Agenda item

Notice of Motion given by Councillor Vickie Priestley

That this Council:-

 

(a)       condemns the current Administration for its ill-considered attempt to save money whilst putting lives and property at risk by reducing the gritting network on Priority 2 routes;

 

(b)       welcomes the u-turn to reinstate these routes following public pressure and a campaign led by the Liberal Democrats;

 

(c)        recognises that it is not possible to clear all roads in the first few hours after a snow fall;

 

(d)       recognises that citizens of Sheffield are willing to help themselves by clearing residential roads;

 

(e)       however, this task is made more difficult by the removal of 121 grit bins at a saving of only £82 per bin and the undermining of the snow warden scheme; this includes grit bins that have been removed from shopping parades and areas with high numbers of elderly population;

 

(f)        therefore calls upon the Administration to work with local residents to identify the optimum position for each bin; and

 

(g)       further calls upon the Administration to immediately reinstate the grit bins and provide the snow wardens with grit.

Minutes:

 

Winter Maintenance

 

 

 

It was moved by Councillor Vickie Priestley, seconded by Councillor Ian Auckland, that this Council:-

 

 

 

(a)         condemns the current Administration for its ill-considered attempt to save money whilst putting lives and property at risk by reducing the gritting network on Priority 2 routes;

 

(b)         welcomes the u-turn to reinstate these routes following public pressure and a campaign led by the Liberal Democrats;

 

(c)         recognises that it is not possible to clear all roads in the first few hours after a snow fall;

 

(d)         recognises that citizens of Sheffield are willing to help themselves by clearing residential roads;

 

(e)         however, this task is made more difficult by the removal of 121 grit bins at a saving of only £82 per bin and the undermining of the snow warden scheme; this includes grit bins that have been removed from shopping parades and areas with high numbers of elderly population;

 

(f)          therefore calls upon the Administration to work with local residents to identify the optimum position for each bin; and

 

(g)         further calls upon the Administration to immediately reinstate the grit bins and provide the snow wardens with grit.

 

 

 

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Jayne Dunn, seconded by Councillor Karen McGowan, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the deletion of all the words after the words “That this Council” and the addition of the following words:-

 

 

 

(a)         regrets that Sheffield, like other councils across the country, was forced to find savings after the unprecedented level of cuts imposed on the Council by the Government, of which the Rt. Hon. Nick Clegg MP is Deputy Prime Minister;

 

(b)         notes reports of the following average reductions in gritting per region over the past 5 years - East Midlands 43.5 per cent, London 37 per cent, the North West 28.3 per cent, East of England 27.4 per cent and Yorkshire and the Humber 27 per cent, and can confirm that in Sheffield the cut is much less than average;

 

(c)         welcomes that the present Administration reversed cuts to gritting routes in response to the concerns that were raised;

 

(d)         thanks the people of Sheffield who made a fantastic effort in clearing roads and pavements;

 

(e)         notes that Sheffield has more grit bins than any other local authority that we are aware of and, despite reducing the number of grit bins by 121, Sheffield still has 1891 grit bins compared to Nottingham which has 180 grit bins, Manchester 180 grit bins and Leeds 1300;

 

(f)          is appalled at the hypocrisy of the main opposition group and recalls their incompetence in dealing with snow fall, when in 2010 they sold Sheffield’s supplies of grit to Rotherham and then complained to the Government that they were running low; and

 

(g)         notes that issues raised by local people will be taken into consideration as part of the Winter Review, which will help to formulate the plan for next year’s winter maintenance, as is the case every year.

 

 

 

On being put to the vote, the amendment was carried.

 

 

 

(Note: 1. With the agreement of Council and at the request of Councillor Jayne Dunn, paragraph (f) of the Amendment as printed on the List of Amendments was altered by the deletion of the words “had run out” and their replacement by the words: “were running low”.

 

 

 

2. Councillors Pauline Andrews, Jack Clarkson and John Booker voted for paragraphs (c) to (g) and against paragraphs (a) and (b) and asked for this to be recorded.)

 

 

 

Following a Right of Reply by Councillor Vickie Priestley, the original Motion was put as a Substantive Motion in the following form and carried:-

 

 

 

RESOLVED: That this Council:-

 

 

 

(a)       regrets that Sheffield, like other councils across the country, was forced to find savings after the unprecedented level of cuts imposed on the Council by the Government, of which the Rt. Hon. Nick Clegg MP is Deputy Prime Minister;

 

 

 

(b)       notes reports of the following average reductions in gritting per region over the past 5 years - East Midlands 43.5 per cent, London 37 per cent, the North West 28.3 per cent, East of England 27.4 per cent and Yorkshire and the Humber 27 per cent, and can confirm that in Sheffield the cut is much less than average;

 

 

 

(c)        welcomes that the present Administration reversed cuts to gritting routes in response to the concerns that were raised;

 

 

 

(d)       thanks the people of Sheffield who made a fantastic effort in clearing roads and pavements;

 

 

 

(e)       notes that Sheffield has more grit bins than any other local authority that we are aware of and, despite reducing the number of grit bins by 121, Sheffield still has 1891 grit bins compared to Nottingham which has 180 grit bins, Manchester 180 grit bins and Leeds 1300;

 

 

 

(f)        is appalled at the hypocrisy of the main opposition group and recalls their incompetence in dealing with snow fall, when in 2010 they sold 200 tonnes of Sheffield’s supplies of grit to Rotherham and then complained to the Government that they were running low; and

 

 

 

(g)       notes that issues raised by local people will be taken into consideration as part of the Winter Review, which will help to formulate the plan for next year’s winter maintenance, as is the case every year.

 

 

 

(Notes: 1. Councillors Simon Clement-Jones, Richard Shaw, Rob Frost, Joe Otten, Colin Ross, Martin Smith, Penny Baker, Roger Davison, Diana Stimely, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Cliff Woodcraft, Ian Auckland, Steve Ayris, Denise Reaney, Katie Condliffe and Vickie Priestley voted for paragraphs (c) and (d) and against paragraphs (a), (b) and (e) to (g) of the Substantive Motion and asked for this to be recorded.

 

 

 

2.         Councillors Jillian Creasy, Robert Murphy, Sarah Jane Smalley and Brian Webster voted for paragraphs (a) to (e) and (g)  and abstained on paragraph (f) of the Substantive Motion and asked for this to be recorded.)