Agenda item

4.1

Petitions

4.1.1

Petition Requesting that the Footpath from Fife Street to Jardine Street, Wincobank, be Brought into the Council’s Maintenance Programme for the Benefit of Local Residents

The Council received a petition containing 119 signatures, requesting that the footpath from Fife Street to Jardine Street, Wincobank, be brought into the Council’s Maintenance Programme for the benefit of local residents.

Representations on behalf of the petitioners were made by Ann Bentley who stated that the connecting street behind houses on Fife Street leading onto Jardine Street, should be maintained by the City Council and for the Council to accept responsibility for the area and to ensure it was clean, safe and properly lit. The path was used daily by school children together with others who regularly used it. It had become a tipping area and the path was becoming blocked by trees, nettles and bushes and it was hoped that the Council would clean the area as it had become a serious problem.

The Council referred the petition to Councillor Lewis Dagnall, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport. Councillor Dagnall stated that matters raised in the petition would be followed up with the petitioners, Tenants and Residents Association and local councillors to see what could be done to address the concerns.

4.2

Petition Requesting the Council to Acknowledge Women's Concerns about Allowing People to Change their Legal Sex by Self-Identification

The Council received a joint electronic and paper petition containing 96 signatures, requesting the Council to acknowledge women’s concerns about allowing people to change their legal sex by self-identification.

Representations on behalf of the petitioners were made by a representative of the Women of Steel, who stated that many organisations which had previously been female only and buildings with single sex spaces were adopting a policy of self-identification, whereby anyone who said they were female could enter a female only space or use a female only service. However, there was concern about self-identification, particularly if it was introduced without safeguarding measures or discussion. Some places, including changing rooms, dormitories and single-sex prisons were single sex for a reason and self-identification would make it easier for predatory men to enter those spaces and would allow any man to state that he was female and enter a space.

The issue had been raised by women’s groups, including a national group called a Woman’s Place and which had been accused of hate and of being transphobic.  However, she said that the evidence did not support those accusations and that transphobia was not related to the concerns now expressed concerning self-identification. People who had surgically transitioned from male to female had been welcomed in women’s spaces for some time and they too needed protection from predatory men and many shared the views expressed in the petition.

She said that transphobia could also relate to hatred of people who refused to dress and act in a way that society might consider appropriate for their sex. She said that feminists challenged sexual stereotypes and it was not correct to accuse feminists of such transphobic views. The present system for legal gender recognition was, for many Transgender people, far from ideal and that change would need to come through knowledge and understanding and not from knee-jerk reaction and once misunderstandings were resolved, a way forward could be found.

In conclusion, it was stated that self-identification had implications for women and asked whether the Council would agree that the concerns were genuine and should not be dismissed as a pretext for transphobia and would the Council consult with Women’s and Trans groups before deciding any policy which affected the rights and safety of both communities.

The Council referred the petition to Councillor Olivia Blake (Cabinet Member for Finance and Deputy Leader of the Council). Councillor Blake said that the Council had obligations under the Equalities Act 2010, which protected people against discrimination, harassment or victimisation across protected characteristics. Protected characteristics included sex and gender reassignment. There was also a public sector equality duty under that Act, requiring the Council to eliminate discrimination, promote equality and foster good relations between different groups.

The Council’s approach was to be supportive of all Sheffield’s diverse residents and it was aware of the matters raised in the petition and looked forward to working with partners in the City in relation to this issue. Whilst the complexities of this matter were recognised, there were also national Labour Party policies in this regard.

She said that she would be pleased to discuss the matters of concern with the petitioners but also commented that some of the statements in the petition and background information were quite difficult and challenging and she would like to also discuss those issues, as they might be seen to be wrong by other groups and mutual understanding was required and it was important to recognise that when things were seen by people to be transphobic, there was a reason for that.

4.1.3

Petition Requesting that Sheffield be made Carbon Neutral and that a Citizen’s Assembly be held to inform Climate Change

The Council received a joint electronic and paper petition containing 857 signatures, requesting that Sheffield be made carbon neutral and that a citizen’s assembly be held to inform climate change.

Representations on behalf of the petitioners were made by Dr Rebecca Atkinson, who congratulated the Council for its declaration of a climate emergency. She said it would not be possible to limit average global temperatures to 1.5 degrees above previous levels, unless immediate action was taken with regard to greenhouse emissions. A world more than 1.5 degrees warmer would have catastrophic consequences and would make the world a difficult place on which to live sooner than most people might think. She commented on a lack of leadership on this issue by central government and said it was time to look to local government to address the issue.

The petition asked for an immediate commitment to make Sheffield carbon neutral by 2030, which was the date, recognised by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report, by which industrialised nations should be carbon-zero. The petition also asked for a citizens’ assembly to inform Council policy as it was important that citizens had a voice and which would empower local communities which might feel disengaged by politics and ignored. She referred to a need to act quickly and referred to comments on the petition, which had gained over 800 signatures and had been hosted by her own business and five other businesses. She explained that businesses wished to play a role in helping to make Sheffield carbon neutral as soon as possible. Climate change was an issue which was very important to people and there should be action to become carbon neutral by 2030, regardless of any obstacles.

The Council referred the petition to Councillor Lewis Dagnall, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport.  Councillor Dagnall stated that it was important to maintain pressure on the Government to take action with regard to climate change, which was a priority. He said that many people in the City were concerned that the Council also played its part in tackling climate change. He proposed that the petition was taken, and petitioners were invited, to the next Green City Partnership Board, established with other institutions in the City which enabled the Council and major stakeholders to work out how Sheffield’s climate change obligations could be met.

4.2

Public Questions

4.2.1

Public Question Concerning Memorial to Mi Amigo in Endcliffe Park

Mrs B Lascelles asked a question concerning the monument to the Mi Amigo and as to positioning of the flag pole at the memorial in Endcliffe Park and with regard to a flag and the key for the flagpole. She also commented on the dedication of Mr Tony Foulds in caring for the monument.

Councillor Mary Lea, the Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks and Leisure, referred to the 75 Anniversary event on 22 February 2019 marking the loss of the Mi Amigo and 10 US airmen which had been held at Endcliffe Park. She expressed gratitude to Mr Tony Foulds for looking after the monument. The Park was run by the Council and there was a great Friends Group, to which the Council was also grateful. The positioning of the flagpole as she understood it, was based on access, health and safety considerations and the best positioning so that a flag could be raised, as necessary.

The US forces had donated a flag to the City for use on the flagpole and they had stated that they would wish only for the flag to be used on the anniversary of the Mi Amigo crash and on the Sunday when the remembrance service was held. There was also an awareness that the US Forces took great pride in the flag and it had to be kept in a good condition. If it was flown at night time, it had to be illuminated, which was not something that could be done at present, so the flying of that flag everyday was not feasible and for those reasons.

Discussion had been held concerning the use of an alternative appropriate flag which could be flown every day and which had appropriate access and cleaning and could be attended to. At this time, it was not known exactly what flag would be used and as to the design of an appropriate flag for that site. This matter had been discussed with some of the people that supported Mr Foulds and she said this had also been relayed to him.

4.2.2

Public Question Concerning Self-Identification

Helen Cameron stated that despite self-identification not yet being law, it was permeating the culture and making it difficult to challenge men in women’s spaces. She asked how the Council was working to implement safeguarding in relation to this matter.

Councillor Olivia Blake, the Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance, stated that she would be pleased to meet with Helen Cameron as regards concerns relating to this matter. She said that the Council took safeguarding extremely seriously and it was a serious area of work for which the Council was responsible. She believed it would be beneficial to discuss the concerns outlined in the question and said she would contact her.

4.2.3

Public Questions Concerning Streets Ahead Programme

Justin Buxton made reference to a question which he had asked at the meeting of Cabinet on 16 January 2019 as regards clarification as to whether the Council was committed to pay for the replacement of 17 and a half thousand street trees and in reference to service standard 6.38 of the Streets Ahead Contract, regardless of whether only 10 thousand trees were replaced by the end of the contract. He asked what mechanism would be used to compensate the Council if the smaller number of trees were replaced.

He made reference to an answer provided to him by the Cabinet Member and indicated that he was not satisfied with the answer. Mr Buxton asked for the question to be considered and answered again.

Justin Buxton asked who made the Leader of the Council aware of an investigation by the Forestry Commission and on what date.

Russell Johnson asked whether the Council was aware that according to Freedom of Information data from Amey Streets Ahead a large number of the saplings planted over the past few years had failed to meet the size specification set out in the contract. If the Council was not aware, why not and was this part of self-monitoring or lack of supervision; and if the Council was aware, what penalties and remedies were being sought.

Secondly, Mr Johnson asked whether Council imposed ‘Roman’ kerb standards trumped the saving of previously condemned healthy street trees. He said that the Cabinet Member had referred to the temporary relaxation of the imposition of complete and straight kerbs. He asked what was temporary and did that include the omission of kerbs and what amount of deviation was permitted.

Dave Dillner asked what the Leader of the Council’s main objections were to the holding of a full independent inquiry into the way the Council had conducted itself throughout the STAG (Sheffield Trees Action Groups) and wider campaign to protect the City’s environment.

Councillor Lewis Dagnall, the Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, stated that he had nothing to add to his previous statements.

Councillor Julie Dore, the Leader of the Council, stated that, with regard to both of the questions which had been directed to her, she had answered the questions before and had nothing further to add.