Minutes of a Meeting of the Council of the City of Sheffield held in the Council Chamber within the Town Hall, Sheffield, on Wednesday, 2nd May, 2007, pursuant to notice duly given and Summonses duly served. PRESENT THE LORD MAYOR (Councillor Jackie Drayton) THE DEPUTY LORD MAYOR (Councillor Arthur Dunworth) 1 Arbourthorne Ward 10 Dore & Totley Ward 19 Mosborough Ward Tim Rippon Keith Hill Sam Wall Julie Dore Anne Smith Mike Peat John Robson Mike Waters David Barker 2 Beauchief/Greenhill Ward 11 East Ecclesfield Ward 20 Nether Edge Ward Clive Skelton Graham Oxley PatWhite Anthony Holmes Pat Fox Ali Qadar Simon Clement-Jones Vic Bowden 3 Beighton Ward 12 Ecclesall Ward 21 Richmond Ward Helen Mirfin-Boukouris Roger Davison Liz Naylor Ian Saunders Sylvia Dunkley Martin Lawton Chris Rosling-Josephs Michael Reynolds John Campbell 4 Birley Ward 13 Firth Park Ward 22 Shiregreen & Brightside Ward Mike Pye Alan Law Peter Rippon Bryan Lodge Joan Barton Jane Bird Denise Fox Chris Weldon Peter Price 5 Broomhill Ward 14 Fulwood Ward 23 Southey Ward Shaffaq Mohammed Janice Sidebottom Gill Furniss Paul Scriven John Knight Leigh Bramall Andrew Sangar 6 Burngreave Ward 15 Gleadless Valley Ward 24 Stannington Ward Steve Jones Garry Weatherall David Baker Ibrar Hussain Terry Fox Vickie Priestley Rosemary Telfer 7 Central Ward 16 Graves Park Ward 25 Stocksbridge & Upper Don Ward Bernard Little Bob McCann Martin Davis Jean Cromar Peter Moore Martin Brelsford Jillian Creasy Ian Auckland 8 Crookes Ward 17 Hillsborough Ward 26 Walkley Ward Sylvia Anginotti Janet Bragg Diane Leek Brian Holmes Robert MacDonald Veronica Hardstaff John Hesketh Alf Meade 9 Darnall Ward 18 Manor Castle Ward 27 West Ecclesfield Ward Mazher Iqbal Jan Wilson Trevor Bagshaw Mary Lea Pat Midgley Kathleen Chadwick Harry Harpham Jan Fiore Alan Hooper 28 Woodhouse Ward Ray Satur Marjorie Barker Mick Rooney COUNCIL 1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Tony Damms and Alan Whitehouse. 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 4th April, 2007, be approved as a correct record. 3. PUBLIC QUESTIONS AND PETITIONS 3.1 Petitions (a) Petition concerning Speed Restrictions on Churchdale Road The Council received a petition containing 54 signatures drawing attention to the number of children who played in Churchdale Road and the possibility of an accident occurring due to speeding traffic and requesting the implementation of a slow speed limit. The Council referred the petition to the City Centre, South and East Planning and Highways Area Board. (b) Petition concerning Proposed Catchment Area Changes to Bradfield Secondary School The Council received a petition containing 687 signatures from parents and residents of Wharncliffe Side, supporting Option 1 of the consultation document on the proposed catchment area changes relating to Bradfield Secondary School. Representations were made by Christine Crothers, outlining the strength of feeling amongst parents in Wharncliffe Side in opposition to Options 2 and 3 of the consultation in relation to catchment area changes which might serve to threaten the education of children in Wharncliffe Side, particularly if school places were not available to local children. Wharncliffe Side School was considered to have a good reputation and had been praised in relation to its management of the transition of pupils from primary to secondary education and concern was also expressed that numbers attending Wharncliffe Side School would also fall if options to alter the catchment area were followed. It was felt that the consultation had been driven by a small number of people dissatisfied with existing school catchment areas and was raised at consultation meetings in relation to the proposal to replace Myers Grove and Wisewood Secondary Schools with a new school from September, 2011, on the Myers Grove School site. In response, the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services (Councillor Harry Harpham) stated that there was a clear strength of feeling in relation to proposed changes to catchment areas. He clarified that the expected take-up of places from within the catchment area of Bradfield Secondary School was 87%, which represented an average over three years. The 91% figure referred to by the petitioners was a snapshot, one year figure. Councillor Harpham confirmed that the consultation was driven by concerns expressed during the consultation upon the Wisewood and Myers Grove Schools and stated that a special meeting of the Council's Cabinet would be held to COUNCIL consider responses to consultation relating to catchment areas. The Council referred the petition for consideration by the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services (Councillor Harry Harpham). (c) Petition concerning Catchment Area Consultation relating to Bradfield School The Council received a petition, containing 204 signatures, from parents of children at Bradfield Dungworth Infant and Junior School supporting Option 1 within consultation relating to catchment area arrangements. The Council referred the petition to the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services (Councillor Harry Harpham). (d) Petition relating to Catchment Area Arrangements The Council received a petition, containing 175 signatures, from residents of Wadsley Park Village, relating to catchment area consultation and supporting Option 2 as set out in the Public Consultation Document relating to proposed amendments to school catchment area arrangements in the North West of the City. The Council referred the petition for consideration by the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services (Councillor Harry Harpham). (e) Petition relating to a Planning Application to Close Copley’s Café The Council received a petition containing 1,252 signatures in relation to a planning application to close Copleys Café and replace it with an enlargement of the Arundel Gate multi-storey car park. The Council referred the petition for consideration by the City Centre South and East Planning and Highways Area Board. Public Questions (a) Public Question relating to Graves Park Dianna Stimely asked a question in relation to correspondence concerning Graves Park and whether it could be circulated to each Councillor individually. In response, the Cabinet Member for Streetscene and Greenspaces (Councillor Bryan Lodge) stated that correspondence addressed to all Members of the Council was put on file in the Members’ Library and Members were urged to read correspondence, which could also be addressed to individual Councillors. The letters relating to proposals from St. Luke’s concerning Graves Park and letters relating to the proposal were welcomed. (b) Public Question relating to Middlewood Hospital Site Shaz Thompson asked why, in relation to the Middlewood Hospital site, the quantity of homes for which planning permission had been granted had been increased from 500 to in excess of 750 homes and whether a proportionate increase would be made in the level of Section 106 funding received from the developer. In response, the Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration, Culture and Planning (Councillor Robert MacDonald) stated that this was a matter for the relevant Planning and Highways Area Board and, in relation to Section 106 planning gain, it would need to be clarified whether the City Council could legally request additional contribution from any developer. He stated that he COUNCIL respond to the questioner regarding the matters raised. (c) Public Question relating to School Catchment Areas Johanna Knight, Mark Lenton, Robert Couldwell, Kathryn Smyth, Gail Boot and Helen Knight asked a number of questions relating to the Council's consultation on the catchment area for Bradfield School, including whether parents from one area of the City should have been able to influence the decision to undertake consultation to the detriment of those in rural areas, the timing of consultation, that the overwhelming public support was for Option 1 as outlined in the consultation and that there be no change to the catchment areas; and transport. In response, the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services (Councillor Harry Harpham) stated that the traffic and travel implications of the proposals relating to Wisewood/Myers Grove would need to be further considered in the light of a traffic impact assessment and he referred to the response from members of the public in relation to transport and road safety and congestion at Malin Bridge. Although reference had been made to a letter from Angela Smith, M.P., Councillor Harpham stated that he had not had sight of the letter and therefore would not wish to comment further but he assured the questioners that the proposals would not lead to the closure of Wharncliffe Side School. He also stated that all parents had a right to contribute to the consultation and make views known on the options set out within the consultation document. There had been a 40 day consultation period and meetings had been held at feeder schools and the issues had also been raised at meetings of the City Council. The process was prior to any decision of the Council's Cabinet. 4. INFLUENZA PANDEMIC - LIKELY EFFECTS AND IMPLICATIONS A presentation was made to Members of the Council by Dr. Rosy McNaught, Consultant in Communicable Disease Control, on the likely effects of an influenza pandemic and by the Assistant Chief Executive, Legal and Governance, in relation to the implications for Sheffield.