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.

Former Councillors Gordon Mills and Cath Whitty

Minutes:

2.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

3.

Declarations of Interest pdf icon PDF 88 KB

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

Minutes:

4.

Minutes Of Previous Council Meetings pdf icon PDF 481 KB

To receive the records of the proceedings of the ordinary meeting of the Council held on 1st February 2017 and the special meeting of the Council held on 3rd March 2017 (Budget Meeting) and to approve the accuracy thereof.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

5.

Public Questions and Petitions and Other Communications

(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 to “Save Ecclesall Road Trees”

 

To debate a combined electronic and paper petition entitled “Save Ecclesall Road Trees, Sheffield”.  The online petition –https://www.change.org/p/save-ecclesall-road-trees - contains 3,214 supporters (as at 27th March) and the paper petition contains 2,700 signatures.  The e-petition includes the following wording:-

 

We, the undersigned, refute the assertion that the felling of over one third of the street trees on Ecclesall Road, Sheffield is necessary. We demand, and believe it imperative, that sensitive, alternative highway engineering specifications for pavements and kerbs be adopted and implemented to enable the long-term retention of those mature street trees designated as damaging. We also demand that those trees designated as dying be reconsidered in the light of the best arboricultural advice recently offered by experts such as Jeremy Barrell (BSc FArborA DipArb CBiol FICFor FRICS) with a view to retaining as many mature street trees on Ecclesall Road as possible and the felling of any of these trees be used only as a true last resort”.

 

Minutes:

6.

Members' Questions pdf icon PDF 324 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://democracy.sheffield.gov.uk/ecCatDisplay.aspx?sch=doc&cat=13165&path=0)

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

7.

Representation, Delegated Authority and Related Issues pdf icon PDF 57 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:

8.

Notice of Motion given by Councillor George Lindars-Hammond

That this Council:-

 

(a)       notes that in 1986 the Conservative government deregulated the bus market here in Sheffield and throughout England (outside of London); this record of deregulation has seen fares rise faster than inflation, patronage fall by more than a third nationally and bus market monopolies have become the norm;

 

(b)       notes that the number of people using buses in South Yorkshire since the Conservatives’ deregulation of the bus service has dropped significantly; according to figures from South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) there were 268,000,000 bus passengers in 1986 but now the number has fallen to 102,000,000; a drop in passenger numbers of 62%;

 

(c)        notes that this Administration is committed to improving the standards of the bus service and welcomes the positive work undertaken with the bus partnership to improve on bus services in the city;

 

(d)       believes that better bus services for the people of Sheffield are essential in providing affordable and convenient travel and notes that this Administration is actively exploring all options at its disposal to improve public transport in the city; in turn, reducing congestion and air pollution;

 

(e)       is encouraged that the forthcoming Bus Services Bill will allow local communities to have a much greater say over the operation of bus services in their area and hopes are raised that this Bill could go some way to re-regulating the bus industry;

 

(f)        notes, however, that despite positive aspects of the Bus Services Bill, including enhanced bus partnerships and greater franchising powers, there is considerable concern about the inclusion of Clause 21 when the Bill was proposed; the clause would have banned local authorities from forming and running their own bus companies in the future;

 

(g)       notes that municipal bus operators provide some of the best services in the country as evident by the service provided by Nottingham City Council which consistently performs well in all outcomes measures; being well used and good value for local taxpayers;

 

(h)       welcomes the work by the Labour Party in successfully implementing an amendment in the House of Lords to remove what this Council believes is a senseless clause; a clause which seems to be driven by an ideological commitment that the ”market knows best” in providing public transport, despite extensive evidence to the counter;

 

(i)         regrets that despite Labour’s victory in the Lords, the Government has reintroduced this clause during House of Commons Committee stage; and it is likely that Clause 21 will be reinstated into the Bus Services Bill when considered at the Report Stage and Third Reading commencing on 27 March;

 

(j)         believes that any attempts by the Government to reinstate the clause should be fought and supports Labour’s opposition in Parliament; and

 

(k)        believes that the running of local bus services should be determined by the local communities they serve, and that all methods for ensuring this is so should be at the disposal of local authorities; whether in the form of franchising, bus partnerships or by local authorities running services  ...  view the full agenda text for item 8.

Minutes:

9.

Notice of Motion given by Councillor Julie Dore

That this Council:-

 

(a)       welcomes the recent news that Sheffield City Region is set to partner Boeing, the world’s largest aerospace company, in a deal worth millions of pounds to the city;

 

(b)       notes that this will be Boeing’s first factory in Europe and that, alongside the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), this has further cemented Sheffield City Region’s credentials as a global centre for innovation-inspired advanced manufacturing;

 

(c)        notes the significant national coverage the recent deals with Boeing and McLaren are bringing to the area and believes that under this Administration the message is clear: “Sheffield is open for business”;

 

(d)       reaffirms that this Administration is committed to growing our local economy and is having great success in this; in turn, creating jobs and increasing living standards;

 

(e)       believes that this Administration’s approach is in stark contrast to the Liberal Democrats who, when in national government, chose to make damaging cuts in funding for regional growth and failed to provide adequate financial support to local businesses and cancelled the Labour Government’s loan to Sheffield Forgemasters;

 

(f)        notes that the recruitment for the proposed 2,300-square-metre Boeing Sheffield facility is anticipated to begin from late 2018, with a planned Boeing investment of more than £20 million into the site, and believes this demonstrates what can be achieved with a proactive approach to business creation and investment, as undertaken by this Administration; and

 

(g)       supports the Administration’s commitment to making Sheffield a leader in advanced manufacturing in the country.

 

Minutes:

10.

Notice of Motion given by Councillor Shaffaq Mohammed

That this Council:-

 

(a)       recognises that, last June, the UK narrowly voted to leave the European Union;

 

(b)       however, regrets that the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Theresa May MP, has chosen the hardest and most divisive form of Brexit, choosing to take us out of the Single Market before she has even begun negotiations;

 

(c)        believes that leaving the Single Market was not on the ballot paper in the referendum and that it is a political choice made by this Government;

 

(d)       believes that membership of the Single Market is vital for the British economy and for the jobs of millions of British people;

 

(e)       condemns the Government for failing to guarantee the rights of 3 million EU citizens already living and working in the UK, which includes over 13,000 people in Sheffield;

 

(f)        believes that EU citizens need to be given clarity on where they stand, as do UK citizens resident elsewhere in the EU and that it is shameful that the Government have left them in limbo, lining them up to be used as bargaining chips in the forthcoming negotiations;

 

(g)       notes that there is almost 1000 NHS workers in Sheffield who are EU citizens, and that the NHS is reliant on skilled migrant labour from the EU and beyond, and is therefore deeply concerned by the 68 per cent increase in EU nurses handing in their resignations in 2016, compared to 2015;

 

(h)       notes that the Spring budget confirms just how damaging this Government's “Hard Brexit” plans are to Britain’s public finances, with the UK now forecast to borrow an extra £100bn over the next 6 years than was expected before the referendum;

 

(i)         regrets that a further £60bn is to be stashed away by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt. Hon. Phillip Hammond MP, to mitigate the effects of a “Hard Brexit” and believes this money could have been better spent on public services, such as health and care services and education;

 

(j)         further regrets that Labour MPs and Lords, including many local figures, have followed the Rt. Hon. Jeremy Corbyn MP’s lead and failed to oppose the Government’s “Hard Brexit” plans, allowing the Government’s Brexit Bill to pass through Parliament unamended without any guarantees for EU citizens in the UK or on the UK’s membership of the single market; and

 

(k)        supports the Liberal Democrats policy to hold a referendum on the final Brexit deal and believes that the people should have the final say over the Brexit deal, rather than just politicians in Westminster.

 

Minutes:

11.

Notice of Motion given by Councillor Craig Gamble Pugh

That this Council:-

 

(a)       notes that, through the Schools Fairer Funding Formula, the Government is imposing real term cuts on schools by freezing per-pupil funding while inflation and school costs, such as staff salary costs, employer pension and national insurance contributions, increase; which affect all schools and academies alike;

 

(b)       notes that the ‘area cost adjustment’ will still apply and that this system perpetuates the inherent unfairness of the system and, as according to the Government’s own statistics, in Sheffield by 2019 there will be an average pupil funding decrease of approximately 10%, around £350 per pupil, and that, even with a new funding formula, 98% of schools will be worse off in real terms;

 

(c)        notes that, eventually, schools funding will be distributed by national government, not through local authorities and the Schools Forum, removing any local discretion, influence or accountability;

 

(d)       believes that these proposals create divisions between primary and secondary schools and pits local authorities, parts of our City and even neighbouring schools, against each other; at the same time as the Government is finding over £500m extra cash for its Free and Grammar School agenda - which this Council is totally opposed to;

 

(e)       believes that the Government is continuing to penalise small schools and effectively forcing them to look for economies of scale by joining a Multi Academy Trust, pushing its Academy Policy;

 

(f)        reaffirms its opposition to segregation and the creation of new grammar schools and believes that the evidence base for grammar schools improving social mobility is incredibly weak and the Government’s decision is derived more from ideology than evidence;

 

(g)       believes that every child deserves the best possible start in life, and that an excellent education is central to this, yet this Government’s Funding proposals will make it extremely difficult for schools to meet the increasing demand of pupil numbers or address the growing national crisis in teacher recruitment and retention; and

 

(h)       urges all schools, governors, parents, carers and students to join with the NUT, Unison, GMBU and the Council to support the More Funding for all Sheffield Schools’ Campaign; fighting for more funding to be found for schools, not from the proposed redistribution of cash between local authorities or from taking money from primary schools to give to secondary schools, but from new money; and encourages them to write to their local MPs to support the Campaign and to the Secretary of State for Education for the Government to review these proposals and find more money for our schools.

 

Minutes:

12.

Notice of Motion given by Councillor Julie Dore

That this Council:-

 

(a)       opposes the decision to close Eastern Avenue Jobcentre on the basis of accessibility, capacity, impact on the community and inadequate departmental analysis & assessment of the impact itself;

 

(b)       believes that the process by which these proposals have been announced do not stand alone from the decision itself, with the initial decision having been made without conducting an impact assessment and without a clear picture of those individual claimants or future claimants whom it is likely to affect; including extremely vulnerable claimants with disabilities and mental health problems;

 

(c)        is concerned that the proposals are putting 70 jobs at risk and believes there are major concerns about whether claimants will be as well supported by a newly reconfigured service, with the local office potentially much further afield for claimants;

 

(d)       believes that even if these jobs are relocated, the changes to the service will take a large amount of workers out of the local community at Manor Top and this will impact on the area and local businesses;

 

(e)       notes that this Administration is vocal in its opposition to the damaging impact the closure of the Jobcentre could have on how vital employment support is provided, and believes that there is a need for these services to be as close to people as possible and yet the proposals do nothing for forming a serious joined-up strategy of how employment services should be run;

 

(f)        believes the proposed closure of Eastern Avenue Jobcentre is a bad decision by this Government and one which will become evidently worse as Universal Credit continues to be rolled out, as people who are in work will have to attend interviews at Jobcentres; and notes that, as such, councillors from this Administration have called on the Government to reconsider its decision; and furthermore, offers full support and solidarity to the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) in its campaign to keep the Centre open; and

 

(g)       notes that the public consultation has recently finished and that all nine Labour Councillors who represent the communities most affected – Park and Arbourthorne, Manor Castle and Richmond - submitted their objections to the plans, and hopes the Government takes heed of their advice and reconsiders those plans.

 

Minutes:

13.

Notice of Motion given by Councillor Steve Ayris

That this Council:-

 

(a)       regrets the phasing out of the Education Services Grant and its impact on schools and the Council;

 

(b)       notes the analysis by The Education Policy Institute which finds that all schools in England face real terms cuts in funding per pupil, and that half face reductions of between 6% and 11% by 2019-20 under the new National Funding Formula proposed by the Government;

 

(c)        condemns the Government’s choice to spend almost £1 billion on what this Council believes to be an ideological crusade to expand free schools and grammars which will only help the privileged few, whilst elsewhere schools are facing real terms cuts to spending;

 

(d)       recognises that many of Sheffield’s schools are already struggling and that the financial outlook for Sheffield schools is likely to deteriorate as cost pressures increase and funding is cut further;

 

(e)       calls upon HM Government to increase the schools budget in order to prevent a serious detrimental impact on class sizes, support for pupils with special needs or valuable extra-curricular activities;

 

(f)        calls upon HM Government to ensure Pupil Premium is protected from these cuts;

 

(g)       asks the Leader of the Council to write to all Sheffield MPs, urging them to raise the Council's concerns with the Secretary of State for Education; and

 

(h)       resolves to support a cross-party campaign to raise awareness amongst parents, teaching professionals, governing bodies and teaching unions to urge the Government to reverse these cuts.

 

Minutes:

14.

Notice of Motion given by Councillor Rob Murphy

That this Council:-

 

(a)       notes that:-

 

(i)         Sheffield’s air pollution urgently needs to be reduced;

 

(ii)        in many parts of Sheffield, especially near busy roads, in the city centre and close to the M1, levels of air pollutants sometimes exceed maximum legal limits;

 

(iii)       air pollution impacts on the health of people in our city, especially the most vulnerable, causing permanent lung damage in babies and young children and exacerbating lung and heart disease in older people, and contributing to an estimated 500 premature deaths in Sheffield each year;

 

(iv)       other English cities, such as Leeds, Nottingham and Derby, are introducing Clean Air Zones to reduce the level of these pollutants, with support from central government, and that Sheffield is not on this list; and

 

(v)        Clean Air Zones received significant public support in the YouGov poll reported in The Guardian newspaper on 4th July 2016, in which 76% of respondents supported the implementation of Clean Air Zones to bring their cities’ levels of pollution to within European maximum legal limits;

 

(b)       believes that:-

 

(i)         it is unfair for Sheffield residents to be left behind breathing polluted air, when other major cities have Clean Air Zones planned;

 

(ii)        a Clean Air Zone should be introduced in Sheffield’s Air Quality Management Area to ensure Sheffield’s air quality is within maximum legal limits by 2020; and

 

(iii)       the scale of this public health crisis is such that action on air pollution cannot wait and this Council should immediately take steps locally where we have the power to do so; and

 

(c)        calls on the Administration to:-

 

(i)         lobby the appropriate government minister to gain support for a Clean Air Zone in Sheffield;

 

(ii)        commit to take steps towards implementing a Clean Air Zone in Sheffield, so that the people of Sheffield are not left breathing polluted air;

 

(iii)       commit to the immediate development of a new Sheffield-wide Action Plan to bring air quality within maximum legal limits and replace the 2012 plan, which failed to achieve its main objectives by its target date of December 2015, with one that will ensure the safety of Sheffield’s public;

 

(iv)       issue public health warnings when air pollution levels are particularly high, so that people can make informed decisions relating to their health;

 

(v)        immediately take steps deemed to be necessary to help reduce deaths and illnesses linked to polluted air, including but not limited to:-

 

(A)       working with Sheffield's major bus and tram providers to make public transport more joined up and affordable;

 

(B)       supporting taxis to meet clean emission standards;

 

(C)       promoting and incentivising the use of electric vehicles and car clubs, and ensuring that Council vehicles are electric where possible; and

 

(D)       promoting walking and cycling to work;

 

(vi)       ensure that work to bring air pollution within safe and legal limits is adequately prioritised as a key public health issue; and

 

(vii)      report back to the relevant Scrutiny and Policy Development Committee on the progress made  ...  view the full agenda text for item 14.

Minutes:

15.

Notice of Motion given by Councillor John Booker

That this Council:-

 

(a)       believes the working poor and their families are under attack and are losing the battle; income has fallen for the poorest due to benefit changes and wage compression; and these issues and related problems are a direct result of "Austerity" policies perpetrated by the current and previous governments, and the poorest in society are now bearing the majority of the cuts, and the Government is shifting its debt onto them, creating more hardship and reducing state services to the neediest in our society;

 

(b)       notes that, at the same time, the Government is creating an additional £60bn of Quantitative Easing to spend in the financial markets, which makes a total Quantitative Easing package of £435bn to be deployed so far, and wonders what good could have been made of this kind of financial clout for the benefit of society as a whole;

 

(c)        regrets that under the current government this theme of the poor getting poorer and the rich getting richer is likely to continue, and believes it is a disgrace that this situation has been allowed to proceed as far has it has;

 

(d)       asks where is the opposition, and where is the alternative economic policy?;

 

(e)       condemns the system of planned corporate control, known as "Globalisation", which this Council believes was created by stealth and deception, and is a system that benefits the financial interests of the City of London at the expense of the rest of society;

 

(f)        believes the UK needs Quantitative Easing for the people, investing in the real economy, helping finance small businesses who still find it difficult to secure funding, and making it easier for small and medium-sized businesses with 250 employees or less to tender for public sector contracts;

 

(g)       also believes this money could be used to allow young people to start an apprenticeship in place of four non-core subjects at GCSE level, and to abolish tuition fees for those studying science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine;

 

(h)       further believes a policy of re-nationalising our railways, transport system, utilities and services would, in the future, benefit society as a whole; and

 

(i)         places on record this Council’s belief that, at this moment, we have a system of “Socialism for the Bankers” and “Capitalism for the Workers”.

 

Minutes:

16.

Notice of Motion given by Councillor Magid Magid

That this Council:-

 

(a)       notes that:-

 

(i)         the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) is a rating system introduced by the Government that grades universities based on how they score on a number of key metrics, and that institutions deemed to have high quality teaching will be permitted to raise their tuition fees beyond the current cap of £9000 a year;

 

(ii)        the Teaching Survey 2017 revealed that “UK staff strongly oppose the National Student Survey and the teaching excellence framework, claiming that the latter will do nothing to improve the status or quality of teaching”; and

 

(iii)       both the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University have declared they will be taking part in TEF, despite strong opposition from the Students’ Unions at both institutions and from the National Union of Students;

 

(b)       believes that:-

 

(i)         higher education is a public good that benefits society as a whole, and so should be free and accessible to all regardless of their background;

 

(ii)        TEF is a regressive step that will lead to the further marketisation of higher education, turning students into consumers; and

 

(iii)       an alternate model for improving the higher education experience and teaching should be found that works for students, staff, and Sheffield; and

 

(c)        resolves to:-

 

(i)         place on record its opposition to TEF, and to the marketisation of higher education more generally;

 

(ii)        commend the University of Sheffield Students’ Union for their positive and engaging ‘Shef Better Than TEF’ campaign, as a result of which the University of Sheffield has agreed not to raise tuition fees for current students, and further, commend Sheffield Hallam Students’ Union on their hard efforts on raising awareness of TEF and lobbying their University; and

 

(iii)       request that copies of this motion be forwarded to the Vice Chancellors of the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University, as well as both University Student Unions.

 

Minutes: