Agenda item

9.1

It was formally moved by Councillor Ben Miskell, and formally seconded by Councillor Craig Gamble Pugh, that this Council:-

(a)      welcomes the move to develop a new Sheffield Transport Strategy;

(b)      believes that the people of Sheffield need a transport system that gets them from A-to-B quickly, safely and affordably;

(c)      believes that upgrading our transport infrastructure is essential to grow Sheffield’s economy, tackle congestion, reduce emissions, improve air quality and improve physical health;

(d)      believes that upgrading our transport infrastructure will provide people with greater choice about how to make journeys;

(e)      believes that Sheffield and South Yorkshire have been badly let down by 13 years of government underinvestment in transport infrastructure, and further notes the Government’s track record of broken promises from cancelling the eastern leg of HS2, to scrapping the electrification of Midland Mainline, and chronically underfunding our buses;

(f)       supports bus franchising and welcomes the work by South Yorkshire’s Mayor to accelerate the franchising process;

(g)      believes that congestion can be reduced through active travel schemes, improving public transport and upgrading key road junctions, and believes that sustainable development must be supported by sufficient transport infrastructure;

(h)      believes that an ambitious transport strategy will help to attract investment from the private sector and national government;

(i)       calls on the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee to ensure the public has a say in designing the new strategy; and

(j)       believes that, from listening to residents throughout the city, it is clear that the prioritisation of the below in the strategy would be hugely welcome:-

(i)       a plan to tackle congestion across the city, with a focus on hotspots, such as in parts of south-east Sheffield;

(ii)       an ambitious vision to expand the tram network;

(iii)      re-opening rail lines for tram-train and rail services including to Stocksbridge, along the Sheaf Valley and the Barrow Hill line through south-east Sheffield, with the potential for new stations, including at Beighton;

(iv)      a plan to realise the benefits of bringing buses and trams under public control, such as shared ticketing arrangements and designing bus services that link with tram stops;

(v)      a plan to ensure all parts of Sheffield from Stocksbridge to Mosborough have frequent, reliable buses;

(vi)      a plan to upgrade cycling infrastructure, particularly with segregated cycle routes;

(vii)     a clear focus on improving the pedestrian experience, recognising the enormous health benefits of walking;

(viii)    accelerating the rollout of 20mph zones and school streets so that families have safe journeys to and from school; and

(ix)      restoring the direct rail link between Sheffield and Manchester airport.

9.2

Whereupon, it was formally moved by Councillor Andrew Sangar, and formally seconded by Councillor Ian Auckland, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by:-

1.       the addition of a new paragraph (b) as follows, and the re-lettering of all further paragraphs accordingly:-

(b)      believes that a strategy must help people get around the city, must have a vision for trams, trains, buses, taxis and other motor vehicles, and active travel, and must plan for how these forms of transport will interlink to create a multimodal, interconnected transport system;

2.       the deletion, in the original paragraph (e) [re-lettered as a new paragraph (f)], of the words “believes that Sheffield and South Yorkshire have been badly let down by 13 years of government underinvestment in transport infrastructure, and further”;

3.       the deletion of the original paragraph (f) [re-lettered as a new paragraph (g)] and the addition of a new paragraph (g) as follows:-

(g)      strongly supports bus franchising; notes that the Liberal Democrat group has supported bus franchising for many years; believes that repeated delay to implement bus franchising has cost South Yorkshire through a diminished bus service; and notes that the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority’s Bus Service Improvement Plan bid for £474m was rejected entirely by Government, while Greater Manchester got £95m and the North East Combined Authority got £163m;

4.       the addition [after the original paragraph (g), re-lettered as a new paragraph (h)] of new paragraphs (i) and (j) as follows:-

(i)       however, believes that active travel schemes and public transport initiatives are only successful when they have the support of their local community, and reaffirms the Council’s commitment to devolving decisions and budgets on minor local transport and highways issues to Local Area Committees (LACs);

(j)       furthermore, believes that bus transport must be accessible to all Sheffield residents and recognise the needs of those with limited accessibility, and therefore asks the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee to consider placing reopening Pinstone Street to buses on its work programme;

5.       the addition, at the end of the original sub-paragraph (j)(iii) [re-lettered as a new sub-paragraph (m)(iii)], of the words “, the investigation of a tram line from Herdings to Meadowhead, and the investigation of a tram line to the Northern General Hospital”.

9.3

It was then formally moved by Councillor Bernard Little, and formally seconded by Councillor Paul Turpin, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by:-

1.       the deletion of paragraph (a) and the addition of a new paragraph (a) as follows:-

(a)      notes that Sheffield has had an agreed Transport Strategy in place since 2019; recognises that the strategy accepts the need for action now rather than wishful thinking under a future government; and believes the actions in the strategy should be carried out without further delay or watering down;

2.       the addition of new paragraphs (f) and (g) as follows, and the re-lettering of the original paragraphs (f) to (j) as new paragraphs (h) to (l):-

(f)       notes that in 2017, emissions from the transport sector contributed 26% of Sheffield’s emissions with ? of these from private car journeys;

(g)      believes Sheffield must reduce our reliance on private cars to have any chance of meeting our net zero commitment, and that the most effective way to reduce congestion is to have more people using public transport, walking, wheeling and cycling;

3.       the addition of new paragraphs (m) to (o) as follows:-

(m)     notes that the Workplace Parking Levy in Nottingham contributed £90 million in direct funding and attracted £1 billion in investment for public transport and active travel over 10 years;

(n)      believes that if Sheffield Council really believed in "Quicker, Safer, Affordable Journeys", they would take all available measures within our power rather than waiting for a potential change of government; and

(o)      therefore calls on the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee to add a feasibility study for a Workplace Parking Levy to its work programme and to relook at bus priority and bus lane hours on arterial roads, and increased parking enforcement powers so that there may be some real prospect of "Quicker, Safer, Affordable Journeys" rather than wishful thinking and hand wringing.

9.4

The amendment moved by Councillor Andrew Sangar was put to the vote andwas carried, but in part. Parts 1, paragraph (i) of Part 4 and Part 5 of the amendment were carried, and Parts 2, 3 and paragraph (j) of Part 4 of the amendment were lost.

9.4.1

(NOTE: The result of the vote was FOR - 28 Members; AGAINST - 42 Members; ABSTENTIONS – 0 Members.  Although Labour Group Members voted against, they voted for Part 1, paragraph (i) in Part 4 and Part 5 of the amendment.  Although Green Group Members voted against, they voted for Part 5 of the amendment.  Although Councillor Sophie Wilson voted against, she voted for Parts 4 and 5 of the amendment.)

9.5

The amendment moved by Councillor Bernard Little was then put to the vote andwas carried, but in part. Part 2 of the amendment was carried, and Parts 1 and 3 of the amendment were lost.

9.5.1

(NOTE: The result of the vote was FOR - 10 Members; AGAINST - 58 Members; ABSTENTIONS – 1 Member.  Although Labour Group Members voted against, they voted for Part 2 of the amendment; 2. Although Councillor Sophie Wilson voted against, she voted for Parts 1 and 2 of the amendment.)

9.6

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

RESOLVED: That this Council:-

(a)      welcomes the move to develop a new Sheffield Transport Strategy;

(b)      believes that a strategy must help people get around the city, must have a vision for trams, trains, buses, taxis and other motor vehicles, and active travel, and must plan for how these forms of transport will interlink to create a multimodal, interconnected transport system;

(c)      believes that the people of Sheffield need a transport system that gets them from A-to-B quickly, safely and affordably;

(d)      believes that upgrading our transport infrastructure is essential to grow Sheffield’s economy, tackle congestion, reduce emissions, improve air quality and improve physical health;

(e)      believes that upgrading our transport infrastructure will provide people with greater choice about how to make journeys;

(f)       believes that Sheffield and South Yorkshire have been badly let down by 13 years of government underinvestment in transport infrastructure, and further notes the Government’s track record of broken promises from cancelling the eastern leg of HS2, to scrapping the electrification of Midland Mainline, and chronically underfunding our buses;

(g)      notes that in 2017, emissions from the transport sector contributed 26% of Sheffield’s emissions with ? of these from private car journeys;

(h)      believes Sheffield must reduce our reliance on private cars to have any chance of meeting our net zero commitment, and that the most effective way to reduce congestion is to have more people using public transport, walking, wheeling and cycling;

(i)       supports bus franchising and welcomes the work by South Yorkshire’s Mayor to accelerate the franchising process;

(j)       believes that congestion can be reduced through active travel schemes, improving public transport and upgrading key road junctions, and believes that sustainable development must be supported by sufficient transport infrastructure;

(k)      however, believes that active travel schemes and public transport initiatives are only successful when they have the support of their local community, and reaffirms the Council’s commitment to devolving decisions and budgets on minor local transport and highways issues to Local Area Committees (LACs);

(l)       believes that an ambitious transport strategy will help to attract investment from the private sector and national government;

(m)     calls on the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee to ensure the public has a say in designing the new strategy; and

(n)      believes that, from listening to residents throughout the city, it is clear that the prioritisation of the below in the strategy would be hugely welcome:-

(i)       a plan to tackle congestion across the city, with a focus on hotspots, such as in parts of south-east Sheffield;

(ii)       an ambitious vision to expand the tram network;

(iii)      re-opening rail lines for tram-train and rail services including to Stocksbridge, along the Sheaf Valley and the Barrow Hill line through south-east Sheffield, with the potential for new stations, including at Beighton, the investigation of a tram line from Herdings to Meadowhead, and the investigation of a tram line to the Northern General Hospital;

(iv)      a plan to realise the benefits of bringing buses and trams under public control, such as shared ticketing arrangements and designing bus services that link with tram stops;

(v)      a plan to ensure all parts of Sheffield from Stocksbridge to Mosborough have frequent, reliable buses;

(vi)      a plan to upgrade cycling infrastructure, particularly with segregated cycle routes;

(vii)     a clear focus on improving the pedestrian experience, recognising the enormous health benefits of walking;

(viii)    accelerating the rollout of 20mph zones and school streets so that families have safe journeys to and from school; and

(ix)      restoring the direct rail link between Sheffield and Manchester airport.

9.6.1

(NOTE: The result of the vote was FOR - 67 Members; AGAINST - 0 Members; ABSTENTIONS – 1 Member.  Although Liberal Democrat Group Members voted for, they voted against paragraphs (f) to (i) of the Substantive Motion. Although Green Group Members voted for, they voted against paragraphs (a), (b) and (k) of the Substantive Motion. Although Councillor Sophie Wilson voted for, she voted against paragraphs (f), (i) and (n)(iv) of the Substantive Motion.)