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Minutes of the Meeting of the Council of the City of Sheffield held in the Council Chamber within the Town Hall, Sheffield, on Wednesday, 3rd February, 2010, pursuant to notice duly given and Summonses duly served. PRESENT THE LORD MAYOR (Councillor Graham Oxley) THE DEPUTY LORD MAYOR (Councillor Alan Law) 1 Arbourthorne Ward 10 Dore & Totley Ward 19 Mosborough Ward Julie Dore Colin Ross Gail Smith John Robson Mike Davis David Barker Tim Rippon Keith Hill Chris Tutt 2 Beauchief /Greenhill Ward 11 East Ecclesfield Ward 20 Nether Edge Ward Louise McCann Colin Taylor Ali Qadar Simon Clement-Jones Vic Bowden Colin France Clive Skelton Pat White 3 Beighton Ward 12 Ecclesall Ward 21 Richmond Ward Ian Saunders Sylvia Dunkley Lynn Rooney Helen Mirfin-Boukouris Mike Reynolds Martin Lawton Roger Davison 4 Birley Ward 13 Firth Park Ward 22 Shiregreen & Brightside Ward Bryan Lodge Joan Barton Jane Bird Denise Fox Chris Weldon Peter Price Mike Pye Peter Rippon 5 Broomhill Ward 14 Fulwood Ward 23 Southey Ward Paul Scriven John Knight Tony Damms Shaffaq Mohammed Andrew Sangar Leigh Bramall Alan Whitehouse Janice Sidebottom Gill Furniss 6 Burngreave Ward 15 Gleadless Valley Ward 24 Stannington Ward Jackie Drayton Frank Taylor Arthur Dunworth Ibrar Hussain Denise Reaney Vickie Priestley Steve Jones Garry Weatherall David Baker 7 Central Ward 16 Graves Park Ward 25 Stocksbridge & Upper Don Ward Robert Murphy Peter Moore Jack Clarkson Jillian Creasy Ian Auckland Martin Brelsford Bernard Little Bob McCann Alison Brelsford 8 Crookes Ward 17 Hillsborough Ward 26 Walkley Ward Brian Holmes Joe Taylor Diane Leek John Hesketh Steve Ayris Penny Baker Sylvia Anginotti Janet Bragg Jonathan Harston 9 Darnall Ward 18 Manor Castle Ward 27 West Ecclesfield Ward Mary Lea Pat Midgley Kathleen Chadwick Harry Harpham Jenny Armstrong Alan Hooper Mazher Iqbal Jan Wilson Trevor Bagshaw 28 Woodhouse Ward Mick Rooney Ray Satur Council 3.2.2010 Page 2 1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Marjorie Barker, John Campbell and Chris Rosling Josephs. 2. CORPORAL LI AM RILEY AND LANCE CORPORAL GRAHAM SHAW The Lord Mayor (Councillor Graham Oxley), asked Members to observe a minute's silence in memory of Sheffield Soldier Corporal Liam Riley and and his colleague Lance Corporal Graham Shaw, both members of the 3rd Battalion, the Yorkshire Regiment, who recently lost their lives in Afghanistan. 3. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST Housing Revenue Account and Rent Increase (Items 7 and 8 on the Summons) Councillors Steve Ayris and Jack Clarkson both declared a personal interest in Notice of Motion Nod. 8 and the item referred to Council both concerning the Housing Revenue Account and Rent Increase as a Member of the Sheffield Homes Board of Directors. Notice of Motion concerning Cadbury, Trebor Basset The following Members declared interests in the above item of business:- Councillor Colin Ross declared a personal interest as a shareholder in the Royal Bank of Scotland. Councillor Ian Auckland declared a personal interest as a shareholder and pensioner of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group. Councillor Frank Taylor declared a personal interest as a member of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group of companies. Councillor Alan Hooper declared a personal interest as a shareholder in the Royal Bank of Scotland. Councillor Leigh Bramall declared a personal interest in relation to Cadbury Trebor Basset as his wife was employed by Cadbury. 4. PUBLIC QUESTIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS Petitions (a) Petition regarding the reduction in funding for Community Courses The Council received a petition, containing 88 signatures, objecting to the City-wide reduction in funding for Community Courses. Representations on behalf of the petitioners were made by Tracey Wright who stated that Tinsley Parents and Children’s Consortium was notified in December, 2009, that informal classes were being cancelled and that ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes were being reduced and that childcare support for women learners was also being withdrawn. She spoke of the adverse affect on learners and the community nursery which lost 19 paid places. She referred to the importance of ESOL courses and Community Courses for families and their role in relation to community cohesion in places like Tinsley which were diverse in nature. The need for ESOL classes was demonstrated by a waiting list of over 50 women. Tracey Wright referred to the benefits which had been achieved, including improved confidence for Council 3.2.2010 Page 3 women and for them to support their children’s learning. She asked that the Council address the issue of whether it wished for the achievements which had been recognised in Tinsley to continue or potentially be lost. She also made reference to other areas which might be affected which were also areas of deprivation including Arbourthorne, Manor and Castle and Richmond which had also had lifelong learning and skills provision withdrawn. The Council were asked to prioritise funding in disadvantaged areas for learners who were less likely to be able to access other courses, publicise lifelong learning and skills funding and courses and the demand for courses and provide childcare so as not to exclude women learners. The Council referred the petition to the Cabinet Member for Finance and Customer Focussed Services (Councillor Simon Clement-Jones) who stated that he was aware of the issue raised by the petition and commented upon the decision by the Government to reduce funding for lifelong learning. He stated that the Council was at present at the end of the budget process and that he wished to find out what would happen in relation to adult learning. He stated that the Council was not planning any reduction in adult learning but also commented that no further budget provision had been made. He acknowledged that there would be a gap in funding for lifelong learning in deprived areas of the City and offered to meet with the petitioners, Sheffield College and the Community Assembly Chairs as appropriate to make sure that the vital work undertaken with regard to lifelong learning and skills was not lost. (b) Petition objecting to the Waverley Link Road passing through the playing fields at Woodhouse Mill The Council received a petition, containing 85 signatures, objecting to the Waverley Link Road passing through the playing fields at Woodhouse Mill. Representations on behalf of the petitioners were made by Paul Wood who referred to the importance of the playing fields as an open space for both young people locally and from other areas of the City. He referred to Council planning policy relating to the safeguarding of open space and to the potential alternative route through land owned by the water company. Reference was also made to the establishment of the playing fields by miners which had led to the establishment of a Trust which ceased in 1995 when ownership passed to the City Council. Mr. Wood stated that there had been no formal consultation with local residents upon the proposals and he asked the City Council to consider the implications if there were proposals of this kind which affected other parks in the City. The Council referred the petition to the Cabinet Member for Sustainable Transport and Streetscene (Councillor Ian Auckland) who referred to advice produced by the Charity Commission in relation to land held in trust. He stated that if the land was held in trust the City Council would honour that position. He stated that he chaired the Cabinet Highways Committee, and took his decision on the basis that the City Council was the landowner and was therefore entitled to take in the wider interest, including that the link road would serve the economic and employment interests of the City, including the development of the Lower Don Valley. He expressed surprise that the issues Council 3.2.2010 Page 4 now raised were not identified sooner. Yorkshire Water were adamant that they would not give up the land. Councillor Auckland referred to a meeting of the Culture, Economy and Sustainability Scrutiny and Policy Development Board held on 2nd February, 2010, at which he had been asked to take account of the Board's concerns in relation to consultation and the position of Yorkshire Water in relation to the link road. The Cabinet Highways Committee had also taken up the issues raised by members of the public who attended in relation to consultation. He referred to a joint meeting of the Darnall and South East Area Panels in 2008 at which the link road had been discussed and stated that, whilst objections had been recorded at that joint meeting, the issue relating to charitable land had not been raised. (c) Petition regarding parking issues in the Cannon Hall Road, Hampton Road, Goddard Hall Road, Fir Vale Road, Crabtree Road, Crabtree Close and Crabtree Crescent area The Council received a petition, containing 144 signatures, objecting to the implementation of any proposed local permit parking scheme in respect of the above area. The petition was referred to the Cabinet Member for Sustainable Transport and Streetscene (Councillor Ian Auckland) who stated that the petition would be put forward into the consultation upon the relevant highways scheme and he thanked the petitioners for bringing this issue to the attention of the Council. Public Questions (a) Public questions concerning Sheffield Racial Equality Council Mr. George Ben Anthony asked if the Council was aware of the fact that racism was on the increase and of the repercussions if a deterrent such as the Sheffield Racial Equality Council was disbanded? Dr. Debjani Chatterjee referred to the importance of good race relations and to the role of the people of Sheffield and the hard work of the Racial Equality Council in achieving good race relations.

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