Agenda and minutes

1.1

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors David Baker, Michelle Cook, Keith Davis, Bob Johnson and Alison Teal.

2.1

Personal interests in agenda item 5 – Notice of Motion regarding NHS Urgent Primary Care in Sheffield - were declared by (a) Councillor Sue Alston on the grounds that she is an employee of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and (b) Councillors Ben Curran, George Lindars-Hammond, Ben Miskell, Andrew Sangar, Jack Scott and Richard Shaw, on the grounds that their spouse/partner is an employee of that Trust.

3.1

Petitions

3.1.1

Petition Requesting Traffic-Calming Measures on Myrtle Road

The Council received a petition containing 195 signatures, requesting traffic-calming measures on Myrtle Road.

Representations on behalf of the petitioners were made by Beverley Nunn who stated that the petition requested traffic calming measures on Myrtle Road. The road was steep and used by people to avoid traffic on East Bank Road. There were a high number of vehicles using Myrtle Road and particularly between 8.00 am and 9.00 am and which travelled at high speeds. There was, at present, a 30 mph speed limit. The petitioners requested that the speed limit was reduced to 20 mph. She said that a main concern was the junction with Anne’s Road, where the primary school was located and there was no safe place for children and parents to cross the road. Large vehicles often parked in the vicinity of the junction which also affected pedestrians attempting to cross safely. The petitioners wished for options to be considered including the installation of speed bumps and introduction of a one way road by closing the road at the top, to help deal with the speed of vehicles and possibly installation of lights. Whilst on Spencer Road there was a pedestrian crossing patrol and lights, there was now no such provision on Myrtle Road to help people to cross the road safely.

The Council referred the petition to Councillor Jack Scott, Cabinet Member for Transport and Development. Councillor Scott said he knew the strength of feeling both from what had been said and from conversations with the local councillors. He acknowledged the issues which had been referred to, both in terms of the volume and speed of traffic using Myrtle Road and also the location of the School and Heeley City Farm. He also noted the options which the petitioners had suggested to help resolve some of the problems, including speed, parking restrictions and a one-way system. The Council would need to take a rounded view of the best way to manage vehicles safely in that area. Councillor Scott said that a meeting would be arranged urgently, together with other community representatives and local councillors to consider what the options were and what might be done relatively quickly and also potentially in the future when time and resources permitted.

3.1.2

Petition Opposing the Introduction of Double Yellow Lines Outside King Edward Swimming Pool, Clarkehouse Road

The Council received a petition containing 594 signatures, opposing the introduction of double yellow lines outside King Edward Swimming Pool, Clarkehouse Road.

There was no speaker to the petition.

The Council referred the petition to Councillor Jack Scott, Cabinet Member for Transport and Development.

3.1.3

Petition Requesting the Abolition of the Lord Mayor

The Council received an electronic petition containing 47 signatures, requesting the abolition of the Lord Mayor.

There was no speaker to the petition.

The Council referred the petition to the Leader of the Council (Councillor Julie Dore).

3.1.4

Petition Requesting the Council to Keep Councillor Magid Magid  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

4.1

Urgent Business

4.1.1

There were no questions relating to urgent business under the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 16.6(ii).

4.2

Written Questions

4.2.1

A schedule of questions to Cabinet Members, submitted in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 16, and which contained written answers, was circulated.  Supplementary questions, under the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 16.4, were asked and were answered by the appropriate Cabinet Members.

4.3

South Yorkshire Joint Authorities

4.3.1

There were no questions relating to the discharge of the functions of the South Yorkshire Joint Authorities for Fire and Rescue or Pensions, under the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 16.6(i).

5.1

It was moved by Councillor Francyne Johnson, and seconded by Councillor Pat Midgley, that this Council:-

(a)       welcomes the recent decision by the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to put on hold their proposals to change urgent primary care services in Sheffield;

(b)       notes that, as such, the walk-in centre on Broad Lane and the minor injuries unit at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital will now be secured until at least March 2021 – and that any decisions on the future of these sites will not be made prior to another public consultation, expected to begin in summer 2019;

(c)        notes that the CCG’s original proposals were heavily criticised and that a petition to save these services was signed by more than 10,000 people;

(d)       further notes the Healthier Communities and Adult Social Care Scrutiny and Policy Development Committee’s submission detailed many concerns with the plans and concluded that “we do not feel that we have seen sufficient evidence to assure us that the proposals are in the best interests of Sheffield people”;

(e)       praises the co-ordinated efforts of local MPs, councillors across the city, political activists, Sheffield Save Our NHS, Healthwatch, and all the campaign groups and individuals who responded to the consultation in opposing the CCG’s original plans - and hopes that together we can reach a suitable solution for maintaining easy access to urgent health care for everyone in Sheffield;

(f)        believes that the combined campaign shows that Sheffield fights austerity at its best when working in partnership, and that this victory should be shared by all and it is wrong for any one group to try to take ownership of this issue; and

(g)       reaffirms that this Administration is committed to reducing health inequalities and that ensuring easily accessible urgent health care for everyone in Sheffield is of paramount importance.

5.1.1

(NOTE: With the agreement of the Council and at the request of the mover of the Motion (Councillor Francyne Johnson), the Motion as published in the Summons was altered by the substitution, in paragraph (b), of the words “March 2021” for the words “September 2020”.)

5.2

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Steve Ayris, seconded by Councillor Gail Smith, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the addition of new paragraphs (e) and (f) as follows, and the re-lettering of original paragraphs (e) to (g) as new paragraphs (g) to (i):-

(e)       recalls the Notice of Motion put to this Council in December 2017 calling upon the Leader of the Council to set up a group of Party Leaders on the Council to co-ordinate a campaign by the Council in opposing the closure of the Walk-In Centre on Broad Lane and the Minor Injuries Unit at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital;

(f)        regrets that this was not taken up by the Administration at that time;

5.3

It was then moved by Councillor Martin Phipps, seconded by Councillor Douglas Johnson, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

6.1

It was moved by Councillor Ben Curran, and seconded by Councillor Abtisam Mohamed, that this Council:-

(a)       notes with immense sadness that the injustice of slavery still persists in the modern world, with an estimated 13,000 victims of slavery in the UK today – with sexual exploitation, trafficking or domestic servitude, and forced labour, just some of the horrific forms it can take;

(b)       believes that modern slavery can often operate in plain sight and that everything possible must be done to eradicate the scourge of slavery;

(c)        contends that Labour and Labour & Co-operative councils across England are leading the way with a new Charter to ensure exploitation has no place in council supply chains;

(d)       notes that the Co-operative Party's Charter against Modern Slavery goes further than existing law and guidance, committing councils to proactively vetting their own supply chain to ensure no instances of modern slavery are taking place;

(e)       welcomes the commitment from the present Administration to fully adopt the Co-operative Party’s Charter against Modern Slavery;

(f)        notes that, by doing so, the Council is pledging to guarantee that modern slavery is cut from the supply chain by committing to 10 measures, including: challenging abnormally low-cost tenders to ensure they do not rely on potential contractors practising modern slavery; ensuring workers throughout the supply-line are free to join a trade union and are not treated unfairly for belonging to one; and that the Council will report publicly on the implementation of the policy every year;

(g)       contends that the Government’s hostile environment on immigration since 2010 demonstrates their lack of authenticity in dealing with modern day slavery and, as such, it is even more essential that leadership in tackling this is provided by local government; and

(h)       believes that tackling modern slavery and focusing on ethical trade is essential and support is given to the Administration for ensuring high standards of ethical practice in the way the Council works through the Ethical Procurement Policy.

6.2

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Penny Baker, seconded by Councillor Richard Shaw, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by:-

1.         the deletion of paragraphs (c), (d) and (g), and the re-lettering of original paragraphs (e) and (f) as new paragraphs (c) and (d);

2.         the addition of new paragraphs (e) to (k) as follows:-

(e)       welcomes the on-going review of the Modern Slavery Act and hopes this will result in a less hostile environment that allows victims of modern slavery and human trafficking to come forward without fear of prosecution or unwelcome ramifications;

(f)        welcomes the recent announcement that the UK government and other international governments have committed to adopting principles to tackle modern slavery in the supply line;

(g)       notes the Liberal Democrats in Government helped to deliver the Modern Slavery Act which makes it easier to identify victims and bring traffickers to justice, and prosecutions have increased as a result;

(h)       however, believes that many of the current Government’s policies are undermining this effort  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.1

It was moved by Councillor Joe Otten, and seconded by Councillor Mohammed Mahroof, that this Council:-

(a)       notes the ongoing impasse in Brexit negotiations, and the increasing risk of a "no deal" Brexit;

(b)       notes the opposition to the Chequers Plan in Parliament and among EU Heads of Government;

(c)        notes that agreement has not yet been reached on many of the issues arising from the Brexit referendum, including Government red lines, and both sides have stated that “nothing is agreed until everything is agreed”;

(d)       notes that whilst the principle of a Northern Ireland backstop has been agreed, the UK’s plan to temporarily avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland has not been agreed and there is still no agreement on a long-term solution;

(e)       notes that HM Treasury has stated that a no-deal Brexit could require the UK to borrow £80 billion more by 2033, the Government have begun releasing the 84 no-deal technical notes, and the UK health sector is stockpiling medicines in case of a no-deal;

(f)        notes that the 2016 EU referendum gave no clear destination for Brexit, as the terms of any deal were not yet known, but that many options were said to be possible including staying in the Single Market (the Norway model);

(g)       notes the resolution put to the Labour Party conference calling for a People's Vote to be considered, and strong support for a People's Vote among Labour Party members;

(h)       believes that there is no deal that could be negotiated through the Article 50 process that could be more beneficial than continued membership of the EU, and that leaving the EU would therefore be damaging to the UK's fundamental national interests, and the interests of Sheffield in particular, as a university and manufacturing city in a region which has received significant investment from the European Union;

(i)         believes that the recent shifts in global affairs, including the USA withdrawing from the United Nations Human Rights Council, re-emphasise the vital importance of UK membership of the EU and the values upon which the EU was formed;

(j)         believes that promises of a stronger trading position in the world have been seen to be empty, as illustrated by the policy of Donald Trump’s USA Administration relating to air travel, which seeks to take advantage of the UK's weakened position as a non-EU member;

(k)        condemns the Government’s approach to Brexit negotiations, which this Council regards as disastrous, and urges MPs to work across parties in the national interest and allow the people to have the final say on the Brexit deal with the option to remain in the European Union and a chance to exit from Brexit;

(l)         supports the principle of extending the franchise to 16-17 year olds for the People's Vote and all other elections and referendums;

(m)      resolves to seek access to Government impact assessments of all Brexit options for all sectors that are significant to Sheffield, prior to any "meaningful vote" in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

8.1

It was moved by Councillor John Booker, and formally seconded by Councillor Jack Clarkson, that this Council:-

(a)       contends that councillors exist to serve their communities, and believes that one of the best ways to do this is by offering them a say in what happens on their doorstep, and that Localism puts real power in the hands of the people;

(b)       further contends (i) that the Grenfell Tower disaster sadly showed the total lack of local government run housing and relevant safety checks, (ii) notes that the TUC and its affiliated Trades Unions have a large amount of Accredited Union Health and Safety Representatives (USRs), whose primary role is accident prevention and risk assessment, in the three categories – generic, local and on-site, (iii) further notes that building safety inspections is part of what these individuals sign up for when they do their training, (iv) believes that local councils who look to outsource this work are perpetrating a great injustice on the local communities they represent and (v) further believes that the resources they need are right under their feet, and that the USRs could be transferred from their normal work on a rota basis to facilitate building safety inspections;

(c)        believes it is all about sharing responsibility for public safety, noting that council rent payers pay rent to the council, the council pays wages to its employees, and some employees live in council housing; and

(d)       (i) contends that most social housing is a direct extension of many local government employees’ workplace; for many, this is at the end of a keyboard (e.g. customer accounts), for others its hands on, such as plumbing, wiring, painting and property repairs, but that, directly or indirectly, as local government employees, social housing is inevitably part of their workplace and (ii) as such, believes that safety checks should be carried out by USRs from construction stage to periodical safety checks; the purpose, to preserve life and prevent accidents.

8.2

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Mike Chaplin, seconded by Councillor Jim Steinke, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the deletion of all the words after the words “That this Council” and the addition of the following words:-

(a)       believes that the Grenfell Tower disaster tragically demonstrated what can happen when tenants are not listened to properly and the relevant safety checks are not carried out;

(b)       notes that Sheffield City Council acted swiftly and responsibly in the wake of the disaster – ensuring that tenants were well communicated with, reassured and that safety checks were carried out on all 24 local authority tower blocks to an even higher standard than the later government-required standards;

(c)        believes that it is of paramount importance that the Council do all that is necessary to ensure that our tenants can live in comfort, safety and in complete peace of mind, and notes that this Administration has adopted a policy of “zero tolerance to anyone operating in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

9.1

RESOLVED: On the Motion of Councillor Peter Rippon, seconded by Councillor Dianne Hurst, that this Council approves the changes to the following parts of the Council’s Constitution, as set out in the report of the Chief Executive now submitted, and its appendices:-

(a)       Part 4 – Contracts Standing Orders; and

(b)       Part 5 – Monitoring Officer Protocol – Appendix A (Procedure For Dealing With Complaints Regarding City, Parish And Town Councillors And Co-Opted Members).

10.1

RESOLVED: On the Motion of Councillor Peter Rippon, seconded by Councillor Dianne Hurst, that the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 5^th September 2018, be approved as a true and accurate record.

11.1

RESOLVED: On the Motion of Councillor Peter Rippon, seconded by Councillor Dianne Hurst, that:-

(a) approval be given to the following changes to the memberships of Committees, Boards, etc.:-

(b) representatives be appointed to serve on other bodies as follows:-