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5.1
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A petition had been received
from Georgia Milne which had received 12 signatures:
“Save Land at Rock Street
and Neville Drive as Community Green Space
We the undersigned petition the
council to withdraw the sale of the green space at Rock Street and
Neville Drive (S3 9JB) to instead preserve it for use as a
community green space. Recognising the critical shortage of
council-run allotments and community green spaces in the local
Burngreave and Kelham neighbourhoods, we urge the council to
reconsider the sale of this land for private development. Instead,
we propose that the space be repurposed for the benefit of the
community, either as social housing or as a dedicated green area
accessible to all residents. We therefore request the council to: -
Reevaluate the decision to sell council-owned green spaces,
particularly the 2 acres at Rock Street and Neville Drive (S3 9JB).
-Consider alternative uses for the land that prioritise the
well-being and recreational needs of the local community, such as
community gardens, allotments, public parks, or social housing.
-Engage in open dialogue with local residents to gather input on
the future use of this green space.
We are greatly concerned by
Sheffield Council's recent decision to put up five council-owned
green spaces for private sale, including 2 acres of land at Rock
Street and Neville Drive (S3 9JB). In light of the limited access
to community green spaces in the Burngreave and Kelham areas, we
believe that preserving this land as a community green space is
crucial for the well-being and recreational needs of local
residents.
The local areas of Burngreave
and Kelham are underserved in their access to community green
spaces, such as council-run gardens or allotments. If the council's
suggestion that 24 privately owned dwellings be built on the land
is carried out, this will not only remove a large area of green
space from the existing community but also increase the local
demand for accessible green spaces.
It is well-known that once
publicly owned land is sold, the chances of it being returned to
public ownership are slim. Therefore, we strongly advocate for a
comprehensive plan to retain public ownership of this green space,
ensuring its continued use for the greater good of the local
community.”
There was no speaker to this
petition therefore a written response would be provided.
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5.2
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Zak Viney attend the meeting
and asked the following question:
On the 7th February, I attended
Full Council - asking Sheffield City Council to consider more
ethical policies related to outdoor advertising.
Cllr Ben Miskell, Chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate
Policy Committee, recommended I attend today’s meeting of the
Finance committee, where the council’s new advertising and
sponsorship policy is to be discussed. Cllr Miskell said Sheffield
would look to draw on best practice from around the country and
take an ethical approach to products and services. So it will be
great to see the council joining the likes of Cambridgeshire
County, Somerset and Coventry City Councils who have adopted strong
policies against harmful advertising.
I’m excited to attend this meeting today to share my
proposals with the council, which have been advised by experts in
this matter, the campaign Ad Free Cities - whom themselves this
month released a startling report, showing the majority of
advertisements in England & Wales were placed in poorer areas.
Notably in Sheffield, 60% of adverts were placed in the poorest 3
deciles, with only 2% in its most affluent third.
As I mentioned on February 7th, these adverts thrive on
insecurities, debt and unhappiness - promoting consumerism in an
age of climate breakdown and economic inequality. Sheffield Green
Party has asked the council to consider a policy which does not
support high carbon industries and products harmful to people and
nature. As a representative of the Sheffield climate and social
justice movement, I’d support this approach, with such a
policy seeking to regulate adverts for products such as junk food,
alcohol, gambling, SUVs and all polluting cars, fossil fuel
financiers, airlines, airports and destinations that necessitate
air travel.
A note that advertising of these products undermines the
council’s own policies related to Clean Air, health and
wellbeing. The council could also consider, if for profit
advertising must be used, to prioritise promotion of local
Sheffield businesses, as opposed to multinational corporations that
overwhelmingly pollute our public realm with their advertisements.
Evidence from a ban on junk food advertising across the TFL network
in London shows that the ban has not led to any drop in revenue for
the authority, and once more it has prevented 100,000 cases of
obesity as well as thousands of cases of diabetes and
cardiovascular disease, and could save the NHS more than £200
million.
A proactive measure from the Finance committee could help us create
a happier, healthier Sheffield, freed from the pressures of harmful
advertising. Taking action on this issue can discourage mass
consumerism, an attitude which is driving climate and ecological
breakdown, as well as harming wellbeing and local resilience.
While a policy to restrict harmful advertising will be a great step
forwards, many sites that are not under the council's control will
still not be affected. Given the harms caused, the deliberately
intrusive nature of digital advertising, and the relationship
between outdoor advertising and inequalities as I mentioned
earlier, I would very much like to see Sheffield ban and remove
such advertising altogether.
The Chair responded with the
following answer:
The Council does not have powers to ban and remove advertising out
of its control, but we are going to do everything we can for
advertising that is within our control.
The display of advertisements is subject to a separate consent
process within the planning system. This is principally set out in
theTown
and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England)
Regulations 2007.
Advertisements are controlled with reference to their effect on
amenity and public safety.
The Council is involved in decisions about advertising sites where
an application requires the express consent of the local planning
authority. When making decisions the local planning authority is
limited in its powers, with decisions being based on set conditions
which are detailed in the Regulations at Schedule 2, as shown
below...
All advertisements, whether they
require consent or not, are subject to the standard conditions
in
Schedule 2 to the Regulations. These are:
1.
no advertisement is to be displayed
without the permission of the owner of the site on which they are
displayed (this includes the highway authority, if the sign is to
be placed on highway land);
2.
no advertisement is to be displayed
which would obscure, or hinder the interpretation of, official
road, rail, waterway or aircraft signs, or otherwise make hazardous
the use of these types of transport;
3.
any advertisement must be maintained in
a condition that does not impair the visual amenity of the
site;
4.
any advertisement hoarding or structure
is to be kept in a condition which does not endanger the public;
and
5.
if an advertisement is required to be
removed, the site must be left in a condition that does not
endanger the public or impair visual amenity.
Decisions must be assessed on this basis. However, as
per number 1 of these conditions, permission must be sought from
the landowner. Where the Council is the landowner, it can refuse
permission for an advertisement to be displayed.
Local planning decisions can be appealed with the
Planning Inspectorate, which deals with planning appeals, national
infrastructure planning applications, examinations of local plans
and other planning-related and specialist casework in
England.
The proposed Advertising and Sponsorship Policy for
Sheffield is one of the most ambitious policies in the country. It
recognises the impact of influential advertising within our
communities and that advertisements are sometimes targeted towards
our most vulnerable, those on low-income and areas of high
deprivation. The policy goes further than national legislation to
align with the Council’s plan, values and
commitments.
The Council is working hard to support health and
environmental improvements, and it is important that action is
taken where possible to minimise exposure to products to get a
better outcome from our people and planet.
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