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 Muslim Burial Sites

 

 

5.1.1

Ibrar Hussain submitted the following question: ‘I visited Shiregreen Cemetery on 11 December for a burial. The Muslim section is filling very fast and there is not much space left. In the next few months it will be full. In light of the current situation, what plans does the bereavement services have to accommodate the Muslim community in Sheffield as they promised a few years ago to me and the community onsite at a visit at Shiregreen cemetery a plot will be allocated.

 

 

5.1.2

Mr Hussain added ‘As for future planning ahead, what does the Council have for other sites i.e. Darnall, City Road and Abbey Lane, Council cemeteries and other sites could be adopted such as on East Earsham Street, Burngreave?’

 

 

5.1.3

As Mr Hussain was not in attendance at the meeting, the Chair, Councillor Julie Dore, commented that he would receive a written response from the Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks and Leisure, Councillor Mary Lea.

 

 

5.2

Public Questions in respect of Sheffield as a Green City/Replacement of Trees

 

 

5.2.1

David Dilner asked where was the proof to substantiate Councillor Mary Lea’s claim that Sheffield is the ‘Greenest City in Britain’. He had seen evidence that Sheffield was actually the sixth greenest city. Mr Dilner also asked if Councillor Lea was aware that replacing trees did not equate to replacing canopy?

 

 

5.2.2

Councillor Mary Lea commented that she believed Sheffield was the greenest city in Britain as satellite pictures had previously shown. Sheffield had more greenery than other cities. A green city was not just about tree cover but other aspects of environmental issues. She was very proud of Sheffield’s image as the greenest city.

 

 

5.2.3

Councillor Julie Dore added that Cabinet were aware of the difference between trees and canopy and this had been the subject of discussions with Sheffield Trees Action Groups (STAG).

 

 

5.2.4

Councillor Lewis Dagnall, Cabinet Member for Environment and Streetscene, commented that the trees planted in the City in recent times were of an extra heavy standard, over 4cm more than the recommended heavy standard. The Trees and Woodlands Strategy, on the agenda for the meeting today, was recommending a specific strategy around highway trees to be considered by Cabinet in the New Year which would look at wider policies including wider canopy cover.

 

 

5.2.5

Councillor Dagnall further commented that there had been a renewed effort to establish an appropriate highway tree strategy for the benefit of the whole City and it was right to work with all stakeholder groups to produce the strategy.

 

 

5.2.6

Councillor Julie Dore stated that the Council had been responsive to changes in circumstances. It had been in everyone’s interests to take time to proceed with the strategy in relation to highway trees so that consultation could be undertaken. She had every confidence in Councillor Dagnall to resolve any issues and continue to deliver the Streets Ahead contract and the expectations of the public in relation to highway improvements whilst at the same time responding to public concerns in relation to highway trees.

 

 

5.3

Public Question in respect of Councillor Code of Conduct

 

 

5.3.1

Nigel Slack commented that he would like to thank the Leader of the Council for her commitment to think seriously about a review of the Councillor Code of Conduct in her response to his question at the Council meeting on 5 December. Unfortunately, he believed the revelations in the Yorkshire Post over the weekend added an urgency to this matter that was not there at the Full Council meeting.

 

 

5.3.2

Mr Slack asked will the Council accept that this issue was now one that was reflecting badly on the City and the Council, particularly with respect to the apparent carte blanche for Councillors to create fake accounts and to use those to abuse their colleagues and the public? Will Cabinet recommend that a review of the Code of Conduct is undertaken or at least started before the end of this current Council year and all the Scrutiny roles changing after the May elections?

 

 

5.3.3

Councillor Julie Dore responded that Councillors had a Code of Conduct which they had to adhere to. If any Councillors were suspected of breaches of the Code there was a Standards complaints process to follow.

 

 

5.3.4

Councillor Dore added that, in the specific case referred to by Mr Slack, an investigation had been carried out by the Director of Legal and Governance. Councillor Dore did not find the views expressed on this account acceptable, but it could not be found that this was a fake account set up by a Councillor.

 

 

5.3.5

Councillor Dore commented that it was increasingly difficult to get a collective understanding across the Council of the importance of the Code of Conduct. There had been an inference in the last meeting of Full Council from certain parties that the Code of Conduct appeared to ‘gag’ people. Councillor Dore did not agree with that view and believed that the Code of Conduct was important.

 

 

5.3.6

Councillor Dore was unaware when the last fundamental review of the Councillor Code of Conduct had taken place, but if that had not included guidance on Social Media this should be reviewed. Councillor Dore was aware of two posts on Twitter from current Councillors during the last meeting of Full Council. One of the posts referenced the Administration calling for a recorded vote regarding the report on the position of the Lord Mayor, which was not the case. The other post stated that the Administration was voting its own recommendations down on the same report by abstaining from voting. This also was not the case as the recommendations in the report were the recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee.

 

 

5.4.

Public Question in respect of Fracking

 

 

5.4.1

Nigel Slack commented that, yesterday, the group Sheffield Against Fracking shared onto social media photographs of radioactive waste leaving the fracking site at Tinker Lane and heading out through Blyth. A previous question from Mr Slack had referenced his concerns over the treatment of fracking waste within the City in Chapeltown. Did the Council know what types of waste will be treated at this site and whether that included radioactive contamination? Is the Council informed if radioactive waste is transported into or through the City? What steps can the Council take to prevent that happening? What is the latest on any planning proposals for fracking within or adjacent to the City boundary?

 

 

5.4.2

Councillor Julie Dore responded that the Cabinet Member for Transport and Development was not in attendance at the meeting and would respond in writing to Mr Slack. However, she commented that the Council would only be contacted if there were risks which required changes to the Environment Agency permit, and had not been contacted in the instance referred to by Mr Slack. The Council would not necessarily be informed if radioactive material was being transported. However, if there were large scale movements of nuclear power, it would be informed.

 

 

5.4.3

Councillor Dore added that any physical changes to a waste facility may require planning permission. Labour Party policy was against fracking.