Agenda and draft minutes

To consider any announcements by the Mayor in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 3(2)(ii).

The Mayor had been proud to host the annual Mayor’s Parade and Civic Service on 18 May as the newly elected Mayor of Rotherham. She had also attended the Royal Garden Party on 21 May. The Mayor was looking forward to her term of office and would provide a fuller engagement overview at the next meeting.

To receive the apologies of any Member who is unable to attend the meeting.

Apologies were received from Councillors Baggaley, Ball, Pitchley and Tarmey.

To receive the record of proceedings of the ordinary meeting of the Council held on 28 February 2024 and to approve the accuracy thereof.

That the minutes of the meeting of Council held on 28 February 2024 be approved for signature by the Mayor.

 

Mover: Councillor Read                          Seconder: Councillor Allen

To report on any petitions received by the Council received by the Council and receive statements in support of petitions in accordance with Petitions Scheme and Council Procedure Rule 13.

Consideration was given to the report which confirmed the receipt of two petitions that had been received since the last Council meeting. The first was in opposition to the proposed Racecourse Road Speed Humps in Swinton, submitted by Mr Lewis Mills. This had received 101 valid signatures. The second was in support of the proposed Racecourse Road Speed Humps in Swinton, submitted by Mr Anthony Johnson. This had received 140 valid signatures.

 

In accordance with the Council’s Petition Scheme, the lead petitioner, or a representative on behalf of the lead petitioner, could speak at the Council meeting for up to five minutes. Mr Mills was unable to attend and had not appointed a representative. As such, his petition was referred directly to the Interim Strategic Director for Regeneration and Environment for a response.

 

Mr Johnson was also unable to attend but Mr Fowler attended and read a speech on behalf of Mr Johnson. Following the speech the petition was referred to the Interim Strategic Director for Regeneration and Environment for a response.

 

Resolved:

 

1.    That the petitions be received, and the contents noted.

 

2.    That each lead petitioner receive a written response from the Interim Strategic Director for Regeneration and Environment, in accordance with the Council’s Petition Scheme, by 6 June 2024.

To invite Councillors to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests or personal interests they may have in any matter which is to be considered at this meeting, to confirm the nature of those interests and whether they intend to leave the meeting for the consideration of the item.

There were no declarations of interest to report.

To receive questions from members of the public who may wish to ask a general question of the Mayor, Cabinet Member or the Chair of a Committee in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 12.

The following public questions had been received:

 

1.    From Mr Richard Green:

 

How many contracts does RMBC have with YPO for the purchase of gas supplies and if it is only a single contract, how is the supply split between business and domestic usage in terms of cost?

 

Mr Green was unable to attend the meeting and a written response would be provided.

 

2.    From Ms Nida Khan:

 

As we are all aware time is running out we have no clarity on what is happening with the planning Permission.

 

What does RMBC started putting in place if the planning application is not successful? Where will be the new site for the burials for the Muslim community?

 

Ms Khan was unable to attend the meeting and a written response would be provided.

 

3.    From Ms Shazia Yousaf:

 

What is the Council doing about the issues raised by Dignity recently that the extension at Herringthorpe Cemetery cannot go through due to being unable to satisfy the EA following borehole testing?

 

Ms Yousaf was unable to attend the meeting and a written response would be provided.

 

4.    From Mr Adeel Hussain:

 

Why is the Council intentionally causing the closure of thriving local businesses on Westgate by unnecessarily extending disruptive cycling and hazardous roadworks that received no support from businesses or residents and will impact business detrimentally?

 

Councillor Taylor thanked Mr Hussain for his question and for sharing his concern about the new cycle route on Westgate and Sheffield Road. Councillor Taylor stated that he understood that changes to local infrastructure could be challenging, and that feedback was appreciated. It was explained that similar schemes were causing the same sort of disruption across the country because of the built up environment.

 

It was worth starting with why infrastructure schemes like this were built. First and foremost, it was not simply about the cycle lanes. The scheme had introduced safer places to cross the road, wider pavements and traffic calming to slow down vehicles which were increasingly required as Sheffield Road became a more residential area, and ahead of potentially hundreds more new homes along the route in the coming years.  The scheme also included a significant amount of road resurfacing and filling potholes, from the Town Centre, all the way to Magna. Cycling of course promoted healthier lifestyles and was more environmentally friendly. But more broadly, it was about providing people with choices about how to travel into the town centre – both for current users and future generations.

 

In his supplementary question, Mr Hussain stated that on Westgate, most evening trade businesses were owned by members of the BAME community. He asked how the Council expected restaurants and food businesses who had been majorly disrupted for three weeks in the peak business hours to survive? He also asked why the businesses were not consulted? Mr Hussain stated that it was clear that Royal Mail had been accommodated throughout the roadworks and their staff operate between the hours of 5am and 6pm. The intended  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.

Should it be necessary, in the opinion of the Mayor, to consider excluding the press and public from the meeting in relation to any items of urgent business on the grounds that private information is likely to be divulged.

There were no matters requiring the exclusion of the press or public.

To elect a Leader of the Council, in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.

Resolved: That in accordance with the requirements detailed in the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, Councillor Read be appointed as Executive Leader of the Council for the period 2024-2028.

 

Mover: Councillor Sheppard                              Seconder: Councillor Monk

To receive a statement from the Leader of the Council in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 9.

The Leader started his statement by thanking his colleagues for their support as the new four year term of office started. He stated that the Council was a team with the Opposition being part of that team, providing the challenge that was needed. The Leader believed the Council was on the right track.

 

The Leader congratulated the Mayor and Deputy Mayor on their recent appointments. He also offered his congratulations to all new Members of the Council, from all parties and all parts of the borough. There were 21 new Councillors and a further 3 who were returning after a period away. The Leader stated that anyone who stood for election, whatever their views or party, had put their head above the parapet and that should be respected. In an age where politicians of all stripes were reviled and open to abuse, their commitment to public service should be respected along with the personal sacrifices that everyone in the room had made. The Leader stated that this was more important than ever because some candidates had accepted, if not actively encouraged, campaigns and personal slurs against their opponents and those had gone well beyond the usual boundaries of robust democratic debate, factual claims and political differences. The Leader stated that must stop now, before the well of democratic engagement was poisoned irreconcilably and before someone was hurt in Rotherham in the way they were in Sheffield and other parts of the country during the campaign.

 

The Leader said that competitive elections were a good thing. All Members were only there because the public chose to send them, and Members had to continue to earn their trust. The Leader welcomed the fact that the Labour Group was elected on a clear mandate based on the detailed plans set out.

 

The Leader explained that these were increasingly difficult and dark times for Councils everywhere. More and more teetered on the brink of financial disaster, a risk that the Council had been desperate to avoid. The number of children in poverty continued to rise, homelessness was higher in the UK than in any comparable western country. Waits in the health service were longer than they had been for a long time. The Leader also reported that in the news on the day of the meeting, the Police were being advised to make fewer arrests due to prisons overflowing. The consequence of those things landed more heavily on the Council Member’s shoulders than they did for any official in Whitehall or Minister in Parliament because this was the Council Member’s community. The role of Members had to be to continue to secure a home that residents could be proud of and a platform on which they could stand and fulfil their ambitions.

 

The Leader then confirmed his Cabinet as follows:

 

·                Leader – Councillor Read

·                Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Social Inclusion and Neighbourhood Working – Councillor Sheppard

·                Cabinet Member for Adult Care and Health – Councillor Baker-Rogers

·                Cabinet Member for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.

To note the minutes of the Cabinet Meeting held on 18 March 2024.

Resolved: That the reports, recommendations and minutes of the meetings of Cabinet held on 18 March 2024 be received.

 

Mover: Councillor Read                          Seconder: Councillor Sheppard

To consider the results of the persons elected as Members of the Council at the election held on 2 May 2024.

Consideration was given to the report submitted by the Returning Officer which detailed the results of the Borough Council Elections that took place on Thursday 2 May 2024.

 

In moving the report Councillor Alam noted his thanks to the Returning Officer, the Elections Team and all of the staff who had ensured the smooth running of the election process. In seconding the report, Councillor Sheppard echoed Councillor Alam’s comments and noted the incredible logistical achievement that had been undertaken by the electoral services team.

 

 Resolved:  - That the report be noted.

 

Mover:- Councillor Alam                         Seconder:- Councillor Sheppard

To report on the establishment of political groups, the political balance of the Council and the entitlement of each group to seats on the authority’s committees.

Consideration was given to the report which detailed the membership of Political Groups on the Council, the political balance and the entitlement to seats on, and the proposed appointments to Committees, Boards and Panels.

 

It was noted that Section 15 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 placed a duty on local authorities to set out the principles to be followed when allocating seats to political groups and for these principles to be followed when determining such allocation following formal notification of the establishment of political groups in operation on the Council. It was noted further that there was a requirement on local authorities to annually review the entitlement of the political groups to seats on the committees of the council.

 

The report stated that the allocation of seats must follow 2 principles:

 

a)    Balance must be achieved across the total number of available seats on Committees; and

 

b)    Balance must be achieved on each individual Committee or body where seats are available.

 

The report stated that there were three political groups in operation on the Council:

 

Labour

Leader – Councillor Read

Deputy Leader – Councillor Sheppard

(33 Members)

 

Conservative

Leader – Councillor Z Collingham

Deputy Leader – Councillor Bacon

(13 Members)

 

Liberal Democrat

Leader – Councillor Adam Carter

(3 Members)

 

It was noted that there were 144 seats available on Committees, Boards and Panels, and under the calculations, the following were entitled to:

 

Political Group	Seat Entitlement
Labour	81
Conservative	32
Liberal Democrat	7
Non-Aligned	24
Total	144

 

 

Resolved:

 

1.    That the entitlement of the membership of Council be agreed and such entitlements be reflected in Council’s appointments of members to committees (as per the table at 3.2 and 4.2).

 

2.    That approval be given to the appointment of Members to committees, boards and panels, and the appointment of Chairs and Vice-Chairs, as detailed in the Mayor’s Letter:

 

Cabinet – 7L

Leader – Councillor Read

Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Social Inclusion and Neighbourhood Working – Councillor Sheppard

Cabinet Member for Adult Care and Health – Councillor Baker-Rogers

Cabinet Member for Children and Young People – Councillor Cusworth

Cabinet Member for Finance and Safe and Clean Communities  – Councillor Alam

Cabinet Member for Housing – Councillor Allen

Cabinet Member for Transport, Jobs and the Local Economy – Councillor Taylor

 

Audit Committee - 3L, 1C, 1N-A

Councillor Marshall (Chair)

Councillor Baggaley (Vice Chair)

Councillor McKiernan

 

Councillor Blackham

 

Councillor Elliott

 

Licensing Board – 12L, 5C, 1LD, 3N-A

Councillor Hughes (Chair)

Councillor Beresford (Vice Chair)

Councillor Adair

Councillor Brent

Councillor Foster

Councillor Garnett

Councillor Harper

Councillor Lelliott

Councillor Monk

Councillor Pitchley

Councillor Steele

Councillor Sutton

 

Councillor Bacon

Councillor Collingham. T

Councillor Collingham. Z

Councillor Reynolds

Councillor Stables

 

Liberal Democrat Group - Vacancy

 

Councillor Bennett-Sylvester

Councillor Bower

Councillor Jones

 

Licensing Committee – 8L, 3C, 1LD & 3N-A

Councillor Hughes (Chair)

Councillor Beresford (Vice Chair)

 

Councillor Garnett

Councillor Harper

Councillor Lelliott

Councillor Monk

Councillor Pitchley

Councillor Steele

 

Councillor Bacon

Councillor Collingham. T

Councillor Stables

 

Liberal Democrat Group - Vacancy

 

Councillor  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20.

To receive and consider reports, minutes and recommendations of the Audit Committee.

 

To confirm the minutes as a true record.

Resolved: That the reports, recommendations and minutes of the meetings of the Audit Committee be adopted.

 

Mover: Councillor Marshall                     Seconder: Councillor Baker-Rogers

To receive and consider reports, minutes and recommendations of the Health and Wellbeing Board.

 

To confirm the minutes as a true record.

Resolved: That the reports, recommendations and minutes of the meeting of the Health and Wellbeing Board be adopted.

 

Mover: Councillor Baker-Rogers             Seconder: Councillor Cusworth

To receive and consider reports, minutes and recommendations of the Licensing Board Sub-Committee and Licensing Sub-Committee.

 

To confirm the minutes as a true record.

Resolved: That the reports, recommendations and minutes of the meeting of the Licensing Board Sub-Committee and Licensing Sub-Committee be adopted.

 

Mover: Councillor Hughes                      Seconder: Councillor Beresford

To receive and consider reports, minutes and recommendations of the Planning Board.

 

To confirm the minutes as a true record.

Resolved: That the reports, recommendations and minutes of the meeting of the Planning Board be adopted.

 

Mover: Councillor Williams                     Seconder: Councillor Mault

To receive and consider reports, minutes and recommendations of the Standards and Ethics Committee.

 

To confirm the minutes as a true record.

Resolved: That the reports, recommendations and minutes of the meeting of the Standards and Ethics Committee be adopted.

 

Mover: Councillor Monk                          Seconder: Councillor Clarke

To put questions, if any, to the designated Members on the discharge of functions of the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority, Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield Combined Authority and South Yorkshire Pensions Authority, in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11(5).

There were no questions to consider.

To put questions, if any, to Cabinet Members and Committee Chairpersons (or their representatives) under Council Procedure Rules 11(1) and 11(3).

31 questions had been submitted:

 

1.    Councillor Bacon asked: Can the Leader of the Council confirm which council cabinet member had overall responsibility for the Towns and Villages fund, its timetable, and general oversight during the 2021/24 term?

Councillor Allen responded and explained that she was providing the response as she had been the Cabinet Member with overall responsibility for the Towns and Villages Fund. She explained that the question had been answered by officers a number of weeks ago and the answer had not changed since then. The answer had been that the Cabinet report of January 2022 identified responsibility for the programme as being with the Cabinet Member for Jobs and the Local Economy with input from the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Working. From 2023, the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Working took responsibility for the programme, once it was clear that the programme of work was focused on delivery schemes for neighbourhoods. Councillor Allen confirmed that the Towns and Villages Project for her and Councillor Bacon’s ward of Aston and Todwick had been included on the agenda for their first ward meeting. Appropriate officers had been invited.

 

In his supplementary question, Councillor Bacon explained that he had wanted his question to be answered by the Leader of the Council and, going forward, he believed that members of the leading group should be respectful of who members of the opposition want to answer their question. He did thank Councillor Allen for this response which he stated confirmed what was known to be true. In light of this, Councillor Bacon asked why the Labour Party Group had spread misinformation to the contrary, during the local elections in Aston and Todwick. He asked that, given that a current Labour Councillor who was in the Chamber had admitted to him that the Labour leaflets on this during the election were quote “distant from the truth,” would the Leader of the Council and Leader of the Labour Group now ensure that his group apologises to the people of Aston and Todwick for spreading this misinformation which eroded trust in democracy, was a disgrace and went back to what was said earlier in the meeting about truths in elections? Would the Leader apologies? 

Councillor Allen confirmed that she and Councillor Bacon had talked at the election count and had discussed the leaflets that had been distributed. What had not been discussed were the untruths that were in the documents distributed by the Conservative MP. Councillor Allen stated that she personally objected to being called bizarre but had not made an issue of it as, for her, that was part of the political campaign process.

 

2.    Councillor Ball: What would be the impact to local schools if Labour's proposals to remove VAT relief to independent schools was put in place?

As Councillor Ball was not present to ask his question, a written response would be provided.

3.    Councillor Yasseen: Does the Leader of the Council share my view that the proposed plans  ...  view the full minutes text for item 27.

Any other public items which the Mayor determines are urgent.

There were no urgent items to consider.