Agenda item

2.1

RESOLVED: On the motion of the Lord Mayor (Councillor Sioned-Mair Richards) and seconded by Councillor Terry Fox, that, in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 9.1, the order of business as published on the Council Summons be altered by taking an urgent item of business (Notice of Motion Regarding “The Passing of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II”) at this point in the proceedings.

2.2

The Lord Mayor stated that Council Procedure Rule 26 states that “An item of business may be considered at a meeting of the Council as a matter of urgency, where it has not been possible to give five clear working days’ notice, on the recommendation of the Chair, but the reason for such urgency must be recorded in the minutes”.  The Lord Mayor stated that there were clear reasons for taking a Notice of Motion regarding the passing of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, as an urgent item of business, given that the Queen died after the agenda for this meeting had been published.

2.3

The proposed Motion had been circulated to all Members of the Council on 13^th September 2022 and had been published on the Council’s website. Copies of the Motion were available at the meeting.

2.4

On the motion moved by Councillor Terry Fox, seconded by Councillor Shaffaq Mohammed, and after contributions from four other Members, it was -

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That this Council:-

(a)      notes with great sadness the passing of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II;

(b)      on behalf of the citizens of Sheffield, offers its sincere condolences to members of the Royal Family at this time of great sadness and personal loss;

(c)      notes that during her extraordinary 70-year reign, Her Majesty demonstrated unwavering dedication to serving the nation and the Commonwealth;

(d)      believes her reign will be acknowledged in history as one of the greatest of all monarchs and, through years of major challenges and difficulties for the country, she retained a true sense of dignity;

(e)      affirms that, as a mark of respect, flags are being flown at half-mast on Civic buildings until the period of national mourning ends on 19th September;

(f)       also affirms that, should citizens of Sheffield wish to pay their respects:-

(i)       books of condolence are open in Sheffield and Stockbridge Town Halls, the Parish Council Offices in Low Bradfield and Ecclesfield and other civic and religious buildings across the City Council area;

(ii)       an eBook of condolence is open on the Council’s website; and

(iii)      an area of the Peace Gardens in Sheffield City Centre and in the Clocktower Gardens, Manchester Road, Stocksbridge, have been designated as areas to place floral tributes; and

(g)      resolves to ask that the Lord Mayor sends this Council’s condolences to His Majesty, King Charles III and the Royal Family.