Agenda and minutes

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

To receive the record of the proceedings of the meeting of the Council held on 2nd September 2015 and to approve the accuracy thereof.

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.

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

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

5.3       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://sheffielddemocracy.moderngov.co.uk/ecCatDisplay.aspx?sch=doc&cat=13165&path=0)

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.

That this Council:-

(a)       believes that UKIP's position has been quite unfairly and misleadingly labelled 'anti-Europe', but that the Party is not 'anti-Europe', although it is firmly opposed to political integration within Europe;

(b)       regrets that, back in 1972, British citizens were told we were joining a 'common market', but that what we actually joined was a supranational political union where, we believe, we have lost our rights of self-government in the stealth creation of a united states of Europe, which has its own flag, national anthem, parliament, central bank, court of justice, a vast civil service, and fledgling military and police forces;

(c)        notes that the tentacles of the European Union stretch into almost every area of our national life, for example, the EU has significant influence over British financial services, fishing, energy and trade; it seeks to dictate UK business and employment legislation and immigration rules; and it seeks greater control over our law enforcement services, our foreign affairs and tax policy;

(d)       further notes that there is a significant momentum behind plans for a EU-wide army and police force, and that the EU 'shares' responsibility with Britain for many other policy areas, including animal welfare, consumer protection, public health, space programmes, social policy, humanitarian aid and vocational training, to mention but a few;

(e)       further regrets that on these and many other issues, our elected Westminster politicians are effectively impotent; and believes they pretend to have the power to influence these matters, but actually they have none, and it is what this Council believes to be an out-of-sight, unaccountable, pan-European bureaucratic elite which has the final say and they do not consider Britain's best interest; and

(f)        expresses the wish for Great Britain to be a free and fair, independent, sovereign democracy, to leave the EU and re-join the world, and believes that Britain has nothing to lose and everything to gain by this action.

That this Council:

(a)       notes that:

(i)         more than 4 million Syrians have been forced to flee their homeland over the last five years as a result of the Syrian war; and

(ii)        although the vast majority of Syrian refugees are living in temporary camps in neighbouring countries such as Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan,  increasing numbers are seeking sanctuary in Europe;

(b)       believes the Government’s response to the refugee crisis has been grossly inadequate and calls on the Government to do more;

(c)        is proud of Sheffield’s reputation as the ‘City of Sanctuary’, having participated in the Government’s Gateway Protection Programme for the last 11 years;

(d)       believes Sheffield has a strong tradition of helping those fleeing war and persecution, and believes our city should play its part in the current crisis;

(e)       welcomes the Council’s offer to the Government to resettle Syrian refugees this year and notes that the costs involved in supporting these families for the first year will be met by the Government;

(f)        is in dialogue with the Government about meeting any additional costs of resettlement, if the needs of the new arrivals require;

(g)       thanks local people for their generosity in donating items at the Town Hall including tents, sleeping bags and winter clothing for vulnerable people stranded in refugee camps in France; and

(h)       thanks the volunteers, voluntary sector, and those who give funding to them to help refugees in our city, including Voluntary Action Sheffield, Assist, City of Sanctuary, Northern Refugee Centre and many others.

That this Council:

(a)       objects to the proposed amendment to the Trade Union Bill, which it believes is an unnecessary attack on workers’ rights and civil liberties that undermines the collective bargaining powers of trade unions;

(b)       is totally opposed to this draconian proposal;

(c)        notes that this country has a proud tradition of liberty and democracy built up over many years, of which trade unions play a key role;.

(d)       believes that these proposals indicate the Government’s intention to weaken trade unions, resulting in making it easier to attack workers’ rights and pay and conditions of employment; that the Bill clearly demonstrates that this Government is not on the side of working people; and that the proposals would weaken the ability for workers to have a voice that is heard and represented by their trade union in the negotiation and protection of their terms and conditions of employment;

(e)       further believes that these are unfair and undemocratic changes and will make it much harder for public sector workers, who have suffered many years of pay restraint, to ever take industrial action over pay or challenge the behaviour of bad employers, and that it will make it more difficult for trade unions to organise, protest and reflect their members’ points of view, and therefore the proposals represent attacks on civil liberties; and

(f)        calls on the Government to think again and reconsider these plans.

That this Council:

(a)       notes that under Liberal Democrat Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the Rt. Hon Ed Davey MP, the previous Coalition Government advanced the cause of green energy;

(b)       regrets that much of this good work is being undone by the present Government;

(c)        specifically, notes that financial incentives for the installation of solar panels on the roofs of Council houses are being cut from January 2016;

(d)       understands that there are approximately 1,200 Council houses due to have new roofs in the time frame and this provides an ideal opportunity for the solar panels to be installed at the same time;

(e)       believes this would enable Council tenants to benefit from a renewable carbon free energy source and save on their energy bills; and

(f)        therefore calls upon the Administration to act rapidly to make use of the window of opportunity before the financial incentives are withdrawn.

That this Council:

(a)       notes that:

(i)         1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem in any given year;

(ii)        the World Health Organisation predicts that depression will be the second most common health condition worldwide by 2020;

(iii)       mental ill health costs some £105 billion each year in England alone;

(iv)       people with a severe mental illness die up to 20 years younger than their peers in the UK; and

(v)        there is often a circular relationship between mental health and issues such as housing, employment, family problems or debt;

(b)       believes that:

(i)         as a local authority we have a crucial role to play in improving the mental health of everyone in our community and tackling some of the widest and most entrenched inequalities in health;

(ii)        mental health should be a priority across all the local authority’s areas of responsibility, including housing, community safety and planning; and

(iii)       all Councillors, whether members of the Executive or Scrutiny and in our community and casework roles, can play a positive role in championing mental health on an individual and strategic basis; and

(c)        resolves to:

(i)         sign the Local Authorities’ Mental Health Challenge run by Centre for Mental Health, Mental Health Foundation, Mental Health Providers Forum, Mind, Rethink Mental Illness, Royal College of Psychiatrists and YoungMinds;

(ii)        commit to appoint an elected member as ‘mental health champion’ across the Council;

(iii)       seek to identify a member of staff within the Council to act as ‘lead officer’ for mental health;

(iv)       support positive mental health in our community, including in local schools, neighbourhoods and workplaces;

(v)        work to reduce inequalities in mental health in our community; and

(vi)       work with local partners to offer effective support for people with mental health needs.

That this Council:

(a)       notes concerns raised by South Yorkshire Migration and Asylum Action Group about G4S’ performance in their implementation of the Home Office’s commercial contract COMPASS to house asylum seekers in Sheffield;

(b)       is pleased that the practice of forced bedroom sharing between unrelated adults in G4S-managed properties will be stopped following changes to the Council’s Houses of Multiple Occupation policy, which is currently out for consultation; and

(c)        asks the Chief Executive to write to the Rt. Hon. James Brokenshire MP, the Minister of State for Immigration, to express the Council’s strong concerns at the reported treatment of asylum seekers covered by the COMPASS contract, and call for a review of COMPASS with the well-being and fair treatment of those claiming asylum being its clear priority.

That this Council:

(a)       welcomes that progress is being made and that three potential developers for the Sheffield Retail Quarter have been announced;

(b)       welcomes that a planning application has been made;

(c)        fully supports the concept of enhancing the city centre and retail offer for Sheffield;

(d)       notes that the Council has had high level professional advice to get to this stage, which has resulted in substantial costs for the Council; and

(e)       therefore would expect that we have now reached a stage where the scheme is close to being finalised and would expect no more delays or major alterations to the scheme which would incur further costs.

That this Council:

(a)       believes that climate change is one of the most significant challenges facing the world today, and that policy-makers and elected representatives at all levels of government have a moral responsibility to take the necessary actions to mitigate it;

(b)       notes that vital international climate talks (‘COP21’) are scheduled to start in Paris, France on 30th November 2015, and believes that citizen pressure on all national governments will be crucial to ensure they put forward strong commitments to action on climate in order to help create a zero-poverty, zero-carbon world;

(c)        therefore, calls upon central government to approach the COP21 talks with a commitment to adopting substantial cuts to UK emissions in the short term, taking into account the UK’s position as a leading global emitter of greenhouse gases both historically and today, with a view to reaching a global agreement to limit global temperature rises to below 2 degrees Celsius;

(d)       recalls that there is huge job potential from climate action, with the third edition of the 'One Million Climate Jobs' report (supported by trade unions and environmental groups) demonstrating how 150 million new jobs could be created worldwide by an effective mitigation programme, or 1 million in the UK, which could equate to 10,000 jobs in Sheffield;

(e)       believes that city-level action is feasible and can be significant, as shown by Climate Smart Cities worldwide, and that action taken in Sheffield could also contribute towards addressing many other priorities including fuel poverty, poor air quality and local economic regeneration;

(f)        instructs officers to use appropriate opportunities (for example responses to relevant consultations, and discussions on any 'devolution deal') to encourage central government to act on reducing UK emissions, especially calling for government to enable and fund large-scale local energy-savings schemes and renewable energy generation led by local councils;

(g)       urges the Administration to examine how a large-scale climate action programme in Sheffield of home insulation, public transport, energy efficiency and renewable energy generation could help to deliver the Council’s priorities on health, economy and fairness, and to plan how to achieve these benefits;

(h)       believes that the Council should take the opportunity of news coverage of COP21 to increase awareness and interest locally in the need for, and potential benefits of, climate action in Sheffield and nationally, by:

(i)         responding with energy and imagination to the report of the Green Commission, and publicising how climate action can help Sheffield’s citizens; and

(ii)        using appropriate avenues to publicise the ‘Time for the Climate’ event on Saturday 28th November 2015, being run by Sheffield Climate Alliance, to all Council employees, for example through a suitable public display (e.g. a banner on the Town Hall), and in media releases;

(i)         calls on Members to consider participating in the ‘Time for the Climate’ event on 28th November, and to help to raise awareness of this and the national ‘Time to Act’ demonstration in London on 29th November, through their networks and with their constituents; and  ...  view the full agenda text for item 15.

That this Council:

(a)       notes the announcement from the Royal Mail on the proposed closure of the Ecclesall Road sorting office;

(b)       believes the alternative sorting office on Pond Street in the City Centre would lead to difficulties collecting undelivered post and parcels for those in S11 with disabilities or problems with transport arrangements;

(c)        is also worried about parking arrangements for private transport users at the Pond Street office; and

(d)       therefore calls on the Council to:

(i)         ask the Royal Mail to consider the difficulties the residents of S11 would experience by moving the collection and distribution of mail presently carried out at the above sorting office to Pond Street; and

(ii)        ask that Royal Mail consults with local people, Council representatives and the local MPs before taking any action.

That this Council:

(a)       congratulates the Women’s Institute on their Centenary Year and wishes them  every success in the future;

(b)       acknowledges the positive impact they have made to the lives of women and families throughout the Country; and

(c)        requests that a copy of this Notice of Motion be forwarded to the National Federation of Women’s Institutes.

That this Council:

(a)       recalls that, following the submission of a petition of over 10,000 signatures to the full Council meeting on July 1st, the Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport established a ‘Tree Forum’ to discuss issues around street trees in Sheffield;

(b)       further, recalls that the petition that was presented cited the signatories’ concerns:

(i)         over the management of trees in the course of the Streets Ahead contract with highways contractor Amey, especially as it related to the felling of mature, healthy street trees and planting of new tree sapling programme, and;

(ii)        that there had been insufficient public consultation around the tree felling and replacement programme, including its implementation on individual streets;

(c)        therefore regards the establishment of the Tree Forum as a potential first step in restoring public faith and trust in Sheffield City Council’s management of the City’s tree stock, including street trees;

(d)       however believes that, under current arrangements, the Tree Forum has not lived up to its potential, and in fact risks serving to validate the current tree felling and replacement policy rather than offering the opportunity for genuine changes to the Council’s policy direction to be made;

(e)       notes that the topic of the first Tree Forum on 23rd July 2015 was the Council’s ‘six Ds’ criteria for tree felling, and that the topic of the second Tree Forum on 2nd September was ‘sensitive engineering solutions’, and further believes that, although these are worthy topics for public discussion and debate as well as expert engagement, it is deeply concerning that they may not have been settled to the Administration’s satisfaction prior to the first two and a half years of the Streets Ahead Programme (including mass street tree felling) being conducted;

(f)        therefore urges the Administration to revisit its attitude towards the Tree Forum and to seize the opportunity that further meetings of the Forum could present for genuine and positive engagement with the public on issues surrounding trees, including street trees; and

(g)       further, urges the Administration to ensure that the Tree Forum and the wider public have the opportunity to have a genuine voice in the development of the forthcoming Tree Strategy for Sheffield, whose development was announced by the Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport on 8th June 2015.

That this Council:

(a)       notes with regret the Government’s decision to abolish the centrally administered Independent Living Fund (ILF), effective from 1st July 2015, and that responsibility for any continuance of payments to former ILF recipients now lies with local authorities;

(b)       recalls that the ILF had been established in 1988 to help people with disabilities to live independently rather than relying on residential care;

(c)        notes with dismay reports from the disability charity Scope that “the closure of the Independent Living Fund … [is] likely to lead to fewer disabled people being able to live independently.”, and from Disabled People Against Cuts that the impact of the closure of the ILF would be “devastating” to disabled people;

(d)       believes that, wherever appropriate, individuals with disabilities who wish to live independently should be given the support they need to do so;

(e)       therefore believes that, locally, ILF money should be ring-fenced to those individuals who are both eligible for adult social care and who need support to live independently;

(f)        further, calls upon the Government to:

(i)         reinstate the Independent Living Fund as a centrally administered and paid fund for the support of disabled individuals who wish to live independently; and

(ii)        failing clause (f)(i) above, to maintain the central government payment to local authorities for the administration of localised ILF payments at at least the 2015 level for at least the duration of the current Parliament; and

(g)       instructs that a copy of this motion be sent to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.