Agenda and minutes

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

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.

That this Council:-

(a)       recognises the contribution that the Yemeni community has made to the city through their work, including in the steel industry;

(b)       notes that the current situation in Yemen is widely regarded as the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, and that the country is on the brink of the world’s worst famine for a hundred years;

(c)        believes the horrors in Yemen cannot be underestimated:-

(i)         85,000 children have died as a result of starvation;

(ii)        13 to 14 million people are at risk of starvation, including five million children;

(iii)       22 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance;

(iv)       the conflict has given rise to the worst outbreak of cholera in modern times, with the World Health Organisation citing 10,000 suspected cases every week; and

(v)        since Yemen’s cholera epidemic erupted in April 2017, a total of 1.2 million suspected cases have been reported, with 2,515 deaths, and with children accounting for 30 per cent of infections;

(d)       believes that the crisis shames us all, and condemns the Saudi-led coalition for using starvation as a weapon of war, a clear breach of international law;

(e)       believes the UK government should be doing much more to resolve the crisis, and supports the United Nations’ (UN) call for the cessation of hostilities, and urges all parties engaged in this conflict to immediately stop the fighting and come together around the negotiating table to end the humanitarian crisis;

(f)        asks all UK political parties to reconvene a parliamentary debate on the Yemen crisis and to endorse the UN sponsored ceasefire unreservedly, and use its influence to open direct UK level talks for the purposes of achieving peace in Yemen;

(g)       welcomes the efforts of the Special Envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, and urges the Envoy and the UN to maximise their efforts to find a quick and immediate solution to prevent one of the biggest humanitarian catastrophes ever;

(h)       recognises that many Yemeni’s in Sheffield will have family and friends that are affected by the humanitarian crisis, and supports efforts to raise funds for the crisis in Yemen, including the provision of food supplies, clothing, childcare products and medicines, through the support of the wider community;

(i)         supports the development of the Sheffield for Humanitarian Aid and Peace project in raising funds and sending aid to areas affected by the humanitarian crisis; and

(j)         requests that a copy of this motion is sent to all Sheffield Members of Parliament.

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)       welcomes that in the most recent OFSTED reports, more than two thirds of secondary schools in Sheffield are rated as outstanding or good;

(b)       believes this is due to the dedication that staff, young people and their families have put into the education of young people in Sheffield;

(c)        however, notes that there are a number of schools still underperforming and are rated as requiring improvement or inadequate or are in special measures;

(d)       notes these schools are Forge Valley, Chaucer, Yewlands, Ecclesfield, Stocksbridge, Bradfield, Westfield, Birley, Outwood and Sheffield Springs;

(e)       further notes that out of these underperforming schools, six are clustered in the same area in the North of Sheffield and four are clustered in the same area in the South/South East of Sheffield, limiting the choice and availability to young people in these particular areas;

(f)        notes that in the North this is approximately 6,700 young people and in the South it is approximately 4,000 young people, amounting to 32% of young people in this city attending a school which is underperforming;

(g)       notes this is not good for the future prosperity of our city, or the life chances of the young people attending these schools; and

(h)       calls on the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills and Learn Sheffield to meet with the academy trusts operating these schools and work with them to develop a plan to improve these schools in the North and South/South East and other schools in similar circumstances across the city.

That this Council:-

(a)       notes that the South Yorkshire devolution deal, agreed with government in 2015 and supported by this Council in 2016, remains unimplemented, with the result that the city region does not have access to the agreed £30m/year gain-share funds, and that the powers agreed as part of the deal have not been devolved to the Mayor and Combined Authority;

(b)       further notes that, as a result of not having an implemented mayoral powers order, the Combined Authority has not been able to access other government funding streams, such as the top-sliced element of the Transforming Cities Fund that has been made available to other Mayoral Combined Authorities, and notes recent reports that not implementing the deal is costing the region up to £75 million in investment;

(c)        supports the Mayor’s manifesto commitment that “any new mayoralty should begin with the implementation of the 2015 agreement”;

(d)       believes that, following recent comments by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, that “there is already a deal that is on the table in Sheffield in terms of seeing that Sheffield City Region with its Mayor being able to get on and deliver for that community and to unlock the funding for that part of South Yorkshire. Therefore, I think that’s where our focus needs to be, obviously I will continue to look at devolution arrangements for Yorkshire but the priority needs to be getting the Sheffield City Region up and running delivering for that community and with it getting behind that deal, making it happen so we can then look at what other devolution arrangements maybe appropriate for Yorkshire”, it is clearer than ever that the South Yorkshire Deal is the only deal on the table and there should be no further delay to implementing the deal; and

(e)       calls upon the Sheffield City Region Mayor to bring forward all necessary measures to implement the South Yorkshire Deal and believes that this should be done by the end of January at the latest.

That this Council:-

(a)       welcomes the new security arrangements put in place to protect the local people of Sheffield and visitors to the City whilst shopping at the Fargate ‘Christmas’ Market;

(b)       believes that this is a sensible precaution by placing large concrete blocks to prevent vehicular access, at the top and bottom of Fargate, although is saddened that these measures have had to be taken, but which are necessary in view of what has taken place at other events where crowds gather;

(c)        will do all it can to ensure that everyone can go about their business this Christmas period, feeling safe and secure, whilst enjoying the Christmas festive period; and

(d)       will do all it can to ensure that no group or individuals will try and disrupt any Christmas festivity taking place within the City of Sheffield, by putting in place the necessary security arrangements to ensure the safety of the people of Sheffield and its visitors.

Report of the Executive Director, Place.

Report of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee.

To receive the record of the proceedings of the meeting of the Council held on 7th November 2018 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.