Agenda and minutes

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

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.

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

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

4.3       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)

That this Council endorses, and requests the Administration to consider implementation of, the following policies and actions designed to make life better for the people of Sheffield:-

(a)          to implement a Workplace Parking Levy for Sheffield, raising funds to improve public transport, walking and cycling routes, making it easier for people to choose to leave their cars at home;

(b)          to consult the public on the draft local plan at the earliest opportunity, including stronger policies on building more affordable housing and tackling the climate emergency;

(c)          to establish a climate emergency committee to develop strategies, and implement actions to bring about the necessary changes to meet our zero carbon emissions target by at least 2030;

(d)          to introduce an effective climate change impact assessment for every formal decision of the Council;

(e)          to adopt a "Wellbeing Economy" for Sheffield: placing the health and wellbeing of the people of Sheffield at the heart of all decision-making, and measuring the success of Sheffield's economy not just by GDP, but by how the economy has improved people's quality of life, through measurements like the Happy City Index and Free Time Index;

(f)           to reduce inequality by introducing a maximum 10:1 pay ratio for the City Council;

(g)          to establish a properly resourced team of sustainability officers to work on real progress towards making Sheffield carbon-neutral;

(h)         to recognise the ongoing value of the city’s library service and reward the hard work of volunteers who have supported their local branch libraries by providing funding for a paid, professional librarian in every branch library; and

(i)               to improve democracy in Sheffield City Council by developing the long-standing Green Party campaigns of creating a modern committee system with webcasting, with further improvements including publishing in writing the public questions and answers, including those answered later in writing, and Members’ questions and answers, including supplementary answers and those answered later in writing.

That this Council:-

(a)       notes that as part of the recent Local Democracy Week a drop in-stall was set-up at the Moor Market for three days, with people asked for their views about the issues that affect them and how they want to have their say in the upcoming Big City Conversation;

(b)       notes that many conversations were held over these days with Sheffield shoppers and there were 433 written responses recorded, with the key issues being transport, the environment, homelessness, rough sleeping and begging in the city centre, anti-social behaviour, housing and city centre regeneration;

(c)        notes that on 5^th November, the Big City Conversation launches across Sheffield, and that this is a chance for everyone in the city to get involved and have their say on the things that really matter;

(d)       believes that this is a positive opportunity to seek improvements to how the Council works and gain a wide range of views from different people, groups and partners across the city through community engagement, to not only look at different governance systems, but to hear about the how Council can better engage and serve the people of Sheffield;

(e)       believes that it is crucially important to hold consultation events in every ward of the city and that this should be directed to where people actually are, such as tenant and resident associations, shopping centres, sports centres, community groups, and online, to ensure that as many opinions as possible are heard;

(f)        notes that a series of events is under way, the first one will be on 30^th October specifically looking at governance issues, which will hear from a range of national experts, local business and community groups to discuss how the Council operates, and these events will be independently chaired; and

(g)       believes that this is a fantastic opportunity to explore how decisions are made that affect everyone in Sheffield and that people’s views must be properly heard in how to best approach this.

That this Council:-

(a)       notes that the UK remains the only country in Europe with no time limit on immigration detention, and that last year over 24,000 people entered detention in the UK, with around 50% of those entering detention having sought asylum in the UK, with many fleeing from conflict and persecution;

(b)       notes that at any given time around 2,500 people are being detained indefinitely with those entering detention not knowing if they will be there for weeks, months or years while their immigration or asylum application or appeals are being processed;

(c)        notes that detention is not a criminal process, but believes that detention centres are being used like prisons and some people are even being held in prisons under immigration detention powers;

(d)       believes that indefinite detention is inhumane and negatively impacts on an individual’s physical and mental wellbeing and, with reports of widespread abuse in detention centres, believes that the Government should plan for the permanent closure of all detention centres for undocumented migrants;

(e)       notes that the use of indefinite detention also means that there is no pressure on the Home Office and on the immigration system to make swift decisions on individuals’ cases, and that there is a rapidly growing consensus amongst medical professionals, independent inspectorate bodies, people with lived experience and other key stakeholders on the urgent need for a maximum time limit;

(f)        notes that the majority of detainees are eventually released into the community and the Home Office’s detention programme costs the tax payers £125 million a year and has proven to be both costly and ineffective;

(g)       notes that Sheffield City Council has a long and proud history of supporting refugees and asylum seekers, and is proud to be known as the first City of Sanctuary, and aims to welcome people from around the world who are refugees and asylum seekers, and those who come to the city to live, work, and study here, and has previously raised concerns about the current immigration system;

(h)       believes that the UK’s immigration detention system is still not fit for purpose and the Government must end indefinite detention; and

(i)         therefore:-

(i)         endorses the These Walls Must Fall Campaign to end the injustice of immigration detention, as supported by ASSIST Sheffield, Sheffield Campaign to Defend Asylum Seekers, South Yorkshire Migration and Asylum Action Group, Sheffield Student Action for Refugees, Sheffield Trades Council, City of Sanctuary Sheffield, South Yorkshire Refugee Law and Justice, Sheffield Unite Not for Profit, and Sheffield Conversation Club;

(ii)        calls on the Government to immediately implement the recommendations of the Home Affairs Select Committee report into detention from March 2019, which proposes major reforms to immigration detention decision-making, including better access to legal advice, more protection for the vulnerable and improved detention conditions and a maximum time limit for detentions;

(iii)       asks Sheffield’s Members of Parliament to support the spirit of the motion, raising the matter in the House of Commons, and to support changes  ...  view the full agenda text for item 7.

That this Council:-

(a)       believes that every person's journey, regardless of whether they walk, cycle, take public transport or private car, is of equal importance and that every person should be able to make any journey within Sheffield by foot, by cycle or by public transport as safely as they would otherwise by car;

(b)       believes that every community across Sheffield could benefit from infrastructure improvements to active travel, walking or cycling, in particular improvements to public health;

(c)        notes that 29% of journeys less than 500m in South Yorkshire are by car, rising to 72% of journeys of less than 5km;

(d)       notes that The Propensity to Cycle Tool based on Government data suggests Sheffield could achieve 24-27% share of all journeys by cycle;

(e)       notes the current Sheffield City Council target of 4% cycling share of journeys by 2034, compared with the Sheffield City Region target of 11% by 2040;

(f)        notes that current modal share for cycles in Sheffield is less than 1%;

(g)       believes therefore that many short car journeys are possible via walking, cycle or public transport and that their current share is due to a poor public transport system and a built environment that discourages people from making journeys by foot or cycle instead of by car;  

(h)       believes that this Authority must invest in walking and cycling networks and provide people with a genuine choice between using the car, or walking, cycling or using public transport;

(i)         notes the proposed Bee Network active travel network in Manchester, a joined up cycling and pedestrian network with segregated lanes for walkers and cyclists;

(j)         welcomes the appointment this year of Dame Sarah Storey, Great Britain’s most decorated female Paralympian, as the active travel commissioner for Sheffield City Region, and supports her four pledges for improving active travel:-

(i)         being led by communities;

(ii)        enabling walking and cycling rather than encouraging it;

(iii)       requiring infrastructure to meet or exceed requirements; and

(iv)       requiring infrastructure to be accessible for all;  

(k)        calls for the Administration to work with Sheffield City Region, Sustrans and neighbouring authorities to design and create an active travel network for Sheffield, so that any citizen can travel safely by walking or cycling from any part of Sheffield to another; and

(l)         calls for the creation of a local cycling and walking improvement plan for every ward in Sheffield through working with local ward councillors, to identify and prioritise improvements for every community in Sheffield.

To receive the record of the proceedings of the meeting of the Council held on 2^nd October 2019, and to approve the accuracy thereof.

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.