Agenda and draft minutes

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

The Mayor congratulated Rotherham’s The Reytons on securing their second number one album. It was an outstanding accomplishment, particularly for an independent band that had remained true to its vision and forged its own path to success. He thanked them for their commitment, determination and for continuing to showcase Rotherham on a national stage.

It was noted that the 46th Rotherham Show had recently taken place, and the Mayor had been delighted to attend.

Members joined the Mayor in remembering Dolly Parton following her recent passing and celebrated her 2007 visit to Rotherham. She brought with her the inspirational campaign to get children reading and into literature via the launch of her Imagination Library. The Mayor offered his condolences to her family and friends.

The Mayor also asked Members to join him in remembering Pauline Heaps who had sadly passed away recently. Pauline was a dedicated community figure in Maltby and a long-serving member of Maltby Town Council, serving her community for many years. The Mayor placed on record his thanks for Pauline’s years of public and community service, and sent his sincere condolences to her family, friends and everyone in Maltby who knew her.

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 Allen and Sutton.

To receive the record of proceedings of the ordinary meeting of the Council held on 15th July 2026 and to approve the accuracy thereof.

Consideration was given to the minutes of the previous Council meeting held on 15 July 2026.

In reference to Minute 40 – Notice of Motion – Stop Polluting Our Rivers and Hiking Out Bills – Councillor Steele confirmed that Yorkshire Water and Severn Trent had been invited to a special meeting of scrutiny. To date, Severn Trent had confirmed attendance. Yorkshire Water had not yet responded. All Members would be invited to the meeting with Overview and Scrutiny Management Board Members being invited to make recommendations.

Resolved:

That the minutes of the Council meeting held on 15 July 2026 be approved for signature by the Mayor.

Mover: Councillor Read                Seconder: Councillor Cusworth

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 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 public question from Mr Ashraf:

Council Leader Chris Read, further to my question on 17/11/2025 and the subsequent commitment's made by yourself I now ask for your public commitment to fully endorse the “Rotherham raising the Palestinian flag annually in Solidarity and Compassion” motion, and to extend the usual cordial invitations on mine and the communities of Rotherham’s behalf, for this and all subsequent years.

The Leader thanked Mr Ashraf for his question and his dedication to this cause. The Leader fully expected the Council to fly the Palestinian Flag on the day requested as it had done in the two previous years.

In his supplementary, Mr Ashraf invited Members of Parliament, Councillors, the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, local dignitaries and Council Officers to the flag raising event. He asked that support of the Palestinian campaign move forward in a much more cooperative way, with more compassion.

The Leader confirmed that he shared the sentiments of the question and confirmed that all wanted to do what could be done to challenge the unspeakable atrocities taking place in the Middle East on a regular basis.

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 requiring 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 started his statement by associating himself with the Mayor’s comments regarding the passing of Dolly Parton. Her visit to Rotherham in 2007 was fondly remembered along with her fierce advocacy for children’s education.

Since the last Council meeting:

-       Five of Rotherham’s Green Spaces had again been recognised with the prestigious Green Flag Status; Clifton Park, Greasbrough Park, Rother Valley Country Park, Ulley Country Park and Rotherham Crematorium and Cemetery in East Herringthorpe.

-       The Council had received an award for its tenant engagement activity receiving Exemplar Status from TPAS (the national tenant involvement experts). The Council was currently one of only five organisations to hold this award.

-       Thousands of children from across Rotherham had taken advantage of the free swimming places in the Council’s leisure centres – totalling just short of 28,000 visits altogether. There were a further 30,000 visits to the Clifton Park Watersplash in the hot weather. There had been 4,500 visits so far this year from people aged over 65 to leisure centres, taking advantage of the half price pilot.

-       Provisional data showed all Rotherham students achieved higher A Level grades this year, with 74.9% achieving A* to C grades in A Levels and equivalent qualifications, an increase of 1.8% compared with last year.

-       73.1% of students achieved a grade 4 or above in English, exceeding the national average of 71.4%, while 58.5% achieved grade 5 or above, compared with 55% nationally.

-       The Rotherham Show had taken place. The Leader stated that it was lovely to see so many families enjoying the event which remained the biggest free cultural festival in the north of England. He thanked all staff involved.

The Leader of the Majority Opposition Group, Councillor Zach Collingham,

was invited to respond to the statement. He agreed with the comments regarding the Rotherham Show which had been another success for the borough. It was also good to hear that the borough had some high standard parks and increasingly educated young people.

In relation to the 28,000 visits to the leisure centres, Councillor Collingham asked if there was any evidence as to whether those people would have gone anyway, without the discount.

He also questioned how the Council was already forecasting a £10.9 million overspend, just four months into the financial year. Councillor Collingham asked:

-       What assurances could be provided regarding the Council’s understanding of the drivers behind the overspend;

-       What was being done to address those drivers within the Council’s control;

-       What long-term plan was in place to reduce reliance on external providers.

In relation to Dinnington, Councillor Collingham asked the Leader if he was embarrassed that a flagship regeneration project was going to take the Council over four years to deliver, having encountered numerous delays.

Reference was made to Doncaster Sheffield Airport and reports that it was due to run out of money. He asked if the Leader was concerned that it was not listed as an agenda item at SYMCA’s next board meeting.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 59.

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 provided Members with details of all petitions received by the Council since the last Council meeting on 15 July 2026. One petition had been received, asking the Council to Review and Rebalance Rotherham’s CRSTS Active Travel Schemes - Prioritise

Pedestrian Safety Over Dedicated Cycle & Bus Lanes. This petition had received 3609 valid signatures.

The lead petitioner, Councillor Thorp, was given five minutes to present the

petition at the meeting and the petition was then discussed by Councillors

for a maximum of fifteen minutes.

In accordance with the Petitions Scheme and Council Procedure Rule

13(7) the Council were to decide how to respond to the petition and could

decide either:- 

(a) to take the action the petition requested; 

(b) not to take the action the petition requested for reasons stated in the

debate; 

(c) to commission further investigation into the matter, which might include

reference to a particular committee for its views, prior to consideration at a

future meeting of the Council; or 

(d) to refer the petition to the Cabinet where it related to an executive

function, in which case the Council might make recommendations to the

Cabinet, but Cabinet would not be bound by those recommendations in

discharging its executive functions.

Councillor Williams, Cabinet Member for Transport, Jobs and the Local Economy, thanked Councillor Thorp and other Councillors for their work on this matter on behalf of their residents. Regarding the Broom Road scheme, Councillor Williams confirmed that this scheme would not be taken forward as the consultation and petition had clearly indicated that residents did not support any of the proposed measures. Regarding the Eastwood scheme, Councillor Williams explained that there had been broader support for some of the measures so officers in the transportation service had been tasked with producing revised proposals that better reflected the feedback received. The Leader had announced these changes in a statement in August 2026. Councillor Williams stated that he had been clear throughout that the consultation process would be meaningful and that it was part of the Labour Groups manifesto that it would not go ahead with active travel schemes if the community did not support them. The administration had engaged, listened and acted on the feedback given.

As the Cabinet Member responsible for active travel, Councillor Williams confirmed that the first ask of the petition, which was to review the schemes, had already been completed. In relation to the reallocation of funding, it was confirmed that there was now greater flexibility in what the funding could be used for. He confirmed that the administration accepted the asks of the petition.

Councillor Yasseen wanted to thank Councillor Thorp personally for ensuring residents were listened to. She was glad that the administration were finally listening to residents as they did not listen during phase one, two or three. Residents and communities had been ignored for a long time, particularly around road safety.

Councillor Bower stated that this was being presented by the administration as a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 60.

To receive the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board Annual Report 2025-26.

Consideration was given to the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report 2025/26. It provided an overview of activity undertaken by Scrutiny over the last year through key lines of inquiry, evidence gathering, and findings leading to recommendations. In addition, it also provided a selection of the year’s achievements of Scrutiny as a supplement to full agendas and minutes of Cabinet, Overview and Scrutiny Management Board and the three Select Commission meetings throughout the year.

Councillor Steele, Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board, thanked all Members and Officers involved in Scrutiny. He noted that, throughout 2025/26, Scrutiny had considered 97 substantive items, completed pre-decision scrutiny on 42 reports, held 12 workshops, completed three reviews and progressed another two, had six site visits and had 15 off-agenda briefings. One decision had also been subject to the call-in procedure.

During the meeting, the Chairs of the Select Commissions set out the work they had completed and thanked all involved.

Resolved: That Council note the report.

Mover: Councillor Steele                        Seconder: Councillor Bacon

To receive the Audit Committee Annual Report 2025-26.

Consideration was given to the Audit Committee Annual Report 2025/26 which brought together in one document a summary of the work undertaken. The production of the report complied with current best practice for Audit Committees allowing it to demonstrate how it had fulfilled its terms of reference and shared its achievements with the Council. It also served as a useful reminder to the organisation of the role of the Committee in providing assurance about the Council’s governance, risk management and financial and business controls.

The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) had previously issued guidance to local authorities to help ensure that Audit Committees operated effectively. The guidance recommended that Audit Committees should report annually on how they have discharged their responsibilities. The Annual Report was attached at Appendix 1.

The Audit Committee met on six occasions in the year to 31 March 2026, in

accordance with its programme of work. The frequency of meetings ensured

the Audit Committee could fulfil its responsibilities in an efficient and effective

way. During this period the committee assessed the adequacy and effectiveness of the council’s governance, risk management arrangements, control environment and associated counter fraud arrangements through regular reports from officers, the internal auditors and the external auditors.   The committee sought assurance that action had been taken, or is otherwise

planned, by management to address any risk related issues that had been

identified during the period. The committee also sought to ensure that

effective relationships continue to be maintained between the internal and

external auditors, and between the auditors and management. The specific

work undertaken by the committee was set out in the report.

During the meeting, Councillor Baggaley, Chair of the Audit Committee, thanked all Members and Officers involved in Audit. He wished to place on record his thanks to Simon Dennis, the former Policy, Improvement and Risk Manager who had retired earlier in 2026, for all of his hard work, particularly during the training sessions.

Resolved: That the Audit Committee Annual Report 2025/26 be approved.

Mover: Councillor Baggaley                    Seconder: Councillor Ismail

To approve the required changes associated with the introduction of the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025.

Consideration was given to the report which recommended that the Council’s Constitution be amended to reflect the provisions of the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025.

The Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 introduced significant measures to reform planning committees in England, including a national scheme of delegation for planning functions and a cap on the size of planning committees.  

The Town & Country Planning (Discharge of Local Planning Authority Functions) (England) Regulations 2026 would come into force on 31 October 2026, at which time councils would be required to operate in accordance with the amended framework and statutory guidance which was published on 1 June 2026. To do so, the Council’s Constitution needed to be amended. 

The draft regulations set out requirements for certain types of application to be determined under officer delegation, i.e. may not be determined by a Planning Committee:-

(a)  Schedule 1 to the draft regulations set out that applications for planning permission for householder, minor residential and minor commercial development, as well as a number of supplementary and technical consents which must be determined under officer delegation. Further detail on what a Schedule 1 application would be were provided in paragraph 2.2 of the report.

(b)  Schedule 2 set out the types of application which could be referred to a planning committee subject to the Gateway Tests which were set out in Regulation 5 and this required agreement between the nominated Member (e.g. the Chair of the Committee) and officer (usually the Chief Planner or equivalent), but which otherwise must be delegated to an officer. These included any types of application for planning permission which were not in Schedule 1, variations of permissions, and special controls such as listed building and tree preservation order consents. Further detail was provided in paragraphs 2.2 to 2.9 of the report.

The Regulations also provided for the number of members on a planning committee or sub-committee to be no more than 13. At present, the Planning Board in Rotherham had 15 members and as such this needed to be reduced. This had also required a review of the entitlement of the political groups to seats on the committees of the Council.

During the debate on the item, Councillors Adair and Currie were thanked for their contributions to Planning Board and Councillor Blackham was thanked for his work on the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board.

Resolved:

That Council:-

1.    Note the content of the report;

2.    Approve amendment of the Constitution as set out in the Report and in particular the additions of Schedule 1 and 2 detailed in Appendix 1;

3.    Note the reduction in size of the Planning Board to the maximum 13 Councillors permitted;

4.    Approve the allocation of seats, in accordance with the political balance calculations, as set out in Report;

5.    Approve the appointment of the Head of Planning Services and the Chair of Planning Board as the proper officer and the nominated member as per the statutory guidance; and

6.    Delegate authority to make consequential amendments to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 63.

To receive updates from ward councillors from Kilnhurst and Swinton East on the activities supporting Thriving Neighbourhoods across the Borough.

Further to Minute No. 55 of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 19 November 2018, consideration was given to the Ward update for Kilnhurst and Swinton East 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 Cusworth moved the report. She noted that the ward priorities had been aligned with those of the Council in order to address serious levels of deprivation, low car ownership and low educational attainment across Kilnhurst and Swinton East. There had been a heavy focus on supporting children and giving them the opportunities to achieve their potential. Annual Christmas events were held which also encouraged families and neighbours to get to know each other. This helped with community cohesion. Further, a substantial amount of money had been provided to reinvent the Swinton Academy Library. All of the improvements made would be transferrable into the new building once complete. This had been a joint effort with the Ward Members from Swinton Rockingham ward. It was also confirmed that £500 had been awarded to each of the primary schools in the ward for books or other library equipment.

Councillor Harper seconded the report. He thanked Nicole Mighali, Neighbourhood Co-Ordinator for all of the incredible work she had done throughout the ward. Work had been undertaken to clear the stream and a community forum had been established to enable the community to continue making improvements to Kilnhurst and Swinton East. Events had been held on the area known locally as The Patios, such as the Summer Bash which had been a great success. Councillors were still working to make improvements to the MUGA, to improve road safety and to support the British Legion. A Park and Stride event had been very successful, with a number of children walking to school and learning about road safety.

Resolved:

That the update report be noted.

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

Further to Minute No. 55 of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 19 November 2018, consideration was given to the Ward update for Maltby East 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 a family bereavement, Councillor Sutton was not present at the meeting to speak on the update.

Councillor Tinsley BEM moved the report and set out the ward priorities for Maltby East. It was noted that the CAP meetings were always well attended and involved regular walkarounds in the community. Tea and coffee were provided for community groups and the Maltby Beach Festival had run for the previous two years. The Silver Dollar event was incredibly successful and had encouraged over 60s to dance. A cultural kitchen had been run in partnership with Rotherham United Community Trust and others to introduce different foods and activities into Maltby East. Progress was being made on the refurbishment of the community centre.

Work continued on improving Maltby High Street and the local economy. This involved listening to and working with residents and businesses to address local issues such as pavement parking, anti-social behaviour and the appearance of the high street. The Shopfront Grants scheme had been used by a number of businesses in Maltby. A large amount of work had been done on Coronation Park, including improving the inclusivity of the play equipment.

Councillor Tinsley thanked Claire Moseley, Neighbourhood Co-Ordinator, along with other partners who worked across the Maltby East Ward.

Councillor Cusworth seconded the report, and in doing so, passed on the condolences of the Chamber to Councillor Sutton.

Councillor Currie encouraged those in Maltby to get involved with the Pride in Place programme where up to £20million of funding was available.

Resolved:

That the update report be noted.

To be moved by Councillor Tarmey and seconded by Councillor C Carter.

It was moved by Councillor Tarmey and seconded by Councillor C Carter that:

This Council notes:

1.    That speeding fines across England generate around £100 million per year, all of which is paid directly to HM Treasury, with no share returned to local authorities.

2.    That councils are responsible for maintaining highways, improving road safety, delivering traffic calming schemes, and responding to persistent community concerns about speeding and dangerous driving.

3.    That local authorities frequently fund enforcement infrastructure – such as average speed cameras, ANPR enforcement points, signage, and engineering works – yet receive no income from the fines issued as a result of these measures.

4.    That communities across the borough consistently call for greater investment in traffic calming, crossings, school street safety, and active travel protection.

5.    That the South Yorkshire Safety Camera Partnership brings together law enforcement agencies and local councils across the region. However, Council also notes that there are currently no robust mechanisms for elected members to direct the placement of safety cameras within their wards. This leads to a mismatch between public and elected member perceptions of the need for enforcement activities and the observed locations of mobile cameras.

This Council believes:

1.    That a fairer national funding model is required to ensure that money raised from speeding offences is reinvested into the communities where those offences occur.

2.    That enabling councils to retain a proportion of speeding fine revenue would create a stable, locally controlled funding stream for road safety improvements.

3.             That ring fencing such funding would directly support the Council’s objectives to reduce casualties, protect vulnerable road users, and improve public confidence in local road safety.

Therefore, this Council resolves to:

1.    Write to HM Government, the Secretary of State for Transport, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer requesting that:

a.    Local authorities receive 50% of the annual revenue generated from speeding fines issued within their area; and

b.    This funding be ring fenced exclusively for road safety improvements, including average speed cameras, engineering measures, enforcement support, school safety schemes, and active travel protection.

2.    Write to the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime for South Yorkshire to request that robust mechanisms are put in place to allow elected members to better direct enforcement action within their wards.

3.    Request that the Local Government Association (LGA) and the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority support this call for reform and lobby Government for a fairer distribution of speeding fine revenue.

4.    Investigate the feasibility of procuring mobile pairs of average speed cameras that could be deployed across different streets in Rotherham to encourage behaviour change, improve compliance with speed limits, and increase awareness of the consequences of dangerous driving.

An amendment to the Motion was then moved by Councillor Baum-Dixon and seconded by Councillor Z Collingham that:

The title of the Motion be “We deserve our fair share of funding to help make our roads safer” and that:

To note the minutes of the Cabinet Meeting held on 6 July 2026.

Consideration was given to the reports, recommendations and minutes of the meeting of Cabinet held on 6 July 2026.

Councillor Tinsley referenced Cabinet Minute 22 – Neighbourhood Leadership Strategy. He asked if the Leader was willing to engage with any Councillors that had concerns over the rotation of neighbourhood co-coordinators at the next elections.

The Leader confirmed that he and Councillor Cusworth were willing to listen if there were particular concerns but he stood by the point made in the Cabinet meeting, that it was dangerous, from an organisational standpoint, to allow members to choose which neighbourhood coordinators worked in which wards.

Resolved:

That the reports, recommendations and minutes of the meeting of Cabinet held on 6 July 2026 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 Ismail

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 Sub-Committee and the Licensing Sub-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 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 was one question from Councillor Ball: Will the Pensions Authority spokesperson set out how many South Yorkshire LGPS members using salary sacrifice above £2,000 a year will now pay National Insurance on that extra saving, and what warning has gone to ordinary workplace savers that this cap hits them?

As Councillor Sutton was not present to respond to the question, a written response would be provided.

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 16 questions:

1.    Councillor C Carter: The new children’s play area and outdoor seating at The Waterfront at Rother Valley are great for families wanting to enjoy a refreshment while children play, but I find the lack of shade concerning. Are there any plans to install any shade or provide any parasols on these tables?

Councillor Marshall, Cabinet Member for Waste Services, Leisure and Green Spaces, stated that it was a wonderful play area but understood the concerns raised. She had asked the service to review the options and feasibility for the provision of shaded areas through the winter months prior to the start of the summer season. Councillor Marshall committed to informing Councillor Carter on the outcome of the review.

2.    Councillor Ball: Following Health and Wellbeing Board on 2 September, will the Cabinet Member name the social housing complex with the ongoing Legionella outbreak, confirm the landlord, whether it is council-operated, what tenants have been told, whether anyone has been ill, and the date the water will be declared safe?

Councillor Baker Rogers, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health, stated that the social housing complex was not owned or managed by the Council, but the Public Health team was working closely with the landlord.  It was noted that there was not an on-going risk to residents, who had been made aware of the circumstances.

The social housing provider had undertaken extensive remedial work to eradicate the legionella from the system. This has included chemical treatment of the water system, taking away redundant pipe work, installation of insulation to reduce heat transfer and also the removal of an external pond and water feature. While these interventions had significantly reduced legionella levels, a small number of outlets continued to return positive tests results. The social housing provider was working closely with the Council and the UK Health Security Agency to bring this matter to a conclusion as soon as possible. Further ground work and investigative work were currently being carried out on site.

In his supplementary, Councillor Ball stated that this had been ongoing since June 2024 and was referred to at the Health and Wellbeing Board as an ongoing outbreak. He asked what happened if it was still ongoing on 1 October 2026?

Councillor Baker-Rogers confirmed that the Council would continue to work with the landlord to ensure residents were well and safe.

3.    Councillor Ball: Will the Cabinet Member set out how Pride in Place and High Street investment, though Maltby East designated, will deliver measurable outcomes in Hellaby and Maltby West, and confirm what West consultation has already informed the Regeneration Plan due by end of 2026?

As Councillor Allen, Cabinet Member for Communities, was not present to respond to the question, a written response would be provided.

4.    Councillor Ball: Given FOI figures of over £175,000 spent clearing fly-tipping in 2024/25 and 2025/26 and Hellaby and Maltby West being named hotspots, will ward level clearance costs, FPNs and enforcement outcomes be published,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 72.

Any other public items which the Mayor determines are urgent.

There were no urgent items.