Agenda item

4.1

Prior to the commencement of the Public Questions and Petitions item, the Lord Mayor stated that, on the advice of the Chief Executive, the public questions received from Mr Brighton would not be dealt with at the meeting for the reasons previously conveyed to Mr Brighton by the Council’s Monitoring Officer, and that, instead, Mr Brighton would receive a written response in due course.

Petitions

4.2

Petition in respect of Attacks on Local Democracy

4.2.1

The Council received a petition, containing 112 signatures, opposing attacks on local democracy. 

4.2.2

Representations on behalf of the petitioners were made by June Cattell. She commented that she was speaking on behalf of the Sheffield Palestine Solidarity Campaign in response to what she believed was the Government trying to stop Councils making ethical decisions on procurement and pensions fund investment.

4.2.3

She referred to a note recently circulated by the Government which she believed had the intention of aiming to stop Councils making ethical decisions on procurement and which was contrary to the localism agenda promoted by the Government. 26,000 people had recently signed a petition opposing the move.

4.2.4

The announcement outlining the changes had recently been made by Matthew Hancock M.P in Israel and came at a time where Councils were increasingly trying to make a stand against companies violating international law.

4.2.5

Sheffield had a proud history of standing up to regimes such as the apartheid regime in South Africa. Ms. Cattell therefore hoped that the Councillors would adopt a similar position in this instance. The principles under attack were crucial to local democracy and Ms. Cattell believed there should be a Full Council debate and the Council should oppose the changes proposed by the Government.

4.2.6

Councillor Ben Curran, Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources, thanked Ms. Cattell for the petition. It was an issue he was aware of and he shared Ms. Cattell’s concerns. He had raised the issue with Louise Haigh M.P who was a member of the Shadow Cabinet Office team.

4.2.7

This was an issue of localism and the Council should be allowed to take decisions on who it could do business with. The Council should be aware of the impact its decisions made on other towns and cities and the global community. The Council did not invest in workers’ pensions and did not invest in companies which breached international law.

4.2.8

Councillor Curran added that the Council did have some legacy contracts and a full review into Ethical Procurement had been undertaken which would be reported back following the local elections.

4.3

Petition in respect of Burngreave Vestry Hall

4.3.1

The Council received a petition, containing 411 signatures, calling on the Council to save Burngreave Vestry Hall for the community to use, stop the eviction of the existing tenants and users of the building and opposing any lease or letting agreement which changed the big hall into small spaces and removed open public use of the big hall. 

4.3.2

Representations on behalf of the petitioners were made by Mohammed Issa. He commented that the petitioners were opposed to any changes to the tenancy agreement at the Vestry Hall. He recognised that significant cuts had been made to the Council’s budget, but £5m had been invested into the Hall from the Burngreave New Deal for Communities funding.

4.3.3

Mr Issa believed the community had a right to have a say over the use of the building and called on the Council to develop a community led solution where the whole of the hall could be used by the community.

4.3.4

In response, Councillor Ben Curran stated that no decisions had been taken about the future use of the hall and only initial discussions had been held with the Citizens Advice Bureau. He was surprised to hear that no new bookings were being taken for use of the hall and he would look into that. No firm commitments could be made about the future but Councillor Curran would meet with community groups to try and agree a way forward.

4.4

Petition in respect of Speed Reduction Measures on Dyke Vale Road

4.4.1

The Council received a petition, containing 967 signatures, requesting speed reduction measures on Dyke Vale Road. 

4.4.2

Representations on behalf of the petitioners were made by Laura Day. She commented that local residents, as well as herself, had had concerns over the safety of Dyke Vale Road for some time. Incidents on the road had appeared on the front cover of The Star newspaper twice in recent times.

4.4.3

One of the major problems was speeding vehicles. The top of the road was a 30mph speed limit but this changed to 20mph near Miss Day’s house. Vehicles were not adhering to this limit and there had been a number of accidents and damage to Miss Day’s personal property including significant damage to her car and also a hire car used by her. As she was medically trained, Miss Day had also had to administer urgent medical attention at the scene of accidents on the road.

4.4.4

Miss Day added that there were two parks nearby to the road which were very popular, particularly in the warm weather. As these were often used by children, the danger caused to them by the speeding vehicles was significant. There was also difficulty parking on the road, adding to the danger. Miss Day called on the Council to introduce speed reduction measures on the road before there was a fatality.

4.4.5

In response, Councillor Terry Fox, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, commented that he was aware of issues on the road from stories in the local press and discussions he had had with local Ward Councillors. He would be happy to meet on site with petitioners and local Ward Councillors to see if anything could be done and to try and agree a way forward. However, he could not commit to anything at this stage as the Council received a number of similar requests across the City and, with the budget cuts, resources were tight. Nevertheless, he would arrange a meeting on site to discuss options with petitioners and local Ward Councillors.

4.5

Petition in respect of the Footpath between Ecclesall Church and the War Memorial, Ecclesall Road South

4.5.1

The Council received a petition, containing 176 signatures, requesting the Council to reinstate the footpath between Ecclesall Church and the War Memorial, Ecclesall Road South.

4.5.2

Representations on behalf of the petitioners were made by Kathleen Hebdon. She commented that many people had difficulty using the Public Right of Way up to Ecclesall Church as the steeper part of it had not been resurfaced. This Public Right of Way was the preferred route of many up to the Church.

4.5.3

There were a number of retirement properties nearby and, as a result, lots of elderly people used the Right of Way. The Church itself was an asset to the City and the yard was kept in excellent condition by volunteers. The ascent of the path was difficult, without the poor condition, with slopes at different rates. She was aware of a number of people who had slipped on the path including young mothers with prams. She therefore requested that the path offer a safe winter surface with a texture which it would be expected to help prevent slipping. A top layer of asphalt would not suffice.

4.5.4

Councillor Terry Fox responded that he understood the difficulties in getting up and down the path. The street light nearby had recently been repaired which it was hoped would improve the situation. He would arrange a meeting with Streets Ahead and petitioners and local Ward Councillors to try and find a solution and a way forward.

4.6

Petition in respect of Parking Spaces around Tinsley Green Park

4.6.1

The Council received a petition, containing 750 signatures, requesting the Council to stop reducing parking spaces around Tinsley Green Park.

4.6.2

Representations on behalf of the petitioners were made by Zafar Khoukar. He commented that he had been a resident of Tinsley for the last 16 years. A local school was currently under construction in Tinsley Green Park to which many residents were opposed, particularly considering the already heavy parking in the area.

4.6.3

Mr Khoukar further commented that local residents were very concerned about proposals to introduce double yellow lines near the school which would make parking problems in the area even worse. He requested that the Council work with local residents to try and find a solution and for the Cabinet Member to meet with local residents on site to listen to the views of the people of Tinsley.

4.6.4

Councillor Terry Fox commented that the Traffic Regulation Order for the double yellow lines was currently out for consultation where the views of interested people, including local residents, were sought. He had also spoken to local Ward Councillors regarding the proposals.

4.6.5

All responses to the consultation would be taken into consideration and the final recommendations would be included in a report which would be considered at a future meeting of the Cabinet Highways Committee where local residents would be welcome to attend and make representations to Councillor Fox. No date for this Committee had yet been confirmed. Councillor Fox looked forward to hearing all views on the consultation and he would be in contact with the petitioner to arrange a meeting on site.

4.7

Petition in respect of the Cutting of Activity Sheffield Staff

4.7.1

The Council received a petition, containing 220 signatures, opposing the cutting of Activity Sheffield staff.

4.7.2

There was no speaker to the petition.

4.7.3

The Council referred the petition to Councillor Sioned-Mair Richards, the Acting Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods.

4.8

Petition in respect of Parking for Workers in the Carbrook Area

4.8.1

The Council received an electronic petition, containing 21 signatures, requesting more parking for workers in the Carbrook area.

4.8.2

There was no speaker to the petition.

4.8.3

The Council referred the petition to Councillor Terry Fox, the Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport.

4.9

Petition in respect of the Proposed Demolition of Cambridge Street and Surrounding Areas

4.9.1

The Council received a petition, containing 20 signatures, requesting the Council stop the proposed demolition of Cambridge Street and surrounding areas.

4.9.2

There was no speaker to the petition.

4.9.3

The Council referred the petition to Councillor Leigh Bramall, the Cabinet Member for Business, Skills and Development.

4.10

Petition in respect of Parking Controls and Permits around Hillsborough Stadium

4.10.1

The Council received a petition, containing 37 signatures, requesting the Council address parking problems and permits around Hillsborough Stadium.

4.10.2

There was no speaker to the petition.

4.10.3

The Council referred the petition to Councillor Terry Fox, the Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport.

Public Questions

4.11

Public Question in respect of Private Hire Vehicle Consultation

4.11.1

Mohammed Yasin stated that he was the President of the GMB Taxi branch, and had intended to attend the Council Meeting today to express concerns at the proposals, currently out to consultation, of changes to Private Hire Vehicle Licenses. However, he had now been informed that the more difficult elements for Taxi Drivers, such as the proposal for age limits of vehicles to be cut to one year, had been removed from the consultation and he therefore thanked Councillors for this as he believed that this would be a policy which could have put many Taxi Drivers out of business.

4.11.2

Councillor Leigh Bramall thanked Mr Yasin for his comments and commented that he had spoken to Mr Yasin on a number of occasions regarding this issue and others. The Council always welcomed constructive feedback, so he was happy to withdraw the elements referred to from the consultation.

4.11.3

Councillor Bramall encouraged everyone to put their views forward as part of the consultation so that things could move forward in the best way possible for everyone.

4.12

Public Question in respect of Land Moved into Parks

4.12.1

Martin Lawton commented that he understood that land had been moved into parks in the last five years and he asked how much land has been transferred to parks and how much if any into the Graves Charity?

4.12.2

Councillor Sioned-Mair Richards, Acting Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, responded that she had discussed the issue with Councillor Isobel Bowler, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, and Councillor Roy Munn. She confirmed that the amount of land in parks had been increased, but could not provide the exact amount, so would provide this in a written response to Mr Lawton.

4.13

Public Question in respect of Housing Leak

4.13.1

Valerie Wilson referred to an incident at her house on Easter Monday where a water leak at her house had leaked onto her bed. She had rung the Council’s Emergency Repairs line but was told no one could come out to inspect the leak as it was a Bank Holiday. The Call Centre was also based in Newcastle and not Sheffield.

4.13.2

As a result of this, Mrs Wilson had to ring the Fire Brigade who also attempted to contact the Council to send someone round. However, this was also unsuccessful so, eventually, the Fire Service sent someone round to Mrs Wilson’s house. Mrs Wilson was aware of an elderly resident living nearby who had experienced similar problems. She therefore asked why there was no longer an Emergency Repairs Service on Bank Holidays and why the Call Centre had been moved to Newcastle?

4.13.3

Councillor Jayne Dunn, Cabinet Member for Housing, acknowledged that what Mrs Wilson had described was unacceptable. All calls were recorded and, if what was said was correct, people would be held to account. She would follow it up to ensure that if people had incidents in the future on Bank Holidays they could be assured that they would be dealt with.

4.14

Public Question in respect of Burngreave Vestry Hall

4.14.1

Kaltune Elmi asked how much would the Council save by relocating existing organisations and by bringing other organisations into Vestry Hall?

4.14.2

Councillor Ben Curran stated that he could not confirm the exact saving as no decision had been taken in respect of the future use of the hall. The level of savings would need to be looked at when considering its future use. If savings could be made from the running costs of a building, this would be better for the City than having to make savings from a particular service.

4.15

Public Question in respect of Sheffield’s Green Infrastructure

4.15.1

Helen Mcilroy commented that many graduates from the City choose to live in Sheffield but work in Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham etc. as Sheffield was a pleasant place to live. One of the things which made it special was its green infrastructure. Had the Council considered the potential damage which would be done to the local economy from the loss of green infrastructure?

4.15.2

Councillor Ben Curran commented that Sheffield had two great universities which attracted people from all over the world. The Council acknowledged the benefit which its green infrastructure had and it was looking to enhance that and make it more accessible, such as in the work undertaken on The Outdoor City. There was also many other attractions which retained people in the City once they had graduated.

4.15.3

The money coming into the City Council was from Council Tax and Business Rates with the rest going to Government so the impact in monetary terms would be negligible but this could be looked into. There was a wish to keep people in the City and this could be seen through schemes such as the Innovation District, The RISE Graduate Scheme and the campaign to have the station for HS2 in the City Centre. There was also a Keep Sheffield Working Fund. Overall, there was an awful lot of work being done to make Sheffield a better place to work and keep people living in the City, including young graduates.

4.15.4

Councillor Leigh Bramall added that the Outdoor City Strategy had recently been approved. The Peak District was a major attraction in the City and the Council was developing the walking and cycling infrastructure and had worked with UK Athletics to create the biggest run route in the country.

4.15.5

Councillor Bramall further commented that the Council was committed to enhancing and protecting parks. 50,000 new trees had been planted and, through Streets Ahead, trees were being maintained on highways. Work was being undertaken with local and national organisations and Councillor Bramall looked forward to progressing with those initiatives.

4.15.6

Councillor Jayne Dunn also commented that she had recently Chaired the Council’s Green Commission involving a number of private and public sector partners. A lot of good work had been undertaken through that and the outcomes would be published shortly, which would add to the unique green infrastructure which existed throughout the City.

4.16

Public Question in respect of Double Yellow Lines near Tinsley Green Park

4.16.1

Nasim Akther referred to the proposal to introduce double yellow lines near Tinsley Park School. She commented that she understood and appreciated the safety issues involved but asked if the Cabinet Member would reconsider the proposal and meet residents on site to discuss the issue, as many residents were concerned as parking was also an issue in the area?

4.16.2

Councillor Terry Fox responded that, as he had said to the petitioner earlier in the meeting, there was a balance to be struck between people who lived in the area and the wider community. The proposals were out for consultation and no decision had been made. Councillor Fox had also had discussions with local Ward Councillors about the proposals.

4.16.3

Final proposals would be submitted to a future meeting of the Cabinet Highways Committee which would take into consideration the consultation responses. Everything would be taken into consideration but the key issue was ensuring child and road safety and that needed to be balanced against the needs of the local community. Councillor Fox encouraged residents to continue to respond to the consultation and a meeting on site could be arranged with local residents.

4.17

Public Question in respect of Comments at Full Council Meeting on 3 February 2016

4.17.1

David Dilner commented that at the last Full Council meeting, on 3 February 2016, Councillor Terry Fox referred to an incident involving a white van on Spurr Street, Heeley, seemingly implying involvement by campaigners. When challenged by the Public Gallery, the Deputy Lord Mayor requested that the challenger be seated stating ‘Sit down, he was not referring to you personally, he was referring to you all.’ Will those remarks now be withdrawn?

4.17.2

Councillor Terry Fox stated that he could not speak on anything regarding trees whilst there was an ongoing legal process and a written response would be provided to Mr Dilner.

4.18

Public Question in respect of Sheffield Retail Quarter (SRQ)

4.18.1

Nigel Slack commented that, with the International Monetary Fund’s Managing Director, Christine Lagarde, suggesting further cutting world growth forecasts and George Osborne’s pals in China being in recession (even if they won’t admit it) the prospect of a City supporting its essential public services purely on local tax receipts by 2020 must be worrying.

4.18.2

Mr Slack added that the City Region deal was a small boost to investment but is as nothing compared to the cuts to local budgets over the last 6 years. Add to this a flat retail economy and the appropriate response to the regeneration of the City Centre may not be a single massive developer that will take their rents to that other place (South) but a longer term vision that will put Sheffield developers, architects and construction businesses in the driving seat, so retaining rent receipts in the City and boosting the local economy more directly. Since the Council have yet to name a major developer partner for the SRQ, will the Council consider this option again and with some urgency?

4.18.3

Councillor Leigh Bramall acknowledged that the global economy at the present time was extremely uncertain. This was a reason why it was more important than ever for Sheffield to put in place the right measures to grow its economy for people’s security and for the Council to have more money to enable it to protect people in the City.

4.18.4

Councillor Bramall further commented that the Council was a partner in the Sheffield Retail Quarter scheme. This meant it shared some of the risks but also took some of the rewards. A business case would be made for the SRQ and costs would be factored into building the scheme in the first place.

4.18.5

The more successful the scheme, the more income from business rates the Council would receive, which could be put back into Council services. An ambitious scheme was needed and to be delivered as quickly as possible, with 2019 being the current target date in its quickest form.

4.18.6

The scheme would also create jobs which could help to lift people out of poverty and would help to attract more inward investment. Councillor Bramall hoped that a significant number of local businesses would be involved in the scheme and local businesses would also benefit from the increased footfall that the scheme would bring. The certainty from rents would also allow businesses to carry the risks associated with smaller shops.

4.18.7

Councillor Bramall wanted to see a mixed economy in the City Centre to create a vibrant, dynamic City Centre. The Council was currently in discussions with a major blue chip company in relation to the scheme which would help to secure and attract jobs to the City. If the scheme was delivered successfully this would cement the prosperity of the City Centre for years to come.

4.19

Public Question in respect of Commercial Services

4.19.1

Nigel Slack commented that he has been an advocate for greater transparency in outsourcing and contracts for a number of years. It was nice for Mr Slack to see that some of the political parties were starting to highlight this problem too. With austerity cuts affecting the Council’s commercial services alongside other departments, how was the Council’s ability to oversee and monitor contracts and performance being affected?

4.19.2

Councillor Ben Curran responded that Commercial Services had faced big reductions, as many internal facing departments of the Council had done. He acknowledged that there were tipping points but these hadn’t been crossed in Commercial Services so they could still adequately oversee and monitor contracts.

4.19.3

Councillor Julie Dore, Leader of the Council, added that levels of business rates coming into the Council could appear to be worrying at a time when public services were becoming dependent on them. Councillor Colin Ross, Leader of the Main Opposition Group, had brought a Motion to this meeting regarding business rates. The Labour amendment to that motion recognised the contribution of small businesses to the local economy and highlighted that changes announced in the Government’s recent Budget announcement were a concern. It welcomed Business Rate localisation, but called on the Government to develop a model for Business Rates that ensured that local authorities had appropriate funding capacity to deliver local public services.

4.19.4

The Council believed there must be a redistributive mechanism built into the new model to ensure that all places had the necessary funding to deliver services. Sheffield was not alone in this view and was working with Core Cities in discussions with Government and would continue to fight the City’s cause.