Agenda and minutes

In the absence of the Lord Mayor (Councillor Jayne Dunn) at the commencement of the meeting, the Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor Safiya Saeed) chaired the meeting up to and including item 6 on the agenda (Members’ Questions).

1.1

The Deputy Lord Mayor reported with sadness, the death, on 15th September 2024, of Councillor Paul Wood who had served as a Member of the Council since 2014, firstly representing the City’s Richmond Ward and then the Woodhouse Ward from 2016.

1.2

She also reported the death, on 8th September, of former Councillor Frank Prince who was Lord Mayor of the City in the Municipal Year 1986/87.

1.3

Members of the Council observed a minute’s silence in memory of Councillor Wood and former Councillor Prince.  After the completion of the business of the meeting, several Members of the Council spoke to pay tribute to Councillor Wood.

2.1

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Elle Dodd, Terry Fox, Craig Gamble Pugh, Ian Horner, Abdul Khayum, Barbara Masters, Shaffaq Mohammed, Maroof Raouf, Richard Shaw and Gail Smith.

3.1

There were no items of business identified where resolutions may be moved to exclude the press and public.

4.1

There were no declarations of interest made by Members of the Council.

5.1

Public Petitions, Questions and Statements

The Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor Safiya Saeed) reported that one petition was to be received at the meeting.  No questions had been received from members of the public on matters relating to items of business on the agenda for the meeting, and no statements had been received from the public.     She added that written responses to questions received from two members of the public on matters relating to the remit of full Council had been provided to the questioners and published on the Council’s website in advance of the meeting, and one supplementary question arising from those responses had been received.

5.2

Petition Calling on the Council to Implement a Residents’ Parking Scheme in Crookes

The Council received an e-petition containing 6 signatures calling on the Council to implement a residents’ parking scheme on Forres Road, Nairn Street and Lydgate Lane, Crookes.

The lead petitioner, Karen Littlewood, was present at the meeting but had indicated that she did not wish to speak to make representations upon the petition.

The petition was referred to Councillor Ben Miskell (Chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee) to respond.  Councillor Miskell thanked the petitioner for bringing the petition. He advised that he understood the frustration people had in the city, regarding parking, and that it was certainly a problem in Crookes, where he was aware of the pressures, especially during peak working hours.  He added that this was largely due to workers at the hospitals and university, parking in the area. This was an issue which had been brought to his attention by the ward councillors, Councillor Minesh Parekh and Councillor Ruth Milsom who had been gathering evidence informally for some time. They had also met with transport officers to discuss the feasibility of addressing the problem.

Councillor Miskell explained that implementing schemes like permit parking was incredibly costly, for example a larger, area-wide scheme with permit parking and pay-and-display bays could cost over £500,000 to introduce.  Proposals that covered just a few streets, as the petition proposed, often was not viable due to the high costs and the risk of shifting the parking problem to nearby streets. Therefore, the Council needed to think about solutions across a larger area, as well as tackling the root cause of the problem.

Councillor Miskell outlined that parking schemes were just one way to tackle the issue of problem parking.  He stated that Transport officers regularly engaged with large employers to encourage more active and sustainable commuting options. This was part of the broader approach needed to address parking challenges in the area. The Council also recognised the need for long-term solutions, particularly when it came to commuter parking, and improving public transport was a key part of that.

Councillor Miskell stated that he was pleased that South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard, had brought the trams back into public ownership and was working hard to bring buses under local control. In Councillor Miskell’s view, once that happened, the Council  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

6.1

Urgent Business

With the permission of the Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor Safiya Saeed), Councillors Penny Baker and Douglas Johnson asked the following questions relating to urgent business, under the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 16.6:-

Councillor Baker - The South Yorkshire Mayor recently announced that there is a £65 million hole in the budget of South Yorkshire Police due to a “significant error in the accounts”.

1.       When will we know more about the impact this deficit will have on police services?

2.       Who are the external auditors that will be conducting the independent inquiry ordered by the Mayor?

3.       What is the proposed timescale of the inquiry ordered by the Mayor?

4.       What representation has been made by the Mayoral Combined Authority or the Mayor to the Government regarding this issue?

Councillor Johnson –

1.       Given that £65 million is 20% of the entire annual budget of South Yorkshire Police and more than the whole of the policing precept paid by Sheffield residents on council tax bills, what initial assessment has been made of the probable impact on front-line policing in Sheffield?

2.       What assessment has been made of the likely impact on council services?

In response, Councillor Tom Hunt (the Leader of the Council and the Council’s representative on the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority) confirmed that the safety and security of communities in South Yorkshire would remain the first priority of the South Yorkshire Mayor, and of South Yorkshire Police.

Councillor Hunt explained that the Mayoral Combined Authority (MCA) had identified potential accounting errors and a report, which was made public by the MCA the previous week, had set out a number of practical steps which were underway and ongoing.  He added that this would include engagement with the MCA Audit Committee (whose membership included Members of this Council) and with the external auditors, to notify them of the issue and of the intent to work with them.

Councillor Hunt reported that there would also be engagement with external stakeholders, including the MCA Board, the Police and Crime Panel (whose membership included Members of this Council), and with the Government, to notify them of the issue, and of the MCA’s intent to work with them on a way forward.  Also, a review would be commissioned to understand what had happened.

Councillor Hunt emphasised that until those steps had been concluded, it was not possible to provide further information, and he would not pre-empt ongoing conversations. He advised that South Yorkshire Police and the MCA would provide further information in due course.

6.2

Written Questions

6.2.1

A schedule of questions, submitted in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 16, and which contained written answers, was circulated.  Members of the Council are able to ask the Leader of the Council, or any Policy Committee or Sub-Committee or Regulatory Committee Chairs, or Members appointed by the Council to serve on the South Yorkshire Joint Authorities, the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, or any other external body or joint committee,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.1

At this point in the proceedings, the Lord Mayor (Councillor Jayne Dunn) entered the meeting and chaired the remainder of the proceedings.

7.2

It was moved by Councillor Alison Norris, and seconded by Councillor Gareth Slater, that:-

this Council notes:-

(a)      it is estimated that 1 in 6 people in England report a common mental health problem, such as anxiety or depression, in any given week (NHS Digital 2016);

(b)      analysis suggests that 10 million people (8.5 million adults and 1.5 million children and young people) in England now require support for their mental health (O’Shea, 2021);

(c)      this year’s world Mental Health Day on 10th October highlights the importance of addressing mental health and wellbeing in the workplace;

this Council:-

(d)      believes it is vital to address mental health issues in the workplace, which can affect wellbeing and morale, so we can develop our workforce and deliver high quality services and support;

(e)      further believes we need to raise awareness and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and create cultures where all workers can thrive;

(f)       applauds the nurses, mental health support workers, volunteers, self-help and VCF groups working in this field across the city;

(g)      believes that trade union representatives have a vital role in addressing mental health problems in the workplace by raising awareness of mental health and wellbeing issues and offering support to people experiencing poor mental health, representing members on workplace issues, and negotiating appropriate workplace policies and procedures;

(h)      believes that the Council’s online Workplace Wellbeing resource is a great first step and provides a valuable toolkit signposting staff to appropriate support when required;

(i)       welcomes legislative changes to end fire and rehire and ban exploitative zero-hour contracts, which will make work more family-friendly which is an essential part of ensuring good mental health at work;

(j)       welcomes the Council’s new All-Age Emotional and Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy and the commitment to partnership, involvement of people with lived experience, and co-production which has characterised its development;

(k)      welcomes the Government’s plans to create Young Futures Hubs and ensure every young person has access to a specialist mental health professional at school;

this Council resolves to:-

(l)       ensure mental and emotional health and wellbeing are valued the same as physical health, and that they are made everyone’s business;

(m)     ensure mental wellness, resilience and the prevention of illness are promoted pro-actively; and

(n)      explore further opportunities for family-friendly policies and improving work/life balance, all of which help to support good mental health.

7.3

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Sophie Thornton, and seconded by Councillor Tim Huggan, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by:-

1.       the addition of new paragraphs (h) and (i) as follows, and the re-lettering of the original paragraph (h) as a new paragraph (j):-

(h)      believes that the establishment of a statutory, independent Mental Health Commissioner would provide greater representation for people in all areas struggling with mental health problems;

(i)       believes that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

8.1

It was moved by Councillor Will Sapwell, and seconded by Councillor Sophie Thornton, that this Council:-

notes:-

(a)      the UK Government currently has a Youth Mobility Scheme in place with several non-EU countries, allowing a set number of young people to live and work in those countries for a specified duration of time, on a reciprocal basis;

(b)      in April 2024, the European Commission proposed a Youth Mobility Scheme between the UK and the EU;

(c)      the proposed Youth Mobility Scheme was rejected by both the previous and current Governments;

(d)      red tape at the UK/EU border has prevented children from taking part in overseas educational trips and that the School Travel Forum has reported a 30% reduction in overseas educational visits between 2019 and 2023;

(e)      between 2007 and 2013 the UK received over £500m more in funding from the EU for education and training than it invested in the Erasmus plus scheme;

(f)       the UK ceased participation in the Erasmus plus scheme in 2021 under the then Conservative government and the new government has not committed to rejoining the scheme;

(g)      barriers to touring erected by Brexit have impacted 30% of musicians, with lowest earners losing 49% of EU revenue on average;

believes that:-

(h)      the former government erected significant barriers to young people with their botched deal with Europe, including removing the right of young people to move, live and work across EU countries;

(i)       young people should not face such barriers to travelling, living and working in Europe;

(j)       Sheffield’s universities, manufacturing and healthcare sectors, and local economy would all benefit from accessing the Youth Mobility Scheme;

(k)      Sheffield’s cultural offering, if given easier access to European countries, would enrich the lives of our neighbours;

(l)       every opportunity should be taken to repair the country’s broken relationship with Europe;

resolves to ask the Leader of the Council to write to the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, calling for him to:-

(m)     open negotiations with the EU and EEA to extend the Youth Mobility Scheme on a reciprocal basis to EU countries;

(n)      expand opportunities for young people to study, teach and volunteer abroad by returning to the Erasmus Plus programme as an associated country; and

(o)      open discussions with the EU with the goal of reaching a reciprocal exemption from electronic travel authorisation schemes.

8.2

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Fran Belbin, and seconded by Councillor Ben Miskell, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by:-

1.       the deletion of all the words after paragraph (l); and

2.       the addition of new paragraphs (m) to (r) as follows:-

(m)     notes the new government has promised to mend the broken relationships with the EU, which was left behind by the previous government, prioritising a new UK-EU security pact, improvements to the UK’s trade and investment relationship with the EU, and further agreements on agricultural products, and greatly welcomes these developments;

(n)      supports the Government’s work in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

9.1

It was moved by Councillor Rob Bannister, and seconded by Councillor Ibby Ullah, that this Council:-

(a)      notes with immense pride the outstanding achievements of Sheffield athletes who represented Team GB at the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris;

(b)      believes these athletes demonstrated extraordinary skill and dedication to compete in Paris;

(c)      recognises the invaluable contribution of Sheffield’s sporting infrastructure, training facilities, and local sporting communities in supporting these athletes on their journey to the world stage, noting that Sheffield is home to some of the best sporting facilities in the country, including the English Institute of Sport and Ponds Forge International Sports Centre;

(d)      notes with pride that Sheffield has long been a hub for Olympic and Paralympic development through hosting training sessions, national competitions, and creating pathways for athletes to succeed from grassroots to elite levels;

(e)      further notes with pride that Sheffield is home to GB Boxing, British Para Table Tennis, Para Badminton, Ice Hockey UK, British Ice Skating, Skateboard GB, and the City of Sheffield Diving Club, one of 5 British Diving national performance hubs;

(f)       believes that the success of Sheffield’s athletes reflects the city’s wider culture of inclusivity, perseverance, and ambition, and believes that Sheffield’s commitment to inclusivity in sports has been instrumental in ensuring that all athletes have opportunities to succeed;

in light of these achievements, resolves to:-

(g)      congratulate all Sheffield athletes and their coaches for their exceptional performances in the Paris 2024 Games;

(h)      support the Council’s Sport and Leisure Strategy (2023-2033) and our commitment to investing in an active Sheffield, to inspire people of all ages and abilities, and improve health and wellbeing through continued investment and promotion of sports infrastructure, from grassroots to elite level;

(i)       celebrate the city’s status as the Outdoor City, recognising the role that our parks and outdoor spaces play in promoting healthy, active lifestyles; and

(j)       wish all of our athletes and sporting clubs success for the upcoming year.

9.2

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Kurtis Crossland, and seconded by Councillor Richard Williams, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by:-

1.       the addition, in paragraph (e), of the words “Goalball UK” after the words “Para Badminton”.

2.       the addition of a new paragraph (j) as follows, and the re-lettering of the original paragraph (j) as a new paragraph (k):-

(j)       reaffirm our commitment to addressing the differential in life expectancy across the city by promoting the Sports and Leisure Strategy and investing in sports and leisure buildings to provide access to high quality indoor and outdoor facilities for all residents of Sheffield;

9.3

It was then moved by Councillor Marieanne Elliot, and seconded by Councillor Brian Holmshaw, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by:-

1.       the addition, in paragraph (a), of the words “and IOC Refugee Olympic Team” after the words “Team GB”.

2.       the addition of a new paragraph (h) as follows, and the re-lettering of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

10.1

It was moved by Councillor Kurtis Crossland, and seconded by Councillor Rebecca Atkinson, that this Council:-

notes:-

(a)      the distress caused to residents over the uncertainty regarding the potential removal of the 25% council tax discount for single person households, following the Deputy Prime Minister’s refusal to rule it out during weeks of questioning;

(b)      that according to the 2023 Council Taxbase statistics, over 8 million households across the country, particularly in the North of England, have been left anxious about potential financial hardship due to this uncertainty;

(c)      that many of those potentially affected are pensioners who have already endured the removal of their Winter Fuel Payment this year, compounding financial struggles;

(d)      that removing the discount would not only affect pensioners but also impact single parents, first-time buyers and those fleeing domestic violence;

believes that:-

(e)      the Single Person Council Tax Discount needs to remain to provide essential financial relief to those who rely on it;

(f)       after only four months, the Government appears to be targeting the most vulnerable in society, as evidenced by the removal of the Winter Fuel Payment for pensioners and the anxiety caused over the potential loss of the Single Person Council Tax Discount;

(g)      targeting the most vulnerable in our society is unjust and exacerbates inequality, eroding the social safety nets that protect those in need;

(h)      Sheffield residents deserve stability and respect rather than fear and confusion;

(i)       those with the broadest shoulders should bear the brunt of any tax rises and it is fair to ask those who are more able to contribute more, rather than placing the burden on those already struggling;

(j)       there are other methods to raise council tax income, such as increasing taxes on properties purchased as second homes;

(k)      there are alternative ways that exist to secure much-needed funds, such as reversing cuts made to banks by the previous government, redirecting resources from those who can most afford it to those who need it most;

resolves to:-

(l)       oppose any attempt to abolish the Single Person Council Tax Discount;

(m)     call on the Government to provide assurances that policies affecting vulnerable households will be communicated clearly and considerately to prevent unnecessary distress; and

(n)      ask the Chief Executive to write to the Deputy Prime Minister conveying this message and highlighting the detrimental impact of recent policies on the most vulnerable in our community.

10.2

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Laura Moynahan, and seconded by Councillor Ruth Milsom, 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 new paragraphs (a) to (g):-

(a)      notes that the incoming government faces a reported £22 billion financial blackhole, and believes that whilst we need a full comprehensive spending review it is welcome the Government has indicated that the single person council tax discount will remain;

(b)      welcomes the commitment by the Government to not raise taxes  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

11.1

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: On the motion formally moved by Councillor Mary Lea and formally seconded by Councillor Joe Otten, that the minutes of the ordinary meeting of the Council held on 4th September 2024 be approved as a true and accurate record.

12.1

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: On the motion formally moved by Councillor Mary Lea and formally seconded by Councillor Joe Otten, that:-

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

Health Scrutiny Sub-Committee

-

Ms Lucy Davies (Healthwatch) to fill a vacancy as Independent Co-Optee.

Charity Trustee Sub-Committee

-

Councillors Rebecca Atkinson and Tim Huggan to fill vacancies as substitute members of the Sub-Committee.

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

Sheffield Carers and Young Carers Board

-

Councillor Toby Mallinson to replace Councillor Dawn Dale.

(NOTE: The above appointments incorporate the appointment of Councillors Rebecca Atkinson and Tim Huggan to fill vacancies as substitute members of the Charity Trustee Sub-Committee, which were reported to the meeting by Councillor Joe Otten as an addition to the schedule of appointments circulated to the meeting.)