Agenda item

5.1

Public Question in respect of Climate Change

5.1.1

The Cabinet received a written question from Kath Clements which stated that: Today’s Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) report made the main BBC News this morning which announced that ‘Politicians have been accused of failing to grasp the gravity of the environmental crisis facing the Earth.’ The report, which is in the public domain, opens with “Mainstream political and policy debates have failed to recognise that human impacts on the environment have reached a critical stage, potentially eroding the conditions upon which socioeconomic stability is possible.”

5.1.2

Ms. Clements question added that last week Sheffield City Council officially declared a Climate Emergency. As a concerned citizen, may she now ask the Cabinet for reassurance that climate change will be an agenda item, and an across the board consideration, at all forthcoming Council meetings? She was aware that this strategy may have been tried previously but in view of her comments above it surely must be conscientiously adopted.

5.1.3

As Ms. Clements was not in attendance at the meeting, the Leader, Councillor Julie Dore, commented that a written response would be provided.

5.2

Public Question in respect of West Bar Investment Proposal

5.2.1

Nigel Slack commented that the ultimate basis of the West Bar investment proposal appeared to be the basic paradigm that Sheffield City Council can rent out the space in the office block for more than they will be paying in rent to the investors. This is based on previous experience and commercial expertise of the advisors. Does this take into account the potential for a contracting economy after the end of March 2019 and the consequent potential for a substantially lower level of demand?

5.2.2

Mr Slack added that the Council was also committing to a significant level of investment in marketing the block as a result. Was this cost accounted for in current budgets. Mr Slack also asked that paragraph 5.3.7 of the report mentioned certain conditions needing to be met before any lease obligation arose. What were these conditions?

5.2.3

Councillor Mazher Iqbal, Cabinet Member for Business and Investment, acknowledged that there was great uncertainty in the market related to Brexit. However, Sheffield had a successful year in terms of investment last year and this had continued into 2019. Block F of the New Retail Quarter had been sold. There was still demand for new office space. Councillor Iqbal believed the deal in respect of the West Bar Square Investment Partner was a good deal and filled the last part of the jigsaw at the riverside. The Council had received an enquiry this week from an investor who was seeking 100,000 square feet of office space. In terms of the West Bar Square Investment Partner, safeguards were in place if the Council had to pull out but it was hoped that this would not happen.

5.3

Public Question in respect of Sheffield Transport Strategy

5.3.1

Nigel Slack commented that, after seeing a presentation on the ‘Sheffield Transport Strategy’ at the Sheffield City Partnership Board meeting, he was disappointed that collaboration with the Sheffield City Region was reduced to a one line comment, considering that future shape of local mass transit was one area that the Mayor actually had some serious power over. Councillor Olivia Blake, Cabinet Member for Finance, had commented that the control of the buses was a key element of delivering this plan, with which he wholeheartedly agreed, and he asked could the collaborative work with the Sheffield City Region therefore be better prioritised?

5.3.2

Mr Slack added that the other disappointment was that the presentation made no reference to cost, availability and access to the bus network being a major impact on those in poverty and the vulnerable of our City. This had to be pointed out by third sector representatives in the room. Could the Council therefore assure Mr Slack that this strategy will be about more than efficiency and serving business needs?

5.3.3

Councillor Julie Dore acknowledged that the strategy was not explicit enough about the detailed consultation and collaboration that had gone into developing the strategy, although consultation and collaboration had taken place and Members were fully aware of this. The strategy had been developed in collaboration with the City Region and other partners.

5.3.4

The South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) would shortly become the Transport Board and this would be the forum for discussions in respect of transport across the region. Sheffield would have at least one representative on the Board. Councillor Dore was frustrated that Transport Assessments focused on cost based ratios as it meant much more than that to the public. She would raise this with the City Region Mayor. The Administration believed that re-regulation of the buses was the right approach and she would raise this with the City Region Mayor.