Agenda item

4.1

Statements from the Lord Mayor and the Leader of the Council

4.1.1

The Lord Mayor (Councillor Jayne Dunn) read the following statement:

“In recent weeks up and down the country we have seen violent thuggery and rioting dressed up as protest.  What we saw, and let’s call it what it was, was pure far-right hate.

The events closer to home in Rotherham were abhorrent and shameful. Here in Sheffield, we did see small protests against asylum seekers, Muslims and minority groups but they were very quickly shut down by those who oppose such things, I was proud to see that we were not only a city of sanctuary in name but also in action.

People coming together to stand up for those in need is a fundamental for a cohesive society and we should all hold its values.

I speak about these values at every citizenship ceremony, where I welcome so many who have fled persecution and I see in their smiles, the relief at being able to live in a country, a city that welcomes them, that will encourage them to flourish, play an active role in our communities, and in the growth of our city.    I know just how important belonging here is to them.

I tell them diversity is our strength, it’s at the core of our values.

The hate that was aimed at some of the most vulnerable in our society as well as those with different faiths or a different skin colour was abhorrent. We all need to be mindful of the impact of the language we use and not allow the promotion of derogatory terms that risk damage to Sheffield’s strong resilient communities.

The peaceful rejection we witnessed was so powerful - so much stronger than the hate.

So, thank you to the people of Sheffield who came together to show their unity and support, to reject the racism and hate. I applaud you.

I would like to thank the work carried out by the city’s faith leaders, community groups and organisations.

To our very own council staff that came together working across all our communities, and to South Yorkshire Police for their bravery during the terrible events, and the tireless work to bring those responsible to justice.

Sheffield is a better place for the diversity in its citizens and its culture. As the First Citizen I am extremely proud of the warm and friendly nature of our people. Long may it continue.

Finally, I would like to send my deepest condolences to the families, friends and the community of the 3 young girls who were brutally murdered in Southport. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. We hope now you have the time and space to mourn in peace.”

4.1.2

The Leader of the Council (Councillor Tom Hunt) read the following statement:

“This is the first time that this Council has met since the violent disorder that we saw across the country and in South Yorkshire earlier this month.

What we saw in that week was not protest, but far-right hate.

I utterly condemn those who tried to divide us by targeting asylum seekers, Muslims and minority communities, and I condemn everyone who engaged in criminal acts of violence and hate on our streets and online.

What we saw was racist and Islamophobic. It was an attack on what we stand for as a city.

Like everyone here, I am proud that Sheffield is a welcoming city for people seeking asylum and proud that we are a City of Sanctuary.

Our diversity is our greatest strength.

I am proud of the citywide response to the violence and would like to take this opportunity to say thank you.

To the people of Sheffield who came together to reject racism and to show that it has no place in our city.

To Sheffield City Council staff for their hard work to support communities, particularly the Local Area Committee staff who coordinated the response in our communities.

To our partners in the voluntary, community and faith sector for their commitment and dedication to protect and reassure communities, to calm tensions and ensure that people did not come to harm.

To South Yorkshire Police for their critical role to protect and support local communities. I know we all send our best wishes to all officers who were injured in the line of duty.

And to the criminal justice system for their ongoing work to take swift action against those who broke the law and who will now feel the full force of the law.

While we can be proud of our response, we cannot be complacent. People are still fearful and there is much to do with our partners to strengthen and develop community cohesion in our city.

We will continue to celebrate our diversity and to stand firm against all forms of racism and Islamophobia, discrimination, and violence.

We must work in partnership with the voluntary, community and faith sector, the Police, health organisations and with Government to engage with communities, promote unity, bring people together and ensure that Sheffield remains a welcoming city.”

4.2

Lord Mayor’s Communications

4.2.1

The Lord Mayor congratulated Councillors Kurtis Crossland and Sophie Thornton on their recent marriage.

4.2.2

She also wished to offer congratulations to all the athletes who had trained in the city who had competed in the Olympic Games recently held in Paris, or who had competed, or who were due to compete, in the Paralympic Games currently being held in that city.  She added that she had been honoured to be invited by Badminton England to attend the Paralympics during the previous weekend and she commented on how well attended the events had been and how grateful the local Paralympians were to Sheffield for providing their training facilities.

4.3

Public Petitions, Questions and Statements

The Lord Mayor reported that four petitions were to be presented at the meeting.  No questions had been received from members of the public on matters relating to items of business on the agenda for the meeting, and no statements had been received from the public.     She added that written responses to questions received from three members of the public on matters relating to the remit of full Council had been provided to the questioners and published on the Council’s website in advance of the meeting, and no supplementary questions arising from those responses had been received.

4.4

Ordinary Petitions

4.4.1

Petition Calling on the Council to Stop the Pedestrianisation of Surrey Street

The Council received a joint paper and e-petition containing a total of 89 signatures calling on the Council to stop the pedestrianisation of Surrey Street.

Representations on behalf of the petitioners were made by Elaine Bird, who asked for the pedestrianisation scheme to be reconsidered, as in her view its full impact had not been considered.  She also asked what arrangements had been made for the necessary turning of large lorries which needed to access Norfolk Street for deliveries, but which could not turn around within Norfolk Street in order to exit the city centre, and what arrangements would be put in place for refuse collection from the shops on Surrey Street.  Additionally, she underlined the negative effect on disabled and elderly people of cutting off the Connect buses access to the city centre, thus making access to the city centre more difficult, and of the loss of parking places, including disabled parking spaces and the loss of loading bays. Ms Bird stated that public transport needed to be improved before schemes like this one were put in place and the impact on small independent businesses should also be considered.

The petition was referred to Councillor Ben Miskell (Chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee) to respond.  Councillor Miskell stated that he was proud of the transformation of the city centre and from talking to businesses on Surrey Street he knew that they valued the positive impact that the investment was having on footfall.

With regards to lorries turning in the vicinity of Norfolk Street, Councillor Miskell advised that options were being considered to facilitate a ‘turning area’ for larger vehicles, along Norfolk Street in the vicinity of Surrey Street.  He explained that large HGV vehicles using the loading bay at Marks and Spencer, currently reversed into the loading bay and exited the area via Norfolk Street, Arundel Gate and High Street. So, he felt that the new scheme would be a significant improvement.

Councillor Miskell emphasised that local businesses had been consulted on the plans, and discussions with them would be ongoing throughout the final design stage, and as works progressed to improve the street. He stressed the need for engagement work to continue and confirmed that he would continue to engage with businesses on Surrey Street personally.

In relation to refuse collection, Councillor Miskell stated that similarly to the pedestrianised area of Fargate, it was proposed that vehicles servicing businesses would be permitted to drive on Surrey Street during the hours of Midnight to 10am, and 6pm to Midnight. He stated that this would mean that refuse vehicles could directly access the front of Surrey Street businesses during those hours and that this was a standard approach taken by cities up and down the country.  He added that the needs of local businesses for specific requirements such as refuse collection were being considered as part of the improvements.

Regarding broader accessibility, Councillor Miskell explained that as part of the wider Connecting Sheffield City Centre project, an assessment was made of disabled parking, in order to assess demand and to prioritise blue badge holders. This was to ensure the prioritisation of spaces for those with the greatest mobility needs, closest to some of the city’s shops and services.

Councillor Miskell also stated that 16 blue badge spaces were to be installed on Union Street and 2 on Union Lane, with a total provision of 18 disabled bays, as part of the project and that the new blue badge bays would not be subject to time limits for stays, and would  be marked at 6.6 metres each, with signage installed instructing users to keep the first and last bays clear for rear-loading vehicles. This meant that in total there would be a net increase of 2 Disabled Parking Bays in the city centre as part of this project, meaning that provision would be improved.

Additionally, Councillor Miskell advised that the Council was reviewing proposals for Leopold Street, to explore options for more disabled parking spaces even closer to Fargate and Surrey Street. He underlined that it was important to say that the remaining disabled bays on Surrey Street, Norfolk Street, and Holly Street/ Balm Green would still provide other parking options. Also, consultation was underway with various stakeholders regarding disabled parking in the city centre, and this would be used to inform a wider review through a Sheffield City Centre Access and Movement Plan, that was being developed, and he would welcome the input of the petitioner into this.

Councillor Miskell emphasised that it was important to note that whilst the Council respected Ms Bird’s points, there were others who took a very different view about the plans to improve the city centre, and the Council had to also give weight to those voices. He quoted supportive comments from 3 local business owners, Stefano Capasso, owner of Café Tucci, Simon Webster, Co-Founder and CEO of Thornbridge Brewery, and the trustees at the Montgomery Theatre on Surrey Street.

Councillor Miskell advised that the Council had been engaging with businesses on Surrey Street, on the proposed changes to the Traffic Regulation Order that was required to implement pedestrianisation of the section of Surrey Street, and this was due to be advertised the following week. He explained that this would launch a period of statutory consultation, and should the Council receive objections, the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee would then need to receive a report for a decision before proceeding. Given this, he said he was happy to refer to the petition in the report. He advised that he anticipated that the report would be considered at the October or November, Transport, Regeneration and Climate Committee, which Ms Bird was welcome to attend. He was therefore happy to refer the petition to the Policy Committee.

4.4.2

Petition Calling on the Council to Make All Schools Practice Emergency Drills on a Termly Basis

The Council received an e-petition containing 15 signatures calling on the Council to make all schools practice emergency drills on a termly basis.

Representations on behalf of the petitioners were made by Jayne Mason and Carron Britton, who stated that they were motivated to bring the petition due to an incident which had taken place at Birley School in the preceding May, where some children did not know what to do when the emergency alarm sounded.  The petitioners felt that making emergency drills compulsory would ensure consistency between schools, make sure all teachers, including supply teachers knew the procedure, and ensure that children who changed schools would still know what to do when the alarm sounded.  Regular drills would also reduce the likelihood of children finding the experience frightening.  The petitioners suggested that the drills should be carried out once a term, throughout the school year, to keep the procedure fresh in the children’s minds and that they be conducted in an age-appropriate way.

The petition was referred to Councillor Dawn Dale (Chair of the Education, Children and Families Policy Committee) to respond.  Councillor Dale stated that she understood the anxiety caused when local schools implemented lock down procedures to keep children safe, and she empathised with the parents.

Councillor Dale advised that schools were generally the safest places for children, and in her experience in the Education, Children and Families Policy Committee, she had seen the extensive efforts schools made to ensure children’s safety. She was grateful to schools and parents for their commitment to maintaining safety, and this vigilance from all stakeholders ensured the ongoing safety of children in and out of school.

Councillor Dale explained that schools received their policies from the Department for Education. This included statutory policies like ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education 2024’, and non-statutory guidance such as the 2024 ‘Protective Security and Preparedness for Educational Settings,’ which these drills would fall under. She added that the non-statutory guidance allowed schools to decide for themselves on this, which made it challenging to enforce uniform lockdown measures nationwide.

Despite this, Councillor Dale advised she would be writing to schools to ask that they consider how often safety drills are carried out and stated that she would be happy to meet the petitioners to discuss the matter in more depth.

4.4.3

Petition Calling on the Council to Demand Veolia Recognise Unite The Union

The Council received a joint paper and e-petition containing a total of 240 signatures calling on the Council to pressure its outsourced provider for waste management services, Veolia, to recognise the Unite Trade Union for negotiating purposes.

Representations on behalf of the petitioners were made by Joel Mayfield, who stated that Unite was bringing the petition on behalf of its members at Lumley Street Depot, working for Veolia who operated the waste management contract on behalf of Sheffield City Council.  He added that in the last year the contract had earned Veolia £11.7m in post-tax profits.  He explained that a significant proportion of the workforce were former Council employees whose employment was transferred via TUPE, when the waste service was contracted out around 20 years before, so this meant that in his view they were to some extent still the responsibility of the Council.

Mr Mayfield advised that when the service was run by the Council, 3 Unions had been recognised and that as far as he was aware, this agreement was still applicable.  He emphasised his view that it was important that a competent Union of the worker’s choice was able to negotiate terms and conditions. At present Mr Mayfield advised that GMB was the only Union that Veolia was prepared to recognise at this location for the purpose of negotiating pay and conditions, and this denied Unite members a place at the negotiating table.  He stated that as a significant proportion of the workforce were Unite Members, the management had been approached on a number of occasions to ask for a joint recognition agreement.  Unite already had a Health and Safety Representative and a Shop Steward on site who were able to represent colleagues in work related matters and were allowed reasonable paid leave to engage in Union training and business. This amounted to de facto recognition in his view, and the request was that full recognition be granted in line with GMB.  He stated that being unable to achieve recognition, Unite Members had no choice but to take indefinite strike action which was at that time in its third week.  The strike was not about money but was about the right to be represented in negotiations.

He called on the Council to resolve the issue and advised that as Veolia operated the contract on behalf of the Council, the Council was being asked to intervene.

The petition was referred to Councillor Joe Otten (Chair of the Waste and Street Scene Policy Committee) to respond.  Councillor Otten stated that he understood that the dispute related to the ask of Unite for recognition from Veolia, who currently had a longstanding single recognition agreement with GMB, who represented the majority of the workforce.  He added that moving to joint recognition required the agreement of both unions, and that he understood there was an offer from the TUC to meet with them to discuss the situation. He hoped that this could go ahead.

Councillor Otten explained that the Council did not get directly involved with disputes between Veolia and its employees and Unions, but were interested that the service worked, that workers were happy and that everybody got their bins emptied.

Councillor Otten advised that the impact of the strike on the Veolia workforce, meant that there were some delays to scheduled bin collections and that the Bring sites had been temporarily closed to prioritise doorstep collections.   Regular service updates were being provided to residents via the Council’s service alerts and he hoped that the negotiation with the TUC would go ahead, and the dispute would be resolved.

4.4.4

Petition Calling on the Council to Eliminate Unnecessary Double Yellow Lines in Neepsend

The Council received an e-petition containing 3,836 signatures calling on the Council to eliminate unnecessary double yellow lines in the Neepsend area of Sheffield.

Representations on behalf of the petitioners were made by Nick White, who stated that he was speaking on behalf of his daughters, Charlotte and Daisy White, who had run a salon in Kelham Island since 2017.  He advised that issues with parking had been exacerbated there by the introduction of new access and parking arrangements which meant there were 200 fewer parking spaces on the streets.  Many business owners were reporting a 40% downturn in trade, particularly since the bus gate on Rutland Road had been introduced.

Mr White explained that customers still using the salon were being inconvenienced and potentially made unsafe, by having to park on back streets further away from the salon. There was no disabled parking or dropped kerbs, to assist wheelchair users (although Mr White acknowledged this could be part of the scheme once it was completed).  In his view this seemed to contradict the Council’s aim to bring more businesses to the area.  He added that the small independent traders of Kelham Island needed the Council’s support to ensure the area could thrive.

Mr White suggested that the pay and display meters which were going to be installed should be for a three-hour maximum stay, and that ideally there should be a car park in the vicinity of Kelham Island large enough to meet the demand for parking there.  He then read out messages from his daughter’s salon clients underlining the difficulties with parking, which he advised had led to some people speculating that the Council were deliberately trying to drive trade into the city centre.

The petition was referred to Councillor Ben Miskell (Chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee) to respond.  Councillor Miskell stated that the proposal to implement a parking scheme had been considered and agreed by committee in December 2023, after an additional period of engagement with businesses in the autumn of that year, and that had followed wider engagement with residents and businesses across Kelham and Neepsend, where over 8,500 properties had been sent information.

Councillor Miskell advised that Kelham and Neepsend was one of Europe’s best and most up and coming neighbourhoods, and the Council aimed to address longstanding challenges related to parking availability and safe access in the area, as well as increasing choice about how people travel.

Councillor Miskell explained that he understood the concerns, however, the previous historical arrangement of uncontrolled parking had resulted in spaces being taken up by people parking for free all day, many of whom were then walking into the city centre for work. This had led to available parking spaces being at a premium for people wishing to visit the area, people whose shifts started later, or any resident leaving and coming back during the day.  It had also impacted on loading and unloading during the day and access for larger vehicles. He added that the changes proposed would formalise where drivers should park, and where they should not park, by providing pay and display bays with permits available for eligible businesses and residents, yellow line restrictions, and places for loading on-street.

Councillor Miskell stated that similar parking schemes in other areas of the city had increased the turnover of parked vehicles and therefore provided a greater level of availability of parking spaces and access for people living, working in, and visiting the area.

Councillor Miskell advised that by managing parking effectively and safely the Council aimed to support the ongoing regeneration and investment in the area, planning for the future, and that without action, the pressure for parking in the area would increase with the new residential developments planned and a city centre which continued to develop and grow.  Many high-profile developments were currently in construction, including a major new development at West Bar (one of the largest office projects in Northern England regenerating a 7.3-acre site), as well as £67 million of investment with Homes England which would deliver 1,500 new homes.   Also, there were 550 new homes earmarked on the Cannon Brewery site.

Councillor Miskell advised that as a result of engagement about Kelham and Neepsend, the following alterations had been made:

·        a more flexible approach to the number of permits issued to businesses.

·        changes to some of the operational hours of pay and display.

·        the addition of a 20 minutes’ free parking period.

·        the introduction of special evening ‘flat’ rates to boost the night-time economy of £2 (after 4.30pm, Monday to Saturday) and
all-day Sunday.

Councillor Miskell also advised that the parking scheme was being introduced at the same time as the delivery of the Connecting Sheffield: Neepsend - Kelham - City Centre Active Travel Project, which would significantly improve cycling, walking and wheeling, as well as public transport links for residents, businesses and visitors to the area.  It also connected communities in Pitsmoor and Burngreave, to employment opportunities in the city centre, enhancing social mobility through greater transport choice.  He stated that projects had been designed to complement one another, with certain yellow line restrictions needed for the delivery of the improved cycling, walking and wheeling infrastructure and associated improvements to the streets in the area, sitting alongside award-winning grey-to-green landscaping.

Additionally, Councillor Miskell set out that the Council had recently adopted Vision Zero, which was a strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries in Sheffield, while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all. Ensuring that junctions were clear of parked vehicles helped to achieve this.

Councillor Miskell emphasised that he understood that some people might have reservations about the changes, and the Council was committed to working with them, and would try to solve any problems that they may have wherever possible. The Council had already committed to a full review of the scheme, which would take place 12 months after implementation.  As part of this, he would be inviting business owners in the area to attend an event on Monday 16 September from 5pm to 6pm in the upstairs room at Cutlery Works, co-chaired by Louisa Harrison-Walker, Chief Executive at Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Dr Sam Chapman, co-Chair of the South Yorkshire Transport Forum. At this event, business owners would be able to share their thoughts about development in the area, hear more about future plans and get the latest information on parking, permits and layouts. The Council would do its best to continue to listen, learn and adapt plans, wherever possible and address any individual problems that may arise.

Councillor Miskell confirmed that he would refer the petition to the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee, which would expect to receive reports about the implementation period, and he would ensure that reference was made to the petition. As always, the petitioners were welcome to attend and take part.

4.5

Supplementary Public Question

The Lord Mayor stated that Linda Harrison, one of the members of the public who had submitted a question and had received a written response prior to the meeting, was in attendance at the meeting seeking to ask her question although she hadn’t given notice of this in advance of the meeting.  The Lord Mayor added that she would use her discretion and invite Mrs Harrison to ask her question.

Linda Harrison asked “What is the Council’s policy on allowing mobility scooters to be kept in the hallways of communal blocks, and why has this been changed in the last two years?  For background, I have recently been told that I am no longer allowed to keep my scooter in our communal hallway despite it not blocking a fire escape or getting in anyone’s way, although I was given permission to do this two years ago.”

In response, Councillor Douglas Johnson (the Chair of the Housing Policy Committee) stated that he was not able to discuss individual cases in a public meeting, but the relevant Council Officers had been asked to deal with her case. 

With regards to the policy, Councillor Johnson confirmed that the current policy needed to be looked at again, it had been signed off in 2015 so was nearly 10 years old. In the meantime, he recognised that it was an important issue and that the major factor influencing it was fire safety, but this needed to be balanced with residents’ mobility needs.  He confirmed that he would speak to Mrs Harrison personally regarding her own case.