Agenda and draft minutes

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

The Mayor invited members to give a round of applause to the following Rotherham residents who had been honoured in the King’s New Years Honours list:

-       Paul Elliott (Chuckle Brother) had been awarded the MBE for charitable services as an ambassador for Marie Curie.

-       Liz Ballard had been awarded the OBE for services to the environment as former Chief Executive of Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust.

-       Councillor Adam Tinsley had been awarded the BEM for services to the community in Maltby.

-       Jane Elizabeth Shore had been awarded the BEM for services to the community in Wickersley.

-       Dominic Hurley had been awarded the BEM for services to charity.

The Mayor also invited members to congratulate Councillor Williams and his wife Rachel on the birth of their baby girl.

A full list of mayoral engagements was set out in Appendix A to the Mayor’s Letter.

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

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Bacon, Ball, Ryalls, Sutton and Williams.

To receive the record of proceedings of the ordinary meeting of the Council held on 5^th November, 2025, and to approve the accuracy thereof.

Consideration was given to the minutes of the previous Council meeting held on 5 November 2025.

Resolved: That the Minutes of the meeting of Council held on 5 November

2025, be approved for signature by the Mayor.

Mover: Councillor Read                          Seconder: Councillor Cusworth

To report on any petitions 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 set out the petition that had been received since the last meeting. The petition asked the Council to install a point of safe crossing, such as a pelican crossing on the A6089 in Brampton Bierlow as a matter of urgency. It had 100 valid signatures. Mr. Hickman, the Lead Petitioner, attended the meeting and spoke to his petition. The petition would be responded to by the Executive Director of Regeneration and Environment within 10 working days of the meeting.

Resolved:

1.    That the report be received.

2.    That the relevant Executive Director be required to respond to the lead petitioners, as set out in the Petition Scheme, by Wednesday, 28 January 2026.

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.

Councillor Bennett-Sylvester and Councillor Harper declared a disclosable pecuniary interest in Minute No. 109 (HRA Business Plan, Rent Setting and Service Charges 2026-27) on the grounds of being a Council tenant and having a partner who was a Council tenant respectively and were granted a dispensation to vote.

Councillor Cusworth declared a non-pecuniary interest in Minute No. 109 (HRA Business Plan, Rent Setting and Service Charges 2026-27) on the grounds that a family member was a Council tenant. She remained in the chamber and voted on the matter.

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

There was one question from T:

Do you accept that the one totally consistent aspect of RMBC's culture since 2015 has been extensive efforts to silence victims, survivors and those who stand up for victims and survivors?

As T did not attend the meeting, a written response would be provided.

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 items that required the exclusion of the press and public.

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

The Leader also wished to pass on his congratulations to Councillor Tinsley on receiving the British Empire Medal. He noted how diligent and dedicated he worked across the community. The Leader also offered his congratulation to the other Rotherham people in the honours list.

The Leader acknowledged the incredible hard work and dedication of so many people in achieving the Ofsted Outstanding rating for Rotherham’s Children’s Services. He stated that it had been a long journey but the hard work and commitment from social workers, practitioners, leaders and partners had been reflected in the Outstanding rating. The Leader particularly thanked Councillor Cusworth and her predecessor former Councillor Gordon Watson, noting that being Cabinet Member for Children’s Services was an incredibly difficult job with a special burden. There was always more work to do, and the Council would never be complacent.

In the week prior to the meeting, the Department for Transport awarded Rotherham green light status in relation to potholes. This was in part due to the £50million of additional capital investment that had been made by the Council and also due to the progressive approach that Richard Jackson and his team had taken.

Finally, the Leader referenced the announcement by Government which confirmed the release of funding for the development of the Council’s Rotherham Gateway Station proposal. The announcement also positioned Rotherham at the heart of the Northern Powerhouse Rail plans. The Leader stressed the importance of having mainline train services back in Rotherham as it brought with it new opportunities. It also meant that as the new business space and investment opportunities along the Don Valley Corridor were developed, it would show that Rotherham was open for inward investment from across the country and beyond.

The Leader of the Majority Opposition Group, Councillor Z. Collingham, was invited to respond. He placed on record his congratulations to all involved in gaining the Outstanding rating for Children’s Services in Rotherham. He noted that transformation of the service had clearly been needed following the intervention by Government Commissioners in 2015. The result of that transformation was excellent news for Rotherham children and families. He paid tribute to partners, officers and leaders who had worked hard to achieve this. 

Councillor Collingham asked the Leader about the ever increasing costs of children’s residential care and home to school transport. He asked what plans were in place to make sure the financial demands on those services did not impact on the demands of other services. He also sought reassurances that all planned works due to start in 2026 in Maltby, Dinnington and Wath would start this year.

Councillor Collingham raised concerns regarding how the performance of the Street Safe team would be monitored but was happy for the Leader to respond to the question submitted by Councillor Bower on this subject under Item 21.

Finally, the Leader of the Majority Opposition group referenced the U-turns made by the Labour Government and asked if the Leader was willing to U-turn when things, particularly in relation  ...  view the full minutes text for item 108.

To consider and approve the Housing Revenue Account Rents and Service Charges 2026-27.

Further to Minute No. 90 of the meeting of Cabinet held on 15 December 2025, consideration was given to the report which sought approval for the Housing Revenue Account Budget for 2026/27 and proposed increases in housing rents, non-dwelling rents and other service charges. It was proposed that Council dwelling rents be increased by 4.8%.

The Housing Revenue Account (HRA) recorded all expenditure and income relating to the provision of Council housing and related services, and the Council was required to produce an HRA Business Plan setting out its investment priorities over a 30-year period.

From the 1 April 2026, the Government would implement a 10-year social rent settlement. This was the Government's Policy on the annual increase for social housing rents. The 10-year settlement set the maximum rent increase at the Consumer Price Index (CPI) as of September the year prior plus 1%. The 10-year rent settlement had given greater certainty on the level of forecast income to fund the HRA Business Plan, going forward. It would enable longer term planning for investment, delivery of services and growth. The rent settlement was part of the Government’s plan for the future of social housing which promised to enable local authorities and housing associations to deliver thousands of new affordable homes to meet need and drive up the safety and quality of existing homes.

The proposed 2026/27 HRA Business Plan incorporated the Council’s commitments to continue and extend the Council’s Housing Delivery Programme, alongside significant additional investment to support decency and thermal efficiency in existing council homes. The Plan included provision for £1.329bn investment in the housing stock over 30 years, an increase of £350m compared to the 2025/26 plan. This was alongside continuing to fund day-to-day housing management, repairs and maintenance costs. £122.9m would be invested to deliver an estimated 500 further Council homes by 2037/38, in addition to the £90.9m that was earmarked to support the current Housing Delivery Programme which is on track to deliver 1,000 homes by summer 2027.

Alongside providing the draft HRA budget for 2026/27, the report recommended proposed levels for housing rents, non-dwelling rents, District Heating charges and other service charges for 2026/27. It was recommended to Council that dwelling rents be increased by 4.8% and up to £2 per week (equivalent to CPI+1% and up to £2 per week rent convergence). This was dependent upon a Government decision expected in January 2026, which would clarify the approach to social rent convergence.

During the meeting, the Cabinet Member explained that a correction to Appendix 4 was required. It stated that Garage rents would be increased from £6.56 per week to £6.76 per week for Council Tenants. It should have stated that the rent would increase to £7.21 (10%) as correctly stated in paragraph 2.7.23 of the main report. Similarly, the Garage rents for non-Council Tenants line in Appendix 4 should have stated that rents had been increased by 10%, from £7.88 to £8.67, as correctly stated in the report.

Some members expressed concerns regarding  ...  view the full minutes text for item 109.

To receive an update on the activities of the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny bodies in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 14.

In accordance with the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules, this report provided an update to Council on the activities and outcomes of Overview and Scrutiny activity at the Council. It summarised the work carried out by the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board (OSMB) and the Select Commissions - Health (HSC), Improving Lives (ILSC) and Improving Places (IPSC). The updated work programmes for each were attached as appendices.

Councillor Steele, in moving the report, highlighted that 40 substantive items had been considered across all commissions since the last update in July 2025. There had been 16 opportunities for pre-decision scrutiny and three workshops. One reviewed had been completed in relation to Access to Contraception. Two reviews were ongoing, and Councillor Steele was going to look into the By-Laws review as he was unhappy with the length of time it was taking to conclude. One item had been called-in, and three site visits were planned for early 2026. There continued to be strong engagement with partners, officers and the public along with good attendance and engagement from Members. Planning was underway for the Scrutiny Work Programme for the 26/27 municipal year.

Councillor Blackham in seconding the report thanked all members and officers involved in the scrutiny process. He also thanked Councillor Steele for his leadership.

Resolved:

That Council receive the report and note the updates.

Mover: Councillor Steele                        Seconder: Councillor Blackham

To receive updates from ward councillors from Dalton and Thrybergh on the activities supporting Thriving Neighbourhoods across the Borough.

Further to Minute No. 55 of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 19th November 2018, consideration was given to the Ward update for Dalton and Thrybergh as part of the Thriving Neighbourhood Strategy. An update report had been provided as part of the agenda and each Ward Member was invited to speak.

Councillor Bennett-Sylvester moved the report. He informed Members that Councillor Ryalls was unable to attend the meeting due to a serious family emergency. He placed on record his thanks to Councillor Ryalls who he credited with restoring the trust of residents in reporting issues in the ward to the Council. Councillor Bennett-Sylvester also wished to record his thanks to the officers who worked in the Dalton and Thrybergh ward, particularly Jo Talbot and Nicola Hacking and the Area Housing Officers.

Councillor Bennett-Sylvester expressed his support for neighbourhood working and the Thriving Neighbourhoods Strategy. Councillor Ryalls had planned to speak about Strengths Based Working, but this would instead be distributed by a memo. Members for Dalton and Thrybergh were very excited by the prospect of Strength Based Working and working with residents to achieve more than before. Councillor Bennett-Sylvester referenced the Love Where You Live Scheme and the work done by Wayne Munro-Smith. He applauded the work done in Dalton and Thrybergh on litter picking but for going further and getting more litter bins. There were also more snow wardens now.

Councillor Elliott seconded the report.

In response to a question, Councillor Bennett-Sylvester stated that walkabouts with the Chief Executive had been useful, and he reiterated that the information regarding Strength Based Working, due to be presented by Councillor Ryalls, would be provided in a memo.

Resolved:

That the update report be noted.

To receive updates from ward councillors from Dinnington on the activities supporting Thriving Neighbourhoods across the Borough.

Further to Minute No. 55 of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 19th November 2018, consideration was given to the Ward update for Dinnington as part of the Thriving Neighbourhood Strategy. An update report had been provided as part of the agenda and each Ward Member was invited to speak. Due to recovering from illness, Councillor Hall declined the invitation and was happy for her ward colleagues to give the presentation.

Councillor Castledine-Dack moved the report and stated that regeneration of Dinnington High Street had been the main focus. The project was aimed at making the town centre and markets a more vibrant and attractive place for residents. Construction was set to begin in 2026 with the burned out building to be demolished in the coming weeks. Work was also underway to support other areas within the Dinnington ward. Councillor Castledine-Dack stated that Neighbourhood Officers had supported quarterly meetings for local businesses which had improved communication and collaboration to drive economic growth. Social media training sessions for businesses had been funded and delivered. Town Centre Anti-Social Behaviour and Flytipping had been an issue, but Councillors were working with the Police to tackle this. Fixing the roads had been a major priority. A footpath project was underway in Laughton Common.

Councillor Clarke seconded the report and announced the Councillors had been pleased to support Dinnington Rugby Club with new kit and equipment to support young players. Due to concerns raised regarding Nitrous Oxide canisters in the Health Select Commission, this was now an agenda item for the Safer Neighbourhoods Priority Group. Councillors continued to work closely with litter picking groups and the Parish Council. The Citizens Advice Bureau was now running weekly session in Dinnington Library, and this was very welcome. Councillor Clarke reported that young people in Dinnington were very happy and proud of the improvements made to Chestnut Grove Park. Prior to Christmas, three separate power outages had been experienced in Dinnington alongside serious criminal activity. This had been extremely challenging for local businesses. Councillor Clarke welcomed the positive impact the Street Safe Team would bring and thanked ward colleagues, officers and partners for their work on these issues.

The Community Leadership Fund had been used to fund a workshop for traders and business owners in Dinnington. The Air Cadet building had reopened in time for their 40^th anniversary. A new Standard and celebration event was supported by CLF funding. The Festival of Remembrance was a particular highlight for Councillor Clarke.

The Ward Members thanked Andrea Peers and Sam Kendal for their hard work in the Dinnington Ward.

In response to a question it was confirmed that the ward Members worked well with the Parish Council.

Resolved:

That the update report be noted.

To be moved by Councillor Cusworth and seconded by Councillor Monk.

It was moved by Councillor Cusworth and seconded by Councillor Monk that:

Summary/Background:

This Council notes:
 

·       That train timetables serving Swinton Interchange and Rotherham Central to Doncaster and return were halved during the COVID-19 pandemic.

·       That despite the lifting of restrictions, these timetables have not been fully restored, leaving communities with fewer, less reliable services.

·       That this reduction disproportionately impacts residents who rely on rail for work, education, and leisure, undermining efforts to promote sustainable travel and economic growth.

Impact on Tram Train Services - Prior to the pandemic, Swinton enjoyed three trains per hour, complemented by three tram trains at Rotherham Central, providing a service approximately every ten minutes into Sheffield. Currently, the timetable has been significantly reduced, with just one train from Leeds, one from Doncaster, and two tram trains. This results in a fragmented and inconvenient timetable, making public transport less attractive and reliable for residents.

That this Council believes:

·       That Rotherham should not be facing reductions in its public transport provision, and that reliable heavy and light rail services are the minimum that our residents deserve.

·       That accessible, dependable public transport is a cornerstone of social and economic inclusion.

·       That restoring full services is essential to support local communities, reduce car dependency, and meet climate commitments.

Therefore, this Council resolves to:

1.    Call on train operating companies and the Department for Transport to urgently reinstate pre-pandemic service levels between Swinton Interchange, Rotherham Central, and Doncaster, including both heavy rail and tram train services.

2.    Work with regional partners, including the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, to press for investment in rail and tram train services that meet the needs of residents and reflect the importance of frequent, reliable public transport.

On being put to the vote, the motion was carried.

To note the minutes of the Cabinet Meeting held on 17^th November and 15^th December, 2025.

Consideration was given to the reports, recommendations and minutes of the meetings of Cabinet held on 15th September 2025 and 20th October 2025.

Resolved:

That the reports, recommendations and minutes of the meetings of Cabinet held on 17 November 2025 and 15 December 2025, be received.

 Mover: Councillor Read                          Seconder: Councillor Cusworth

To note receipt of the Audit Committee minutes.

Resolved:

That the reports, recommendations and minutes of the meeting of the Audit Committee be noted.

Mover: Councillor Baggaley                    Seconder: Councillor Allen

To note receipt of the Health and Wellbeing Board minutes.

Resolved:

That the reports, recommendations and minutes of the meeting of the Health and Wellbeing Board be noted.

Mover: Councillor Baker-Rogers             Seconder: Councillor Cusworth

To note receipt of the Licensing Board Sub-Committee and Licensing Sub-Committee minutes.

Resolved:

That the reports, recommendations and minutes of the meetings of the Licensing Board and the Licensing Committee be noted.

Mover: Councillor Hughes                      Seconder: Councillor Garnett

To note receipt of the Planning Board minutes.

Resolved:

That the reports, recommendations and minutes of the meetings of the Planning Board be noted.

Mover: Councillor Mault                          Seconder: Councillor Jackson

To note receipt of the Staffing Committee minutes.

Resolved:

That the reports, recommendations and minutes of the meetings of the Staffing Committee be noted.

Mover: Councillor Alam                          Seconder: Councillor Read

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, South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority and South Yorkshire Pensions Authority, in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11(5).

There were two questions:

1.    Councillor Yasseen: How SYPA reconciles any claim of “responsible investment” with the absence of publicly available reporting that shows:

• how stewardship decisions are made,

• when escalation is used or rejected, and

• how SYPA holds asset managers to account when they vote against Local Authority Pension Fund Forum (LAPFF) backed resolutions?
  
  

Councillor Beresford, one of Rotherham’s representatives on South Yorkshire Pensions Authority, explained that:

• Both SYPA and Border to Coast published Responsible Investment (RI) policies, including corporate governance and voting guidelines, on their websites.

• Quarterly Responsible Investment update reports were presented at full Authority meetings (which were both webcast and published online).

• Voting reports for Border to Coast equity funds and stewardship-related reports were available on Border to Coast’s website.

• SYPA reported against the 12 Principles of the UK Stewardship Code and became a signatory in 2025. The Code was voluntary and being a signatory to the Code demonstrated an investor’s commitment to stewardship and providing transparent reporting on the stewardship they undertook on behalf of their clients and beneficiaries. Border to Coast was also a signatory to the Stewardship Code.

Councillor Beresford understood that Border to Coast’s voting records generally aligned with LAPFF recommendations; any deviations were reported with rationale to SYPA and partner funds. If there were specific issues Councillor Yasseen wished to raise, Councillor Beresford was happy to do this on her behalf.

In her supplementary, Councillor Yasseen stated that the documents referenced were very technical and vaguer than presented. She asked if SYPA could commit to publishing, on an annual basis, a summary of its engagement with LAPFF, a breakdown of how SYPA voted on the forums alerts, and explicit information on whether the pensions fund has diverged its decision making from the forum in terms of escalation of recommendations.

Councillor Beresford confirmed that a written response would be provided.

2.    Councillor Yasseen: Following major incidents such as the Kiveton Industrial Estate fire and the Merseyside BESS fire, has South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority been consulted on emergency access, water supply and containment of contaminated run-off for the proposed Rotherham solar farm?

Councillor Taylor, designated spokesperson for Rotherham on South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority explained that the Authority were not consulted on this as they were not a statutory consultee and the developer was under no obligation to seek their views. However, Councillor Taylor confirmed that the services was aware of the Whitestone proposals and it would remain active in accessing the relevant risks. It would also make any necessary representations.

In her supplementary, Councillor Yaseen stated that she appreciated that it was not a statutory consultee but asked if the fire authority could reassure residents that the risks to public health, air quality and local water courses would be monitored.

Councillor Taylor stated that it was common practice for developers to contact the fire safety officers for advice but this advice was not required to be recorded. In light of the number of queries received in relation to solar panels  ...  view the full minutes text for item 120.

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

There were 21 questions:

1.    Councillor C Carter: From reviewing the letter sent to parents and guardians regarding school admissions it does not make clear the schools which are in catchment and the map on the council website to find this information is very clunky. Why is this?

The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children and Young People explained that, while the mapping tool was widely used, recent feedback suggested that it could feel clunky for the end user, and so officers would review the tool and consider how to add clearer guidance to improve the user experience.

In her supplementary, Councillor C Carter stated that some other local authorities included the catchment schools on the letter sent to parents. She asked if this could be done in Rotherham.

The Cabinet Member agreed to hold a meeting with Councillor C Carter and officers to look into this proposal. She also encouraged all members to contact her if they came across any similar issues.

2.    Councillor Bower: Which performance indicators will be used to measure the effectiveness of the new Street Safe team?

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Community Safety explained that the team was now deployed across the Town centre and Principal towns and would be operating between 8am and 8pm from the beginning of February now that recruitment and onboarding was almost complete, with just one post remaining vacant.

The team's most valuable work could not be captured by numbers alone: already in the short time they had been deployed, the teams had supported victims of domestic abuse, responded to individuals in mental health crisis, and provided early intervention and signposting for many, to prevent harm. These actions built trust, improved wellbeing, and strengthened community resilience. The Council would capture these impacts through case studies and feedback from residents and partners, ensuring the full picture of the team’s contribution was understood.

The effectiveness of the new Street Safe team would be measured through a mix of related performance indicators and wider impacts.  Specific indicators of relevance were the levels of:

·       anti-social behaviour

·       enforcement outcomes such as fixed penalties, legal notices and legal action,

·       footfall, and levels of community engagement.

The Council would continue to monitor public confidence through surveys and feedback, and review partnership outcomes with agencies like the police and housing services.

In his supplementary question, Councillor Bower stated that some of the impacts referenced could not be related directly back to the Street Safe Team. He was concerned that scrutiny was being conducted on a “vibes” basis and not on hard data. He asked what hard data could be used. 

The Cabinet Member explained that feedback from residents, local business and the service was vital to assessing the impact of the team. A range of data would be used to do that.

3.    Councillor Reynolds: How many brownfield sites were actually considered by the Whitestone solar project?

The Cabinet Member for Transport, Jobs and the Local Economy was not present at the meeting to answer  ...  view the full minutes text for item 121.

Any other public items which the Mayor determines are urgent.

There were no urgent items to consider.