Agenda and draft minutes

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

The Mayor thanked those that had attended his parade and Civic Service. He hoped everyone had enjoyed the day as much as he had. The tradition of reporting on recent mayoral activity would continue in July.

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

Apologies for absence had been received from Councillors Ball, Hall, Sheppard and Stables.

To receive the record of proceedings of the ordinary meeting of the Council held on 22^nd April, 2026 and to approve the accuracy thereof.

Consideration was given to the minutes of the previous Council meeting held on 22 April 2026.

Resolved:

That the minutes of the Council meeting held on 22 April 2026 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 petitions that had been received since the last meeting. There was one petition:

-       Improve Road Safety – Upper Wortley Road Slip Road (33 valid signatures – Lead Petitioner – Janet Porter)

Mrs. Porter attended the meeting and spoke to her petition. In accordance with the Council’s Petition Scheme, the Executive Director of Regeneration and Environment would provide a written response within 10 working days.

Resolved:

1.    That the report be received.

2.    That the relevant Executive Director be required to respond to the lead petitioner, as set out in the Petition Scheme, by Thursday, 4 June 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.

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 were 4 questions:

1.    T asked: Will this council publicly demonstrate the value and benefit to the community consequent upon the legal expenses incurred relating to the ongoing avoidance of disclosures of information concerning child sex exploitation?

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

2.    Mr Shepherd asked: Following my last question, do you agree that at least some of the reasons given for not distributing the 1400 copies of ‘Voices’ purchased at a cost of £5600 made no sense at all? The intended audience was crystal clear - RMBC's workforce AND it was agreed that a RMBC leaflet showing support services would be placed in each copy?

As Mr Shepherd did not attend, a written response would be provided.

3.    Mr Cowles asked: Was your only action about serious evidenced dishonesty about Voices of Despair Voices of Hope to send an email to those potentially involved in the evidenced dishonesty?

The Leader confirmed that he had reviewed the email which had been sent eight years ago. At the time, he had raised it with senior staff and was assured that the concerns had been looked at properly. A couple of years later, a formal documented response was provided to the person who had raised the concerns. At the time it was agreed that officers could have dealt with some matters of process better but there was not the kind of evidenced dishonesty that was claimed by the complainant. The Leader could not recall conversations that took place eight year ago. However, any decisions taken at that time would have been overseen by the Government Commissioners and any issues should have been reported directly to the Secretary of State.

In his supplementary, Mr Cowles stated that there had been some prosecutions of perpetrators of CSE but, in his opinion, there had been no accountability so far for those who knew what was happening but took no action to prevent the abuse. He asked the Leader if he agreed that accountability was just as essential as responsibility.

The Leader agreed and stated that he had lobbied the government at the time to ask them to look at what more could be done to hold account people in professional positions who had overseen long-term failings. The Leader did state that the people complained about in the email referenced were not the same people who had overseen the previous failings in Rotherham prior to 2014.

4.    Mr Ashraf asked: Council Leader Chris Read with an itemized breakdown of all financial contributions including investments, subsidies, loans, core subscriptions, specific levies for functions like transport, and any match funding, contributions etc, as well as funds received a share of, from national sources, does Rotherham Council use to fund SYMCA?

The Leader stated that he knew Councillor Alam had written to Mr Ashraf in the last few days and had written to him previously, advising him of the right place to raise his queries. At the Cabinet meeting held on 11  ...  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 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 congratulated the Mayor on his appointment and Councillor Brent on his appointment as Deputy Mayor. He also welcomed Councillor Allen back to Cabinet as Cabinet Member for Communities.

Since the last meeting:

-       The Crisis Payments scheme had launched, which offered payments of between £80 and £200 to residents who found themselves in a critical financial situation.

-       The 800^th Council house had been completed and the Council remained on track to deliver 1000 Council homes by Summer 2027.

-       The topping out event at Larch Road/Addison Road in Maltby had taken place.

-       The housing service had celebrated the Housing Staff Awards.

-       Foster Care Fortnight had started which celebrated the incredible work done by Foster Carers.

-       The Great North Investment Summit had taken place in Leeds where multi-billion pound investment opportunities were launched.

-       The Chancellor announced plans for major regeneration projects in South Yorkshire which included support for the development of the Rotherham Gateway proposal.

The Leader of the Majority Opposition Group, Councillor Zach Collingham, was invited to respond to the statement. He too welcomed the Mayor to his new role. Councillor Collingham asked questions relating to:

-       The bin lorry fire that had taken place the day before the meeting. He asked if there were any preliminary findings that could be shared in case there were any concerns for the rest of the fleet.

-       The re-appointment of Councillor Allen to Cabinet. He welcomed the appointment but asked what it was designed to achieve.

-       The results from the Local Elections held across the country in May 2026. Councillor Collingham stated that the results were a staggering rejection of the status quo and the Labour Party. He stated that, if there had been an election in Rotherham, the Labour group would have been removed and would still likely be removed in two years’ time. Councillor Collingham therefore asked if the Leader would deliver actions further and faster in the time remaining. This included reviewing the capital project delivery programme and ensuring the mistakes that had been made in relation to the Markets project were not replicated in the Housing Capital Programme.

-       Basic service failures such as not collecting the bins, not cutting the grass and not knowing what was happening with lampposts. He asked should the Council should be focussing on these rather than on the Street Safe Team, or the High Street Business advisors.

In response, the Leader confirmed that an internal review was taking place regarding the bin lorry fire and he was happy to share the findings when they were available. The reason for returning Councillor Allen to Cabinet and giving her the communities portfolio was to champion the issues that mattered most to residents.

In regard to improving the pace of delivery, the Leader stated that the ongoing work was the largest regeneration of Rotherham for some decades and this had coincided with a difficult economy and rising interest rates, particularly for the building sector. He was  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16.

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.

 There were three political groups in operation on the Council:

Labour

Leader – Councillor Read

Deputy Leader – Councillor Cusworth

(31 Members)

Conservative

Leader – Councillor Z Collingham

Deputy Leader – Councillor Bacon

(13 Members)

Liberal Democrat

Leader – Councillor Adam Carter

(3 Members)

There were twelve non-aligned members: Councillors Beck, Bennett-Sylvester, Bower, Currie, Elliott, Harrison, Havard, Hussain, Jones, Ryalls, Sheppard and Yasseen.

There were 144 seats available on committees, boards and panels and under the calculations the Labour Group were entitled to 80 seats, the opposition Group (Conservative) 32 seats and the Liberal Democrat Group 7 seats. The seats allocated to the non-aligned councillors was 25 and the Council had previously enabled these Councillors to take seats on the various bodies as permitted by the Legislation.

During the meeting Members discussed low attendance rates for Select Commissions and were reminded that substitutions could be made. Members also discussed the merits of moving meetings to the evening. The Leader confirmed that it was for individual committees to decide their schedules but stated that in his experience, later meetings did not improve attendance rates.

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.

3.    That approval be given to the appointment of Members to joint committees, as detailed in the Mayor’s Letter and below:

NOMINATIONS TO COMMITTEES, BOARDS AND PANELS

To note the Corporate Parenting Partnership Board Annual Report.

Consideration was given to the report which showcased the work completed by the Corporate Parenting Partnership Board to deliver the Council’s duty as a Corporate Parent. The purpose was to set out how the Council delivered consistent high-quality care and how the Council, with partners, supported opportunities for Children in Care, Care Leavers, and supported them with progressing key priority areas including placement sufficiency and youth participation. This Annual Report also summarised progress by the Corporate Parenting Partnership Board against the Corporate Parenting Strategy and set out priorities for 2026.

During 2025 there was a redesign of the Corporate Parenting Partnership Board. The motivation for this refresh was to enhance corporate ownership and give the board an improved presence. The revised model also ensured a dynamic approach to progressing the action plan and in turn outcomes for children and young people. Throughout 2025 there had been a consistent commitment from senior officers and Members who had met regularly.

Areas of specific focus for 2026 included:

•         Improve Pathway Plans for Care Leavers

•         Ensure Care Leavers have access to Health Passports

•         Continue to improve local sufficiency for Children in Care

In moving and seconding the report, Councillor Cusworth and Councillor Fisher both thanked the young people who had attended the Board and shared their voice and experiences.

Resolved:

1.    That Council note the progress made by the Corporate Parenting Partnership Board in 2025.

2.    That Council note the areas of focus for 2026.

Mover: Councillor Cusworth                              Seconder: Councillor Fisher

To note the minutes of the Cabinet Meeting held on 13^th April, 2026.

Consideration was given to the reports, recommendations and minutes of the meeting of Cabinet held 13 April 2026.

Resolved:

That the reports, recommendations and minutes of the meeting of Cabinet held on 13 April 2026 be received.

Mover: Councillor Read                          Seconder: Councillor Cusworth

To note receipt of the Health and Wellbeing Board minutes.

In moving the minutes of the Health and Wellbeing Board, Councillor Baker-Rogers provided an update on the work undertaken. This included updates on the Combating Drugs Partnership, the Loneliness Action Plan Refresh, the Health and Wellbeing Strategy and on Ethnicity and Unequal Ageing: Experiences in Rotherham and Sheffield.

In seconding the minutes, Councillor Cusworth praised the work on the Loneliness Action Plan refresh, in particularly the impact it would have on children and young people.

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 Planning Board minutes.

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 Licensing Board Sub-Committee and Licensing Sub-Committee minutes.

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 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 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).

There were 27 questions:

1.    Councillor Thorp: Do schools within the RMBC area, have to supply alternatives to the standard meal if meat products are served in that meal i.e. a Halal or Vegetarian alternative, or can any school serve meals for just the majority of pupils attending that school?

Councillor Cusworth, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, explained that there was no specific national requirement that schools had to provide particular alternatives such as halal meals in every case. However, schools were expected to act reasonably in meeting the needs of their pupils and whether the Council provided catering, the service specification supported dietary needs.

In his supplementary, Councillor Thorp stated that he was specifically referencing one school who only served vegetarian food or halal meat. He asked if this was allowed.

Councillor Cusworth stated that she was not aware of that school, but she was happy to meet with Councillor Thorp to discuss this further and she would raise the matter with officers.

2.    Councillor Thorp: Following on from question 1, if the school delivers meals just for the majority do they have to show this within their literature?

Councillor Cusworth, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, explained that there was no specific requirement for a school to formally state in its literature that it provided meals in the way described. However, schools and catering providers were expected to be clear and transparent about their menu offer. This expectation came from a combination of national school food standards, wider legal responsibilities and, where applicable, local service specifics.

In his supplementary, Councillor Thorp stated that Oakwood Academy was only providing halal meat or vegetarian food; it did not provide non-halal meat, but this was not communicated. He stated that this was a problem.

Councillor Cusworth stated that Oakwood Academy was part of an academy trust and therefore outside the control of the Council. She did confirm she would discuss the matter further with Councillor Thorp.

3.    Councillor Reynolds: As it nears completion, can we be told how much solar power the new Market scheme will generate. In simple terms will it power half the Market, all the Market, or all the Market and still export some power to the Grid?

Councillor Williams, Cabinet Member for Transport, Jobs and the Local Economy explained that there were two systems installed on the new library and Outdoor Covered Market to maximum spatial capacity, generating 195kW peak output and it was expected that jointly they would generate 12.5% of both sites annual predicted consumption. This was based on the new supply capacity, so it was likely that the real use of solar would be greater than 12.5%. This was due to day by day usage and consumption variance. Generation would also vary depending on season and operational activities, and there would also be a small amount of spill to the grid during closed hours of daylight or low use.

In his supplementary, Councillor Reynolds sought  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24.

Any other public items which the Mayor determines are urgent.

There were no urgent items to consider.