Agenda item

3.1

The Lord Mayor (Councillor Tony Downing) invited one member of the public to present a petition, and four members of the public to ask questions, which they had submitted prior to the published deadline for submission of petitions and questions. There had been an additional question received after the submission deadline from a member of the public, and the Lord Mayor stated that the matter raised in the question was being addressed by the relevant Cabinet Member separately to this meeting.

3.2

Petitions

3.2.1

Petition Regarding Disruption to Residents by Visitors to the Mosque at Osgathorpe Road and Barnsley Road

The Council received a petition containing 22 signatures, requesting action with regard to disruption being caused to residents by visitors to the mosque at 2 Osgathorpe Road and 306 Barnsley Road.

Representations on behalf of the petitioners were made by Sofeena Aslam who informed the Council that she was speaking on behalf of residents who lived in the vicinity of the mosque at 2 Osgathorpe Road and 306 Barnsley Road.

She explained that whilst there had been objections, planning permission had been granted for the erection of a purpose-built mosque on the site of the existing mosque and subject to various conditions. The petition informed the Council of the disruption to local people and concerns relating to when a new mosque was built.

She informed the Council that the mosque was located in a cul de sac in a residential area. People living in the area had experienced nuisance and unacceptable behaviour from people attending the mosque. This included people attending the mosque several times a day from early morning to late at night. There were large gatherings outside the mosque and there was noise disturbance from people banging car doors and talking loudly outside in groups early in the morning and late at night. Vehicles were parked on double yellow lines and in the middle of the road and at the end of the cul de sac, which obstructed entrances to driveways

Sofeena Aslam said that the mosque was a place of worship and a multi-use building at which various activities took place and there was concern that matters would worsen when the new mosque was built and operational. The petitioners asked for the Council to act before the new mosque was built and to enable people to have a normal life in future.

She said that in particular, the Council was asked to instruct Council officers to meet with the petitioners to agree a plan to address the disruption that people experienced. This might include additional parking restrictions such as a residents’ parking scheme;  effective enforcement measures; to ensure that Council officers were proactive in relation to the conditions imposed when the planning application for the new mosque was granted and specifically, condition 14 relating to a Management Plan which was to include a scheme for managing the maximum number of people using the building at one time. The Council was requested to give full and proper consideration to these concerns and ensure that the necessary action was taken to resolve them. She said that these concerns had been raised on many occasions and it was expected that a full impact assessment would have taken place as part of the planning application and before the application was granted.

The Council referred the petition to Councillor Bob Johnson, the Cabinet Member for Transport and Development.

Councillor Johnson thanked the petitioners for bringing this matter to Council. He said that illegal and inconsiderate parking caused frustration and also safety concerns in many parts of the city. He said that he had raised the concerns outlined by the petitioners with the Parking Services team and had asked them to include that location as part of an enhanced enforcement.

He explained that the Council was investigating a three-year programme of area wide parking controls at key locations and where residents and businesses were adversely affected as a result of long stay commuter parking. This would provide some priority for residents and businesses and their visitors. However, such controlled parking zones were normally introduced in the areas of greatest pressure around the city centre and the three year programme concentrated on those areas adjacent to the city centre, behind the Railway Station at Park Hill and Kelham Island and Neepsend. Nonetheless, the Council’s Transport team would also review parking practices close to Osgathorpe Road and consider whether there were additional restrictions that might be put in place to try and alleviate the problems there. Officers would be asked to go to the site and to investigate the matters raised and to increase enforcement. 

3.3

Public Questions

3.3.1

Public Question Concerning a Crossing on Station Road, Halfway

Kurtis Crossland stated that he had presented a petition in February 2020 for a crossing on Station Road in Halfway. He said that he had now heard that a crossing would be built, although he said that he was concerned that he had not been informed of the outcome as the lead petitioner. He asked for an assurance that a crossing would be built; when the plans would be drawn up; and when was it expected that a crossing would be in place.

Councillor Bob Johnson, the Cabinet Member for Transport and Development, stated that the Council had managed to identify a local fund to enable the crossing to be built and the work would be delivered hopefully in line with other work which was taking place at the school. He said that he had visited the school last year and the matters raised in the petition had also been brought to his attention both by the local councillor and local MP.

3.3.2

Public Question Concerning Cleaning in Flats

Kurtis Crossland asked what the cleaning schedule was for communal areas in Council properties such as stairwells in flats; had this been increased due to Coronavirus; when was the last time the flats on Halfway Gardens were cleaned and could it be confirmed that there would be proactive cleaning of areas in properties?

The Lord Mayor (Councillor Tony Downing) informed Council that Councillor Paul Wood, the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Community Safety, was absent due to illness and therefore a written response would be provided to Mr Crossland’s questions and which would be published on the Council’s website.

3.3.3

Public Questions Concerning Issues in Lowedges, Batemoor and Jordanthorpe

Sophie Thornton asked questions concerning several issues in the areas of Lowedges, Batemoor and Jordanthorpe.

First, she asked when the Council would clear fly-tipping which had been left in empty garages behind 51 Gervase Avenue, Lowedges and when unsafe structure garages due for demolition on Lowedges Place would be taken down.

Secondly, she asked what the schedule was for when a council property window was broken; and how long did it take from boarding-up the window to fixing it?

She said that in Lowedges, Batemoor and Jordanthorpe, there were many windows which were waiting to be fixed months after being reported. She asked whether the Council would address the properties that had windows boarded up, cutting off natural light and affecting residents’ mental health, as a matter of priority.

Thirdly, Sophie Thornton asked a question as to the average time for the Council’s housing repairs service to resolve fire safety repairs and how many had not been resolved within 30 days.

The Lord Mayor (Councillor Tony Downing) informed Council that Councillor Paul Wood, the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Community Safety, was absent due to illness and therefore a written response would be provided to Sophie Thornton’s questions and which would be published on the Council’s website.

3.3.4

Public Questions Concerning Coronavirus, Universities and Young People

Nigel Slack referred to work by universities in the USA in relation to the idea of ‘superspreaders’ of Covid-19 and to evidence that those most likely to be superspreaders were children and young adults.

He stated that the Government, the City Council and both Universities had failed the residents by following economic based government guidelines, despite warnings that the return to school and university was not safe. He said it was also clear that the measures put in place prior to students returning had been insufficient and the number of outbreaks in schools and universities continued to rise and affected the rate of infection in the city and its more vulnerable population.

He said that the local rate appeared to be in excess of 280 per 100,000 population and commented on the number of cases at the universities.

Mr Slack also commented upon the role of universities and accommodation providers as being complicit in this situation, and also the media and others in making young people believe they were invulnerable to the pandemic. He referred to the effect of the lockdown on the mental health of young people and to the potential effect on them if they believed they were responsible for the death of a family member.

He asked the following questions:

1.       Would the Council demand an apology from the universities for putting money before student safety?

2.       Would the Council demand accommodation providers ensure student safety was prioritised and support for those in lockdown delivered at their own cost?

3.       Would the Council reconsider the advice received from the Government about the safety of continued school attendance, in light of the latest scientific evidence, and move quickly to mitigate the impact on pupils, teachers and the wider community?

4.       How would the Council respond to the latest report from the US Centre for Disease Control that the virus appeared to be transmittable through aerosol spray spread in the air?

Councillor Jackie Drayton, the Cabinet Member for Children and Families and the lead Member for Public Health, responded to the questions. She thanked Mr Slack for his questions and said that people were all very concerned about what was happening in relation to the Coronavirus pandemic and she said that the points he had raised were very important. She explained that the Director of Public Health was to provide an update in relation to the Coronavirus to the Council at this meeting.

She said that decisions were made nationally about children going back to school and also in relation to students going to university and businesses being open. The Council wanted to keep everybody as safe as possible and keep the most vulnerable safe. It also wanted to make sure that the City and businesses and economy were open and to make sure they could keep going.

Councillor Drayton said that she would provide a written answer in relation to Mr Slack’s questions and she said the points he had raised were very valid and there was some big thinking to do going forward.

3.3.5

Public Questions Concerning Coronavirus and the Economy

Nigel Slack commented upon the impact of Covid-19 on the economy and to a recent announcement of the likely closing of cinemas around the country, which was of concern as it suggested the footfall for retailers and cultural venues was very significantly below previous levels.

He commented that businesses were using the pandemic as an excuse to restructure their businesses and to shed employees or locations and which may become more prevalent as the furlough scheme ended. He said that whilst neo-liberal economics might demand that this was the right thing to do, it was not however the moral thing to do in the midst of an international crisis.

Mr Slack asked if the Council would therefore review its economic plan for the city, to dial back the chase for big corporate names that may come to Sheffield if enough incentives were offered but might withdraw when the situation became tough?

The Lord Mayor (Councillor Tony Downing) informed Council that Councillor Mazher Iqbal, the Cabinet Member for Business and Investment, was absent due to illness and therefore a written response would be provided to Mr Slack’s questions and which would be published on the Council’s website.

3.3.6

Public Question Concerning Proposals for New Road from Park Square to Granville Square

Graham Wroe made reference to the Draft Development Framework, within which there were plans to build a new dual carriageway from Park Square to Granville Square, behind the Station through Sheaf Valley Park. He commented upon the potential effect of the proposal, including in relation to noise and air pollution, the effect on walking routes, the loss of green space and in respect of the Amphitheatre. He said that a petition was recently launched concerning the proposal.

He stated that a Council serious about the climate emergency would not be considering such a proposal and commented in relation to a need for improvements to the public transport system to encourage drivers not to use their cars.

Mr Wroe asked the following questions:

1.       What alternative plans were being considered?

2.       Where could these plans be viewed?

3.       How could citizens influence this decision?

4.       Please, give a commitment not to build a new dual carriageway today.

The Lord Mayor (Councillor Tony Downing) informed the Council that Councillor Mazher Iqbal, the Cabinet Member for Business and Investment, was absent due to illness and therefore a written response would be provided to Mr Wroe’s questions and which would be published on the Council’s website.