Agenda

Council - Wednesday 6 November 2024 2.00 pm

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

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

Media

Items
No. Item

1.

Welcome and Housekeeping Announcements

Additional documents:

2.

Apologies for Absence

Additional documents:

3.

Exclusion of the Press and Public

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

 

Additional documents:

4.

Declarations of Interest pdf icon PDF 86 KB

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

 

Additional documents:

5.

Public Petitions, Questions and Statements and Other Communications pdf icon PDF 81 KB

To receive any petitions, questions or statements from the public, or communications submitted by the Lord Mayor, the Leader of the Council, or the Chief Executive, and to pass such resolutions thereon as the Council Procedure Rules permit and as may be deemed expedient.

 

 

NOTE: There is a time limit of one hour for the presentation of ordinary petitions and questions or statements submitted by members of the public.  The order for receiving public participations within the allotted time is – 1) Petitions; 2) Agenda-Related Questions; 3) Supplementary Questions to the (Written) Remit Questions; 4) Statements (Agenda-related & Remit).

 

In accordance with the arrangements published on the Council’s website and contained within the Council’s Scheme “Public involvement in decision making at Sheffield City Council”, petitions, questions and statements are required to be submitted in writing to publicquestions@sheffield.gov.uk, by 9.00 a.m. on the dates set out here:Meeting Dates and Deadlines.

 

Additional documents:

6.

Members' Questions pdf icon PDF 2 MB

6.1      Questions relating to urgent business (submitted in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 16.6).

 

6.2      Supplementary questions (in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 16.5) - on the answers, to be circulated at this meeting, provided to written questions (submitted in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 16.1) to the Leader of the Council, or any Policy Committee (or Sub-Committee) or Regulatory Committee Chair, or a Member appointed by the Council to serve on the South Yorkshire Joint Authorities (under the provisions of Section 41 of the Local Government Act 1985), the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, or any other external body or joint committee, on matters within the functions of that Body.

 

Additional documents:

7.

Notice of Motion Regarding "Make Sheffield A Pedestrian Friendly City" - Given By Councillor Christine Gilligan Kubo And To Be Seconded By Councillor Ruth Mersereau

That this Council:-

 

notes:-

 

(a)      that Councillors regularly receive complaints about vehicles parked on pavements, dangerous road crossings, bins blocking footways, broken dropped kerbs, obstructive advertising boards and panels, litter and slippery and icy pavements;

 

(b)      the Council’s Transport Vision aims to deliver safer and inclusive streets, making it easy to walk, wheel and cycle and states that “we want our streets to be easy to navigate for everyone, including people using wheelchairs or mobility aids, blind or partially sighted people, and residents walking with young children in prams";

 

(c)      all Sheffielders are pedestrians at some point of every journey;

 

(d)      the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee is developing a Walking, Wheeling and Cycling Investment Plan (WWCIP);

 

(e)      the 2020 road policing report by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services found an absence of effective road safety strategies and highlighted that an increase in numbers killed and injured coincided with a decrease in the amount that the police spent on roads policing;

 

(f)       the Council has committed to a “Vision Zero” type approach to significantly reduce the yearly average of 357 people killed and seriously injured on Sheffield’s roads;

 

believes that:-

 

(g)      making Sheffield a Pedestrian Friendly City will have environmental, health and financial benefits for everyone;

 

(h)      making Sheffield a truly Pedestrian Friendly City will require the Council to lead on action across services in terms of investment, enforcement and better working practices, such as:

 

(i)       ensuring pavements are kept clear of litter, fly-tipping, bins, leaves and ice;

(ii)       enforcing illegal or dangerous parking, especially on pavements and dropped kerbs, where it limits access for disabled people;

(iii)      looking for pedestrian improvements such as more road crossings and more 20mph zones in residential areas;

(iv)      removing physical obstacles to pedestrians in footways;

(v)      improving signage for walking routes; and

(vi)      rolling out more Liveable (low traffic) Neighbourhoods in consultation with local communities to make streets safer and more pleasant;

 

resolves to:-

 

(i)       ask the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee to include the above in its WWCIP, with Sheffield aiming to become a Pedestrian-Friendly City;

 

(j)       ask the South Yorkshire Police and Mayor to prioritise and properly fund road safety, and to improve accessibility for pedestrians, including reversing the decision to abandon Operation Parksafe; and

 

(k)      support the cross-committee working group proposed to be established by the Transport, Regeneration and Climate and Waste and Street Scene Policy Committees, which will aim to work with parking services and the police to eliminate obstructive parking and reduce road danger for all walkers, wheelers and cyclists.

 

 

Additional documents:

8.

Notice of Motion Regarding "Reaffirming Sheffield's Commitment To Tackling Violence Against Women And Girls And Supporting the White Ribbon Campaign" - Given By Councillor Mark Rusling And To Be Seconded By Councillor Matthew Dwyer

That this Council:-

 

(a)      reaffirms its commitment to the White Ribbon Campaign and the principles it represents: never to commit, excuse, or remain silent about male violence against women and girls (VAWG);

 

(b)      notes that it will be White Ribbon Day on 25th November, a day which encourages positive action to challenge harmful cultures and behaviours that lead to violence against women and girls;

 

(c)      notes the progress since the Council motion in November 2021 committing to the White Ribbon campaign, noting that, as an accredited organisation, we have a detailed action plan, as approved by White Ribbon, setting out our work until 2025;

 

(d)      notes statistics remain clear and shocking - in the year ending March 2023, South Yorkshire Police recorded 39,016 domestic abuse-related incidents and crimes;

 

(e)      believes these figures demand urgent action, and welcomes the Council’s upcoming Violence Against Women and Girls, Domestic and Sexual Abuse Strategy, which will build on our existing efforts and outline a strong, multi-agency response;

 

(f)       welcomes the Government’s recent enhancements to workers' rights around sexual harassment, including protections against third-party abuse, and supports VAWG being a key mission of this Government;

 

(g)      believes masculinity can be positive, but that too often toxic masculinity spread online has normalised misogyny among some young men and therefore welcomes the Government’s plans to tackle sexism in schools; and the critical importance of outreach work with men and boys;

 

(h)      renews our efforts and commits to:-

 

(i)       expanding Leadership and Outreach by increasing the number of White Ribbon Ambassadors and Champions among our councillors and workforce;

 

(ii)       encourages every male councillor to be a White Ribbon Ambassador;

 

(iii)      strengthen partnerships with communities, stakeholders and institutions, including our local football clubs, to engage young men;

 

(v)      prioritising Education and Prevention, in line with our Action Plan, ensuring that each service has a dedicated Lead for the White Ribbon Campaign, and commit to prevention across all services; and

 

(vi)      strengthening Safety in the Night-Time Economy; working closely with licensed premises to further promote the "Ask for Angela" campaign, and Sheffield’s Women and Girls Night-time Safety Charter and Toolkit for businesses in the night-time economy; and

 

(i)       urges all Members to continue championing the White Ribbon Campaign, support the forthcoming Strategy, and reaffirm the Council’s role in ending violence against women and girls, committed to changing the culture, supporting victims, and to make our city a safe and equal place for all.

 

 

Additional documents:

9.

Notice of Motion Regarding "A Fair Deal for Local Government" - Given By Councillor Mike Levery And To Be Seconded By Councillor Andrew Sangar

That this Council:-

 

notes that:-

 

(a)      Sheffield City Council is currently projected to be £34 million over budget by the end of this financial year;

 

(b)      according to the Local Government Association, one in four councils will need to apply for exceptional financial support in the next two years, without additional funding;

 

(c)      a recent report from the National Audit Office described the current Special Educational Needs (SEN) system as “not achieving value for money and is unsustainable”;

 

(d)      the Prime Minister has announced that the single bus fare cap will rise to £3 when the existing cap of £2 expires at the end of 2024;

 

(e)      in Sheffield, the Education, Children and Families Policy Committee General Fund is currently overspent by £14.1million;

 

(f)       according to research from the Health Foundation, real-terms social care spending per person will be at least 5% lower in 2024/25 than it was in 2009/10;

 

(g)      in Sheffield, the Adult Health and Social Care Policy Committee is currently overspent by £9million;

 

(h)      in 2023/24, Sheffield City Council incurred a loss of £4.9million as a result of legislation relating to supported accommodation and the lack of Government funding to fully subsidise housing for those experiencing temporary homelessness;

 

(i)       this financial year, the Council is expected to lose out on £7.1million due to this legislation;

 

(j)       also in this financial year, homelessness support in temporary and exempt accommodation is forecast to cost the Council £12.6 million.

 

believes that:-

 

(k)      without additional funding, local government provision will continue to decline;

 

(l)       without additional funding, more local authorities will be forced to issue Section 114 notices, effectively declaring bankruptcy;

 

(m)     local authorities require sufficient and sustainable funding in order to meet growing demand for services that our communities rely on every day;

 

(n)      Sheffield City Council faces serious financial challenges in the coming months and years; and

 

(o)      the burden of fixing the country’s economy should fall on the broadest shoulders including big banks, social media companies and oil and gas giants rather than hard working households.

 

 

Additional documents:

10.

Notice of Motion Regarding "Thank You To Sheffield's Foster Carers" - Given By Councillor Dawn Dale And To Be Seconded By Councillor Laura McClean

That this Council:-

 

(a)      believes that every child should have the best start in life;

 

(b)      is committed to making Sheffield a place where all children belong, and all young people can build a successful future and believes that foster carers in Sheffield help that become a reality;

 

(c)      says a big thank you to all foster carers and kinship carers who open their home to support children and young people;

 

(d)      believes that foster carers provide loving, stable homes for children and young people;

 

(e)      says thank you to the network of foster carers who provide support for each other, and thanks the Council’s Fostering Team for their work to provide training for foster carers and 24/7 support;

 

(f)       welcomes the recent government announcement of £44 million to support kinship and foster carers;

 

(g)      notes that Sheffield needs more foster carers to help look after children and young people in our city;

 

(h)      believes that all elected members should help to raise the profile of fostering in Sheffield so that more children and young people have a safe, loving home;

 

(i)       encourages people in Sheffield to consider becoming a foster carer;

 

(j)       notes the Council’s ‘Fostering Friendly Employer’ policy aims to set an example for other employers to follow, including providing five days extra leave for Council staff if they foster a child;

 

(k)      recommends that anyone interested in becoming a foster carer should contact Sheffield Fostering Service to find out more;

 

(l)       notes National Care-Leavers Week (28 October to 3 November) with the Council delivering a 7-day programme of activity for our care-experienced young people, aged 16-25, including activities like film screenings, learning and cooking sessions, Breakfast Clubs, and an Education and Employment Fair;

 

(m)     congratulates Speak Up Now youth group (for older care-experienced young people) for their nomination for a National Voice Award, noting their innovative work on ‘Comfy Cozy Crates’, which provide blankets, pots and pans, cutlery, a cookbook and a doorbell, as many care leavers report feeling unsafe where they live;

 

(n)      believes it is important to ensure the voices of care-experienced young people are heard by the Council and all public bodies so that they help to shape our work, and notes that since 2022 the Council has recognised care experience as a protected characteristic; and

 

(o)      congratulates the Council’s Voice and Influence Team for their work in ensuring the voices of care-experienced young people help to influence our work.

 

 

Additional documents:

11.

Minutes Of Previous Council Meeting pdf icon PDF 427 KB

To receive the record of the proceedings of the meeting of the Council held on 2 October 2024 and to approve the accuracy thereof.

 

Additional documents:

12.

Memberships of Council Bodies, Representatives to Serve on Other Bodies and Related Issues pdf icon PDF 51 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, which may be proposed at the meeting.

 

 

Additional documents:

Amendments pdf icon PDF 96 KB

Additional documents: