Agenda item

That this Council:-

(a)      recognises the incredible efforts that all staff, partner organisations, voluntary sector, local businesses, community groups and the people of Sheffield have made to get the city through the past 18 months, and thanks everyone for their contribution;

(b)      notes that as the city moves out of lockdown, and continues to open up, it is essential that the Council takes action to secure the city’s recovery across a wide range of areas including support for jobs and the local economy, children and education, supporting people in financial hardship and the full reopening of Council services;

(c)      welcomes the plans to deliver on the following commitments:-

(i)       to introduce Local Area Committees, agreed by this Council in March, as a top priority, with the aim of establishing and embedding them within the Council, thus putting our communities at the heart of decision making and ensuring that Council services are responsive and accountable to the needs of our communities;

(ii)       delivering new investment in District Centres throughout the city to ensure their recovery and renewal, coupled with a wider programme of initiatives to support the re-opening of the city’s economy, such as the recently announced Summer in the Outdoor City Programme;

(iii)      investing in our young people through delivery of the Administration’s additional investment in youth services, following the service being brought back in house;

(iv)      implementing the recommendations set out in the Arup report to create a pathway to deliver the shared ambition for net zero;

(v)      introducing a new approach to community safety, with additional safer neighbourhood wardens; and

(vi)      appointing an independent person to conduct a local inquiry into the management of the street trees dispute;

(d)      believes that the overriding priority of the Council, and the city as a whole, should be to put Sheffield first and work in the interests of the city and its people and welcomes the commitment of the new Administration to always Put Sheffield First;

(e)      believes that to meet the challenges the city faces it is important for Councillors to work together and co-operate across the city and that this is the responsible thing to do to provide the effective leadership and stability that the city needs from the Council going forward; and

(f)       notes that the Council will now begin a transition into new governance arrangements following the result of the governance referendum and welcomes the Council’s plans to introduce transitional committees to facilitate this change in governance and believes that they will be an important part of piloting this new way of working and supporting the organisation to put in place the best possible arrangements to deliver for Sheffield, working in an open, inclusive and democratic way.