Agenda item

Petitions

4.1

Petition in respect of Homelessness

4.1.1

The Council received a petition containing over 30,000 signatures requesting the Council to open up an unused building for the homeless. 

4.1.2

It had been agreed with the organiser of the petition that it would be submitted as an “ordinary” petition in view of the fact that a petition on the same subject had been debated at the January meeting of the Council.

4.1.3

The wording of the petition was as follows:-

‘After recent visits to Sheffield I have come across at least 4 of the people I help to be covered in cuts and bruises because they have been violently attached whilst trying to sleep.

We really need to help put a stop to the abuse and homelessness these guys suffer on a daily basis.

Please could we sign and share and together we could make a massive change to help the more vulnerable and less fortunate.’

4.1.4

Representations on behalf of the petitioners were made by Kelly Licence, who added that she helped around 25-30 of  those out on the streets every week but there was an increasing need for support and something needed to be done.

4.1.5

Matthew Mckenney added that all funding for the support came from volunteers and the public. Any night shelter had to be paid for and, as this often came to around £25 a night, many of those who were homeless could not afford to fund this.

4.1.6

Councillor Jayne Dunn, Cabinet Member for Housing, thanked Ms. Licence for the petition and for the work carried out. Although the original petition had been submitted to an earlier meeting, she welcomed the petition also being submitted to this meeting as the homelessness problem was getting worse due to the Government’s policies. The petition would be considered at a future meeting of the Safer and Stronger Communities Scrutiny and Policy Development Committee.

4.2

Petition in respect of Road Safety outside Brightside Nursery and Infant School

The Council received a petition, containing 114 signatures, requesting road safety measures in the vicinity of Brightside Nursery and Infant School. Representations were made by Rebecca Larkin. She commented that there were only two signs warning motorists that there was a school and these were next to the school which did not give motorists enough warning to slow down.

4.2.1

A parent who had been in contact with the Council since 2012 requesting road safety measures had recently been involved in an accident with their child near to the school which had left their child in a critical condition.

4.2.2

There were numerous incidents of motorists going through red lights near to the school. One of the biggest requirements was better school signage and this could also mean the introduction of a speed restriction zone, a warning light or cameras on the traffic lights.

4.2.3

The pavement on Jenkin Road needed an assessment as it was currently not wide enough for parents and children to walk side by side and as a result was extremely dangerous and required the caution of parents. There was also a need for railings on the corner of Jenkin Road and Holywell Road. Ms. Larkin would be willing to discuss any potential measure with the Council to improve safety around the school.

4.2.4

Councillor Terry Fox, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, thanked Ms. Larkin for the petition. He was aware of the situation as he had relatives who attended the school. There were a number of road safety issues and Councillor Fox had spoken to School Governors about the problems.

4.2.5

There were a number of areas across the City which needed road safety measures and unfortunately there were a number of motorists who ignored traffic calming measures. Councillor Fox would welcome a meeting with the petitioner to look at all the possible measures to address the situation.

Public Questions

4.3

Public Question in respect of the Northern Powerhouse

Dawn Sanders commented that there had been a number of recent stories in the press in respect of the so-called ‘Northern Powerhouse’. There appeared to be mixed messages as despite the Government’s comments about the Northern Powerhouse most of their spending still appeared to focus on the South of the country. Clarification was therefore needed. How was the Council seeking to jump start the Northern economy when at the same time they were accepting cuts from Central Government?

4.3.1

Councillor Julie Dore, Leader of the Council, commented that this was an issue raised constantly in the North. It was an issue that was pertinent to what would be discussed at today’s meeting in respect of unfair and unnecessary cuts which seemed to affect those more in the North than in the South.

4.3.2

On the one had the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Government were promoting the North around the world as the place to invest whilst at the same time disinvesting in the North by taking jobs and the money down South.

4.3.3

There were two potential forthcoming hopes for the City. The first of which was devolution where discussions had been held with the Government for a number of months to ensure the City Region got the best deal. The second was Transport For the North which was soon to become a statutory body with plans for infrastructure and investment in the City. Further funding and powers would be sought for this to improve interconnectivity across the region.

4.3.4

The City Region and the City were working hard to fight against the Government cuts whilst arguing for further devolution to create jobs which were badly needed across the City.

4.4

Public Question in respect of Budgets

4.4.1

Heather Parys asked, given that budgets are being cut across the City, should the Members of the Council not accept a cut in their allowances?

4.5

Public Question in respect of Budgets

4.5.1

Michael Barge commented that the Council had debts of £467m. He asked where had this debt come from and did it suggest competent financial management by this and previous administrations?

4.5.2

In response to the questions in paragraphs 3.4 and 3.5, Councillor Ben Curran, Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources, stated that this did not demonstrate incompetence. Any borrowing was used to invest such as for the Sheffield Retail Quarter and improvements to schools, homes and leisure centres in order to deliver a vibrant City.

4.5.3

Councillor Curran added that Members allowances had been frozen for the past 6 years. The number of Special Responsibility Allowances had been reduced and Councillors no longer had a pension. Spending on Members allowances had fallen by £267k over the last 5 years.

4.6

Public Question in respect of the Housing and Planning Bill

4.6.1

Shirley Frost asked would the Council acknowledge the national campaign being waged against the Housing and Planning Bill initiated by Defend Council Housing, a tenant led non-party political campaign and stand up and be counted at the national demonstration in London on 13 March?

4.6.2

Ms. Frost further requested that the Council tell all the tenants, housing workers and Councillors the truth that the Conservative Government’s Housing and Planning Bill 2015 was designed and intended to destroy Council housing for purely ideological and self serving reasons by means of insecure short term tenancies instead of secure lifetime tenancies, means tested/market style rents for households with an income of £30,000 plus and forced sales of the Council’s high value homes into the private sector with no compensation which tenants have fully paid for through their rents and that this will drain the Housing Revenue Account of monies and services needed to maintain and improve its 40,000 properties to a decent standard, put housing workers jobs at risk, create fear and insecurity now and for the existing 40,000 and future Council tenants, break up communities and social cohesion, be to the detriment of large areas of the City and make the waiting list longer.

4.6.3

Ms. Frost requested that the Council acknowledge that the politicians alone could not stop this Bill becoming law and that extra parliamentary action was needed to stop it devastating people’s needs and that tenants had a right to know how they were going to be affected and a right to defend themselves.

4.6.4

Ms. Frost further asked the Council to give every possible support to this campaign by following the excellent example set by Camden Council and Nottingham City Homes by urging the City’s tenants and residents associations to support the national campaign, making a statement that expresses this and canvass local newspapers and radio to relay this message, organising a high profile public meeting with supportive speakers as a call to action as a matter of urgency to Sheffield tenants that they had a right to defend themselves, their homes, their communities and their future, agreeing to cross-party support for the campaign until the Bill had been defeated, setting up a joint campaign task group composed of tenants, Councillors, housing workers and their trade unions to monitor the passage of the Bill, its aftermath if it is passed and take appropriate action to stop it devastating tenants, homes and communities and liaising with local Housing Associations and their tenants for an inclusive and City wide campaign.

4.6.5

Councillor Jayne Dunn, Cabinet Member for Housing commented that she supported every word of Ms. Frost’s question. Councillor Paul Wood had brought a motion to the previous month’s Council meeting in respect of this which had been passed. The issue had also been discussed at a recent meeting of the City Wide Forum. Councillor Mazher Iqbal, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Equality, would be meeting with Ms. Frost and a public meeting would be organised.

4.6.6

Councillor Dunn had spoken to John Healey M.P. (Shadow Housing and Planning Minister) about the issue and he had raised it in Parliament. Although it was an issue which was at the forefront of Members’ discussions, it had largely been ignored in the media as it focused on social housing. Therefore, Councillor Dunn encouraged Ms. Frost and others to keep demonstrating against the Bill so that the media begin to recognise the strength of people’s feeling. The Council would be mounting a campaign against the Bill.

4.7

Public Question in respect of Dropped Kerbs

4.7.1

Martin Brighton stated that the Disability Equality Hub had prioritised public transport, and similar representations had been made at the Age Equality Hub and the Housing Equality Group and especially from a community group in the South West of the City.

4.7.2

Mr Brighton added that the statutory principle within the Equalities Act was that installing drop kerbs to provide wheelchair users access to bus stops was a ‘reasonable adjustment’. It was pleasing therefore for Mr Brighton to hear at the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) public meeting of last Monday that the Council would be installing drop kerbs appropriately near to bus stops so that wheelchair users would no longer be excluded from public transport, and that the work can be included within the Amey remit.

4.7.3

To help the Council identify where the drop kerbs were needed throughout the City, could this Council consider inviting all community groups, including TARA’s, to visit the bus stops in their area to determine whether or not they were accessible to wheelchair users and would the Council please publish a timescale for completion of this work?

4.7.4

Councillor Terry Fox commented that the public meeting referred to by Mr Brighton had been a very productive meeting. Drop kerbs would be installed following the completion of Streets Ahead work but it was difficult to confirm exact timescales for this at this stage. These issues may be discussed with the Transport 4 All Group and if any TARA representative wished to write in to discuss equality issues this would be looked into.

4.8

Public Question in respect of an Elected Member

4.8.1

Martin Brighton commented that at the last Cabinet meeting he asked a series of questions that concerned an unnamed Elected Member who was present at the meeting today. Would the Council Leader, for the benefit of the press, public and all Elected Members, please identify that Elected Member here and now?

4.8.2

Councillor Julie Dore responded that as Mr Brighton had not named the Elected Member she did not know who the question referred to.

4.9

Public Question in respect of Council Officers

4.9.1

Martin Brighton asked if the Chamber thought it reasonable that when a senior officer made a statement or promise or undertaking, that that person should be trusted to keep their word? Did the Chamber also think it reasonable that when a senior officer did not keep their word, they could and should be named here and now? This question also applied to Elected Members.

4.9.2

Councillor Julie Dore stated that the Council had a complaints procedure and a Standards Committee and if Mr Brighton believed he had evidence of inappropriate behaviour it should be referred through those processes.

4.10

Public Question in respect of Honesty and Accountability

4.10.1

Martin Brighton asked if the Chamber agreed with published assertions that political pragmatism, damage limitation and reputation management had primacy over openness, honesty and accountability?

4.10.2

Councillor Julie Dore responded that she did not agree with this.

4.11

Petition in respect of 20mph Zone around Walkley Primary School

4.11.1

The Council received a petition containing 55 signatures, requesting a a 20mph zone be introduced around Walkley Primary School.

4.11.2

There was no speaker to the petition.

4.11.3

The Council referred the petition to Councillor Terry Fox, the Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport.

4.12

Petition in respect of Cuts in Funding for ‘Walking for Health’

4.12.1

The Council received a petition containing 30 signatures, requesting the Council to reconsider its decision to cease funding the Walking for Health Co-ordinators post.

4.12.2

There was no speaker to the petition.

4.12.3

The Council referred the petition to Councillor Mazher Iqbal, the Cabinet Member for Public Health and Equality.