Agenda and minutes

1.1

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Fran Belbin, Lewis Chinchen, Mike Drabble, Maleiki Haybe, Alison Norris, Martin Phipps, Vickie Priestley, Maroof Raouf and Paul Wood.

2.1

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

3.1

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

4.1

Mayoral Engagements/Events

4.1.1

The Lord Mayor (Councillor Colin Ross) reported that to mark the first anniversary of the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, a digital display of the book of condolences produced at the time, would be available in the Town Hall foyer.  This would tie in with the Town Hall Heritage Open Days.

4.1.2

The Lord Mayor then reported that he had visited Sheffield’s twin city of Bochum, Germany, the preceding weekend with the aim of reviving the links between the two cities.  Potential inks between universities, Chambers of Commerce and schools would be explored.

4.1.3

The Lord Mayor also reported that he was taking part in a fundraising event for St. Luke’s Hospices on 15^th September, walking 9 miles, and visiting several St. Luke’s shops on route.  He invited Members to meet him at shops in their own ward or to walk with him.

4.2

Petitions and Public Questions

The Lord Mayor (Councillor Colin Ross) reported that one petition was to be received at the meeting and questions would be taken from ten members of the public.  This included a written, postal question from a member of the public which, although only brought to his attention immediately prior to the meeting, had been posted to the Council prior to the published deadline for submission of petitions and questions for this meeting.  He therefore proposed to use his discretion, as chair of the meeting, and permit the question to be asked on this occasion.

4.3

Petition Calling On The Council To Allow A Front Seat Passenger In A Hackney Carriage Cab With A Partition But No Intercom

The Council received an electronic petition containing 22 signatures, calling on the Council to allow a front seat passenger in a hackney carriage cab with a partition but no intercom.

There was no speaker for this petition.

The petition was referred to Councillor Joe Otten (Chair of the Waste and Streetscene Policy Committee) to provide a written response to the organiser of the petition.

4.4

Public Questions

4.4.1

Question From Abdul Raheem

“I would like to ask Members of the Sheffield City Council why I have been sent PCN letters for entering Sheffield Clean Air Zone while my vehicle was exempt from Sheffield Clean Air Zone charges. A Council officer who works at Sheffield City Council financial support applications for CLEAN air zone department, e-mailed me that my vehicle was exempt from Sheffield Clean Air Zone charges until 26th of July 2023, yet I still received PCN letters on the 7th of August 2023. All PCN letters are dated from 26th June 2023 and 27th June 2023 and 28th June 2023 and 2nd of July 2023 - all these PCN letters I received on 7th of August 2023.  I have email evidence from a senior officer of exemption given to my vehicle registration number.”

Mr Raheem also added that council departments should work together more effectively on this matter and that paper was being wasted sending out unnecessary notices, which  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.1

RESOLVED: On the Motion of the Lord Mayor (Councillor Colin Ross), seconded by the Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor Jayne Dunn), that, in accordance with Council Procedure Rules 4 (Suspension and Amendment of Council Procedure Rules) and 11 (Motions which may be moved without notice), Council Procedure Rule 17.6 be suspended to remove the 25-minute time limit for this item of business and a new time limit of 45-minutes be set for the item.

5.2

It was moved by Councillor Tom Hunt, and seconded by Councillor Zahira Naz, that, as recommended in the report of the Executive Director, City Futures, published with this agenda, seeking approval of responses to representations received on the Publication Draft Sheffield Local Plan (‘The Draft Sheffield Plan’) and approval to submit the Plan and associated ‘submission documents’ to the Government for public examination, it be RESOLVED: That this Council:–

(a)      approves the recommended responses to the main issues raised in representations on the Publication Draft Plan set out in the Consultation Statement (already endorsed by the Strategy and Resources Policy Committee and presented in Appendix 2, 2c & 2f of the report);

(b)      approves the more detailed responses to the individual representations received on the Publication Draft Plan Part 1, Part 2, Annex B and the Glossary, as well as the responses to representations on the other submission documents (not previously considered by the Strategy and Resources Policy Committee unless the matter(s) raised was addressed as part of a ‘main issue’) – now set out in Appendix 2a, 2b, 2d, 2e and 2g of the report;

(c)       approves the suggested amendments to the Publication Draft Sheffield Plan set out in Appendix 3 of the report and shown as tracked changes within Appendices 5a-5e (which have already been endorsed by the Strategy and Resources Policy Committee);

(d)      approves the further suggested amendments to the Publication Draft Sheffield Plan summarised in the report and highlighted in red in Appendix 3 (also shown as tracked changes in Appendices 5a-5e);

(e)      approves the suggested other minor amendments to the Publication Draft Sheffield Plan set out in Appendix 4 of the report and shown as tracked changes within Appendices 5a-5e (which have already been endorsed by the Strategy and Resources Policy Committee);

(f)       approves the further suggested minor amendments to the Publication Draft Sheffield Plan highlighted in red in Appendix 4 (also shown as tracked changes in Appendices 5a-5e);

(g)      notes the ongoing evidence updates with respect to the relevant ‘submission documents’ as set out in Appendix 6 of the report;

(h)      endorses the Infrastructure Delivery Plan Part 2 (Appendix 7 of the report); and

(i)        approves submission of the Draft Sheffield Plan and associated documentation to the Government for independent examination.

5.3

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Joe Otten, and seconded by Councillor Andrew Sangar, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the addition of a new paragraph (i) as follows, and the re-lettering of original paragraph (i) as a new paragraph (j):-

(i)        requests  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

6.1

It was formally moved by Councillor Sue Alston, and formally seconded by Councillor Sioned-Mair Richards, that this Council:-

(a)      approves the changes to the various Parts of the Constitution, as outlined in sections 3.2 to 3.6 of the report of the General Counsel (and Monitoring Officer) now submitted, and as set out in appendices 1 to 18 of that report; and

(b)      approves that where the agenda of any Committee meeting has already been published but the meeting has not yet taken place, any change now approved to the remit of that Committee does not take effect until the conclusion of the meeting.

6.2

After contributions from three other Members, and following a right of reply from Councillor Sue Alston, it was:-

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY:  That this Council:-

(a)      approves the changes to the various Parts of the Constitution, as outlined in sections 3.2 to 3.6 of the report of the General Counsel (and Monitoring Officer) now submitted, and as set out in appendices 1 to 18 of that report; and

(b)      approves that where the agenda of any Committee meeting has already been published but the meeting has not yet taken place, any change now approved to the remit of that Committee does not take effect until the conclusion of the meeting.

7.1

Urgent Business

With the permission of the Lord Mayor (Councillor Colin Ross), Councillor Ian Auckland asked the following questions relating to urgent business, under the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 16.6(ii):-

Q1. Following the Government's order to over 100 schools across the country to immediately vacate buildings made of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, how many schools in Sheffield are affected by this order, and how is this Council working to support schools to begin the term as normal?

Q2. In particular, to what extent is Abbey Lane Primary School affected, and what support is Sheffield City Council offering this school?

Q3. Is the Council aware of the prevalence of RAAC in other Council owned or private buildings in Sheffield?

In response to questions 1 and 2, Councillor Dawn Dale (Chair of the Education, Children and Families Policy Committee) advised that no school in Sheffield had been affected by the change of policy by DfE and there had been no need to vacate any buildings. 

She stated that Abbey Lane school had been identified as having RAAC present in limited areas of the school in 2021.  Since then, mitigations had been put in place to keep Abbey Lane open, and work was taking place on site to replace the RAAC panels.  The work would be finished by 1st December 2023.  Temporary kitchen arrangements had been required as part of the affected area was over the school kitchen and these will remain in place until the school was fully handed back in December.

The Leader of the Council (Councillor Tom Hunt) responded to question 3.  He advised that the Council is reviewing its building data for buildings constructed between 1930 and 2000. As a precautionary measure, properties built within this period would be inspected in order to identify any that might have RAAC. Appropriate action to mitigate risks would be taken if RAAC was found.

He continued that RAAC had not been included in routine surveys, but it would be going forward.  He outlined the Council’s 5 phase process as follows:

1. A desktop study to gather information (which was already underway).

2. Looking for RAAC in any building where it could be present.

3. Appointing a Building Surveyor

4. Assessment of RAAC

5. Carrying out remedial works if required

He added that in his view the current situation had been brought about by 13 years of austerity and under investment in the public sector.

7.2

South Yorkshire Joint and Combined Authorities

There were no questions relating to the discharge of the functions of the South Yorkshire Joint Authorities for Fire and Rescue and Pensions and of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, under the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 16.6(i).

7.3

Written Questions

A schedule of questions to Chairs of Policy Committees, submitted in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 16, and which contained written answers, was circulated.  Supplementary questions, under the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 16.4, were asked and were answered by the appropriate Policy Committee Chairs  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

8.1

It was moved by Councillor Shaffaq Mohammed, and seconded by Councillor Barbara Masters, that this Council:-

(a)      notes with concern that:-

(i)       the child poverty rate in Sheffield is around 37%, the highest in South Yorkshire and 10% above the national average, with an estimated 7,096 children living in poverty;

(ii)       families on Universal Credit earning above £7.4k are not eligible for Free School Meals in England, meaning that 30% of all school-aged children living in poverty in Yorkshire miss out on a free hot meal every day; and

(iii)      4,200 families in Sheffield do not receive support for one or more children due to the two-child benefit cap, with the average family losing out on £3,235 per year on average, with a corresponding serious impact on children’s material wellbeing, nutrition, and mental health;

(b)      notes the positive work that the Council has undertaken on the Cost of Living crisis, including the recent allocation of £600,000 in additional funding to Local Area Committee (LAC) projects and citizens advice services to maximise benefits, however, believes that there is only so much that Local Authorities can do in the absence of Government support;

(c)      believes that several simple, relatively low-cost interventions are available to Government which would alleviate child poverty substantially, such as removing the two-child benefit cap (cost of £1.4bn), and universalising free school meals in primary schools (cost of £1bn);

(d)      notes that, disappointingly, the leadership of the two largest Westminster parties have refused to adopt these two policies; and

(e)      therefore, requests the Chief Executive to write to the Government stressing the importance of alleviating child poverty and requesting it commits to:-

(i)       abolishing the two-child cap on benefits;

(ii)       expanding free school meals to every child in primary school, and every secondary school child whose family receives Universal Credit; and

(iii)      raising funding for Free School Meals in line with inflation, backdated to match the real terms level of funding provided in 2014-15.

8.2

Whereupon, it was formally moved by Councillor Dawn Dale, and formally seconded by Councillor Nighat Basharat, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the deletion of paragraphs (c) to (e) and the addition of new paragraphs (c) to (g) as follows:-

(c)      notes this Government have presided over the biggest fall in living standards ever recorded, but notes poverty has been rising dramatically since 2010;

(d)      believes that a newly elected government will face a difficult task of fixing the social and economic damage caused by 13 years of government mismanagement and austerity, and whilst this will certainly result in a new government needing to take tough choices, the Labour Party is absolutely committed to an anti-poverty strategy; driven by a focus on growing the economy, and making sure that growth is inclusive and in every part of the country;

(e)      notes that during the period of the last Labour government (1997-2010) the number of children in relative poverty fell by over 800,000, and for absolute  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

9.1

It was formally moved by Councillor Ben Miskell, and formally seconded by Councillor Craig Gamble Pugh, that this Council:-

(a)      welcomes the move to develop a new Sheffield Transport Strategy;

(b)      believes that the people of Sheffield need a transport system that gets them from A-to-B quickly, safely and affordably;

(c)      believes that upgrading our transport infrastructure is essential to grow Sheffield’s economy, tackle congestion, reduce emissions, improve air quality and improve physical health;

(d)      believes that upgrading our transport infrastructure will provide people with greater choice about how to make journeys;

(e)      believes that Sheffield and South Yorkshire have been badly let down by 13 years of government underinvestment in transport infrastructure, and further notes the Government’s track record of broken promises from cancelling the eastern leg of HS2, to scrapping the electrification of Midland Mainline, and chronically underfunding our buses;

(f)       supports bus franchising and welcomes the work by South Yorkshire’s Mayor to accelerate the franchising process;

(g)      believes that congestion can be reduced through active travel schemes, improving public transport and upgrading key road junctions, and believes that sustainable development must be supported by sufficient transport infrastructure;

(h)      believes that an ambitious transport strategy will help to attract investment from the private sector and national government;

(i)       calls on the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee to ensure the public has a say in designing the new strategy; and

(j)       believes that, from listening to residents throughout the city, it is clear that the prioritisation of the below in the strategy would be hugely welcome:-

(i)       a plan to tackle congestion across the city, with a focus on hotspots, such as in parts of south-east Sheffield;

(ii)       an ambitious vision to expand the tram network;

(iii)      re-opening rail lines for tram-train and rail services including to Stocksbridge, along the Sheaf Valley and the Barrow Hill line through south-east Sheffield, with the potential for new stations, including at Beighton;

(iv)      a plan to realise the benefits of bringing buses and trams under public control, such as shared ticketing arrangements and designing bus services that link with tram stops;

(v)      a plan to ensure all parts of Sheffield from Stocksbridge to Mosborough have frequent, reliable buses;

(vi)      a plan to upgrade cycling infrastructure, particularly with segregated cycle routes;

(vii)     a clear focus on improving the pedestrian experience, recognising the enormous health benefits of walking;

(viii)    accelerating the rollout of 20mph zones and school streets so that families have safe journeys to and from school; and

(ix)      restoring the direct rail link between Sheffield and Manchester airport.

9.2

Whereupon, it was formally moved by Councillor Andrew Sangar, and formally seconded by Councillor Ian Auckland, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by:-

1.       the addition of a new paragraph (b) as follows, and the re-lettering of all further paragraphs accordingly:-

(b)      believes that a strategy must help people get around the city, must have a vision for trams, trains, buses, taxis and other motor  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

10.1

It was formally moved by Councillor Penny Baker, and formally seconded by Councillor Mohammed Mahroof, that this Council:-

(a)      believes that the Right to Buy (RTB) scheme has been detrimental to Sheffield, as:-

(i)       Sheffield is suffering from an annual affordable accommodation shortfall of 902 units;

(ii)       in 2021-22, this Council lost 408 units of housing stock to RTB sales, representing a net loss of 277 units of affordable housing in Sheffield;

(iii)      despite positive work being done to increase Sheffield’s social rented stock through the Stock Improvement Programme, Sheffield has suffered a net loss of affordable housing since 2015-16 due to the RTB;

(iv)      due to this long-term reduction in social housing stock, on average only 54 council properties are advertised each week in Sheffield, with 22,338 households on the housing register;

(v)      of these, 639 are in priority bands A and B, representing the highest housing need, including people who are homeless and people suffering from domestic abuse; and

(vi)      this Council has recently begun a review of planned new build housing, as due to construction inflation, a new build property being purchased under RTB after 10 years would represent a significant financial loss to the Council;

(b)      notes that a shortage of social housing impacts renters widely, as:-

(i)       tenants requiring extensive repairs can wait for months to be moved into a temporary property while repairs are carried out;

(ii)       the 881 households with a priority rehousing award will wait longer for rehousing, residing meanwhile in abusive relationships, homeless accommodation, and unsuitable properties;

(iii)      a 2015 evidence review found that the RTB intensified problems of housing affordability and increased Housing Benefit expenditure; and

(iv)      nationally over 40% of homes bought under RTB are now let privately, and that 1 in 3 private renters borrowed money to pay their rent in June 2023;

(c)      notes with concern that this Government has proposed to extend RTB to Housing Associations, and believes this is likely to exacerbate negative trends in affordable housing provision;

(d)      believes that, in addition to increasing housing stock, the Council must work more closely with private developers to prioritise affordable housing completions; and

(e)      therefore resolves to write to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, requesting the Government grant local councils the power to set the RTB discount locally (including the power to discontinue the scheme), and to make permanent the 100% retention of RTB receipts, in line with the Local Government Association’s position.

10.2

Whereupon, it was formally moved by Councillor Nabeela Mowlana, and formally seconded by Councillor Mark Jones, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the addition of new paragraphs (e) to (h) as follows, and the re-lettering of the original paragraph (e) as a new paragraph (i):-

(e)      believes that the RTB policy as currently enacted has done considerable damage to Sheffield, and the wider nation, and further believes that replacing properties lost through RTB on a one-to-one basis would  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

11.1

It was formally moved by Councillor Minesh Parekh, and formally seconded by Councillor Ruth Milsom, that this Council:-

(a)      notes that:-

(i)       through its Decarbonisation Routemaps, the Council is setting out plans to minimise, mitigate and adapt to the climate emergency;

(ii)       small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) account for 50% of UK business emissions, yet currently 76% of SMEs do not have a decarbonisation strategy;

(iii)      as well as residents, SMEs are struggling with record energy costs; and

(iv)      Sheffield’s businesses want to be leaders on climate but need a willing partner in Government that is prepared to invest in low-carbon energy and provide energy support for businesses;

(b)      welcomes:-

(i)       that South Yorkshire is the UK’s first Investment Zone which will create new opportunities for jobs and investment in Sheffield;

(ii)       the new £80m investment for a Boeing-led research project at the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) into manufacturing lightweight structures for aeroplanes which is a key part of making global aviation more sustainable;

(iii)      that Sheffield has been announced as a heat network zoning pioneer, opening a route to cheaper and cleaner energy for our city’s businesses and public services; and

(iv)      the Economic Development and Skills Policy Committee’s recent approval of £3.4m Shared Prosperity Funding to support SMEs become more energy efficient;

(c)      believes that:-

(i)       the development of home-grown British renewables and nuclear power will make us less dependent on energy imports;

(ii)       we must address climate change in a way that creates good green jobs;

(iii)      trade unions must be partners in any industrial transition;

(iv)      Sheffield’s advanced manufacturing and research expertise provides enormous potential to create new jobs in the nuclear and low-carbon energy sectors;

(v)      pursuing a decarbonisation agenda will unlock social, economic and climate opportunities and deliver sustainable economic growth;

(vi)      Sheffield’s draft Local Plan sets out an ambitious vision for advanced manufacturing and green industries and will deliver high-skilled, high-wage jobs; and

(vii)     the Labour Party’s commitment to invest £3 billion in green steel production will support steel jobs in Stocksbridge and lead to more steel jobs in the future; and

(d)      resolves to:-

(i)       ask the Economic Development and Skills Policy Committee to consider working with partners, including its Diverse Business Advisory Board and the Chamber of Commerce, on how to further support small businesses to address climate impacts; and

(ii)       establish a cross-committee working group, drawing on Members from the Governance Committee, the Economic Development and Skills Policy Committee, and the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee, to investigate how the Authority’s Decarbonisation Routemaps can be embedded into our decision-making structures.

11.1.1

(NOTE: With the agreement of the Council and at the request of the mover of the Motion (Councillor Minesh Parekh), the Motion as published on the agenda was altered by the substitution of the word “advanced” for the word “advancing” in sub-paragraph (c)(iv) of the Motion.)

11.2

Whereupon, it was formally moved by Councillor Martin Smith, and formally seconded by Councillor Robert Reiss,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

12.1

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: On the motion formally moved by Councillor Sioned-Mair Richards and formally seconded by Councillor Ruth Milsom, that the minutes of the ordinary meeting of the Council held on 5^th July 2023 be approved as a true and accurate record.

13.1

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: On the motion formally moved by Councillor Sioned-Mair Richards and formally seconded by Councillor Joe Otten, that:-

(a) it be noted that, in accordance with the authority given by the City Council at its annual meeting held on 17^th May 2023, the Monitoring Officer had authorised the following appointments/nominations, with effect from the dates shown:-

South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority – Audit, Standards and Risk Committee

-

Councillor Joe Otten appointed as substitute member of the Committee, with effect from 11^th July 2023;

Sheffield Health and Social Care Foundation Trust – Council of Governors

-

Councillor Sophie Thornton appointed as member, with effect from 11^th July 2023;

(b) it be noted that (i) the number of persons able to be appointed as Directors and Members of the Sheffield Theatres Trust has been increased from two Members and one non-Council Member, to three Members and one non-Council Member; and (ii) accordingly, on 21^st August 2023, the Monitoring Officer, in accordance with the authority given by the City Council at its annual meeting held on 17^th May 2023, had authorised the nominations of Councillors Safiya Saeed, Ann Woolhouse and Brian Holmshaw and Ms. Ruth McDonald to serve on the Trust;

(c) the Chair of the Adult Health and Social Care Policy Committee (Councillor Angela Argenzio), the Director of Public Health (Greg Fell) and the Director of Adult Social Services (Alexis Chappell), be appointed to serve on the South Yorkshire Integrated Care Partnership;

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

South Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel

-

Councillor Henry Nottage to replace Councillor Maleiki Haybe;

(e) it be noted that the Community Covenant Partnership Board, on which Members have previously been appointed to serve, no longer exists; and

(f) (i) it be noted that the Senior Officer Employment Sub-Committee, at is meeting held on 25^th July, 2023, appointed David Hollis as General Counsel, and that Mr. Hollis started in post on 26^th July 2023 and (ii) Mr. Hollis’ continued designation as the Council’s Monitoring Officer in accordance with section 5 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and Part 7 of the Council’s Constitution, be confirmed.