Agenda and minutes

Members to declare any interests they have in the business to be considered at the meeting.

To receive the records of the proceedings of the ordinary meeting of the Council held on 2^nd April 2014 and the annual meeting of the Council held on 4^th June 2014, and to approve the accuracy thereof.

(a)       To receive any questions or petitions from the public, or communications submitted by the Lord Mayor or the Chief Executive and to pass such resolutions thereon as the Council Procedure Rules permit and as may be deemed expedient.

(b)       Petition Requiring Debate

The Council’s Petitions Scheme requires that any petition containing over 5,000 signatures be the subject of debate at the Council meeting.  A qualifying petition has been received as follows:-

Petition regarding Road Safety on Normanton Hill

To debate a combined paper and electronic petition containing approximately 11,800 signatures concerning road safety on Normanton Hill.  The wording of the petition is as follows:-

“We the undersigned, are concerned citizens and demand that Sheffield City Council (Highways Authority) install controlled crossing and speed restrictions, speed limits with immediate effect.  We have grave concerns and have had concerns for many years regarding excessive speeds that vehicles achieve on Normanton Hill, which is a very busy stretch of road, compounded by narrow pavements and the concealed entrance to Richmond Park.  This entrance is used Monday to Friday by local schoolchildren who attend Outwood Academy (former City School), dog walkers on a daily basis, teenagers use Friday evenings, weekends and holidays.  All who wish to access this concealed entrance to Richmond Park have to negotiate Normanton Hill.”

5.1       Questions relating to urgent business – Council Procedure Rule 16.6(ii).

5.2       Supplementary questions on written questions submitted at this meeting   – Council Procedure Rule 16.4.

5.3       Questions on the discharge of the functions of the South Yorkshire Joint Authorities for Fire and Rescue and Pensions – Section 41 of the Local Government Act 1985 – Council Procedure Rule 16.6(i).

            (NB. Minutes of recent meetings of the two South Yorkshire Joint    Authorities have been made available to all Members of the Council via the following link -

            http://sheffielddemocracy.moderngov.co.uk/ecCatDisplay.aspx?sch=doc&cat=13165&path=0)

To consider any changes to the memberships and arrangements for meetings of Committees etc., delegated authority, and the appointment of representatives to serve on other bodies.

Report of the Chief Executive.

Report of the Healthier Communities and Adult Social Care Scrutiny and Policy Development Committee.

That this Council:

(a)       regrets that the Queens Speech completely failed to tackle the challenges facing Sheffield and the country as a whole, providing no vision and positive action to improve people’s lives and simply offered more of the same, recycled measures already announced;

(b)       further regrets that the Government’s Queens Speech failed to tackle the cost-of-living crisis, felt by people in Sheffield, with a plan to secure a strong and sustained recovery that delivers rising living standards for the many, not just a few at the top;

(c)        calls on the Government to:

(i)         act to boost housing supply and ensure at least 200,000 new homes are built each year;

(ii)        introduce an independent infrastructure commission;

(iii)       reform the energy and banking markets to make them more competitive for consumers and businesses;

(iv)       make work pay by expanding free childcare for working parents;

(v)        raise the value of the minimum wage over the next Parliament;

(vi)       introduce a lower ten pence starting rate of tax;

(vii)      introduce a Mansion Tax;

(viii)     set out reforms to ban recruitment agencies from hiring solely from overseas and put in place tougher enforcement of minimum wage laws to tackle the exploitation of migrant workers that undercuts local workers;

(ix)       introduce a compulsory jobs guarantee for young people and a new gold standard vocational qualification and give business a real say on apprenticeships in return for increasing their numbers to ensure that every young person gets the skills they need to succeed in the future;

(x)        give local authorities and communities greater control over fracking in their areas and address the completely inadequate payments to communities in which fracking takes place, considering the enormous amount of revenue to be gained by the companies from fracking activities, in particular given the tax breaks awarded by the Government;

(xi)       introduce an NHS Bill, to put a stop to its privatisation and improve access to GPs; and

(xii)      give people a greater say over pay day lenders and betting shops on their high streets; and

(d)       believes that the country needs a new direction to deliver these changes and welcomes the agenda set out by the Labour Party to make work pay, reform the banks, freeze energy bills and build more homes.

That this Council:

(a)        believes that work should pay and therefore opposes the introduction of schemes which force job seekers into unpaid work or face losing their benefits – schemes known popularly as workfare;

(b)       is concerned that there is no evidence workfare assists job seekers in finding work and in fact working a 30-hour week makes that more difficult; that workfare is replacing paid work; and that workfare stigmatises benefits claimants and locks them further into poverty; and

(c)        pledges not to use any workfare placements and will also encourage contractors not to use the schemes.

That this Council:

(a)       notes the proposal of the Administration to remove 100 miles of road from Sheffield’s gritting routes and cease the recruitment of new snow wardens;

(b)       believes that Labour politicians have decided to hit the west of the city and rural areas hardest while protecting their own favoured areas;

(c)        regrets that these plans could put local residents’ safety at risk, while leaving some elderly and vulnerable people trapped in their homes for days;

(d)       furthermore notes with concern the impact these changes will have on rural businesses, in particular farms, and the damage this could cause to their trade;

(e)       recalls that the main opposition group opposed these plans at the Council’s Budget Meeting in March and identified alternative funds to meet these savings; and

(f)        calls upon the Administration to drop these proposals and maintain a safe and comprehensive gritting service for the city.

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.

That this Council:

(a)       supports the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign in its aim of securing a full public inquiry into the policing at the Orgreave Coking Plant, South Yorkshire, during the 1984-85 miners’ strike;

(b)       notes with some disappointment the unacceptably slow pace of the current scoping exercise being conducted by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) to determine whether an investigation into police misconduct should take place;

(c)        also notes that the remit of the IPCC does not extend to cover the political context that this Council believes empowered the police and facilitated their actions and conduct;

(d)       condemns any actions that may subsequently be found to have constituted police brutality and arrests of miners on “trumped up” charges;

(e)       believes that only a full public inquiry will have the capacity to reveal the truth about policing of Orgreave, and enable any injustices committed there to be acknowledged and addressed; and

(f)        calls on the Government to support now, and instigate, a full public inquiry into the policing of the 1984-85 miners’ strike.

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.

That this Council:-

(a)       notes the Foreign and Commonwealth Office calls on “businesses and civil society” to help give effect to its “Good Business” action plan, which includes the aim that:

            “… human rights related matters are reflected appropriately when purchasing goods, works and services.

            Under the public procurement rules public bodies may exclude tenderers from bidding for a contract opportunity in certain circumstances, including where there is information showing grave misconduct by a company in the course of its business or profession. Such misconduct might arise in cases where there are breaches of human rights. In addition, UK public bodies are required to have due regard for equality-related issues in their procurement activity.”

(b)       is concerned at significant reports of human rights breaches across the world by large corporations; and

(c)        confirms that this Council, in so far as it is legally able to do so, should exclude from contract opportunities any company where there is evidence of a poor track record of breaches of human rights and equality laws.

That this Council:

(a)       notes that August marks the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War and that the 70^th anniversary of D-Day was held in June;

(b)       reiterates previous resolutions passed by the Council placing on record the recognition and appreciation of the Council to everyone involved in both World Wars and remembers the sacrifices made by Sheffield people to protect the freedom of future generations;

(c)        welcomes the range of activities being held across the city between 2014 and 2018 to commemorate the event, which include:

(i)         War Work – Sheffield Industry and the First World War exhibition between 4 August 2014 – 31 July 2015 at Kelham Island Museum;

(ii)        Sheffield Remembers – War Memorials from the First World War on display from 9 November 2014 at Kelham Island Museum;

(iii)       First World War Learning Programme at Sheffield Industrial Museums Trust family activities during August 2014; and

(iv)       the Sheffield and the First World War Exhibition at Weston Park Museum run by Museums Sheffield;

(d)       also welcomes the webpage hosted by the Council’s Archives and Local Studies department, which can be visited at www.sheffield.gov.uk/1914-1918, and includes:

(i)         WW1 Sheffield timeline – 25 page timeline relating to Sheffield;

(ii)        Index to Sheffield soldiers, 1914 – 1915 (from the Sheffield Daily Independent);

(iii)       Research guide on Sheffield and WW1 – 50 page guide to Sheffield - related sources;

(iv)       Research guide on Sheffield’s armaments industry; and

(v)        Sheffield war memorial information; and

(e)       thanks all the organisations across the city that are involved in the work commemorating the centenary and believes that this important landmark provides a pertinent opportunity to remember and recognise the historical significance of the First World War and the sacrifices made by many people between 1914 and 1918.

That this Council:

(a)       believes that apprenticeships are one of the best ways to support young people into long-term careers;

(b)       is proud that The Rt. Hon. Nick Clegg MP and other Liberal Democrats have helped build a strong economy and a fairer society by delivering more apprenticeships in Government;

(c)        recalls that one of the first acts of this Government was to increase spending on apprenticeships by £250 million – a 50% increase on the previous Government’s commitments;

(d)       further notes that under this Government the number of people starting apprenticeships in Sheffield has increased by 54%;

(e)       welcomes the latest announcement within the 2014 Queen’s Speech that the total number of apprenticeship places will increase to 2 million by 2015; and

(f)        backs the Government’s latest announcement and supports all measures to help young people in Sheffield into apprenticeships.

That this Council:

(a)       welcomes measures to support businesses and create jobs across Sheffield;

(b)       notes the proposal to develop an online market for the Kirkgate Market in Leeds so that shoppers can purchase products from independent traders online; and

(c)        believes this would be a positive proposal to support traders in Sheffield and therefore recommends that the Administration brings a proposal to a Cabinet meeting within the next six months to consider the idea.