Agenda item

Public Questions and Petitions

To receive any questions or petitions from members of the public

Minutes:

5.1

Public Question in respect of Government Cuts

 

 

5.1.1

Jon Hinchliffe asked why the Council was not doing more to oppose Government cuts? The Council should join up with other Northern Councils to oppose such cuts. The Council had £12m reserves. As we had now reached a crisis point, why were these reserves not being used to support the Budget?

 

 

5.1.2

Councillor Ben Curran, Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources, responded that the Council did oppose the cuts. There was close work with the Local Government Association, Special Interest Group of Municipal Authorities (SIGOMA) and the Core Cities etc. to make clear the Council’s opposition to the cuts.

 

 

5.1.3

There was a legal requirement for the Council to set a balanced budget. If the Council did not do this, Commissioners would be installed. This would not be good for the City as Councillors were accountable to the public in the way that Commissioners wouldn’t be.

 

 

5.1.4

Councillor Curran was clear that the Council had stood up to the Government and had put forward its opposition to the cuts on numerous occasions, including in the way that money was distributed across the country. The next step in opposing would be to not set a balanced budget, something which the Council was not legally able to do. No Council in the country had set an illegal budget and there was no large administration throughout the country who had suggested doing so.

 

 

5.1.5

Sheffield had the lowest reserves amongst all the Core Cities. All money available to protect services had been used. There was a need to save money in reserves for emergencies such as the floods in 2007 which had cost the Council £12 million, which was currently the amount available in reserves. The Council could not set an unbalanced budget and it would be abdicating its responsibilities to do so.

 

 

5.16

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Julie Dore, added that she had supported a 10,000 signature petition asking for a Fair Deal from the Government and had delivered this to Downing Street. All Labour administrations had received a letter from the Labour leadership which stated that they expected Labour Council’s to set a balanced budget. Sheffield City Council was standing up to the Government in respect of Government cuts such as where the Council had jointly funded a Judicial Review in respect of European funding.

 

 

5.2

Public Question in respect of Food Hygiene

 

 

5.2.1

Nigel Slack commented that he was interested to hear at the Budget Conversation meeting that recent legislation made it possible for Council’s to charge food outlets that achieved poor hygiene results for subsequent visits to assess whether necessary improvements had been made. When will this come into effect? To how many food outlets in the City might this apply? What might be considered a fair level of charge? Would this income be available to the general revenue fund or be ring-fenced to Environmental Health?

 

 

5.2.2

Councillor Bryan Lodge, Cabinet Member for the Environment, commented that this option was already in operation and it was a pilot scheme which could be offered to other local businesses in the City. However, it was not about making subsequent visits. It was about businesses themselves wanting to be reassessed. Only one business had applied for this thus far. Councillor Lodge believed that the number of businesses applying would be in the tens rather than hundreds, but the scheme would be marketed.

 

 

5.2.3

There was a fixed fee for businesses of £150 which was based on a Government recommendation and covered the inspection and administration costs. This money was ring-fenced and could not be put back into the general fund.

 

 

5.3

Public Question in respect of Right to Buy

 

 

5.3.1

Nigel Slack commented that he was delighted to see the completion and occupation of new Council Houses built in the City. What protection was currently available to the Council to prevent these properties becoming subject to ‘Right to Buy’ legislation immediately and how might that change with the new ‘Housing Bill’?

 

 

5.3.2

Councillor Jayne Dunn, Cabinet Member for Housing, replied that all new Council build was protected from Right to Buy legislation for 15 years and could not be sold below market value. No opposition party at the Council had put in an alternative to the current Housing Revenue Account.

 

 

5.3.3

Councillor Dunn added that new house building was very important to the Council and houses would continue to be built across the City. It should not be assumed that everyone who lived in a Council home wanted to buy it.

 

 

5.4

Public Question in respect of University Technical College

 

 

5.4.1

Nigel Slack commented that, with news that Manchester’s University Technical College (UTC) was to close due to insufficient pupil numbers, after the investment 3 years ago of £9 million, what were the prospects and pupil numbers for Sheffield’s University Technical Colleges?

 

 

5.4.2

Councillor Jackie Drayton, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families, commented that she was saddened to see the University Technical College in Manchester was to close. The current Government and previous Coalition Government had not valued vocational education and had turned completely to academic education.

 

 

5.4.3

Councillor Drayton further commented that UTC’s were focused on technical/vocational skills as well as academic, which the the Government had consistently ‘dumbed down’ and, whereas  all examples where previously the measure of a pupil was 5 A-C’s including vocational or equivalent subjects, now it was purely academic qualifications.

 

 

5.4.4

Sheffield was fortunate in that the first UTC had been was strongly supported and it was a specialist college in design technology and engineering. The College had good links with manufacturing and engineering businesses, had a ‘Good’ Ofsted inspection result, and now had their first students gaining places at university and higher apprenticeship.

 

 

5.4.5

Making the transition from school at 14 years of age to the College where hours were 8:30am – 5:00pm was a big challenge and maybe a reason why numbers of pupils was not as high as expected. The Central UTC had recently seen the first pupils graduating to University and gaining advanced apprenticeships at the Manufacturing Park.

 

 

5.4.6

Councillor Drayton added that the second UTC had opened last September at the Olympic Legacy Park. It focused on two vocations, computing and health studies. It had established links with the Universities and Hospital Trusts. Although initial numbers had been low, these were starting to grow.

 

 

5.4.7

One of the major barriers to the success of the UTC’s was that schools did not want pupils leaving at 14 to attend UTC’s as this lost them money. Therefore, there was a need to build parental confidence in their child attending the college. The good results achieved by the first UTC was something for the second to build on and increase confidence amongst parents and pupils.

 

 

5.4.8

It was still difficult for the UTC’s to get into some schools to promote their values. The Executive Director, Children, Young People and Families (Jayne Ludlam) and Councillor Drayton had written a joint letter to all schools requesting that all pupils be offered all available options for their future.

 

 

5.4.9

Councillor Drayton did not know of the particular circumstances of the college in Manchester but she was confident of the continued success of the colleges in Sheffield. She would send the information in respect of numbers to Mr Slack.

 

 

5.5

Public Question in respect of Trade Union Legislation

 

 

5.5.1

Nigel Slack commented that an alternative interpretation of the legitimacy of Section 241 of the Trade Union Labour Relations Act (TULRA) 1992 had been provided by a QC, to one of the Street Tree campaigners, and it was notable that no felling crews, supported by their normal Police escorts, were in evidence today. This opinion, if accepted, would mean that the 19 arrests during this campaign may be illegal and an infringement of the protesters Human Rights under Article 11.

 

 

5.5.2

Chrissy Meleady M.B.E. had also released a statement reminding us all that in 1992, and with respect to this Act, “Sheffield Labour Council, the Lib Dems and the Sheffield Trades Council vehemently opposed, at the time, as being a draconian and oppressive tool that could be used to supress and attack workers and the people of this City” adding “To see a piece of legislation that was created to enforce a diminution in rights being supported by those who once condemned it for its potential to erode rights, is very sad and shocking.” Does the Council continue to support the use of this legislation on peaceful protesters in the City and how will this affect the ability of protesters to protect areas of the City from Fracking exploitation works?

 

 

5.5.3

Councillor Bryan Lodge clarified that the interpretation referred to by Mr Slack was from a junior barrister and not a QC as stated. The Council’s Legal team had looked at this and it was clear that it was not for the Council to tell the Police about their powers of arrest.

 

 

5.5.4

Section 303 of the Highways Act stated that it was an offence to wilfully obstruct the operation of lawful work and it was an issue for the Police to interpret how they enforced this.

 

 

5.5.5

Councillor Dore added that the Council had consistently said it was a decision for the Police to apply the correct legislation where required.

 

 

5.6

Public Question in respect of Amey Contract

 

 

5.6.1

Nigel Slack commented that Street Tree campaigners had also been advised that, for each tree felled, Amey or their contractors should, where the tree overhangs private property, ask for an ‘Oversailing License’ from the resident and the owner (in the case of rented accommodation). Failure to do so may mean any felling work in such circumstances be deemed illegal. Do Amey or their contractors request such licenses as part of their normal working practice and is there any written evidence for this? If this work is deemed illegal, which organisation would be considered in breach of the law, the contractor, Amey, or the Council? And what would be the consequences?

 

 

5.6.2

Councillor Bryan Lodge commented that, thus far, no Oversailing Licenses had been requested in the history of tree felling in Sheffield. It could be said that a tree overhanging a property was trespassing and workers could be said to be there to solve a trespass and a license may not therefore be required. The Council had a duty to maintain the highway and no licenses had been required in respect of this.