Agenda item

Notice of Motion given by Councillor Ian Auckland

That this Council:

           

(a)       notes that the Government’s current proposals for a new High Speed Rail line include a station in Sheffield and highlights this as a key achievement of Liberal Democrats in Government;

           

(b)       recalls that the main opposition group were the first councillors to champion Sheffield Victoria as a potential location for a High Speed Rail station;

           

(c)        notes with disappointment the original Government proposal, which recommended a station at Meadowhall, but confirms that Liberal Democrat councillors have continued to lobby for a city-centre location and have kept officers informed on any progress;

           

(d)       welcomes statements from Liberal Democrats in Government that the location remains under consideration, including Transport Minister, Baroness Kramer, who said the location was “up for debate” and Deputy Prime Minister, The Rt. Hon. Nick Clegg MP, who said “the door isn’t closed on the possibility of a city centre location”;

           

(e)       regrets that South Yorkshire Labour politicians remain hopelessly divided on the proposed location, with damaging spats reported in the local media;

           

(f)        expresses dismay that one Sheffield City Region Labour MP is opposing the entire High Speed Rail project and furthermore believes the Shadow Chancellor is threatening the future of the project with his cavalier outbursts; and

           

(g)       calls upon all Members to unite behind the High Speed Rail project which, regardless of the final location, will bring significant benefits to Sheffield and to continue to lobby for a city-centre location.

Minutes:

 

High Speed Rail

 

 

 

It was moved by Councillor Ian Auckland, seconded by Councillor Richard Shaw, that this Council:-

 

 

 

(a)       notes that the Government’s current proposals for a new High Speed Rail line include a station in Sheffield and highlights this as a key achievement of Liberal Democrats in Government;

                  

(b)       recalls that the main opposition group were the first councillors to champion Sheffield Victoria as a potential location for a High Speed Rail station;

                  

(c)        notes with disappointment the original Government proposal, which recommended a station at Meadowhall, but confirms that Liberal Democrat councillors have continued to lobby for a city-centre location and have kept officers informed on any progress;

                  

(d)       welcomes statements from Liberal Democrats in Government that the location remains under consideration, including Transport Minister, Baroness Kramer, who said the location was “up for debate” and Deputy Prime Minister, The Rt. Hon. Nick Clegg MP, who said “the door isn’t closed on the possibility of a city centre location”;

                  

(e)       regrets that South Yorkshire Labour politicians remain hopelessly divided on the proposed location, with damaging spats reported in the local media;

                  

(f)        expresses dismay that one Sheffield City Region Labour MP is opposing the entire High Speed Rail project and furthermore believes the Shadow Chancellor is threatening the future of the project with his cavalier outbursts; and

                  

(g)       calls upon all Members to unite behind the High Speed Rail project which, regardless of the final location, will bring significant benefits to Sheffield and to continue to lobby for a city-centre location.

 

 

 

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Simon Clement-Jones, seconded by Councillor Joe Otten, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the addition of new paragraphs (h) to (k) as follows:-

 

 

 

(h)       for the avoidance of doubt, believes that Sheffield’s station on the High Speed 2 rail line should be located in the city-centre;

 

 

 

(i)         welcomes the latest proposal for a High Speed 3 rail project for an east-west line in the north of England and believes it is vital that Sheffield benefits from improved transport infrastructure to other northern cities;

 

 

 

(j)         backs Nick Clegg’s vision for a ‘northern golden triangle’ of Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield to drive economic growth in the north; and

 

 

 

(k)        believes it is Liberal Democrats who have led the charge in government to rebalance our economy so that it benefits 100,000 square miles of the country, rather than just one square mile in the City of London.

 

 

 

On being put to the vote, Paragraphs (h) and (i) of the above amendment were carried and Paragraphs (j) and (k) were negatived.

 

 

 

 

The votes on the Amendment were ordered to be recorded and were as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

 

For paragraphs (h) and (i) of the Amendment (72)

-

The Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor Talib Hussain) and Councillors Julie Dore, Mike Drabble, Jack Scott, Simon Clement-Jones, Roy Munn, Richard Shaw, Helen Mirfin-Boukouris, Chris Rosling-Josephs, Denise Fox, Bryan Lodge, Karen McGowan, Jayne Dunn, Stuart Wattam, Anne Murphy, Geoff Smith, Rob Frost, Harry Harpham, Mazher Iqbal, Mary Lea, Joe Otten, Colin Ross, Martin Smith, Steve Wilson, Joyce Wright, Penny Baker, Roger Davison, Diana Stimely, Sheila Constance, Alan Law, Chris Weldon, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Cliff Woodcraft, Steve Jones, Ian Auckland, Steve Ayris, Denise Reaney, Bob Johnson, George Lindars-Hammond, Josie Paszek, Jenny Armstrong, Terry Fox, Pat Midgley, David Barker, Isobel Bowler, Tony Downing, Nasima Akther, Nikki Bond, Qurban Hussain, John Campbell, Lynn Rooney, Paul Wood, Peter Price, Sioned-Mair Richards, Leigh Bramall, Tony Damms, Gill Furniss, David Baker, Katie Condliffe and Vickie Priestley, Richard Crowther, Philip Wood, Olivia Blake, Ben Curran, Neale Gibson, Adam Hurst, Alf Meade, Mick Rooney, Jackie Satur and Ray Satur.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Against paragraphs (h) and (i) of the Amendment (3)

-

Councillors Pauline Andrews, Jack Clarkson and John Booker.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Abstained on paragraphs (h) and (i) of the Amendment (5)

-

The Lord Mayor (Councillor Peter Rippon) and Councillors Jillian Creasy, Robert Murphy, Sarah Jane Smalley and Brian Webster.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For paragraphs (j) and (k) of the Amendment (18)

-

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Against paragraphs (j) and (k) of the Amendment (57)

-

The Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor Talib Hussain) and Councillors Julie Dore, Mike Drabble, Jack Scott, Helen Mirfin-Boukouris, Chris Rosling-Josephs, Denise Fox, Bryan Lodge, Karen McGowan, Jayne Dunn, Stuart Wattam, Jackie Drayton, Ibrar Hussain, Anne Murphy, Geoff Smith, Harry Harpham, Mazher Iqbal, Mary Lea, Pauline Andrews, Steve Wilson, Joyce Wright, Sheila Constance, Alan Law, Chris Weldon, Steve Jones, Bob Johnson, George Lindars-Hammond, Josie Paszek, Jenny Armstrong, Terry Fox, Pat Midgley, David Barker, Isobel Bowler, Tony Downing, Nasima Akther, Nikki Bond, Qurban Hussain, John Campbell, Lynn Rooney, Paul Wood, Peter Price, Sioned-Mair Richards, Leigh Bramall, Tony Damms, Gill Furniss, Jack Clarkson Richard Crowther, Philip Wood, Olivia Blake, Ben Curran, Neale Gibson, John Booker, Adam Hurst, Alf Meade, Mick Rooney, Jackie Satur and Ray Satur.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Abstained on paragraphs (j) and (k) of the Amendment (5)

-

The Lord Mayor (Councillor Peter Rippon) and Councillors Jillian Creasy, Robert Murphy, Sarah Jane Smalley and Brian Webster.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Julie Dore, seconded by Councillor Leigh Bramall, 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)       reiterates support for a High Speed Rail Station in Sheffield and one that is located in the city centre, noting that the present Administration’s position on this issue has been unwavering;

 

 

 

 

 

(b)       notes that the main three political parties have supported HS2 and welcomes this continued cross party support for the project first initiated by the previous government and continued by the Coalition;

 

 

 

 

 

(c)        welcomes the actions of the present Administration to support HS2, including work with the Core Cities Group to support HS2 on a national stage; the Leader of the Council’s participation on the HS2 Growth Task Force which produced a report stating that stations should be located where they will generate the maximum economic benefits; and numerous meetings with Ministers making the case for a city centre station location;

 

 

 

 

 

(d)       confirms that the benefits of the city centre location over Meadowhall include 6,500 additional jobs and potentially up to £5 billion additional economic growth;

 

 

 

 

 

(e)       regrets the main opposition group’s silence, until recently, on the issue of HS2 station location following the Government announcement that its preferred station location for Sheffield City Region is at Meadowhall after they had previously engaged local businesses to campaign for a Victoria station;

 

 

 

 

 

(f)        confirms that the main opposition group have voted against two motions in the past year which confirm the Council’s support for a city centre station location;

 

 

 

 

 

(g)       welcomes any potential u-turn by the Deputy Prime Minister, however, notes that the Government’s current proposal remains a parkway station at Meadowhall which is not in Sheffield’s best interests;

 

 

 

 

 

(h)       recalls comments made by the Deputy Prime Minister in an event earlier this year where he said “So take your choice but I think that an option which is more expensive, slower, likely to be liable to lead to less regular usage in the future, will destroy more homes and be environmentally destructive. You know. To put it mildly I think there is a good case to be made, therefore locating it at Meadowhall makes sense.”;

 

 

 

 

 

(i)         believes these comments from the Deputy Prime Minister are completely wrong and confirms that a city centre station is in the best interests of Sheffield;

 

 

 

 

 

(j)         welcomes that the main opposition group have now performed a u-turn on their u-turn on station location and hopes that in the future they will put the interests of Sheffield before the political blushes of the Deputy Prime Minister; and

 

 

 

 

 

(k)        continues to support HS2 and a city centre station location for Sheffield and regrets that the main opposition group have attempted to make this issue a party political football.

 

 

 

(Note: With the agreement of Council and at the request of Councillor Julie Dore, Paragraph (f) of the above Amendment (as presented in the List of Amendments) was altered by the deletion of the word “numerous” and its substitution by the word “two”.)

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

RESOLVED:  That this Council:-

 

 

 

(a)       reiterates support for a High Speed Rail Station in Sheffield and one that is located in the city centre, noting that the present Administration’s position on this issue has been unwavering;

 

 

 

(b)       notes that the main three political parties have supported HS2 and welcomes this continued cross party support for the project first initiated by the previous government and continued by the Coalition;

 

 

 

(c)        welcomes the actions of the present Administration to support HS2, including work with the Core Cities Group to support HS2 on a national stage; the Leader of the Council’s participation on the HS2 Growth Task Force which produced a report stating that stations should be located where they will generate the maximum economic benefits; and numerous meetings with Ministers making the case for a city centre station location;

 

 

 

(d)       confirms that the benefits of the city centre location over Meadowhall include 6,500 additional jobs and potentially up to £5 billion additional economic growth;

 

 

 

(e)       regrets the main opposition group’s silence, until recently, on the issue of HS2 station location following the Government announcement that its preferred station location for Sheffield City Region is at Meadowhall after they had previously engaged local businesses to campaign for a Victoria station;

 

 

 

(f)        confirms that the main opposition group have voted against two motions in the past year which confirm the Council’s support for a city centre station location;

 

 

 

(g)       welcomes any potential u-turn by the Deputy Prime Minister, however, notes that the Government’s current proposal remains a parkway station at Meadowhall which is not in Sheffield’s best interests;

 

 

 

(h)       recalls comments made by the Deputy Prime Minister in an event earlier this year where he said “So take your choice but I think that an option which is more expensive, slower, likely to be liable to lead to less regular usage in the future, will destroy more homes and be environmentally destructive. You know. To put it mildly I think there is a good case to be made, therefore locating it at Meadowhall makes sense.”;

 

 

 

(i)         believes these comments from the Deputy Prime Minister are completely wrong and confirms that a city centre station is in the best interests of Sheffield;

 

 

 

(j)         welcomes that the main opposition group have now performed a u-turn on their u-turn on station location and hopes that in the future they will put the interests of Sheffield before the political blushes of the Deputy Prime Minister; and

 

 

 

(k)        continues to support HS2 and a city centre station location for Sheffield and regrets that the main opposition group have attempted to make this issue a party political football.

 

 

 

(l)         for the avoidance of doubt, believes that Sheffield’s station on the High Speed 2 rail line should be located in the city-centre;

 

 

 

(m)      welcomes the latest proposal for a High Speed 3 rail project for an east-west line in the north of England and believes it is vital that Sheffield benefits from improved transport infrastructure to other northern cities;

 

 

 

(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 (b), (c), (d), (l) and (m) and against Paragraphs (a) and (e) to (k) of the Substantive Motion and asked for this to be recorded.)     .

 

 

 

2. Councillors Jillian Creasy, Robert Murphy, Sarah Jane Smalley and Brian Webster voted against Paragraphs (a) to (k) and abstained on Paragraphs  (l) and (m) of the Substantive Motion and asked for this to be recorded.)