save Kilvey Hill from a private land grab

Last week campaigners escalated their campaign to save the common land

Swansea Council is using £8-10 million of public money to enable Skyline, a multi-national company, to dig up wooded common land in a working class area.

This is despite growing protests from the community and serious safety and environmental concerns.

Kilvey Hill overlooks a residential area of low income households, which was once an industrial heartland.

The Hill was used as a waste dump, so beneath the soil lies toxic waste, multiple flooded mine shafts and unexploded bombs. This is where Skyline wishes to drill.

The area has been stabilised for decades with tree planting and natural growth. It is now a designated quiet area of nature with many species.

Over 60 local groups use it—from children’s groups to mental health support groups. People keep animals there and walk their dogs.

Are Skyline’s profits more important? The Hill will be lost to people and nature. That is why people are angry.

Last week campaigners escalated their approach. They picketed and blocked the massive machinery from entering the hill. Protestors have already delayed the project for years.

Around 75 protestors rallied at the council office this week with music, banners and leaflets.

Unions should be part of this and be demanding proper use of public money to fund well paid jobs in work that Swansea needs.

This could include flood defences, refurbishing of empty buildings into homes, public transport and making Swansea more accessible.

An ill-publicised ‘Consultation’ meeting was held during working hours, and petitions and letters have been ignored. The people of Kilvey Hill and of Swansea deserve better than this.

We should all join the campaign to save Kilvey Hill!

Heather Falconer, Swansea

Gamers in boss fight

In October last year, video game developers at Rockstar North were left out to dry after they were fired.

Over 30 workers at Dundee, Lincoln and Vancouver, Canada, were fired on the grounds of “gross misconduct”.

Rockstar and their parent company, Take Two, claimed the layoffs had nothing to do with recent unionising efforts.

Rockstar claimed workers had “disclosed confidential information” on social media. This referred to a private chat workers had with members of their union to discuss their conditions and unionising progress.

Workers had unionised with the IWGB union. They then led protests outside the Rockstar North office and Take-Two’s London and Paris offices.

Following this, Lord John Hendy, who represented the National Union of Mineworkers, offered his legal services to the workers.

They’ve been fighting for interim support while the lengthier court proceedings develop. This wasn’t granted by a judge, leavingworkers stranded without financial support.

Will Webster, Liverpool

Join the fight against job cuts in Swansea

Swansea university has threatened to cut 55 jobs to “make savings”. It intends to use compulsory redundancies to achieve this goal.

All statements from the university fail to mention the impact this will have on lecturers who are at risk.

Were it not for them, no students would be paying £9,000 a year and no research bodies would be funding them.

A university is only a credible institution because of the academics it employs. Without them it is a pointless shell.

In 2024, after a month of action, students won a commitment from the university to divest £5 million from Barclays bank. This action involved workers, union branches and students. We showed that we do not want our tuition fees supporting the genocide in Palestine.

They exemplified the power of a united front and the power that we as students hold.

Now we make the call that we want our tuition fees to support our lecturers.

Yma O Hyd!

Fiona McCleary, Swansea

Kick Ratcliffe out of ­football

Billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe claims Britain has become “colonised by immigrants”.

This man lives in Monaco to avoid taxes. He received millions in subsides and then spent £1.25 billion buying a stake in Manchester United.

United’s squad comes from 15 countries. Does racist Ratcliffe claim that Bryan Mbuemo is colonising the pitch?

All football fans need to demand that racist Ratcliffe is kicked out of football.

We won’t have the far right polluting our game.

Michael Holland, south London