Agenda and minutes

Members to declare any interests they have in the business to be considered at the meeting.

(a)       To receive any questions or petitions from the public, or communications submitted by the Lord Mayor or the Chief Executive and to pass such resolutions thereon as the Council Procedure Rules permit and as may be deemed expedient.

(b)       Petition Requiring Debate

The Council’s Petitions Scheme requires that any petition containing over 5,000 signatures be the subject of debate at the Council meeting.  A qualifying petition has been received as follows:-

            Petition Opposing Fire Service Cuts

To debate a joint paper and electronic petition containing over 5,000 signatures, requesting the Council to oppose the proposed plans for South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service to cut the number of firefighters crewing a fire appliance from 5 to 4. The paper petition contains 6,321 signatures and the online petition includes the following wording:-

We the undersigned petition the Council to oppose the proposed plans for South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service to cut the number of firefighters crewing a fire appliance from 5 to 4. We call on Sheffield City Council and its representatives on SYFRA to: 1. Reject the proposed plan to cut fire engine crews. 2. Reject the plans to remove a night time engine from Sheffield and Doncaster fire stations. 3. Support the FBU's campaign for fairer funding for South Yorkshire fire service.

4.1       Questions relating to urgent business – Council Procedure Rule 16.6(ii).

4.2       Supplementary questions on written questions submitted at this meeting – Council Procedure Rule 16.4.

4.3       Questions on the discharge of the functions of the South Yorkshire Joint Authorities for Fire and Rescue and Pensions – Section 41 of the Local Government Act 1985 – Council Procedure Rule 16.6(i).

            (NB. Minutes of recent meetings of the two South Yorkshire Joint Authorities have been made available to all Members of the Council via the following link -

            http://democracy.sheffield.gov.uk/ecCatDisplay.aspx?sch=doc&cat=13165&path=0)

That this Council:-

(a)       notes that the Council recently declared a ‘climate emergency’ and regrets that the Government failed to support the successful Parliamentary resolution by the Leader of Her Majesty's Official Opposition, the Rt Hon Jeremy Corbyn MP, to declare a national climate and environmental emergency;

(b)       welcomes the call by Her Majesty's Opposition for a 'Green Industrial Revolution', an appeal to the collective achievements of the past to envisage a social and economic transformation of sufficient scale to avert climate catastrophe whilst fixing the UK's deep social and economic challenges; unlike the first industrial revolution, this must be anchored in dignity at work, social justice, equality and international solidarity, and reverse the environmental degradation started by the first; and

(c)        supports policies that will kick-start the new 'Green Industrial Revolution', including:-

(i)         Labour’s plan to innovate the UK’s transport infrastructure with the railways at the forefront – investing in ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEV), completing HS2, electrifying the railways, including here in Sheffield, and expanding the existing railway network;

(ii)        the introduction of a new Clean Air Act, accelerating the transition to clean, zero-emission heavy goods vehicles - such as Sheffield's electric bin lorries, refitted by MagTec in Sheffield;

(iii)       creating 400,000 new jobs in green industries – proposing a seven-fold increase in offshore wind farms by 2030, designed to create 120,000 jobs, alongside 6,000 additional onshore wind turbines, generating up to 60,000 jobs, and set an overall target of achieving 60 per cent renewable and low carbon energy by 2030;

(iv)       plans to install solar panels on 1.75 million homes, creating an additional 16,900 jobs, and just last month Labour announced that it would impose strict environmental criteria on firms bidding for public contracts regarding energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and waste disposal;

(v)        in order to move towards low-carbon steel production, the Government must invest; as such, support is given to calls to nationalise British Steel, to ensure that those jobs currently under threat are secured, and so there is the right investment to transform the steel industry to a green future; and

(vi)       a participatory approach to tackling the climate and environmental emergency, exemplified by Labour's call for evidence from trades unions, businesses, public sector bodies, party members, civil society groups and members of the public, on how to develop the idea of a Green Industrial Revolution further.

That this Council:-

(a)       believes that this Council is committed to securing the immediate growth and improvement of the city’s high streets and notes that this Administration is bidding for significant investment for Fargate/Castlegate, as well as for the main high streets of Stocksbridge and Attercliffe;

(b)       believes that it is a priority of this Administration to support district centres in Sheffield and that every effort will be made to use planning and licensing under local authority control to repurpose sites so they can be reborn, and notes that this Administration is working with landlords, agents and Sheffield BID, to make Fargate a force to be reckoned with again, and seeking to unlock the area’s potential for café terraces, high-end outlets and independent Sheffield businesses;

(c)        notes the successful repurposing of Castle House and the former NUM headquarters, both supported through planning and financially, as well as the former Grosvenor Hotel site for HSBC which is the catalyst for further investment such as Angelo Gordon on Block F and Corem Group on Pinstone Street (with developments to be built out);

(d)       believes, likewise, that the New Era Square is being successfully repurposed through planning and is now acting as a catalyst for further investment interest in Sheffield, as is the continuing growth of the Moor;

(e)       notes that footfall across the city centre is currently up 10.2% this year compared to last year -  Fargate is up 6.1% and the Moor continues to thrive and is currently +1% up (last year was +18.7% compared to 2017);

(f)        believes that a whole host of successful events are helping ensure visitors flock to the city centre - these include Food Festival, Fringe@Tramlines, Invictus Trials, DocFest, World Snooker, Cliffhanger, World Music Day, Pinknic, Sheffield By The Seaside, Bricktropolis, Out of this World, and much improved Christmas Lights, all of which continue to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors per year, and that, however, it is important to not rest on our laurels and ensure that Sheffield continues to grow as a destination for such events;

(g)       notes that, under this Administration, the city has retained its Purple Flag status and the Council are up for two national awards for the city’s Night Time economy and how its managed;

(h)       notes that, in recent years, Sheffield has had the most successful period of inward investment ever – landing households names like McLaren and Boeing, as well as many smaller firms choosing to make Sheffield their home because of the skills of the local workforce and positive business climate here;

(i)         believes that the successes of the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre Factory 2050 speak for itself, and that the Olympic Legacy Park and the Knowledge Gateway, including the redevelopment of Fitzalan Square, also herald a bright future;

(j)         believes that for every job created by larger companies, the supply chain is positively affected and that Sheffield’s smaller businesses are benefitting from the economic activity generated  ...  view the full agenda text for item 7.

That this Council:-

(a)       is concerned that the publication of the Sheffield Local Plan, for consultation, has been delayed for over a year, arguably several years, and there is still no official publication date;

(b)       believes that this consultation plan is completed and the decision to delay the publication is a political decision by the Leader of the Council;

(c)        is dismayed that this Administration would leave such an important document unpublished and leave the city development open to exploitation by developers and the green belt unprotected;

(d)       believes the lack of a plan will mean that the tenures and types of homes Sheffield so desperately needs will not get delivered in favour of bigger more expensive homes that are the most profitable to developers;

(e)       notes that Sheffield is not meeting the need for social and affordable housing and, furthermore, is short of a significant amount of homes every year;

(f)        believes that these homes need to be in areas that are well serviced by local amenities, schools and public transport so they are sustainable places to live;

(g)       believes that the delay in publishing the plan has increased uncertainty for local business and is therefore hindering economic growth across the city;

(h)       believes that the plan should protect green spaces that communities value and avoid concreting over fields and woodlands in the green belt;

(i)         affirms that a Liberal Democrat plan would be a community-led plan and informed by the results of a meaningful consultation with the people of Sheffield; and

(j)         demands the Administration publish the Sheffield Local Plan immediately.

That this Council:-

(a)       expresses thanks to all voters and congratulations to all candidates who stood in the Council and European elections;

(b)       congratulates in particular the former Lord Mayor, Magid Magid MEP, and Cllr Shaffaq Mohammed MEP on their election to the European Parliament;

(c)        supports the resonance of Magid’s message of “Choose Hope”, with this positive message being brought to life by two Black and Minority Ethnic councillors from Sheffield being elected for the first time in Yorkshire and Humberside;

(d)       notes that, in the European election, which uses a system of proportional representation, 77% of people chose to vote for parties other than Labour or the Conservatives;

(e)       believes that many people who voted for the Brexit Party at the European elections must feel disenfranchised and feel they lack representation and involvement with politics;

(f)        notes that, when the total votes in May’s Council election are added up across Sheffield and divided by the number of councillors elected, the result is 2,775 votes per Lib Dem councillor in contrast to approximately7,000 votes per Green councillor; and further notes that no councillors were elected to reflect the wishes of 21% of the electorate;

(g)       therefore believes that elections for all levels of government should be by systems of election that provide for high proportionality, few wasted votes and good accountability, so that the political aspirations and views of everyone are better represented;

(h)       notes that all new democratic systems established in recent years in the UK (e.g. Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish legislatures and the London Assembly) have included some form of proportional voting;

(i)         believes that reducing the voting age to 16 will increase access to democracy for young people who are old enough to pay taxes, get married, leave home or join the army but have no say in any government decisions that affect them, and notes the engagement young people have shown during the Youth4Climate Strikes;

(j)         therefore resolves to send a copy of this resolution to all Sheffield MPs and to Government;

(k)        however, believes it is time for this Council to examine how it could make use of existing legal powers to reflect the Sheffield public’s voting record in a more proportional way;

(l)         asserts that democracy could be improved by reverting to the Committee System, as requested by the grassroots campaign “It’s Our City”, allowing all Councillors to work on decisions to the benefit of Sheffield; and

(m)      therefore calls on the Chief Executive to report back to full Council within three months with advice on the options available.

To receive the record of the proceedings of the special meeting and the ordinary meeting of the Council held on 3^rd April 2019, and the annual meeting of the Council held on 15^th May 2019, and to approve the accuracy thereof.

To consider any changes to the memberships and arrangements for meetings of Committees etc., delegated authority, and the appointment of representatives to serve on other bodies.

Report of the Chief Executive.