Agenda item

8.1

It was moved by Councillor Richard Shaw, and seconded by Councillor Tim Huggan, that this Council:-

(a)       believes that every person's journey, regardless of whether they walk, cycle, take public transport or private car, is of equal importance and that every person should be able to make any journey within Sheffield by foot, by cycle or by public transport as safely as they would otherwise by car;

(b)       believes that every community across Sheffield could benefit from infrastructure improvements to active travel, walking or cycling, in particular improvements to public health;

(c)        notes that 29% of journeys less than 500m in South Yorkshire are by car, rising to 72% of journeys of less than 5km;

(d)       notes that The Propensity to Cycle Tool based on Government data suggests Sheffield could achieve 24-27% share of all journeys by cycle;

(e)       notes the current Sheffield City Council target of 4% cycling share of journeys by 2034, compared with the Sheffield City Region target of 11% by 2040;

(f)        notes that current modal share for cycles in Sheffield is less than 1%;

(g)       believes therefore that many short car journeys are possible via walking, cycle or public transport and that their current share is due to a poor public transport system and a built environment that discourages people from making journeys by foot or cycle instead of by car;  

(h)       believes that this Authority must invest in walking and cycling networks and provide people with a genuine choice between using the car, or walking, cycling or using public transport;

(i)         notes the proposed Bee Network active travel network in Manchester, a joined up cycling and pedestrian network with segregated lanes for walkers and cyclists;

(j)         welcomes the appointment this year of Dame Sarah Storey, Great Britain’s most decorated female Paralympian, as the active travel commissioner for Sheffield City Region, and supports her four pledges for improving active travel:-

(i)         being led by communities;

(ii)        enabling walking and cycling rather than encouraging it;

(iii)       requiring infrastructure to meet or exceed requirements; and

(iv)       requiring infrastructure to be accessible for all;  

(k)        calls for the Administration to work with Sheffield City Region, Sustrans and neighbouring authorities to design and create an active travel network for Sheffield, so that any citizen can travel safely by walking or cycling from any part of Sheffield to another; and

(l)         calls for the creation of a local cycling and walking improvement plan for every ward in Sheffield through working with local ward councillors, to identify and prioritise improvements for every community in Sheffield.

8.2

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Bob Johnson, seconded by Councillor Anne Murphy, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the deletion of paragraph (l) and the addition of new paragraphs (l) to (n) as follows:-

(l)         notes this Administration’s bid for funding through the ‘Transforming Cities Fund’ from the Department for Transport (DfT) that could see £85 million invested in sustainable travel in Sheffield over three years - paying for a mix of cycling, walking and mass transport bus corridors running throughout the city where we know they are most needed;

(m)      reaffirms that encouraging a shift to low carbon sustainable journeys is a key priority for this Administration, and understands this is exactly the type of work the Fund will support, and throughout this process the Administration will be consulting and working with local communities in the development of these projects; and

(n)       believes franchising would be a big help in improving Sheffield’s buses but that, ultimately, the best bus service for the city would be delivered by re-regulation powers from central government, and notes that the Labour Party has committed to doing this nationally.

8.3

It was then moved by Councillor Martin Phipps, and formally seconded by Councillor Ruth Mersereau, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by:-

1.         the deletion of paragraph (a) and the addition of a new paragraph (a) as follows:-

(a)       believes that a modal shift from private car travel to public and active transport is essential in light of the declared climate emergency and that every person should be able to make any journey within Sheffield by foot, by cycle or by public transport as safely as they would otherwise by car;

2.         the addition of new paragraphs (m) to (s) as follows:-

(m)      notes that a Workplace Parking Levy, such as the one implemented in Nottingham, could raise millions of pounds for infrastructure improvements for buses, cycling, walking routes and trams, as well as disincentivising private car commuting;

(n)       believes that extending the tram network across the city would be a clean alternative to cars;

(o)       notes that proceeds from a Workplace Parking Levy could also pay for effective enforcement of parking infringements;

(p)       believes that pavement parking is a real barrier to walking, cycling, prams and wheelchairs and is particularly dangerous for disabled people;

(q)       notes the amount of information residents of Sheffield provide about dangerous pavement parking to the Council;

(r)        notes that the Scottish Government has recently resolved to ban pavement parking at a national level from 2021; and

(s)        resolves to treat dangerous pavement parking seriously and to review pavement parking city-wide as part of the local cycling and walking improvement plan and, on a ward level basis, working with local ward councillors, residents and community groups to highlight hotspots and to identify and implement solutions.

8.4

It was then moved by Councillor Simon Clement-Jones, and seconded by Councillor Sue Auckland, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the addition of new paragraphs (m) to (r) as follows:-

(m)      welcomes the launch of the “My Cycle, My Mobility Aid” campaign by the inclusive cycling charity, Wheels for Wellbeing, to improve the recognition and rights of disabled cyclists and legally recognise use of cycles as a mobility aid;

(n)       notes that 3 in 4 disabled cyclists use their cycle as a mobility aid, with the same proportion finding cycling easier than walking, but regularly face discrimination because they are not using a traditionally recognised mobility aid;

(o)       notes also the concerns of disabled cyclists that they often have to park cycles far away from entrances to council facilities and other public buildings;

(p)       therefore recognises cycles as mobility aids;

(q)       calls upon the Government to:-

(i)         amend the Use of Invalid Carriages on Highways Regulations (UICHR) 1988, to recognise the use of cycles as a mobility aid;

(ii)        change existing laws to permit the use of appropriate mobility scooters on cycle lanes, together with the creation of Dutch-style ‘mobility lanes’, which would be accessible by bicycles, non-standard cycles and appropriate mobility scooters; and

(iii)       launch a public information campaign to raise awareness of the fact that many disabled people can and do cycle, and use their cycle as a mobility aid; and

(r)        directs that a copy of this motion is sent to all Sheffield MPs and the Secretary of State for Transport.

8.5

After contributions from two other Members, and following a right of reply from Councillor Richard Shaw, the amendment moved by Councillor Bob Johnson was put to the vote and was carried.

8.6

The amendment moved by Councillor Martin Phipps was then put to the vote and was carried, except for paragraphs (m) and (o) of part 2 of the amendment, which were negatived.  Paragraphs (n) and (p) to (s) of part 2 of the amendment were carried on the basis that they were to be additional paragraphs to the Substantive Motion.

8.6.1

The votes on the amendment moved by Councillor Martin Phipps were ordered to be recorded and were as follows:-

8.7

The amendment moved by Councillor Simon Clement-Jones was then put to the vote and was carried on the basis that the new paragraphs (m) to (r) were to be additional paragraphs to the Substantive Motion.

8.7.1

The votes on the amendment moved by Councillor Simon Clement-Jones were ordered to be recorded and were as follows:-

8.8

The original Motion, as amended, was then put as a Substantive Motion in the following form and carried:-

RESOLVED: That this Council:-

(a)       believes that a modal shift from private car travel to public and active transport is essential in light of the declared climate emergency and that every person should be able to make any journey within Sheffield by foot, by cycle or by public transport as safely as they would otherwise by car;

(b)       believes that every community across Sheffield could benefit from infrastructure improvements to active travel, walking or cycling, in particular improvements to public health;

(c)        notes that 29% of journeys less than 500m in South Yorkshire are by car, rising to 72% of journeys of less than 5km;

(d)       notes that The Propensity to Cycle Tool based on Government data suggests Sheffield could achieve 24-27% share of all journeys by cycle;

(e)       notes the current Sheffield City Council target of 4% cycling share of journeys by 2034, compared with the Sheffield City Region target of 11% by 2040;

(f)        notes that current modal share for cycles in Sheffield is less than 1%;

(g)       believes therefore that many short car journeys are possible via walking, cycle or public transport and that their current share is due to a poor public transport system and a built environment that discourages people from making journeys by foot or cycle instead of by car;

(h)       believes that this Authority must invest in walking and cycling networks and provide people with a genuine choice between using the car, or walking, cycling or using public transport;

(i)         notes the proposed Bee Network active travel network in Manchester, a joined up cycling and pedestrian network with segregated lanes for walkers and cyclists;

(j)         welcomes the appointment this year of Dame Sarah Storey, Great Britain’s most decorated female Paralympian, as the active travel commissioner for Sheffield City Region, and supports her four pledges for improving active travel:-

(i)         being led by communities;

(ii)        enabling walking and cycling rather than encouraging it;

(iii)       requiring infrastructure to meet or exceed requirements; and

(iv)       requiring infrastructure to be accessible for all;

(k)        calls for the Administration to work with Sheffield City Region, Sustrans and neighbouring authorities to design and create an active travel network for Sheffield, so that any citizen can travel safely by walking or cycling from any part of Sheffield to another;

(l)         notes this Administration’s bid for funding through the ‘Transforming Cities Fund’ from the Department for Transport (DfT) that could see £85 million invested in sustainable travel in Sheffield over three years - paying for a mix of cycling, walking and mass transport bus corridors running throughout the city where we know they are most needed;

(m)      reaffirms that encouraging a shift to low carbon sustainable journeys is a key priority for this Administration, and understands this is exactly the type of work the Fund will support, and throughout this process the Administration will be consulting and working with local communities in the development of these projects;

(n)       believes franchising would be a big help in improving Sheffield’s buses but that, ultimately, the best bus service for the city would be delivered by re-regulation powers from central government, and notes that the Labour Party has committed to doing this nationally;

(o)       believes that extending the tram network across the city would be a clean alternative to cars;

(p)       believes that pavement parking is a real barrier to walking, cycling, prams and wheelchairs and is particularly dangerous for disabled people;

(q)       notes the amount of information residents of Sheffield provide about dangerous pavement parking to the Council;

(r)        notes that the Scottish Government has recently resolved to ban pavement parking at a national level from 2021;

(s)        resolves to treat dangerous pavement parking seriously and to review pavement parking city-wide as part of the local cycling and walking improvement plan and, on a ward level basis, working with local ward councillors, residents and community groups to highlight hotspots and to identify and implement solutions;

(t)         welcomes the launch of the “My Cycle, My Mobility Aid” campaign by the inclusive cycling charity, Wheels for Wellbeing, to improve the recognition and rights of disabled cyclists and legally recognise use of cycles as a mobility aid;

(u)       notes that 3 in 4 disabled cyclists use their cycle as a mobility aid, with the same proportion finding cycling easier than walking, but regularly face discrimination because they are not using a traditionally recognised mobility aid;

(v)        notes also the concerns of disabled cyclists that they often have to park cycles far away from entrances to council facilities and other public buildings;

(w)       therefore recognises cycles as mobility aids;

(x)        calls upon the Government to:-

(i)         amend the Use of Invalid Carriages on Highways Regulations (UICHR) 1988, to recognise the use of cycles as a mobility aid;

(ii)        change existing laws to permit the use of appropriate mobility scooters on cycle lanes, together with the creation of Dutch-style ‘mobility lanes’, which would be accessible by bicycles, non-standard cycles and appropriate mobility scooters; and

(iii)       launch a public information campaign to raise awareness of the fact that many disabled people can and do cycle, and use their cycle as a mobility aid; and

(y)        directs that a copy of this motion is sent to all Sheffield MPs and the Secretary of State for Transport.