Agenda item

Notice of Motion given by Councillor Leigh Bramall

That this Council:

 

(a)       welcomes the recent steps the Council has taken to drive forward the city’s New Retail Quarter through securing the land and property needed to develop the scheme;

 

(b)       notes that this is the latest of a series of actions by the present Administration to unlock this crucial project for Sheffield including:

 

(i)         securing the New Development Deal to inject funds into the retail quarter to bridge the financial gap facing the scheme;

 

(ii)        subsequently re-starting work with Hammerson to re-confirm retailer appetite to locate in a New Retail Quarter;

 

(iii)       parting company with Hammerson when they would not commit to start construction; and

 

(iv)       taking control of the scheme as a Council, working to redesign a new scheme that is viable and fit for purpose in the long term, and taking real action to make the scheme happen;

 

(c)        welcomes the news that over 20 developers have expressed an interest in the retail quarter and believes this is positive news which demonstrates viability and confidence in the new scheme;

 

(d)       contrasts this action to the claims of inaction by the new leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on the Council, and regrets that once more, this shows how the Liberal Democrats talk Sheffield down rather than welcome positive news;

 

(e)       notes that the leader of the largest opposition group's comments are all the more incredible given the three wasted years of inaction, delay and dither of the previous Administration between 2008 and 2011 when barely anything happened;

 

(f)        welcomes comments by the Executive Director of the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce “The Chamber is absolutely delighted to see such a positive move on this project. It is a critical development for the city and we applaud the extremely positive message this sends and the ambitious timescale it lays out.”;

 

(g)       also welcomes the continued development underway on The Moor;

 

(h)       further welcomes the news that a new IKEA store will be coming to Sheffield; and

 

(i)         believes that these are important positive developments for the city’s economy and looks forward to more details of how the Retail Quarter will be progressed being submitted to the July Cabinet meeting.

Minutes:

 

New Retail Quarter

 

 

 

It was moved by Councillor Leigh Bramall, seconded by Councillor Neale Gibson, that this Council:-

 

 

 

(a)       welcomes the recent steps the Council has taken to drive forward the city’s New Retail Quarter through securing the land and property needed to develop the scheme;

 

(b)       notes that this is the latest of a series of actions by the present Administration to unlock this crucial project for Sheffield including:

 

(i)         securing the New Development Deal to inject funds into the retail quarter to bridge the financial gap facing the scheme;

 

(ii)        subsequently re-starting work with Hammerson to re-confirm retailer appetite to locate in a New Retail Quarter;

 

(iii)       parting company with Hammerson when they would not commit to start construction; and

 

(iv)       taking control of the scheme as a Council, working to redesign a new scheme that is viable and fit for purpose in the long term, and taking real action to make the scheme happen;

 

(c)        welcomes the news that over 20 developers have expressed an interest in the retail quarter and believes this is positive news which demonstrates viability and confidence in the new scheme;

 

(d)       contrasts this action to the claims of inaction by the new leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on the Council, and regrets that once more, this shows how the Liberal Democrats talk Sheffield down rather than welcome positive news;

 

(e)       notes that the leader of the largest opposition group's comments are all the more incredible given the three wasted years of inaction, delay and dither of the previous Administration between 2008 and 2011 when barely anything happened;

 

(f)        welcomes comments by the Executive Director of the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce “The Chamber is absolutely delighted to see such a positive move on this project. It is a critical development for the city and we applaud the extremely positive message this sends and the ambitious timescale it lays out.”;

 

(g)       also welcomes the continued development underway on The Moor;

 

(h)       further welcomes the news that a new IKEA store will be coming to Sheffield; and

 

(i)         believes that these are important positive developments for the city’s economy and looks forward to more details of how the Retail Quarter will be progressed being submitted to the July Cabinet meeting.

 

 

 

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Ian Auckland, seconded by Councillor Penny Baker, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the deletion of all the words after the words “That this Council” and the addition of the following words therefor:-

 

 

 

(a)       expresses disappointment at the three wasted years that the Council believes this Administration have presided over, with little progress on the New Retail Quarter having been achieved;

 

 

 

(b)       recalls that the main opposition group called for the Council to get tough with Hammerson, but instead the Administration dithered and delayed for months before finally taking action;

 

 

 

(c)        welcomes the latest steps forward towards development but believes Sheffielders will not be satisfied until concrete work is seen on the ground;

 

 

 

(d)       highlights that the latest progress has only been possible because of the Sheffield City Deal, pioneered and pushed through by the Rt. Hon. Nick Clegg MP;

 

 

 

(e)       contrasts the lack of progress on the New Retail Quarter with the re-development of The Moor, secured by the last Administration and proceeding at pace;

 

 

 

(f)        supports the decision of the Council’s Planning and Highways Committee to unanimously approve a planning application for an Ikea superstore;

 

 

 

(g)       is pleased that this case did not see a repeat of the disastrous and costly rejection of a Next superstore by members of the majority group, which saw the Council hit with a £60,000 bill in appeal costs and labelled as “closing its doors” to business; and

 

 

 

(h)       regrets that despite this latest announcement, the Council continues to attract an “anti-business” label and calls on the Administration to work with businesses rather than against them.

 

 

 

On being put to the vote, the amendment was negatived. 

 

 

 

The original Motion was then put to the vote and carried, as follows:-

 

 

 

RESOLVED:  That this Council:-

 

 

 

(a)       welcomes the recent steps the Council has taken to drive forward the city’s New Retail Quarter through securing the land and property needed to develop the scheme;

 

(b)       notes that this is the latest of a series of actions by the present Administration to unlock this crucial project for Sheffield including:

 

(i)         securing the New Development Deal to inject funds into the retail quarter to bridge the financial gap facing the scheme;

 

(ii)        subsequently re-starting work with Hammerson to re-confirm retailer appetite to locate in a New Retail Quarter;

 

(iii)       parting company with Hammerson when they would not commit to start construction; and

 

(iv)       taking control of the scheme as a Council, working to redesign a new scheme that is viable and fit for purpose in the long term, and taking real action to make the scheme happen;

 

(c)        welcomes the news that over 20 developers have expressed an interest in the retail quarter and believes this is positive news which demonstrates viability and confidence in the new scheme;

 

(d)       contrasts this action to the claims of inaction by the new leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on the Council, and regrets that once more, this shows how the Liberal Democrats talk Sheffield down rather than welcome positive news;

 

(e)       notes that the leader of the largest opposition group's comments are all the more incredible given the three wasted years of inaction, delay and dither of the previous Administration between 2008 and 2011 when barely anything happened;

 

(f)        welcomes comments by the Executive Director of the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce “The Chamber is absolutely delighted to see such a positive move on this project. It is a critical development for the city and we applaud the extremely positive message this sends and the ambitious timescale it lays out.”;

 

(g)       also welcomes the continued development underway on The Moor;

 

(h)       further welcomes the news that a new IKEA store will be coming to Sheffield; and

 

(i)         believes that these are important positive developments for the city’s economy and looks forward to more details of how the Retail Quarter will be progressed being submitted to the July Cabinet meeting.

 

 

 

(Note: 1. Councillors Simon Clement-Jones, Richard Shaw, Rob Frost, Joe Otten, Colin Ross, Martin Smith, Penny Baker, Roger Davison, Diana Stimely, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Cliff Woodcraft, Ian Auckland, Steve Ayris, Denise Reaney, David Baker, Katie Condliffe and Vickie Priestley voted for Paragraphs (a), (c) and (f) to (i)  and against Paragraphs (b), (d) and (e) of the Motion and asked for this to be recorded.)

 

2. Councillors Jillian Creasy, Robert Murphy, Sarah Jane Smalley and Brian Webster voted for Paragraph (a) and abstained on Paragraphs (b) to (i) of the Motion and asked for this to be recorded.)