Agenda item

Small Business Saturday

It was moved by Councillor Nasima Akther, seconded by Councillor Mohammad Maroof, that this Council

(a)       notes the enormous contribution that local, small independent businesses make to our economy and understands that small businesses are at the heart of local communities;

(b)       welcomes the steps the current Administration is taking to support small businesses in Sheffield, including the Re: New scheme, and investment to revamp and improve the London Road area;

(c)        believes that in the critical Christmas period, small businesses will benefit from the support of Small Business Saturday - a national campaign to encourage people to buy local and support small and independent businesses; and

(d)       encourages Elected Members to support Small Business Saturday on 5th December 2015, which is expected to be the busiest shopping day of the year, by attending a celebratory event in the Sheffield Moor Market at 2.30pm on that day.

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Joe Otten, seconded by Councillor Shaffaq Mohammed, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the addition of a new paragraph (e) as follows:-

(e)        calls on the Administration to repeat the success of last year and offer free parking in the city centre and local district centres in the run up to Christmas in order to help local business.

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

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Sarah Jane Smalley, seconded by Councillor Aodan Marken, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the addition of new paragraphs (e) to (h) as follows:-

(e)        further, encourages Elected Members and the people of Sheffield to show their support for local and independent businesses throughout the whole year;

(f)         recognises the particular importance of supporting sole traders and micro businesses, as well as those organisations focussed on social impact rather than wealth creation, which this Council believes are key to the wellbeing of community economies, and is committed to improving and expanding the help we offer to such businesses and organisations;

(g)        will continue to develop its policies on procurement, with a particular focus on:

(i)         developing its capacity for procuring goods and services from local and independent businesses wherever practicable; and

(ii)        ensuring that all businesses, including local and independent businesses, are given the support they need to access and navigate the tendering process; and

(h)        believes that the economy is skewed unfairly in favour of large and multinational businesses, and that this is detrimental not only to small businesses but also to the local economy, and so will endeavour to work to rebalance the local economy in favour of small local businesses.

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

(Note: Councillors Richard Shaw, Rob Frost, Joe Otten, Colin Ross, Martin Smith, Penny Baker, Shaffaq Mohammed, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Cliff Woodcraft, Steve Ayris, Denise Reaney, David Baker and Vickie Priestley voted for Paragraphs (e) to (g) and against Paragraph (h) of the above amendment and asked for this to be recorded.)

The original Motion was then put to the vote and carried, as follows:-