Full Council Meeting to be held 7th December 2005
CITY OF SHEFFIELD
METROPOLITAN DISTRICT
COUNCIL SUMMONS
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 December, 2005, at 2.00 p.m.
THE FOLLOWING BUSINESS IS PROPOSED TO BE TRANSACTED-
1. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS COUNCIL MEETINGS
To receive the record of the proceedings of the meetings of the Council held on 2nd November, 2005, 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) Questions submitted at this meeting – Standing Order A18(2)
(c) Supplementary questions on questions submitted at this meeting - Standing Order No. A18(4).
(d) 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).
(e) Questions on the discharge of the functions of the Yorkshire and Humber Assembly –
Standing Order No. A18(6).
4. REPRESENTATION
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. OBSERVATIONS
To receive observations on the minutes of the meetings of the various Council bodies for the period
15th October to 18th November, 2005.
6. NOTICE OF MOTION GIVEN BY COUNCILLOR TERRY FOX
That this Council:
(a) expresses it’s disappointment with First Group at their recent fare increases, which are resulting in local people being priced out of affordable public transport;
(b) believes that First Group’s record of 3 fare increases in 12 months is excessive and entirely unacceptable;
(c) endorses the Passenger Transport Authority’s recent vote of no confidence in First Group;
(d) endorses the Council’s position on regulated bus services, as laid out in the Council resolution of 30th July, 2003, given by Councillor Sylvia Dunkley and seconded by Councillor Jan Wilson, which reads:
‘This Council:
calls on the Government to bring back a system of regulated bus services similar to the one operating in London, which will allow Passenger Transport Authorities / Executives to:
(a) specify the routes, timetables and fares of bus services, emphasizing the social, environmental and economic importance of bus services rather than the profit motive;
(b) remove the wasteful ‘on the road’ competition which eats up resources better deployed on improving services;
(c) operate a bus service ‘of last resort’ where commercial bus operators cannot or will not operate a service;
(d) make sure public finance and subsidies are used in the most cost effective manner; and
(e) lease buses to smaller bus companies;
and directs that copies of this resolution be sent to the Sheffield Members of Parliament, the Secretary of State for Transport and his opposite numbers in the two Westminster opposition parties, and the Chair of the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority’; and
(e) will continue to work with local interest groups to lobby the Government to allow Sheffield to have a regulated bus service similar to the one operating in London.
7. NOTICE OF MOTION GIVEN BY COUNCILLOR KATE DAWSON
That this Council:
(a) is amazed that the South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority is again proposing the closure of Ringinglow Fire Station only a short time after the local community demonstrated such overwhelming opposition to such a proposal when the first Integrated Risk Management Plan was produced;
(b) is concerned that the proposed closure is driven more by financial than safety considerations;
(c) notes that the loss of Ringinglow Fire Station will result in a reduction in the number of fire appliances serving the whole City to the detriment of the safety of people right across Sheffield, and is therefore opposed to the proposed closure of Ringinglow Fire Station as it will be a service cut for the whole of our City; and
(d) directs that copies of this resolution be sent to South Yorkshire's Chief Fire Officer, the South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority, the Sheffield Members of Parliament, the Minister of State responsible for the Fire Service and his opposite numbers in the two main opposition parties at Westminister and the South Yorkshire branch of the Fire Brigades' Union.
8. NOTICE OF MOTION GIVEN BY COUNCILLOR VERONICA HARDSTAFF
That this Council:
(a) shares with the Government, the view that there is nothing more important than educating our children;
(b) welcomes the Government’s continuing commitment to transform the quality of education for children, particularly children in the most deprived areas;
(c) welcomes the recognition in the recent White Paper “Higher Standards, Better Schools for All” of the important strategic role of Local Authorities in achieving this;
(d) welcomes all the additional Government investment in Sheffield’s schools and Early Years provision which has given a huge impetus to driving up attainment levels in recent years;
(e) welcomes the movement towards a coherent and unified Children and Young People’s Service, delivered in partnership with the National Health Service and other providers, which is essential to the ‘Every Child Matters’ agenda and in which schools play a vital role;
(f) believes that through the power of education we can challenge the injustices which exist within society, and create equality of opportunity;
(g) believes that successful neighbourhood schools and children’s centres are the heart of sustainable communities;
(h) is proud of the improvement in the educational achievements of Sheffield’s children and will support schools in continuing to raise standards;
(i) is committed to ensuring that parents get the best possible information about what choices are available for their child in terms of schools and curriculum, and is committed to supporting parents to make informed choices about the education of their child, and notes that currently in Sheffield 97% of children are offered a place at their first choice of secondary school;
(j) notes that the Council’s vision of transforming education can only be achieved with the dedication and support of Sheffield’s ‘family’ of teachers, headteachers, governors and support staff who are committed to working collaboratively to achieve the best outcomes for all children in the City;
(k) believes that the Sheffield Agreement with Secondary Schools provides an excellent example of what can be achieved by working collaboratively with partners;
(l) has the strongest possible commitment and dedication to raising standards in Education in Sheffield and believes that as a strong Local Authority it has the ability to transform the educational attainment of all children in Sheffield by:
(i) maintaining a fair admissions policy for all, which firmly rejects the notion of selection by ability;
(ii) continuing to manage resources effectively to ensure that none are wasted through surplus places; and
(iii) continuing to work in partnership with all those who are involved in educating Sheffield’s children, particularly headteachers and governors, to raise standards;
(m) will continue to work with the Government to achieve the best possible education for our children;
(n) looks forward to continuing a dialogue with the Government about the provision of education for children in Sheffield, particularly as the Education White Paper moves through the parliamentary process;
(o) directs the Executive Director for Children and Young People’s Services to prepare a Cabinet report outlining the Council’s response to the Education White Paper; and
(p) directs that copies of this resolution be sent to the Sheffield Members of Parliament and the Secretary of State for Education and Skills.
9. NOTICE OF MOTION GIVEN BY COUNCILLOR DAVID BAKER
That this Council:
(a) supports all those campaigning for better bus services after the unacceptable fare rises and profiteering imposed by First Group in South Yorkshire;
(b) believes that there should be cross-party consensus within this Council that the re-regulation of buses in line with the London franchising model is the only viable way forward to improve bus services in South Yorkshire;
(c) regrets that the present Government's actions have failed to tackle the decline of bus patronage outside of London and demands immediate action to bring about the introduction of a regulatory system for public transport in South Yorkshire that is similar to the successful London system;
(d) directs that henceforward all lobbying of Government on this issue is on a cross-party basis:
(e) further directs that the Council spearheads a campaign on a cross-party basis which focuses on the need to move to re-regulation of bus services in Sheffield in line with the London model; and
(f) also directs that a copy of this motion be sent to all the Sheffield Members of Parliament, the Secretary of State for Transport and his opposite numbers in Parliament.
10. NOTICE OF MOTION GIVEN BY COUNCILLOR SYLVIA ANGINOTTI
That this Council:
(a) believes the Education White Paper should aim to deliver the ‘Every Child Matters’ agenda by:-
(i) helping every child to achieve more and enjoy more, by improving learning and
teaching in schools;
(ii) sharing best practice and reducing class sizes; and
(iii) ensuring that schools co-operate with each other and with all partners in the interests of all children;
(b) is concerned however that the Government’s White Paper will not deliver this agenda and may put at risk the ‘Every Child Matters’ programme by:-
(i) diverting time and energy away from achievement into structures;
(ii) reducing parental choice by allowing schools to choose the pupils they want;
(iii) creating expensive and unnecessary surplus places at a time of falling rolls;
(iv) accelerating school closures by putting pressure on ‘popular’ schools to expand;
(v) a move to selective education which puts schools first rather than children; and
(vi) not aiming to make every school a success; and
(c) directs that a copy of this motion is sent to all the Sheffield Members of Parliament, the Secretary of State for Education and Skills and all of Sheffield’s Headteachers;
11. NOTICE OF MOTION GIVEN BY COUNCILLOR JILLIAN CREASY
That this Council :-
(a) notes that:
(i) UK Nirex Ltd investigated the South Yorkshire and Derbyshire area for a
national radioactive disposal facility in the late 1980s and 1990s;
(ii) the Nuclear Free Local Authorities organisation was responsible for securing this information after 16 years of campaigning for its release;
(iii) a new national radioactive waste policy for highly contaminated materials is being
developed and that recommendations will be made to the Government in July 2006;
(iv) DEFRA is expected to consult on a ‘low level’ radioactive waste management
policy later this year or early next year and that several regional radioactive waste disposal or storage facilities could be proposed;
(v) this policy could lead to substantial transfers of radioactive materials by road and rail in the South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire area;
(vi) the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority is consulting on future strategy and that
this could result in more radioactively contaminated metals being processed through the metals recycling industry in the City; and
(vii) significant costs arose from a small radioactive contamination incident at industrial premises in the City in 2000;
(b) is deeply concerned that a Government commitment to new nuclear generation will exacerbate these problems and divert resources from decentralised and renewable energy generation and efficiency programmes that can create jobs, improve living standards across the City, and more effectively tackle the threat of climate change;
(c) is deeply concerned that a Government commitment to a new nuclear weapons programme will increase global insecurity and divert billions of pounds of public money that could be invested in local services to develop real security for all citizens;
(d) believes that:
(i) it is in the interests of Sheffield people for the Council to engage with these national policy developments because of the local burden of risk that will result; and
(ii) the Nuclear Free Local Authorities organisation continues to provide timely briefings
and advice to its members on all these matters; and
(e) therefore directs the Chief Executive to investigate the benefits of Nuclear Free Local Authority membership and report to the Council in two months’ time.
12. NOTICE OF MOTION GIVEN BY COUNCILLOR MOHAMMAD AZIM
That this Council :-
(a) is alarmed that the Prime Minister appears to be moving away from a target-based approach to reducing carbon dioxide emissions, to one of reliance on new technology and agrees with the World Wildlife Fund that his approach is becoming indistinguishable from that of the President of the United States;
(b) regrets the imminent end of the Clear Skies and the Solar PV Major Demonstration Programmes and the fact that their successor, the Low Carbon Buildings Programme, is not expected to begin giving grants until next summer at the earliest and that these grants are expected to be far less generous than the current schemes;
(c) applauds those developers such as BT with their new data centre at Tinsley who are incorporating renewable and energy efficiency measures in the design of their new development;
(d) notes that a study by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors found that green buildings can earn higher rents and prices, attract tenants and buyers more quickly, cut tenant turnover and cost less to operate and maintain;
(e) further applauds the London Borough of Merton and the 87 other Councils across the Country who have brought in a requirement for new commercial developments to generate at least 10 per cent of their energy needs from renewable sources;
(f) believes that Sheffield City Council should not be lagging behind other Local Authorities in contributing to the mitigation of climate change in this way;
(g) resolves therefore that this Council adopts a figure of a 10% renewables requirement for commercial developments as soon as possible; and
(h) resolves that a Cabinet Member is designated as a ‘champion for climate change’ who will produce an annual report and whose role will be to promote pro-active measures to combat climate change within the Council and to consider how the Council’s decisions affect the climate change agenda.
13. NOTICE OF MOTION GIVEN BY COUNCILLOR VIC BOWDEN
That this Council :-
(a) notes the recent state visit of President Hu Jintao of China and accordingly:-
(i) condemns China’s record on human rights as a major source of concern; and furthermore
(ii) condemns China’s occupation of Tibet and supports the Free Tibet Campaign;
(b) recognises that the way to resolve these concerns is through continued constructive engagement; and
(c) directs that a copy of this motion be sent to all the Sheffield Members of Parliament, the Free Tibet Campaign, the Chinese Ambassador to the UK and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.
Dated this 29th day of November, 2005
Chief Executive