Agenda and minutes

1.1

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Ian Auckland, Lewis Chinchen, Kurtis Crossland, Christine Gilligan Kubo, Maleiki Haybe, Toby Mallinson, Nabeela Mowlana, Henry Nottage, Vickie Priestley, Maroof Raouf, Sophie Thornton, Sophie Wilson and Paul Wood.

2.1

There were no items of business identified where resolutions may be moved to exclude the press and public.

3.1

There were no declarations of interest made by Members of the Council.

4.1

At the commencement of item 5 on the agenda (Public Questions and Petitions and Other Communications), the Lord Mayor (Councillor Colin Ross) reported that the Council had received notification that 7 Councillors had resigned from the Labour Group and intended to form a new political group on the Council.  He stated that there were no immediate implications for this Council meeting, other than the fact that the seating plan for the meeting had been adjusted.  The Lord Mayor added that, in view of this change to its composition, the Council must consider proportionality implications in the membership of its committees and sub-committees as soon as practicable, and that it was expected that this would be done at the next meeting of the Council scheduled to be held on 1^st November 2023.  The Lord Mayor concluded by stating that, other than the routine changes proposed to be made under item 12 on the agenda (Memberships of Council Bodies and Representatives To Serve On Other Bodies), no further changes would be made to memberships of the Council’s Committees until the Council next meets.

4.2

It was then RESOLVED: On the motion of Councillor Bryan Lodge and seconded by the Lord Mayor (Councillor Colin Ross), that, in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 9.1, the order of business as published on the Council Summons be altered by taking item 12 on the agenda (Memberships of Council Bodies and Representatives To Serve On Other Bodies) at this point in the proceedings.

4.3

It was formally moved by Councillor Sioned-Mair Richards and formally seconded by Councillor Ruth Milsom, that:-

(a) it be noted that, in accordance with the authority given by the City Council at its annual meeting held on 17^th May 2023, the Monitoring Officer had authorised the following appointment(s), with effect from the date(s) shown:-

Waste and Street Scene Policy Committee

-

Councillor Tony Downing replaced Councillor Julie Grocutt as substitute member of the Committee, with effect from 21 September 2023; and

(b) representatives be appointed to serve on other bodies as follows:-

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority

-

Councillor Laura McClean to replace Councillor Tony Damms.

4.4

After contributions from three Members, and following legal advice reported by the General Counsel, Councillor Sioned-Mair Richards proposed that paragraph (b) be withdrawn from her Motion.  With the consent of both the seconder of the motion and of the meeting, paragraph (b) was withdrawn from consideration.

4.5

Whereupon it was RESOLVED: That it be noted that, in accordance with the authority given by the City Council at its annual meeting held on 17^th May 2023, the Monitoring Officer had authorised the following appointment(s), with effect from the date(s) shown:-

Waste and Street Scene Policy Committee

-

Councillor Tony Downing replaced Councillor Julie Grocutt as substitute member of the Committee, with effect from 21 September 2023.

5.1

Lord Mayor’s Announcements

5.1.1

The Lord Mayor (Councillor Colin Ross) expressed thanks for contributions which had been made to his fundraising event for St. Luke’s Hospice on 15th September, where he had walked 9 miles visiting several St. Luke’s shops on route.  He added that any further contributions could be made at today’s Council meeting via the collection being passed around the Council Chamber.

5.1.2

The Lord Mayor also congratulated Councillor Dawn Dale who had completed a sponsored abseil down Sheffield Hallam University’s Owen building on 30th September, also raising funds for St. Luke’s Hospice.

5.2

Petitions and Public Questions

The Lord Mayor (Councillor Colin Ross) reported that questions would be taken at the meeting from seven members of the public.  No petitions had been received.

5.2.1

Question from Sue Owen

Sue Owen asked the following question on behalf of Sheffield Campaign for Divestment from Companies that are Complicit with Human Rights Abuses in Palestine, which is part of the Sheffield Anti-Israeli Apartheid Coalition -

“The Labour Party has sought legal advice on the Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill and Richard Kermer, KC has concluded: “The implications for local democracy, for the proud history in our regions of campaigning for global human rights, for using our economic clout for the promotion of human rights, for free speech in this country and for compliance with our international law obligations, are potentially profound.”

In the light of the damage to local democracy that this bill would introduce, has Sheffield Council written a response to the consultation about the bill, and if yes, will you publish that response?”

In response, the Leader of the Council (Councillor Tom Hunt) advised that the Council does not have a position on the Bill, which was not yet on the statute books.  The Labour Party had not supported the Bill at its second reading and it was now in the Committee Stage before a third reading in the House of Commons and then further stages in the House of Lords.

He added that the Labour Party was clear that all public bodies must act without bias or selectivity when making ethical decisions on procurement and investment, but was concerned that the Bill risked significantly undermining support for groups around the world facing persecution, such as the Uyghur.  The Labour Party have asked the Government to bring forward alternative proposals because they believe the Bill would place unprecedented restrictions on the ability of public bodies to express a view on policy, has potential widespread and negative impacts on local government pension funds, and was likely to be subject to repeated and extended legal challenges.

5.2.2

Question from Dylan Lewis-Creser

“What will the Council be doing to ensure that the benefits of Active Travel Neighbourhoods, as we've seen in Crookes & Walkley, are spread across the city, especially in areas in need of a social uplift?”

In response, Councillor Ben Miskell (Chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee) stated that the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

6.1

Urgent Business

With the permission of the Lord Mayor (Councillor Colin Ross), Councillor Mike Chaplin asked the following question relating to urgent business, under the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 16.6(ii):-

“Considering the Prime Minister’s announcement earlier today about the cancellation of HS2 and announcements on several other transport projects, what will the impact be on Sheffield?”

In response, Councillor Ben Miskell (Chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee) reported that this announcement at the Conservative party conference in Manchester of the cancellation of the northern leg of HS2 followed on from the previous announcement by the Government to cancel the eastern leg which would also have been of benefit for Sheffield and the wider region.  He believed that most people would agree with the South Yorkshire Mayor, Oliver Coppard, that the move was a catastrophe for the country in its ambitions to deliver growth.

Councillor Miskell advised that the Prime Minister’s announcement of “Network North” consisted of a collection of transport schemes that were either already in progress or where local authorities in the region had already been working on for several years, such as the Don Valley Line.  He added that he welcomed the Government’s support for the Council’s plans for the reopening of passenger services to Stocksbridge, Deepcar and Oughtibridge, where the Council wished to see a tram train connecting to an expanded tram network, and a single project alongside the Barrow Hill line, which would open tram train stops in Darnall, Woodhouse and Beighton.  There had also been announcements about services to Manchester and the Hope Valley Line, where work had started two years ago. 

Councillor Miskell added that he remained determined to see the reintroduction of the direct train service to Manchester Airport. He also expressed frustration that the Government was opting to make announcements at party conference, instead of working collaboratively with northern leaders to deliver infrastructure projects.

6.2

South Yorkshire Joint and Combined Authorities

There were no questions relating to the discharge of the functions of the South Yorkshire Joint Authorities for Fire and Rescue and Pensions and of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, under the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 16.6(i).

6.3

Written Questions

A schedule of questions to Chairs of Policy Committees, submitted in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 16, and which contained written answers, was circulated.  Supplementary questions, under the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 16.4, were asked and were answered by the appropriate Policy Committee Chairs until the expiry of the time limit for Members’ Questions (in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 16.7).

7.1

It was moved by Councillor Fran Belbin, and seconded by Councillor Laura McClean, that this Council:-

(a)      believes that the Conservatives have wreaked havoc on our economy, and notes that mortgage rates are soaring, economic growth is flat and working people are paying the price;

(b)      notes that the UK is forecast to have the highest inflation of any major economy this year which means rising prices, higher bills and less money in your pocket;

(c)      notes that prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages rose by 13.6% in the year to August 2023;

(d)      notes recent research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation which found that 5.7 million low-income households are having to cut down or skip meals because they don’t have enough money for food;

(e)      notes that lots of people across Sheffield are struggling as prices and bills continue to rise;

(f)       notes that wintertime can be an expensive time for lots of people, especially families;

(g)      believes that a cash-first approach is an effective, direct way to provide financial help that trusts people to make the best choices for them;

(h)      notes that in July 2023, the Strategy and Resources Committee unanimously approved a spending plan for the Household Support Fund in 2023/24, based on detailed cohort analysis of people who are most affected by rising prices and bills, which included direct awards such as;

(1)      providing food vouchers worth £15 per week to children and families in need during school holidays; and

(2)      providing payment to 6,316 households who are receiving Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Support, but do not receive one of the qualifying benefits, and as such, have not received the Cost-of-Living Payment;

(i)       notes, however, that there are also children who are in receipt of Universal Credit but who are ineligible for Free-school-meal due to the low threshold (income of £7,400) and that consideration needs to be given to how this cohort, expected to be around 4,000 children, can best be supported; and

(j)       request that Strategy and Resources Policy Committee look at fully costed proposals to help put cash in people’s pockets at Christmas, increasing and extending direct awards to those who most need it, with a report to Strategy and Resources setting out further options as soon as possible.

7.2

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Ian Horner, and seconded by Councillor Simon Clement-Jones, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by:-

1.       the addition of a new paragraph (g) as follows, and the re-lettering of all further paragraphs accordingly:-

(g)      notes that a lack of access to transport can exacerbate poverty due to difficulties getting to work and school on time, along with increasing isolation and loneliness, condemns the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority’s upcoming reduction in bus services, and notes that the Bus Service Improvement Plan submitted by Dan Jarvis in October 2021 was rejected by the Government due to a ‘lack of ambition’, compared to West Yorkshire MCA which received £70m;

2.       The  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

8.1

It was moved by Councillor Bernard Little, and seconded by Councillor Brian Holmshaw, that this Council:-

(a)      notes:-

(i)       since 2010 Sheffield City Council has delivered £475 million of savings to off-set budget cuts, leaving £856 less per household to spend, compared to 2010-11 in real terms;

(ii)       more Councils have forecast income less than their forecast expenditure in 2024/25 and are considering issuing a Section 114 notice;

(iii)      Unison’s head of local government says “Council finances are in the direst of states” and “the squeeze on local budgets means that services either vanish or are scaled down dramatically”; and

(iv)      South Yorkshire NHS Integrated Care Board says “People living in the most deprived parts of South Yorkshire will live on average 19 years more in poor health compared to those living in the least deprived areas”;

(b)      looks forward to the “Taxing Wealth Report” by Prof. Richard Murphy of Sheffield University Management School, which is expected to show:

(i)             our public services are underfunded, local businesses struggle and many people are at crisis point;

(ii)       the 1% of the most wealthy and high earners are considerably undertaxed and there is significant scope to increase the tax paid by these groups; and that

(iii)      funding for the Green New Deal is readily available, investment in public services and the broader economy can be raised and there is no need for any politician to claim “there is no money left” because there is a wide range of choices on how to raise the funding that is needed; and

(iv)      cumulatively, the recommendations have a total tax-raising potential of £83.3 billion per annum to date;

(c)      believes that neither the Conservative or a potential Labour-led Government has a plan to ensure Councils are properly funded to deliver front-line services to the public;

(d)      resolves to ask the relevant Policy Committees to consider placing on their work programmes consideration of the following:-

(i)       backing income-generating schemes like the Employers’ Workplace Parking Levy, and review parking fees and charges, to help fund public transport, road safety and active travel measures;

(ii)       investigating establishing a wholly-owned Council company to help deliver the Council’s objectives and raise income to deliver reliable services for Sheffield residents, e.g. gardening, household repairs, heating system servicing and replacement and retrofit works; and

(iii)      every opportunity for investing in renewable energy projects on Council land and buildings to generate energy and income; and

(e)      further resolves that the Council write to both Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak, calling for the proper funding of Councils to deliver local services and to implement the recommendations of the Taxing Wealth Report to date, and consider any future recommendations.

8.2

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Tom Hunt, and seconded by Councillor Sioned-Mair Richards, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the deletion of paragraph (b) and the addition of a new paragraph (b) as follows:-

(b)      notes the forthcoming report by Prof. Richard  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

9.1

It was moved by Councillor Mike Levery, and seconded by Councillor Shaffaq Mohammed, that this Council:-

(a)      notes with concern several recent high-profile Section 114 notices, particularly in Birmingham;

(b)      notes that Government funding has squeezed councils’ budgets over recent years, although, as with Birmingham, in Sheffield there are other factors;

(c)      notes that of the £70m reserves set aside in 2021/22 to cover overspends and balance future budgets:-

(i)       the Co-Operative Executive, during the final year of the strong leader model, used £19.8m to cover the 21/22 budget overspend, and £15m to balance the 22/23 budget; and

(ii)       since then, under the committee system and no overall control, £5m was used to cover the 22/23 budget overspend, and no reserves were used to balance the 23/24 budget, leaving approximately £30m to cover future deficits;

(d)      believes that:-

(i)       had the spending profile of 21/22 been repeated in 22/23, the remaining reserves would have been exhausted; and

(ii)       this outcome would have forced the Council to draw on the £12.8m of un-earmarked reserves, which would have been insufficient to balance the Council’s budget for 23/24, and the Council would have been required to investigate further financial resources;

(e)      believes the introduction of the committee system and Liberal Democrat involvement has led to significantly improved financial management, as evidenced above;

(f)       however, there are Budget Improvement Plans (BIPs) not delivered within Policy Committee Budgets and notes in particular the:-

(i)       Education, Children and Families Committee, for which 55% of the Committee’s BIPs are not deliverable this year; and

(ii)       Housing Revenue Account, within which £3.1m of the account’s £19.7m savings are not deliverable this year, including £1.5m of savings improving void rent loss and £0.9m savings in disrepair management, despite a 23% increase in the repairs budget;

(g)      notes that construction inflation is compromising the Stock Increase Programme, and believes the Council must consider alternative approaches to increasing affordable housing, including closer work with Housing Associations; and

(h)      therefore, resolves that the Council implement:-

(i)       a relentless focus on delivering this year’s budget and BIP initiatives;

(ii)       a commitment for all budgets from the start of 2025/26 to include no undeliverable BIPs;

(iii)      a budget setting and BIP process that clearly identifies the quarter in 2024/25 that each BIP will impact, and the part year savings clearly identified if not at the start of the financial year; and

(iv)      a clear plan on how BIP savings will be delivered.

9.2

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Zahira Naz, and seconded by Councillor Mary Lea, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by:-

1.       the addition of the following content at the end of paragraph (b) – “and in particular:-

(i)       notes that since 2010 Sheffield has suffered from 13 years of austerity from the Coalition and Conservative governments;

(ii)       notes that this Council’s funding has been cut by 29%, or £856 per resident in real terms since 2010, compared to the national average of 20% and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

10.1

It was moved by Councillor Tom Hunt, and seconded by Councillor Mike Chaplin, that this Council:-

(a)      welcomes the efforts of responsible dog owners in Sheffield who train their dogs properly resulting in well behaved dogs which offer companionship and enhance our communities;

(b)      notes the positive contribution made by responsible dog breeders which enable owners to select healthy well-adjusted dogs;

(c)      however, believes we cannot ignore the appalling evidence and increasing number of dog related incidents and the harm they cause - to children and adults, as well as pets, wildlife and livestock;

(d)      notes that nationally around 9,000 people a year are admitted to hospital with severe dog bites - up from 7,500 in 2017 - costing the NHS an estimated £71 million;

(e)      notes with alarm the recent horrific dog attacks in Sheffield and around the country;

(f)       believes we have seen too many devastating injuries from dogs, with shocking life-changing injuries sustained for both adults and young children;

(g)      notes that South Yorkshire Police have seen the number of dog related incidents double in five years and in the first three months of 2023 they found that XL Bullies accounted for 25% of aggressive dogs seized;

(h)      believes that dangerous dogs put our dedicated, hardworking Sheffield City Council staff and key workers, including homecare assistants and postal workers, at risk and in needless danger; and

therefore this Council:-

(i)     condemns illegal dog breeding and puppy farming; and

(ii)    calls on the Government to implement the ban on XL bullies without delay.

10.2

Whereupon, it was formally moved by Councillor Joe Otten, and formally seconded by Councillor Sue Alston, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the addition of new paragraphs (i) to (l) as follows:-

(i)       recognises that ambiguity around the definition of the XL bully and similar dogs, with or without a ban, poses additional challenges for dog control and animal care officers, alongside additional demands on the service as more potentially dangerous animals are likely to be rejected by their owners;

(j)       condemns the illegal and barbaric practice of dog fighting, which contributes to the criminal breeding of highly aggressive dogs;

(k)      highly appreciates the good work by dog rescue charities to find homes for unwanted dogs, often working with dogs with difficult behaviour;

(l)       welcomes the new kennelling strategy agreed by the Waste and Street Scene Policy Committee, which will improve the conditions which dogs under the Council’s care are kept in, and deliver a cost saving of £54k per year;

10.3

It was then formally moved by Councillor Douglas Johnson, and formally seconded by Councillor Martin Phipps, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by:-

1.       the addition of a new paragraph (c) as follows, and the re-lettering of all further paragraphs accordingly:-

(c)      thanks dog shelters, charities and rescuers for their work caring for rescue dogs, and finding and supporting suitable new owners for them, and encourages those  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

11.1

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: On the motion formally moved by Councillor Sioned-Mair Richards and formally seconded by Councillor Joe Otten, that the minutes of the ordinary meeting of the Council held on 6th September 2023 be approved as a true and accurate record.