Council Meeting Minutes 27th July 2005

Minutes of a Meeting of the Council held Wednesday, 27th July, 2005

Meeting of the Council of the City of Sheffield held in the Council Chamber within the Town Hall, Sheffield, on Wednesday, 27th July, 2005, pursuant to notice duly given and Summonses duly served.

PRESENT

THE LORD MAYOR (Councillor Roger Davison)

THE DEPUTY LORD MAYOR (Councillor Jackie Drayton)

1 Arbourthorne Ward			10 Dore & Totley Ward	19 Mosborough Ward
Julie Dore			Anne Smith	Mike Peat
John Robson			Mike Waters	David Barker
Tim Rippon			Keith Hill	Sam Wall

2 Beauchief/Greenhill Ward			11 East Ecclesfield Ward	20 Nether Edge Ward
Anthony Holmes			Pat Fox	Ali Qadar
Simon Clement-Jones			Vic Bowden	Pat White
Clive Skelton			Graham Oxley

3 Beighton Ward			12 Ecclesall Ward	21 Richmond Ward
Ian Saunders			Sylvia Dunkley	Martin Lawton
Chris Rosling-Josephs				John Campbell
Helen Mirfin-Boukouris

4 Birley Ward			13 Firth Park Ward	22 Shiregreen & Brightside Ward
Bryan Lodge			Joan Barton	Jane Bird
Mike Pye			Chris Weldon	Peter Price
Denise Fox			Alan Law	Peter Rippon

5 Broomhill Ward			14 Fulwood Ward	23 Southey Ward
Alan Whitehouse			John Knight	Tony Damms
Shaffaq Mohammed			Andrew Sangar	Leigh Bramall
			Janice Sidebottom

6 Burngreave Ward			15 Gleadless Valley Ward	24 Stannington Ward
Ibrar Hussain			Terry Fox	Arthur Dunworth
Steve Jones			Rosemary Telfer	David Baker
			Garry Weatherall	Vickie Priestley

7 Central Ward			16 Graves Park Ward	25 Stocksbridge & Upper Don Ward
Jean Cromar			Peter Moore	Martin Davis
Jillian Creasy			Ian Auckland	Martin Brelsford
Mohammad Azim			Barrie Jervis	Alison Brelsford

8 Crookes Ward			17 Hillsborough Ward	26 Walkley Ward
Brian Holmes			Robert MacDonald	Diane Leek
John Hesketh			Janet Bragg	Veronica Hardstaff
Sylvia Anginotti			Alf Meade	Jonathan Harston

9 Darnall Ward			18 Manor Castle Ward	27 West Ecclesfield Ward
Mary Lea			Pat Midgley	Kathleen Chadwick
Harry Harpham			Jan Fiore	Alan Hooper
Mohammad Altaf			Jan Wilson	Trevor Bagshaw

				28 Woodhouse Ward
				Marjorie Barker
				Mick Rooney
				Ray Satur

	1.	APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
		Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Terry Barrow, Kate Dawson, Paul Scriven and Andrew White.

	2.	MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING
		RESOLVED: On the motion of Councillor Pat Midgley, seconded by Councillor Jean Cromar, that the minutes of the meeting of the City Council held on 6th July, 2005, be approved as a correct record.

	3.	PUBLIC QUESTIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS

	3.1	Petitions

		(a) Petition Concerning Traffic Measures in Donnington Road and St. Aidans Road
		The Council received a petition containing 130 signatures, along with copy correspondence and a petition submitted some years previously, expressing support for the enforcement of road traffic signs at the junction of Donnington Road and St. Aidans Road prohibiting a left/right turn into/out of Donnington Road and calling for parking restrictions at the junction of Donnington Road and Granville Road, together with traffic calming measures on Donnington Road and St. Aidans Road, which would stop the road being abused by motorists and make it a safer place.
		After hearing representations made on behalf of the petitioners by Janet Froggatt, the Council referred the petition for consideration by the City Centre and East Planning and Highways Area Board. In response, Councillor Terry Fox, the Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, thanked Ms. Froggatt for bringing the issue to the attention of the Council and indicated that he was aware of the background to the difficulties being faced by the petitioners. He stated that the Council received many requests for road safety measures that were considered by reference to adopted Council criteria and he undertook to provide her with such information and to speak to officers about the petition and to the Police about enforcement of the Traffic Regulation Orders.

		(b) Petition Concerning Road Safety on Baslow Road
		The Council received a petition containing 659 signatures drawing attention to the highly dangerous nature of the Mickley Lane/Baslow Road junction and calling for an urgent reassessment of traffic calming and pedestrian safety measures from Hillfoot Road to Bushey Wood Road, in view of the recent increase in heavy traffic.
		After hearing representations made on behalf of the petitioners by Richard Wrigglesworth, the Council referred the petition for consideration by the West Planning and Highways Area Board. In response, Councillor Terry Fox, the Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport thanked Mr. Wrigglesworth for bringing this issue to the attention of the Council and stressed that the Council viewed road safety issues very seriously, but could not implement all road safety requests received, notwithstanding the increased budget that had been allocated for danger reduction schemes. He undertook to clarify with Officers the road safety situation and to send Mr. Wrigglesworth details of the Council's criteria in this respect.

		(c) Petition Concerning Broomhill Infant School, Lynwood Garden Site
		The Council received a series of communications from pupils of Broomhill Infant School drawing attention to their work to help develop the Lynwood Garden site for community use as a nature reserve and calling on the Council to help to ensure the future of this invaluable local resource and preserve it from building development and referred the petition for consideration by Councillor Tim Rippon, the Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration, Culture and Planning.

		(d) Petition Concerning Proposed Closure of the South Yorkshire Fire Control Room
		The Council received a petition containing 514 signatures of operational fire fighters and control room staff of South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, protesting against the Government's proposals to close the South Yorkshire Fire Control Room, which is to be regionalised with Humberside, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire, and urging the Council to do all it can to save the local Fire Control Room and referred the petition for consideration by the South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority.

		(e) Petition Concerning Mitchell Road, Meadowhead
		The Council received a petition containing 80 signatures calling for Mitchell Road to be made into a one-way street when traffic lights are installed at the Abbey Lane/Chesterfield Road/Meadowhead Junction, as Mitchell Road is narrow and cannot withstand the extra traffic that would be generated if it was used as a short cut and referred the petition for consideration by the West Planning and Highways Area Board.

	3.2	Public Questions Re Sheffield City Airport
		Anthony Hall asked if the Council had considered that, by accepting an early surrender of the lease of the City Airport land and giving the airport operator financial benefits, it could leave itself open to challenge in Court that it was giving Doncaster a hidden and illegal subsidy.
		In response, Councillor Jan Wilson, the Leader of the Council, stated that the viability of the City Airport had been thoroughly discussed at Council, Cabinet and Scrutiny Board meetings and the legal advice given by the Council's Officers and external Counsel was robust. She added that, if the Council confirmed the Cabinet minute in relation to the City Airport later in the meeting, she believed that a lawful decision will have been made.
		Mike Moss asked how the Council could consider supporting an early surrender of the lease of the City Airport when the operator had broken the terms of the lease. He suggested that it was development by stealth and that, by transferring operations to Doncaster, the Council was depriving Sheffield Council Tax payers the opportunity to fly to European destinations from Sheffield, which would save them £100 in taxi fares. He wondered how land worth £30m could be sold for a £1, based on what he considered to be a flawed report by York Aviation and wondered whether there might be a hidden agenda.
		In response, Councillor Jan Wilson, the Leader of the Council, stated that she and her colleagues were acting properly, honestly and diligently in the interests of the public and she rejected and resented the allegations that had been made. She emphasised that Councillors used their best judgement based on the best information available in the best interests of the public. She added that she did not accept the comments being made about the land value and stressed that the Council was being asked to consider the likely prospect of the Airport becoming viable. The Council could continue the lease for a further 18 months to see whether the airport might become profitable, but the case had been already made that the airport was not viable and a decision had to be made now in the public interest. She indicated that she would be speaking further on this issue when the matter was to be considered later in the meeting but emphasised that, when asked public questions, she always tried to give an explanation and answer as best she could.

	3.3	Illness of Councillor Andrew White
		The Chief Executive reported on the continuing illness of Councillor Andrew White.
		RESOLVED: That for the purposes of Section 85 of the Local Government Act 1972, approval be given to the continued absence of Councillor Andrew White from meetings of the Council, due to his illness.

	4.	MEMBERS’ QUESTIONS

	4.1	Urgent Business
		There were no questions relating to urgent business under the provisions of Standing Order A18(6).

	4.2	Questions
		A schedule of questions to Cabinet Members submitted in accordance with Standing Order A18(2) was circulated, which contained written answers to certain questions and those Cabinet Members who were identified on the schedule as intending to give verbal answers, responded accordingly.

	4.3	Supplementary Questions Under the Provisions of Standing Order A18(4)
		Supplementary questions were asked on written questions submitted at the meeting.

	4.4	South Yorkshire Joint Authorities
		No questions were asked on the discharge of the functions of the South Yorkshire Joint Authorities for Fire and Rescue, Passenger Transport, Pensions and Police under the provisions of Standing Order A18(6).

	4.5	Yorkshire and Humber Assembly
		Councillors Sylvia Dunkley and Peter Moore asked questions on the work of the Yorkshire and Humber Assembly in connection with the Northern Way that were answered by Councillor Jan Wilson, the Leader of the Council.

	5.	ORDER OF BUSINESS
		RESOLVED: On the motion of Councillor Pat Midgley, seconded by Councillor Clive Skelton, that the Council does now proceed to the consideration of Notice of Motion no. 7 on the agenda relating to the recent tragic events in London).

	6.	NOTICE OF MOTION RE THE RECENT TRAGIC EVENTS IN LONDON
		RESOLVED: On the motion of Councillor Jan Wilson, seconded by Councillor David Baker, that this Council:

		(a) offers its heartfelt condolences to all affected by the recent tragic events in London;

		(b) recognises that it is vital that these acts are seen for what they truly are, the acts of terrorists which are condemned by all of the diverse ethnic, faith, and religious groups which make up Sheffield’s population;

		(c) recognises the overwhelming importance of community cohesion at this difficult time;

		(d) believes in the strength and vibrancy of our multi-cultural community in Sheffield; and

		(e) will work together to provide leadership in supporting local communities to ensure that our communities remain united in their opposition to terrorism and that Sheffield remains a tolerant, safe and understanding City.