Agenda item

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).

6 questions had been submitted:

1.    Councillor A Carter for the designated spokesperson on South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority: Will SYMCA consider increasing the text size on bus stop timetables so that it can be more easily be read by residents with visual impairments, rather than leaving blank space on the timetable sheets?

The Leader explained that it was not always possible to increase the size of text on bus stop timetables. However, if passengers had issues with a particular stop, large format PDF document specific to their needs could be provided, and as these were produced individually, the Traveline Team could ensure that it applied to their nearest stop or the stops they used most frequently. If any residents would like this service, they should get in touch with the Traveline Team. SYMCA were also looking at new technologies which would assist passengers and were in the process of trialling electronic timetables at stops which also had an audio functionality which read out the timetable to visually impaired passengers, one of which had already been installed at the stop at Ecclesall Road/Carrington Road in Sheffield. SYMCA would welcome any feedback available on its use.

Councillor A Carter stated that that was good news. The question had arisen because as the number of bus routes shortened, the timetables shortened and were now mainly blank space. It was a simple solution to increase the size of the information available to fill the blank space. Would the Leader feed this back?

The Leader stated that he was happy to provide the feedback.

2.    Councillor Ball for the designated spokesperson on South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority:  Can the member please provide data from the last 5 years on what the budget forecast was compared to the actual financial expenditure?

Councillor Knight explained that in 19/20 SYFR had to use £3.139M of their reserves, in 20/21 £1.058M and 21/22 £0.826M used.  In 22/23 and 23/24 SYFR had contributed to their reserves.

In his supplementary, Councillor Ball stated that SYFR’s forecast was wildly out, and the Advertiser had picked up that £1.5m was being put back into reserves. With Rotherham residents being told there was no money to provide a night-time cover and two appliances in Rotherham whilst year on year, SYFR bank more millions, why was Rotherham left with a diminished cover, despite having the money to facilitate a night shift?

Councillor Knight confirmed that a written response would be provided.

3.    Councillor Ball for the designated spokesperson on South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority: Can you inform me how much SYFR has in reserves?

Councillor Knight confirmed that the position in relation to reserves was more complicated than simply a headline number. As Councillor Ball was aware, reserves were earmarked for specific purposes and could not be called on for day-to-day use. The Authority anticipated useable earmarked reserves reducing to just £5.7m during the planning period 2024-27.

South Yorkshire’s reserve levels were just below average, when benchmarked (in March 2022) against reserves held by other standalone fire and rescue authorities as a percentage of annual core funding.

Councillor Knight agreed to provide the more detailed breakdown of the reserves information in writing.

4.    Councillor Ball for the designated spokesperson on South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority: How much interest has been earned over the last 4 years from the reserve funds?

Councillor Knight explained that in total, the interest earned on cash held over the last four years was £805,000. However, that varied between more than half a million pounds in one year down to just seven thousand pounds in another as interest rates had varied.

5.    Councillor Ball for the designated spokesperson on South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority: If Rotherham was to reinstate a permanent night shift how much would this cost?

Councillor Knight explained that the Authority estimated that the direct staffing costs alone of restoring the second appliance would be an additional £445,288 per year. Clearly this would be a larger figure in reality once other indirect costs such as training were added. Providing a 24/7 second appliance at Rotherham would require an increase in overall establishment. Councillor Knight agreed to provide Councillor Ball with a breakdown of the current resource at Rotherham fire station followed by the increase on resource required and associated year on year cost projections (additional staff salary expenditure only).

In his supplementary, Councillor Ball stated that Rotherham was getting short-changed whilst the reserves increase. He asked that, if the CRMP data showed that Rotherham needed that cover, would Councillor Knight support it and could he explain to Members what the CRMP was as that it was the information was from?

Councillor Knight explained that he had been the representative on the SYFR authority for one meeting and did not have the information requested. He would provide a written response.

6.    Councillor Ball for the designated spokesperson on South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority: If Rotherham was to reinstate a permanent night shift how much would this cost?

Councillor Knight explained that the availability varied between 4.57% in December 2023 to 69% in February 2024. He confirmed that he would supply the monthly breakdown in writing.

In his supplementary, Councillor Ball stated that he was aware that the second pump at Rotherham had been removed which left Rotherham residents with a greater response time. Whilst one fire appliance could attend in a reasonable response time, Councillor Ball understood that a house fire would require all three appliances. On-call appliances from the Dearne Valley could be used to provide a response into Rotherham. Councillor Ball expressed fear at the reduction in fire cover at Rotherham Central Station but also at the inadequate response now being provided in the Dearne Valley which should be supporting Rotherham residents. He asked Councillor Knight to explain why Sheffield, Barnsley and Doncaster were fully crewed and yet Rotherham was left with seemingly slower response times to its most critical of callouts?

Councillor Knight reiterated his previous point that he had only attended one meeting so far and therefore did not have the information requested. However, he did share Councillor Ball’s concerns that Rotherham was underfunded and under resourced. Councillor Knight stated that he would be happy to discuss the matters raised.