Agenda and minutes

To identify items where resolutions may be moved to exclude the press and public.

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

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.

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.

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

6.2      Questions relating to the discharge of the functions of the South Yorkshire Joint Authorities (under the provisions of Section 41 of the Local Government Act 1985) and of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority – Council Procedure Rule 16.6(i).

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

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;

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;

j)  request that Strategy & 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.

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”;

(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;

(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 programs 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;

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

(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.

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:-

a.    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;

b.    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:-

a.    had the spending profile of 21/22 been repeated in 22/23, the remaining reserves would have been exhausted;

b.    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:-

a.    Education, Children and Families Committee, for which 55% of the committee’s BIP’s are not deliverable this year;

b.    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;

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 BIP’s;

(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;

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

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;

therefore this Council:

(i)       condemns illegal dog breeding and puppy farming;

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

To receive the record of the proceedings of the meeting of the Council held on 6^th September 2023 and to approve the accuracy thereof.