Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, Town Hall, Pinstone Street, Sheffield, S1 2HH

Contact: Paul Robinson, Democratic Services  Email: paul.robinson@sheffield.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

2.

Declarations of Interest pdf icon PDF 65 KB

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

Minutes:

3.

Minutes Of Previous Council Meeting pdf icon PDF 159 KB

To receive the record of the proceedings of the meeting of the Council held on 7th January 2015 and to approve the accuracy thereof.

Minutes:

4.

Public Questions and Petitions and Other Communications

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.

Minutes:

5.

Members' Questions pdf icon PDF 68 KB

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)

 

Minutes:

6.

Representation, Delegated Authority and Related Issues pdf icon PDF 36 KB

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.

Minutes:

7.

Designation of Monitoring Officer

The Chief Executive to report.

Minutes:

8.

Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Business Plan Update, HRA Budget and Rent Increase 2015-16 pdf icon PDF 43 KB

Report of the Chief Executive.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

9.

Notice of Motion given by Councillor Leigh Bramall

That this Council:-

 

(a)       welcomes the ambitious proposals that have been brought forward by Sheffield and Rotherham to create the first Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District in the UK;

 

(b)       notes that the aim is to create an Advanced Manufacturing cluster of international scale as well as expertise and welcomes that the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre will soon be enhanced by the development of Factory 2050 which is a key project for the city;

 

(c)        recalls that Innovation Districts are a geographic area that combines research institutions, innovative firms and business incubators with the benefits of urban living, and unlike traditional science parks, these districts cluster cutting-edge research in geographic areas that are liveable, walkable, bike-able, and transit connected, to create an environment that actively fosters innovation;

 

(d)       welcomes that the Innovation District was announced at the first part of the Sheffield International Economic Commission launched by the present Administration;

 

(e)       believes that attracting Bruce Katz, Vice President of the Brookings Institute and author of “The Rise of Innovation Districts” and Kelly Kline, Economic Development Director in the city of Fremont, California, is a big coup for the City and reflects the ambitions of the Commission;

 

(f)        welcomes the positive reception for the Innovation District and International Economic Commission in local, regional and national media, which is important to enhancing the City’s reputation on a national and international stage to attract investment into the city;

 

(g)       welcomes the partnership working with Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, the University of Sheffield and the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre for their work on the visit and the partnership working as part of the Innovation District;

 

(h)       thanks Sheffield Forgemasters, Alcoa and the Tata Proving Factory at Newburgh Precision for hosting visits as part of the event;

 

(i)         notes that work with Bruce Katz will continue to drive forward the Innovation District;

 

(j)         further thanks the Centre for Cities for their support over the coming year on the Commission; and

 

(k)        agrees to send a letter to Mr Katz and Ms Kline on behalf of the Council thanking them for visiting the city and their contribution to Sheffield’s International Economic Commission.

Minutes:

10.

Notice of Motion given by Councillor George Lindars-Hammond

That this Council:

 

(a)       recognises that the young people of Sheffield played no part in creating the financial crisis and is therefore appalled at the deep levels of cuts that this Government is subjecting them to;

 

(b)       condemns this Government's huge reduction in support for young people in all kinds of education, including the tripling of university tuition fees, the removal of Educational Maintenance Allowance, the removal of National Careers Advice funding and deep cuts to funding for 18 year olds in further education;

 

(c)        further opposes the deep cuts from central Government which affect this Council's ability to fund youth services and activities for young people;

 

(d)       believes that broken promises made to young people by The Rt. Hon. David Cameron MP and The Rt. Hon. Nick Clegg MP on many of these issues has fundamentally undermined the faith in the political process for many young people;

 

(e)       contrasts this Government's cuts to this Council's record of action for young people; creating apprenticeships, starting the innovative RISE internship scheme and helping match young people and local employers through the Skills Made Easy scheme;

 

(f)        supports the Labour Party's guarantee of a job for every young person out of work and plans for a transformation of vocational education;

 

(g)       resolves to campaign to highlight the gross unfairness of these cuts and urges all young people to register to vote in the upcoming general election in order to make their voices heard; and

 

(h)       welcomes that The Rt. Hon. Ed Miliband, MP, highlighted the problems the Government’s mismanagement of Individual Electoral Registration is causing, resulting in many people, including students, falling off the register and praised the actions of local partners in Sheffield who have taken action to address this issue including the universities, student union and the Council, and reiterates its support for the work of these organisations.

Minutes:

11.

Notice of Motion given by Councillor Vickie Priestley

That this Council:-

 

(a)       condemns the current Administration for its ill-considered attempt to save money whilst putting lives and property at risk by reducing the gritting network on Priority 2 routes;

 

(b)       welcomes the u-turn to reinstate these routes following public pressure and a campaign led by the Liberal Democrats;

 

(c)        recognises that it is not possible to clear all roads in the first few hours after a snow fall;

 

(d)       recognises that citizens of Sheffield are willing to help themselves by clearing residential roads;

 

(e)       however, this task is made more difficult by the removal of 121 grit bins at a saving of only £82 per bin and the undermining of the snow warden scheme; this includes grit bins that have been removed from shopping parades and areas with high numbers of elderly population;

 

(f)        therefore calls upon the Administration to work with local residents to identify the optimum position for each bin; and

 

(g)       further calls upon the Administration to immediately reinstate the grit bins and provide the snow wardens with grit.

Minutes:

12.

Notice of Motion given by Councillor Julie Dore

That this Council:-

 

(a)       notes the recent report by the London School of Economics “Were we really all in it together? The distributional effects of the UK Coalition Government’s tax-benefit policy changes”;

 

(b)       notes that the analysis from the report shows:

 

(i)         the outcome for those in the bottom half of incomes is in contrast to those in the top half of incomes, who gained from direct tax cuts, with the exception of most of the top 5 percent – although within this 5 percent group, those at the very top gained, because of the cut in the top rate of income tax;

 

(ii)        in total, the changes are cost neutral and have not contributed to cutting the deficit; rather, the savings from reducing benefits and tax credits have been offset by the costs of raising the tax-free income tax allowance and lowering the top rate of income tax allowance, giving tax cuts to millionaires; and

 

(iii)       the analysis challenges the idea that those with incomes in the top tenth have lost as great a share of their incomes as those with the lowest incomes;

 

(c)        believes that this report conclusively proves that we are not all in it together and the Government has made these cuts not to reduce the deficit but to redistribute money from the poorest to the wealthiest in society;

 

(d)       is extremely concerned about the impact that these policies are having in Sheffield and is concerned that child poverty is rising as a result and inequalities are increasing;

 

(e)       notes the recent research commissioned by the Council and published by Sheffield Hallam University, about the impact of welfare reform on Sheffield, which highlighted that:

 

(i)         some local communities are hit by welfare reform five times harder than others;

 

(ii)        just under half of the financial loss from welfare reform will fall on working households;

 

(iii)       couples with children are losing an average of nearly £1,700 a year;

 

(iv)       lone parents are losing over £2,000 a year; and

 

(v)        men and women with health problems or disabilities are significantly disadvantaged;

 

(f)        believes this research proves conclusively that the cuts to welfare are hitting the poorest in our city the hardest;

 

(g)       notes that the report proves that the welfare reform impacts most on the poorest parts of the city, including Burngreave, Manor, Southey and Firth Park;

 

(h)       notes that proportionately, Sheffield is not hit harder than other big towns and cities in the north of England by the cuts to welfare, so this is something that other comparable cities will also be experiencing, however the financial loss is far above the level in many parts of the south outside London, which is another example of the Government disproportionately targeting pain towards the north of England; and

 

(i)         believes it is clear that these welfare cuts are ideological; they are not about cutting the deficit but redistributing money away from some of the poorest people in  ...  view the full agenda text for item 12.

Minutes:

13.

Notice of Motion given by Councillor Pat Midgley

That this Council:-

 

(a)       notes the 25th anniversary of the Cathedral Archer Project was marked on 25th November last year;

 

(b)       pays tribute to the contribution that the Project has made to the city, providing a range of services for homeless people including:

 

           Assessment and signposting to appropriate service providers

           1:1 support

           In-house nurse and dental clinics

           Access to hot food, drinks and food parcels

           Showers and laundry

           A programme of activities to help people learn skills and enjoy new experiences

           The chance to gain accredited awards

           A structured volunteer programme which helps people to gain structure in their lives.

           Support to attend drug and alcoholic treatment services

           Access to computers and telephones

 

(c)        welcomes that the work of the Project has evolved over the 25 years of work, and in the words of the Project itself “it's not just food we give anymore.  In fact the most important thing we give is a new opportunity.  Year by year lives change and people move on.”;

 

(d)       notes that the success of the Project is dependent upon the contribution of Sheffield people through their voluntary work and donations and thanks local people for their contribution to making the Project successful; and

 

(e)       thanks everyone involved in the Project for their contributions and directs that a copy of this motion be passed on to the Cathedral Archer Project.

Minutes:

14.

Notice of Motion given by Councillor Joe Otten

That this Council:-

 

(a)       notes the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, The Rt. Hon. Ed Balls MP’s admission, in The Telegraph newspaper on 5th January 2015, that he would, given the chance, cut another £3.3bn from local government;

 

(b)       notes that Labour Councillors noted the Shadow Chancellor’s previous comments about having to "keep all these cuts" in passing an amendment to a motion on public spending reductions at the Council meeting in February 2012;

 

(c)        notes a number of  resolutions passed by this Council blaming the Coalition Government for the response to the fiscal consequences of the record deficit of 2008 that was created under the Labour Government;

 

(d)       notes the frequent grandstanding on the subject of cuts to local government by members of the Administration, and fears that some people may be misled into thinking that the Labour Party would not make further cuts to local government; and

 

(e)       believes that, in spite of the rhetoric in this chamber, it is clear that any statements made that give the impression that the cuts would disappear if there was a change to a Labour Government, are unlikely to be true.

Minutes:

15.

Notice of Motion given by Councillor Sarah Jane Smalley

That this Council:-

 

(a)       notes from The Convenient Truth by Wilkinson and Pickett, published by the Fabian Society, that “Although economic development is what has transformed the real quality of life during the last couple of centuries…. evidence shows very clearly that in the rich countries economic growth no longer drives measures of wellbeing” and “Greater equality is then a key objective, not only because it reduces social dysfunction and improves health and wellbeing, but also because it makes it possible to overcome some of the main obstacles to sustainability”;

 

(b)       notes research from The Equality Trust, which states that the wealth of Britain’s richest 100 people now almost equals that of a third of all households put together;

 

(c)        notes Joseph Rowntree Foundation Research published in January which shows that eight million people are living on family incomes considered inadequate for a “socially acceptable standard of living”, a rise of almost a third since 2009;

 

(d)       notes the work which has been done to date in Sheffield to reduce inequality;

 

(e)       welcomes the fact that Sheffield City Council has a pay ratio of 1:10;

 

(f)        welcomes the launch of the “Our Fair City” campaign;

 

(g)       notes the Sheffield Fairness Commission recommendation that “substantial progress” be made on paying a Living Wage in the public sector by 2015 (including contractors) and for all employers in the city to be paying the Living Wage by 2023;

 

(h)       notes with concern that whilst Sheffield City Council has implemented a Living Wage for the staff it directly employs, work remains “on-going” with contractors and no firm overall or time-commitment has been made to ensure all contractors adopt the Living Wage;

 

(i)         praises Glasgow City Council for now obliging all its contractors to pay the Living Wage;

 

(j)         notes that Brighton and Hove City Council is accredited as a Living Wage Employer by the Living Wage Foundation, which means that they have a plan for ensuring that all contractors pay the Living Wage as and when contracts come up for renewal, and that new contractors pay the Living Wage;

 

(k)        makes a real commitment to reducing inequality in Sheffield by requesting that the Administration puts a plan in place to become accredited as a Living Wage Employer by the Living Wage Foundation; and

 

(l)         encourages its partners on the Sheffield First Partnership Board, including the Sheffield Universities, to commit to reducing inequality in Sheffield by ensuring that they have pay ratios of 1:10 or less.

Minutes:

16.

Notice of Motion given by Councillor John Booker

That this Council:-

 

(a)       regrets that housing services cannot cope with constantly rising numbers of people coming to live and work in the UK;

 

(b)       recognises that the infrastructure is being constantly stretched by the strain on sewers, drainage, road and rail links, local amenities, and power supplies;

 

(c)        is frustrated by constantly changing Planning announcements, and therefore requests that the Administration prepares, produces and funds a full and comprehensive report on all brownfield sites within the City Council boundary and that the results are made public for a conciliation period in line with local draft plans for development in the area;

 

(d)       (i) requests that the report includes the size of brownfield sites in hectares and the ratio of houses per hectare if applied for new development; in addition the associated cost for any reclamation to make these brownfield sites usable, versus the Capital Gains Tax (or equivalent) figures per acre compared to earmarked designated green belt sites per acre; noting that this comparison will provide prospective developers with an alternative development consideration and (ii) notes that this motion is in line with National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) guidelines of using first any previously used land and preserving "Localism" by not joining well established communities into one urban landscape by destroying greenbelt;

 

(e)       is concerned that the NPPF can be misused by councils, giving them a free hand to redefine green belt boundaries and shelve brownfield sites, and that this allows Capital Gains Tax to be made on greenbelt land sales to developers in comparison to brownfield sites that may require reclamation in some way;

 

(f)        also notes that each County has its own unique system of available sites for development, and that South Yorkshire has the South Yorkshire Coalfield and the almost extinct steel industry, with hundreds of hectares of available land for redevelopment, and that these should not be left in the local government recycle bin;

 

(g)       agrees with local MP Clive Betts’ recent statement that “The NPPF has brought welcome simplification to the planning system, but the Government must strengthen the planning framework to tackle emerging concerns about inappropriate and unsustainable development”; and

 

(h)       is concerned that the Government is now riding roughshod over local people’s wishes, with mass house building that has become a Developers Charter, without the new services to go with it.

Minutes:

17.

Notice of Motion given by Councillor Brian Webster

That this Council:-

 

(a)       notes that 5th February 2015 has been designated by Bite the Ballot as National Voter Registration Day;

 

(b)       believes that it is essential that all those who are eligible to vote know how to register to vote and are not denied the opportunity to exercise this fundamental democratic right;

 

(c)        commends the work already undertaken by Council officers and partner institutions, including the city’s Universities and their Students’ Unions, to give people the information they need to register to vote;

 

(d)       believes that these efforts are particularly important this year, as the introduction of Individual Voter Registration (IVR) risks disenfranchising millions of people across the country;

 

(e)       notes reports from the Electoral Commission that "areas with a high concentration of certain demographics – students, private renters and especially young adults" are at particular risk of seeing the number of registered voters fall significantly under IVR;

 

(f)        therefore calls upon officers to continue working with partner organisations to ensure that information about both the practicalities and the importance of registering to vote are publicised as widely as possible to all segments of Sheffield’s population in the run-up to the May 7th elections and beyond; and

 

(g)       further, calls upon Members of the Council to exercise their responsibility as community leaders by actively promoting voter registration and participation in the democratic process in the communities they represent.

Minutes:

18.

Notice of Motion given by Councillor Pauline Andrews

That this Council:-

 

(a)       calls on the Administration to support Chapeltown Juniors Football Club, established in 1983, to enable them to take over the lease from the City Council for the Steel City Sports Ground and clubhouse on Shiregreen Lane;

 

(b)       notes that the lease of this site is available due to the previous tenant leaving in February 2014, and that although there are a few groups that still use the grounds to train, this isn't a problem as access could be negotiated;

 

(c)        recognises the need for good quality football training to take place and be increased, or our great sporting city of Sheffield will be left behind, and notes that Chapeltown Juniors play in Sheffield & District Junior Sunday League, which is possibly the biggest junior league in Europe;

 

(d)       notes that, for 29 years, the Football Club has played in Ecclesfield Park, which is a public park and is no longer suitable for the Club, as it is not big enough to meet the needs of 140 children, enabling them to move forward, play and progress, and also to develop the players;

 

(e)       believes that physical education is just as important as being academic and should be part of the learning and understanding skills for everyday life, and that physical development of young people promotes a healthy, moral, mental, positive attitude as well as self-discipline and self-worth;

 

(f)        calls upon the Administration to support the coaches and officials of the Football Club to carry on their great work in training these children and young people aged 5 to 18 years, noting that the Club officials are committed and deserve recognition for giving up their own free time which cannot be easy, when working full time;

 

(g)       welcomes that the site and the building would continue to be used, focusing on sport, and that the site could also be used for many other sporting activities such as cricket, bowls and other field sports, as well as the hub of community life, incorporating into the social club, activities such as lunch clubs, meeting places, weddings, parties, youth activities, older people's clubs, and back to work clubs;

 

(h)       further notes the backing of the Football Association, Children's Hospital Charity, Unison, Sheffield F.A., South Yorkshire Police and Fire and Rescue, and that funding is available to support the project, but it cannot proceed forward without the support of the Council and a proposed lease;

 

(i)         is concerned and bemused that, despite numerous meetings with Councillors and officers from the Parks and Countryside Service, the project seems to have come to a standstill, whereas officials of the Club are very keen to push this forward which would be a great asset to the Shiregreen community, with the potential to bring jobs, but without the Council’s support for the lease, applications for funding cannot proceed;

 

(j)         is further concerned that, as the months go by, the site may fall into further disrepair, being vandalised and trashed, costing more money to restore the  ...  view the full agenda text for item 18.

Minutes:

19.

Notice of Motion given by Councillor Jillian Creasy

That this Council:-

 

(a)       recognises that Sheffield suffers from health inequalities across the city and that good health care can help to mitigate and treat illness;

 

(b)       is therefore disturbed to hear that four General Practices in Sheffield are affected by the withdrawal of a fund, the Minimum Practice Income Guarantee (MPIG), designed by the last Government to support practices serving particularly needy populations which were adversely affected by the 2004 GP contract;

 

(c)        notes that whilst similar practices in London have been given a two year reprieve, cuts to practices outside London have already begun and MPIG will be phased out over seven years;

 

(d)       notes that MPIG was always seen as a stop-gap until a fairer funding formula could be found but is now being withdrawn without any replacement;

 

(e)       fears that practices serving some of the most needy people in the city, including Devonshire Green in the city centre,  which has a high proportion of people suffering homelessness, mental health and addiction problems, face closure;

 

(f)        agrees that closure of such practices would directly affect the health of their patients and have knock on effects for surrounding practices as well as emergency and hospital services;

 

(g)       thanks the Clinical Commissioning Group, the local area team of NHS England and the colleagues in public health for their support, but notes that the funding comes from NHS England at national level;

 

(h)       therefore resolves to write to David Geddes, head of primary care commissioning at NHS England, to ask him to reverse this decision; and

 

(i)         requests that a copy of this motion be sent to all Sheffield MPs and to the Secretary of State for Health, The Rt. Hon. Jeremy Hunt MP.

 

Minutes: