Agenda item

7.1

At this point in the proceedings the time for terminating the meeting (5.30 p.m.) had been reached, meaning that all unfinished business would be voted on without debate.  Prior to the commencement of this item of business, it was moved by Councillor Martin Phipps, and seconded by Councillor Paul Turpin, that the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 5.5 be suspended and the termination of the meeting be extended to provide time for the mover and seconder of the Notice of Motion to make their speeches.  On being put to the vote, the motion was negatived.

7.2

It was formally moved by Councillor Peter Garbutt, and formally seconded by Councillor Angela Argenzio, that this Council:-

(a)      notes with alarm that:-

(i)       according to the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystems Services (IPBES), species extinction is running at between 10 and 100 times faster than historical averages;

(ii)       the State of Nature 2019 UK report, published by a consortium of 70 nature organisations, finds that as little as 5% of land in the UK is being effectively looked after for nature, that 41% of species are in decline and 10% are threatened with extinction;

(iii)      the UK only has half its biodiversity remaining, and is in the bottom 10% of countries on this measure; and

(iv)      the RSPB reports that there are 40 million fewer birds in the UK than in 1970;

(b)      further notes that the biggest drivers of biodiversity decline nationally are climate change, habitat loss and intensive farming, and believes that, locally, mismanagement of moorland to the west of the city can be added;

(c)      believes that the health and well-being of the people of Sheffield depends crucially on maintaining a thriving and biodiverse natural environment;

(d)      therefore, declares a Biodiversity and Ecological emergency;

(e)      directs officers, in consultation with organisations such as Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust, Wildscapes CIC and ShefFood Partnership, to draw up plans to reverse declines in species and habitats in Sheffield, reporting back in July 2021, paying particular attention to the opportunities for:-

(i)       natural solutions rather than technical and engineering fixes and especially when considering flood management;

(ii)       change of use of grassed areas throughout the city to become areas of planting of native wildflowers, shrubs and trees, as well as being used to grow food, to bolster habitats for invertebrates and birds;

(iii)      the inclusion in the emerging Sheffield Plan of the vital importance of habitat integrity and wildlife corridors;

(iv)      the embedding in the Sheffield Plan of the use of green spaces for urban horticulture; and

(v)      training and apprenticeship opportunities in horticulture and ecological management;

(f)       resolves in the meantime to immediately stop using any practices and materials detrimental to wildlife, including glyphosate; and

(g)      commits to negotiating with private landowners to initiate restoration of peat land and utilising natural flood management techniques to greatly reduce Sheffield residents and businesses exposure to flooding.

7.3

Whereupon, it was formally moved by Councillor Mark Jones, and formally seconded by Councillor Mary Lea, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by:-

1.       the deletion of paragraphs (d) to (f) and the addition of new paragraphs (d) to (h) as follows:-

(d)      commits to reviewing the findings of Sheffield Wildlife Trust’s map of biodiversity corridors and to continue to review habitat management techniques, including the use of alternative approaches to pesticides;

(e)      commits to addressing this crucial issue but rejects a top-down prescriptive approach, as this issue is simply too important to rush through ill-thought-out and that, rather than as being solely prescribed by political parties, there is a need for a truly a collaborative approach – with real action - to ensure that everything possible is being done to protect the city’s biodiversity, ecology and wildlife;

(f)       believes that it should not be for the Council alone to decide the terms of what an ecological and biodiversity emergency looks like, and how this should be dealt with and instead a collaborative approach needs to be developed which listens to wider views including key anchors and partners, including Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust, Sheffield Climate Alliance, Wildscapes CIC and ShefFood Partnership and that, crucially, Sheffield citizens must be part of this conversation;

(g)      commits, therefore, to the development of a Sheffield Citizens Pledge, co-produced throughout the city, and that work on this should start from May, with wide consultation when safe to do so;

(h)      believes that we must work on a shared strategy to protecting Sheffield’s ecology, including those who have previously petitioned on this issue, to deliver something really meaningful, that the whole city can get behind;

2.       the re-lettering of original paragraph (g) as a new paragraph (i); and

3.       the addition of a new paragraph (j) as follows:-

(j)       commits to working with landowners to adopt methods that encourage stabilisations and expansion of a biodiverse environment.

7.4

It was then formally moved by Councillor Tim Huggan, and formally seconded by Councillor Alan Hooper, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by:-

1.       the addition of new sub-paragraphs (e)(vi) to (xii) as follows:-

(vi)      drawing up a ‘Biodiversity Plan’ with local wildlife and environmental organisations to assign all appropriate land to categories such as: habitat restoration, rewilding, rewetting, community horticulture, tree planting, urban wildflowers, ponds and wildflower meadows and other designations with a key aim to connect fragmented habitats;

(vii)     monitoring and revision of the Biodiversity Plan with measurable targets for biodiversity gain with reporting back every three years;

(viii)    supporting community composting and community orchards by providing land and appropriate resources whenever possible;

(ix)      using the upcoming Local Plan consultation to embed Biodiversity Net Gain as a requirement into planning policy, by embedding the ‘Biodiversity Plan’ into the local plan - ensuring that biodiversity investments are planned and strategic;

(x)      supporting education to make Sheffield gardens ‘wildlife friendly’, such as hedgehog tunnels in solid fence boundaries and cutting lawns later in the year so wildflowers can set seed;

(xi)      encouraging planting green roofs and fences in urban areas to support invertebrates and pollinators and to reduce air pollution; and

(xii)     introducing a programme to install bird and/or bat boxes on Council- owned properties;

2.       the addition of new paragraphs (h) to (j) as follows:-

(h)      believes that rewilding is often best practice for supporting wildlife recovery;

(i)       believes that all residents should have local access to high value natural environments and that this is an important consideration for reducing inequalities in the city; and

(j)       requests that local Household Waste Recycling Centres be kept open and accessible for as long as possible to help reduce the prevalence of fly-tipping and plastic pollution in sensitive habitats.

7.5

It was then formally moved by Councillor Alison Teal, and formally seconded by Councillor Paul Turpin, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the addition of new paragraphs (h) to (l) as follows:-

(h)      notes that the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill currently passing through Parliament gives greater powers to take strong, urgent action on both emergencies than the current Climate Change Act;

(i)       further notes that more than one hundred MPs have already pledged to support the Bill;

(j)       supports, therefore, the passing of the Bill;

(k)      requests officers to write to all Sheffield’s MPs urging them to pledge to support the Bill; and

(l)       requests officers to write to the Environment Minister, the Rt. Hon. George Eustice MP, the President of the COP26 Climate Conference, the Rt. Hon. Alok Sharma MP, and the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Boris Johnson MP, informing them of this Council's support for the Bill and urging them to support it through Parliament.

7.6

The amendment moved by Councillor Mark Jones was put to the vote and was carried.

7.6.1

(NOTE: Councillors Angela Argenzio, Kaltum Rivers, Douglas Johnson, Ruth Mersereau, Martin Phipps, Paul Turpin, Peter Garbutt and Alison Teal voted for part 3 and against parts 1 and 2 of the amendment, and asked for this to be recorded,)

7.7

The amendment moved by Councillor Tim Huggan was then put to the vote and was negatived, except for paragraphs (x) to (xii) in part 1 and all of part 2 of the amendment, which were carried.

7.8

The amendment moved by Councillor Alison Teal was then put to the vote and was carried.

7.9

The original Motion, as amended, was then put as a Substantive Motion in the following form and carried:-

RESOLVED: That this Council:-

(a)      notes with alarm that:-

(i)       according to the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystems Services (IPBES), species extinction is running at between 10 and 100 times faster than historical averages;

(ii)       the State of Nature 2019 UK report, published by a consortium of 70 nature organisations, finds that as little as 5% of land in the UK is being effectively looked after for nature, that 41% of species are in decline and 10% are threatened with extinction;

(iii)      the UK only has half its biodiversity remaining, and is in the bottom 10% of countries on this measure; and

(iv)      the RSPB reports that there are 40 million fewer birds in the UK than in 1970;

(b)      further notes that the biggest drivers of biodiversity decline nationally are climate change, habitat loss and intensive farming, and believes that, locally, mismanagement of moorland to the west of the city can be added;

(c)      believes that the health and well-being of the people of Sheffield depends crucially on maintaining a thriving and biodiverse natural environment;

(d)      commits to reviewing the findings of Sheffield Wildlife Trust’s map of biodiversity corridors and to continue to review habitat management techniques, including the use of alternative approaches to pesticides;

(e)      commits to addressing this crucial issue but rejects a top-down prescriptive approach, as this issue is simply too important to rush through ill-thought-out and that, rather than as being solely prescribed by political parties, there is a need for a truly a collaborative approach – with real action - to ensure that everything possible is being done to protect the city’s biodiversity, ecology and wildlife;

(f)       believes that it should not be for the Council alone to decide the terms of what an ecological and biodiversity emergency looks like, and how this should be dealt with and instead a collaborative approach needs to be developed which listens to wider views including key anchors and partners, including Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust, Sheffield Climate Alliance, Wildscapes CIC and ShefFood Partnership and that, crucially, Sheffield citizens must be part of this conversation;

(g)      commits, therefore, to the development of a Sheffield Citizens Pledge, co-produced throughout the city, and that work on this should start from May, with wide consultation when safe to do so;

(h)      believes that we must work on a shared strategy to protecting Sheffield’s ecology, including those who have previously petitioned on this issue, to deliver something really meaningful, that the whole city can get behind;

(i)       commits to negotiating with private landowners to initiate restoration of peat land and utilising natural flood management techniques to greatly reduce Sheffield residents and businesses exposure to flooding.

(j)       commits to working with landowners to adopt methods that encourage stabilisations and expansion of a biodiverse environment;

(k)      directs officers, in consultation with organisations such as Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust, Wildscapes CIC and ShefFood Partnership, to draw up plans to reverse declines in species and habitats in Sheffield, reporting back in July 2021, paying particular attention to the opportunities for:-

(i)       supporting education to make Sheffield gardens ‘wildlife friendly’, such as hedgehog tunnels in solid fence boundaries and cutting lawns later in the year so wildflowers can set seed;

(ii)       encouraging planting green roofs and fences in urban areas to support invertebrates and pollinators and to reduce air pollution; and;

(iii)      introducing a programme to install bird and/or bat boxes on Council- owned properties;

(l)       believes that rewilding is often best practice for supporting wildlife recovery;

(m)     believes that all residents should have local access to high value natural environments and that this is an important consideration for reducing inequalities in the city;

(n)      requests that local Household Waste Recycling Centres be kept open and accessible for as long as possible to help reduce the prevalence of fly-tipping and plastic pollution in sensitive habitats;

(o)      notes that the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill currently passing through Parliament gives greater powers to take strong, urgent action on both emergencies than the current Climate Change Act;

(p)      further notes that more than one hundred MPs have already pledged to support the Bill;

(q)      supports, therefore, the passing of the Bill;

(r)       requests officers to write to all Sheffield’s MPs urging them to pledge to support the Bill; and

(s)      requests officers to write to the Environment Minister, the Rt. Hon. George Eustice MP, the President of the COP26 Climate Conference, the Rt. Hon. Alok Sharma MP, and the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Boris Johnson MP, informing them of this Council's support for the Bill and urging them to support it through Parliament.