Council Agenda 7th November 2007

 

CITY  OF  SHEFFIELD METROPOLITAN  DISTRICT

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COUNCIL SUMMONS

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Notice is hereby given that a Meeting of the Council of the City of Sheffield

will be held in the Council Chamber within the Town Hall, Sheffield, on

Wednesday, 7th November, 2007, at 2.00 p.m.

    

 

THE FOLLOWING BUSINESS IS PROPOSED TO BE TRANSACTED-

 

1.             MINUTES OF PREVIOUS COUNCIL MEETING

 

To receive the record of the proceedings of the meeting of the Council held on 3rd October, 2007 and to approve the accuracy thereof.                                                           

 

2.             PUBLIC QUESTIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS

               

To receive any questions or communications from the public, or communications submitted by the Lord Mayor or the Chief Executive and to pass such resolutions thereon as the Standing Orders permit and as may be deemed expedient.

 

3.             MEMBERS' QUESTIONS

 

(a)            Questions relating to urgent business - Standing Order No. A18(6).

 

(b)           Supplementary questions on written questions submitted at this meeting - Standing Order No. A18(4).

 

(c)            Questions on the discharge of the functions of the South Yorkshire Joint Authorities for Fire and Rescue, Passenger Transport, Pensions and Police - Section 41 of the Local Government Act, 1985 - Standing Order No. A18(6).

 

(d)           Questions on the discharge of the functions of the Yorkshire and Humber Assembly – Standing Order No. A18(6).

 

4.             REPRESENTATION, DELEGATED AUTHORITY AND RELATED ISSUES

 

To consider any changes to the memberships and arrangements for meetings of Boards etc., delegated authority, and the appointment of representatives to serve on other bodies.

 

5.     ITEM REFERRED TO COUNCIL

        SHEFFIELD ECONOMIC MASTERPLAN

To consider a report and a recommendation arising therefrom which was referred by the Cabinet at its meeting held on 24th October, 2007, on a recommendation of the Strategic Resources and Performance Scrutiny and Policy Development Board.                                                    

 

6.             NOTICE OF MOTION GIVEN BY COUNCILLOR MARY LEA

 

That this Council:

 

(a)           notes that public interest and awareness about the damage caused to the environment by the excessive and widespread use of plastic bags has increased in recent months, with calls from other local authorities and campaign groups to introduce a tax on plastic bags;

 

(b)           notes that British consumers use an estimated 10 billion plastic bags - 167 per person - a year, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs;

 

(c)                 notes that while most plastic bags are only used for 12 minutes before being discarded, they can take between 400 to 1000 years to break down in the environment;

 

(d)                 notes that Ireland's "plastax" on carrier bags, introduced in 2002, has led to a 90% reduction in use;

 

(e)           notes that at present local authorities in England do not have any powers to introduce financial incentives to encourage people not to use plastic bags or to ban the use of plastic bags;

 

(f)            therefore resolves to:

 

(i)                   add its voice to the thousands of other voices in the UK calling for the Government to investigate the options for reducing plastic bag use, including the option of levying a tax on plastic carrier bags;

 

(ii)           encourage local retailers to reduce their use of plastic bags, replacing them where necessary with reusable bags;

(iii)                continue to use the Council’s influence to raise awareness in Sheffield about environmental issues, including by encouraging Sheffielders to use reusable bags instead of plastic bags; and

 

(iv)               ask local media to continue to campaign to raise public awareness in Sheffield about the damaging effects of plastic bags and encourage use of reusable bags, as seen recently with the ‘Tax the Bags’ campaign launched by the Sheffield Star; and

 

(g)           directs that a copy of this Motion is sent to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Sheffield’s Members of Parliament; major retailers operating in Sheffield including Morrison’s, Sainsbury’s, Somerfield, Marks and Spencer, Tesco, Asda, Waitrose and the Co-operative Group; and the local media, including the Sheffield Star, the Sheffield Telegraph, the Yorkshire Post, BBC Radio Sheffield and Radio Hallam FM.

 

7.             NOTICE OF MOTION GIVEN BY COUNCILLOR SIMON CLEMENT-JONES

 

That this Council:

 

(a)            believes that effective action to reduce our carbon footprint is required globally, nationally, locally and personally if we are to successfully mitigate the severe consequences climate change could bring;

 

(b)            notes that the carbon emissions under the direct control of the Council amount to less than 5% of the total emissions for Sheffield;

 

(c)            therefore recognises that this Authority must not only commit to measures that will reduce its own carbon footprint, but must also act as a key driver for reducing the carbon footprint across the City;

 

(d)            supports the introduction of a city-wide carbon footprint reduction plan that includes agreed long-term and annual targets which take into account the sort of annual reductions required globally to ensure that the global temperature rise is kept below 2°C;

 

(e)            directs that the Chief Executive draws up a report on this issue which:-

 

(i)             outlines how Sheffield’s current carbon footprint can be base-lined and how we can measure progress on an annual basis in the future;

 

(ii)          recommends how the Authority can best use its powers and influence to act as a driver

to reduce Sheffield’s total carbon footprint; and

 

(iii)                recommends challenging but achievable targets for a reduction in the carbon footprint across Sheffield on a long-term basis which contributes to the target of keeping the global temperature rise below 2°C; and

 

(f)             furthermore, directs that this report is overseen by a cross party working group and that this group makes recommendations to full Council within two months in order for a city-wide carbon reduction plan, with long-term and annual targets, to be agreed as soon as possible.

 

8.             NOTICE OF MOTION GIVEN BY COUNCILLOR CHRIS WELDON

 

That this Council:

 

(a)           notes that Council houses in Sheffield are in great demand and is determined to make sure that the Council makes the best use of every house in Council ownership;

(b)           believes that it is completely unacceptable that a property on Chesterfield Road which is managed by Sheffield Homes has been empty since November 2006;

 

(c)            wishes to ensure that families on the housing waiting list do not have to wait any longer than is

absolutely necessary for a suitable property and therefore confirms that this Council has committed to having measures in place to enable the re-let times to firstly meet the national average, and subsequently be in the top quartile; and

 

(d)           can confirm that since the Cabinet Member for Safer Neighbourhoods became aware of the situation regarding the property on Chesterfield Road, he has held a high level meeting with the Chief Executive of the Council and the Chief Executive of Sheffield Homes, where it was agreed that every vacant home would be closely monitored to ensure that Council houses are re-let as soon as possible after becoming vacant.

 

9.             NOTICE OF MOTION GIVEN BY COUNCILLOR DAVID BAKER

 

That this Council:

 

(a)           recognises that the relocation of the outside traders of the Moor is a difficult issue but believes that both the market traders and shop retailers are entitled to fair and genuine treatment from this Local Authority;

 

(b)           therefore resolves that, in line with the outside traders’ wishes, and subject to any necessary consents, a short trial of relocating the traders to Fargate is held; and

 

(c)           furthermore, resolves that after this trial has taken place, an assessment will be undertaken, including consultation with retailers on Fargate, market traders and the public, to recommend if locating traders on Fargate on a long term basis is appropriate or the policy of negotiating with developers to keep traders on the Moor should be pursued instead.

 

10.           NOTICE OF MOTION GIVEN BY COUNCILLOR TIM RIPPON

 

That this Council:

 

(a)           is proud of Sheffield FC’s official status as the oldest football club in the world, and congratulates the club on their 150th anniversary on 24th October 2007;

 

(b)           notes that Sheffield FC are celebrating their 150th anniversary with the 'Boots For Africa' campaign, an appeal to collect and deliver cleaned up pairs of used football boots to the children of South Africa;

 

(c)            further notes that having already delivered over 2000 pairs of football boots, the club are now aiming to increase this to over 2 million pairs by the time of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Finals, to be held in South Africa;

 

(d)            believes that sport can help to build communities, develop social understanding, improve health levels and ultimately enhance people’s lives;

 

(e)           believes that the ‘Boots for Africa’ campaign has the opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of disadvantaged children in South Africa and calls upon this Council to support the campaign by promoting the appeal and setting up collection points for football boots in Council buildings; and

 

(f)            directs that a copy of this Motion is sent to Sheffield FC, the Sheffield Members of Parliament, the FA and the Minister for Sport.

 

11.           NOTICE OF MOTION GIVEN BY COUNCILLOR ALI QADAR

 

That this Council:

 

(a)          notes that in England, a family house and a house in multiple occupation (HMO) are in the same Use Class, in planning terms, which means that planning permission is not required to use what was a family house as an HMO;

 

(b)          believes if the planning rules in England were changed to create a separate Use Class for HMO’s, it would be much easier to control their distribution and local density in Sheffield;

 

(c)             believes that  having a high density of HMO’s can have a detrimental effect on local

communities, for example in terms of waste, parking and noise, and can eventually lead to communities becoming unbalanced and unsustainable; and

 

(d)             therefore instructs the Council Leader to ask the Government to change the planning rules in  England to create a separate Use Class for HMO’s, and to write to all the Sheffield Members of Parliament urging them to sign EDM 1488 on the same matter.

 

12.           NOTICE OF MOTION GIVEN BY COUNCILLOR ANNE SMITH

 

That this Council:

 

(a)           believes that justifiable prudence should be celebrated not punished;

 

(b)           notes that the Government is proposing to require Local Authorities to claw back 5% of positive balances in schools and to redistribute those balances to all schools in the Authority in order to reduce the national total that stood at almost £1.6 billion in 2005/6;

 

(c)           recognises the need for Local Authorities to be vigilant in maintaining appropriate levels of positive balances in schools;

 

(d)           opposes the proposal to bring in a national redistribution of balances by a levy of 5% across all schools with positive balances;

 

(e)           believes that good financial management in schools can be far better supported locally rather than penalised nationally by across the board reductions regardless of the situation in individual schools;

 

(f)            supports the principle of local determination and the arrangements that are already in place in Sheffield to ensure balances are properly managed and spent appropriately; and

 

(g)           directs that copy of this Motion is sent to the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families and to all the Sheffield Members of Parliament.

 

13.           NOTICE OF MOTION GIVEN BY COUNCILLOR JILLIAN CREASY

 

That this Council:

 

(a)            believes that the successful operation of the housing allocations scheme is key to the cohesion and sustainability of communities;

 

(b)            notes the widespread dissatisfaction with the current allocations system and the number of complaints brought by constituents to their Councillors;

 

(c)            recognises the pressures due to lack of housing supply but believes this makes it all the more important to operate a fair and transparent scheme so as to manage expectations and avoid resentment;

 

(d)            welcomes the increase in choice through a choice-based allocations system, but notes the number of constituents who are allocated property not of their choice after certain priorities have been awarded;

 

(e)            notes that constituents like the principle of choice-based lettings but increasingly find they have no real choice to exercise;

 

(f)             notes that the operation of the allocations system appears to impact particularly on Black and Minority Ethnic communities and disabled people, who are over-represented in the numbers of people living in housing need;

 

(g)            notes that housing need impacts significantly on both physical and mental health;

 

(h)            notes that the Housing Act 1996 as amended by the Homelessness Act of 2002 requires local authorities to publish an allocations policy that gives a reasonable level of preference to:

 

(i)            people who are homeless, whether or not in priority need;

 

(ii)           people occupying insanitary accommodation;

 

(iii)          people living in overcrowded accommodation;

 

(iv)         people living in other unsatisfactory housing;

 

(v)         people who need to move on medical grounds; and

 

(vi)         people who need to move on welfare grounds or for a reason relating to a disability;

 

(i)            notes that the current allocations scheme gives no preference to:

 

                (i)            people who are homeless but without priority need; and

 

                (ii)                 people with children living at height or without adequate play areas;

 

(j)            notes that inadequacies in the allocations system could cause resentment between different ethnic groups and undermine efforts to promote community cohesion and successful neighbourhoods;

 

(k)           notes that a single band of priority fails to allow the Council to distinguish between urgent and less urgent cases of housing need and that there have been cases where other local authorities have had their allocations schemes quashed for this and other reasons;

 

(l)                   notes with concern the growing number of special cases and management lettings which are dealt with under specific provisions in the policy rather than under its main provisions;

 

(m)                directs that the current review of the lettings policy, which is the allocations scheme made under section 159 of the Housing Act 1996 be given urgent priority;

 

(n)           directs that consideration be given to grant preference to those groups of people listed in (h) and (i) above;

 

(o)           directs that consideration be given to reintroducing a points system for assessing need, whilst maintaining the principle of choice in lettings; and

 

(p)           directs that a full equality impact assessment is carried out as part of the review.

 

14.           NOTICE OF MOTION GIVEN BY COUNCILLOR BOB McCANN

 

That this Council:

 

(a)           congratulates Sheffield born James Toseland on his outstanding achievement of winning his second World Superbike title in 2007;

 

(b)           wishes James the best of luck in the 2008 season in which he will be stepping up to the premier category of motorcycle racing, MotoGP; and

 

(c)                 directs that a copy of this Motion is sent to James Toseland to convey Sheffield’s best wishes and congratulations.

 

15.           NOTICE OF MOTION GIVEN BY COUNCILLOR JILLIAN CREASY

 

That this Council:

 

(a)           notes with concern that a new Counter-Terrorism Bill may include plans to double the current detention period to 56 days, the equivalent of a four-month custodial sentence;

 

(b)           notes that since 2001, 1,228 people have been arrested under the anti-terrorist legislation with only 41 being convicted of planning or involvement with violent activities, and that not a single prosecution has fallen because of a lack of time between arrest and subsequent charge;

 

(c)           notes the statement by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights that Ministers and police have failed to make the case for extending the detention period beyond the current 28 day limit;

 

(d)           further notes that whilst Britain is not unique in facing a terrorist threat, it alone allows for such a lengthy detention without charge, with France allowing four, Greece six and most other European countries no more than three days’ detention;

 

(e)           believes that this legislation will have little if any impact on the capture and prosecution of those planning acts of violence;

 

(f)            believes that this legislation will, however, have a major impact on British communities, particularly Muslim and Asian communities, as it will result in the lengthy detention without trial of more innocent people;

 

(g)           believes that the power to hold people without charge for 56 days would be an affront to British justice and the beginning of the end of Habeas Corpus;

 

(h)           is therefore opposed to any extension of the 28 day limit on detention without charge; and

 

(i)            directs that copies of this resolution be sent to the Sheffield Members of Parliament, the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary. 

 

16.           NOTICE OF MOTION GIVEN BY COUNCILLOR BERNARD LITTLE

 

That this Council:

 

(a)           wants Sheffield to become a plastic bag free City;

(b)           recognises the Packaging (Essential Requirements) Regulations 2003, aim to minimise the amount of packaging generated at source and ensure that packaging can be reused, recovered or recycled;

 

(c)           notes that, on average, every adult in the UK receives up to 300 carrier bags each year, enough plastic to cover London, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle and South Yorkshire combined;

(d)           notes that a plastic bag can take up to 1,000 years to break down in the environment and that in the UK alone at least 200 million plastic bags are dropped as litter, contaminating soil and waterways and killing wildlife;

(e)           notes the widespread political movement to tackle plastic bag use, including the levy in Ireland where 930 million less plastic bags have been used since the tax was introduced, even

accounting for a rise in the use of bin liners;

 

(f)                  welcomes the campaign by Sheffield Star and many people in Sheffield to implement a levy on plastic bags and the very successful 'Sheffielders Care' Chari-bag that provides a sustainable and long-lasting alternative;

(g)           believes that the introduction of a levy at national level would make a significant contribution to Sheffield's ability to meet its waste reduction targets, and would protect our environment;

 

(h)           believes that a compulsory levy on plastic bags would encourage local retailers to reduce their use of plastic bags, replacing them where necessary with reusable bags made from natural fibres or strong paper, and with cardboard boxes or cartons; and

(i)            therefore directs the Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs requesting that the Government commissions a report on the options for reductions in plastic bag use, to include an assessment of the effects of a 20p per bag levy.

17.           OBSERVATIONS

To receive observations on the minutes of the meetings of the various Council bodies for the period 15th September to 19th October, 2007.

 

 

Dated this 30th day of October, 2007