To put questions, if any, to Cabinet Members and Committee Chairpersons (or their representatives) under Council Procedure Rules 11(1) and 11(3).
Minutes:
1.
Councillor Thorp: Can you inform me how much money RMBC has
received in the form of CIL over the past 3 years after you have
allocated the % of funds due to either the Parish or Ward?
Councillor Taylor explained that, in the last 3 financial years
(April 2021 to the end of March 2024) the Council have collected
just over £6.25 million (£6,252,679) and that would be
allocated as per the plan that would be presented to Cabinet on 29
July 2024.
In his supplementary, Councillor Thorp asked for specific details
on where the money was being spent.
Councillor Taylor agreed to provide a written response.
2.
Councillor Thorp: There are several sources of funding that is at
the disposal of the South Yorkshire Mayoral combined authority, so
which fund did you get the money from to build the cycles
lanes?
Councillor Taylor explained that the financing for the recently
completed projects on Broom Road and Westgate had come from a
combination of external funding sources, with most of the funding
from the Department for Transport’s Active Travel Fund and
the then government’s Transforming Cities Fund.
In his supplementary question, Councillor Thorp explained that,
under regional sustainable transport, it stated that the Council
should put 15% of the funds in. He asked if the Council had done
this?
Councillor Taylor informed Councillor Thorp that he did not have
that detail and suggested that if Members wanted that level of
detail, they ask for it in their initial question. This would
enable the Cabinet Member to respond in the meeting rather than by
a delay written response.
3.
Councillor A Carter: At the last meeting you told us that the
parking scheme outside the shops on Brinsworth Lane was due to be
completed in June. This has not happened. Can you please explain
why this has been further delayed?
Councillor Sheppard offered his apologies regarding the delay on
this scheme. It had been an incredibly complex one and there were a
number of factors. However the delay mainly related to a legal
requirement for a Deed of Dedication, which was now resolved.
Resolving this legal issue had been essential to enable the Council
to create formal parking spaces on private land in front of the
shopping parade, which would help discourage vehicles from parking
on pedestrian footways.
Councillor Sheppard confirmed that the Council remained committed
to completing this project as soon as possible and appreciated his
patience and understanding. The scheme was about to go out to
tender and a programme would be provided once the tender process
and the legal issues were complete. Councillor Sheppard committed
to keeping the ward members informed of the process.
In his supplementary, Councillor A Carter stated that the response
sounded very optimistic, and he hoped that the optimism was not
misplaced like it was at the last meeting. It was Councillor A
Carter’s understanding that the Deed of Dedication and going
out to tender had already been completed but that had not happened
which was very frustrating as promises had been made by the
Council. It was something residents wanted and desperately needed.
Councillor A Carter asked if the Cabinet Member would commit to
making sure there were shovels in the ground on this scheme by the
next Council meeting on 11 September 2024?
Councillor Sheppard could not guarantee that the work would start
before the next meeting, but he could guarantee that he would keep
Councillor A Carter updated. He hoped that even if work had not
started by that point, he would be able to confirm the date of when
the work would start following the tender process.
4.
Councillor Thorp: Who designed the cycle lane from Sheffield Road
along Westgate to Corporation St, and how does this comply to the
required design features protecting cyclist from motorised
traffic?
Councillor Taylor explained that the design was developed by the
Council’s contractors, Pell Frischman, in collaboration with the Council and in
accordance with Government design guidance. This design also
incorporated evidence from user perception studies and lessons
learnt from other schemes across the country. Proposals were
discussed and approved by the Government’s executive agency,
Active Travel England, as well as the Council’s own assurance
processes, before commitment and construction of the scheme.
In his supplementary, Councillor Thorp stated that this response
contradicted the response that was sent by the Leader when he had
been asked about why kerb stones were not being used. Councillor
Thorp stated that he had centred that point on Blackfriars Bridge
which had been done with just a white line. The Leader had
requested that officers look into the matter and they found out that the Blackfriars
Bridge had to be altered and a kerb put in because it did not
conform to the scheme.
Councillor Taylor informed Councillor Thorp that he had not seen
the letter in question so he would speak with the Leader outside of
the meeting and provide a written response.
5.
Councillor Thorp: The road signs on Westgate, how do they conform
to the highway code?
Councillor Taylor stated that road signs were not regulated by the
Highway Code but by national legislation and design standards. The
Highway Code was in response to the legislation and the design
standards. Therefore, as all the road signs and markings on
Westgate were in accordance with legislation and design standards,
they conformed to the Highway Code.
In his supplementary, Councillor Thorp questioned whether the road
signs did conform to all the legal requirements. Councillor Thorp
gave a number of examples of the road signs on Westgate and
explained why he believed they were not conforming to the Highway
Code. Councillor Thorp stated that he had seen an accident occur.
He also referenced rule 140 in the Highway Code that explained when
a single white line should be used for cycle lanes and when it
needed to be a dashed line rather than a solid line.
Councillor Taylor explained that there was a specific question
relating to the safety of the Westgate Cycle lane later on the
agenda so he would respond to that then. In relation to the
signage, Councillor Taylor agreed to go and have a look at the
Westgate Cycle lane with officers and he would provide feedback to
Councillor Thorp.
6.
Councillor Tarmey: What is being done to increase the supply of
adapted council homes that are suitable for families with disabled
children?
Councillor Allen stated that through its Housing Delivery
Programme, the Council routinely considered opportunities to
deliver highly specialised homes which were suitable for families
with more acute needs. This had seen four specially designed
dwellings delivered since 2022, whilst a further five were due to
be commissioned imminently.
Accessible and adaptable homes, designed to meet the needs of
households with differing needs, including some older or disabled
people, and which could be more easily adapted to meet the changing
needs of occupants over time, were also being progressed, with 16
such homes due to be commissioned. The Council also strived for all
new homes delivered through the Programme to be spacious and
modern, to help cater to changing household needs.
In his supplementary, Councillor Tarmey gave an example of some of
the difficulties residents in his ward were facing. There was one
resident who had to drag her daughter, in a wheelchair, up the
stairs outside of their rented home and then carry her to the
bathroom. Councillor Tarmey welcomed the properties that were being
built. He asked if details on the number of families across the
borough experiencing similar difficulties to the ones he outlined,
who were on the housing waiting list, could be provided?
Councillor Allen agreed to take the response back to officers. She
also informed Councillor Tarmey that there was a programme of aids
and adaptations supported by the Council for families who required
bespoke property changes to meet their needs. This allowed people
to remain in their homes, in the area that they were familiar with,
and which had their support mechanisms. Councillor Allen confirmed
that she was happy to discuss the residents mentioned with
Councillor Tarmey to see if the Aids and Adaptations programme was
suitable.
Accessible and adaptable homes, designed to meet the needs of
households with differing needs, including some older or disabled
people, and which can be more easily adapted to meet the changing
needs of occupants over time, are also being progressed, with 16
such homes due to be commissioned. The Council also strives for all
new homes delivered through the Programme to be spacious and
modern, to help cater to changing household needs.
7.
Councillor Tarmey: Physical barriers are often installed on
footpaths and entrances to green spaces to prevent access by
motorcycles etc. Will the council commit to ensuring all physical
barriers/gates are accessible for both wheelchair and mobility
scooter users?
Councillor Sheppard explained that there were no barriers or gates
available that would prevent access to off road motorcycles while
allowing all mobility scooters, wheelchairs or large pushchairs
admission along a right of way or access into an urban park.
Barriers were installed at the request of the Police or local
communities or ward members to prevent or reduce the incidence of
antisocial behaviour and criminal activity. However, this can, and
did often affect the ability of legitimate users accessing the path
or green space. If any community groups did want to contact the
Council to discuss specific issues, they could do so by searching
for public rights of way on the Councils websites. The Council did try to make as much of the rights
of way network available to all users.
8.
Councillor Bennett-Sylvester: What changes have there been between
2019 and now regards traffic numbers using the junctions of
Ridgeway with Herringthorpe Valley Road and Laudsdale Road with
Herringthorpe Valley Road?
Councillor Taylor explained that, unfortunately, there was not a
traffic counter at the specific location mentioned. However, the
closest counter was on Herringthorpe Valley Road near Stag
Roundabout, with the latest annual daily count being compiled for
2023.
According to the dataset, this location saw a daily vehicle count
of 12,492 in 2019, which increased to 14,224 in 2023 – a
13.8% rise.
In his supplementary Councillor Bennett-Sylvester explained that
this junction was concerning for local residents as there had been
a number of accidents. There was also concern regarding the amount
of housebuilding taking place in East Herringthorpe and beyond.
There had been a number of accidents along Herringthorpe Valley
Road which were causing disruption at key time. Councillor
Bennett-Sylvester asked if officers could report on traffic
disruption on this area in terms of what congestion might be
causing and particularly regarding the safety of the two mentioned
junctions? He asked if this could include casualty and non-casualty
figures.
Councillor Taylor agreed to take the request to officers.
9.
Councillor Bennett-Sylvester: What changes have there been in
traffic numbers between 2019 and now heading towards Rotherham on
the A630 between the Mushroom Roundabout and the junction with
Magna Lane?
Councillor Taylor explained that, unfortunately, there was not a
traffic counter at the specific location mentioned. However, the
closest counter was on A630 Doncaster Road, just north of
Oldgate Lane, with the latest annual
daily count being compiled for 2023.
According to the dataset, this location saw a daily vehicle count
of 11,248 in 2019, which increased to 12,782 in 2023 – a
13.7% rise
In his supplementary, Councillor Bennett-Sylvester stated that this
was an area with extreme congestion. There were two other routes
feeding into the route mentioned. It was felt that a lot of that
congestion was being driven by housebuilding in places such as
Ravenfield, Wickersley and more localised brownfield sites in
Thrybergh. Councillor Bennett-Sylvester asked when some kind of
work or plan could be expected to look at handling congestion in
the area generally?
Councillor Taylor agreed to raise the matter with highways officers
however he did note that rising traffic numbers were a problem
nationally and a national solution would need to be
found.
10. Councillor Tarmey:
Grass cutting and shrub/tree maintenance across Anston and
Woodsetts has not been carried out properly in recent months. Does
the council have a plan to ensure that appropriate resources are
put back into maintaining green spaces in the south of the
borough?
As Councillor Alam was not present at the meeting to answer the
question, a written response would be provided to Councillor
Tarmey.
11. Councillor Ball:
Despite repeatedly pointing out health and safety concerns to
senior SLT officers regarding using our own personal phones,
members still do not have the option to have a separate phone,
baring a certain few, will the member responsible ensure safety is
for all members regardless of political persuasion and look into
the provision of this?
As Councillor Ball was not present at the meeting to ask the
question, a written response would be provided.
12. Councillor Ball:
Fridays at Riverside seems to be like entering the Mary Celeste,
will the council commit to not having a 4 day week thus
safeguarding making Thursday’s becoming the new Friday?
As Councillor Ball was not present at the meeting to ask the
question, a written response would be provided.
13. Councillor T Collingham: Can the council provide an
update on the traffic restrictions for New Orchard Lane in
Thurcroft?
Councillor Taylor explained that the Traffic Regulation Order for
the parking restrictions had been sealed and the lines have been
partially implemented. There had been
complications with this specific TRO as explained to the Councillor
at the last meeting.
The signage to allow enforcement of the single yellow line section
had been erected, however, due to the presence of a parked vehicle,
a very short length of road marking had not been delivered. The
Lining Contractor had visited site on a number of occasions and
despite visiting neighbouring properties the Council had not been
able to identify the owner of the vehicle. The Council would
continue to visit the site until the missing road marking were
completed.
In his supplementary, Councillor T Collingham stated that this had
taken three years and he asked Councillor Taylor he if personally
thought that was acceptable? It should only take 12 weeks, but the
Council had had three Mayors in the time taken to get the TRO
finished.
Councillor Taylor agreed that three years did seem an excessive
amount of time and if the situation had been in his own ward,
Councillor Taylor would have been asking the same questions. He did
note that he did not know the particular intricacies of this case
other than the detail provided at the last Council meeting.
14. Councillor T
Collingham: The council is implementing Traffic Regulation Orders
throughout the borough, with an aim of displacing or preventing
parking in problem locations. What reassurance can you give that
the lines implemented will be actively enforced and not just
treated as a deterrent?
Councillor Taylor stated that the Council was committed to ensuring
that the Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) being implemented
throughout the borough were actively enforced and not merely
treated as deterrents. The goal was to address and mitigate parking
issues in problematic locations effectively, and the first step of
the process was ensuring that the correct restrictions were in the
right places.
15. Councillor Ball: How much is forecast to be earned this year from investing our money in places like Goldman Sachs and overseas banks like Handelsbanken and BNP Paribas?
As
neither Councillor Alam or Councillor Ball were present at the
meeting to ask or answer the question, a written response would be
provided.
16. Councillor Jones:
In 2025 Rotherham will hold the honour of the “Childrens
capital of culture” can you please confirm which other towns
and cities we beat to win this award and the name of the body that
awarded us the title?
Councillor Sheppard explained that Children’s Capital of
Culture was a title bestowed upon Rotherham by its young people. It
was devised by them as a way to change how young people feel about
their hometown and create positive opportunities for children and
young people across the Borough.
There are many similar programmes which had been devised by a locality. These include Kirklees Year of Music 2023 and Our Year – Wakefield District 2024. Additionally, the Mayor of London awards a bi-annual London Borough of Culture event and Greater Manchester awards an annual Town of Culture. The was also an annual Medieval Market in Chesterfield.
The Children’s Capital of Culture commitment had already
pulled in millions of pounds to offer events and opportunities to
young people that they would otherwise not be able to access,
Councillor Sheppard was proud that the Council were delivering on
the challenge that had been set and was looking forward to a great
year ahead in 2025. Councillor Sheppard hoped Councillor Jones
would join in in congratulating the young people who had put on so
many great events and gained so many skills already.
In his supplementary question, Councillor Jones stated the Council
had not actually been “awarded” anything but had
instead just come up with the name for the event. Councillor
Jones’ main concern was that he wanted to make sure the
Council were not in the same position as Birmingham Council had
been with the Olympics where they were contractually obliged to
carry on funding it despite going bankrupt. He asked what the
projected increase in footfall was for the year and what the
financial value would be to the local economy?
Councillor Sheppard explained that Birmingham had hosted the
Commonwealth Games, not the Olympics. In terms of the
Children’s Capital of Culture, it was not possible to provide
exact figures in terms of the financial impact, but it had already
delivered incredibly hIgh level
training opportunities for many young people. Lots of them had gone
on into the cultural sector either as freelancers or to work with
companies and it had provided opportunities that they would not
have had otherwise.
There were also a number of events such as the Uplift Festival
which would take place in July 2024 in the Town Centre. The
initiative was about experiences and positivity for young people
and the wider population.
17. Councillor Jones:
Throughout the last 7 years the council has gone to great lengths
to point out that the government is the only organisation that
could stop the re-opening of Droppingwell tip. Now we have a Labour
government can you please give a timeline as to when we can expect
the license to be revoke?
The Leader stated that he could not provide a timeline as the
Labour government had been in office for less than two weeks. He
doubted the issue of Droppingwell Tip had reached the top of the
government’s to do list. However, the Leader confirmed that
he would continue to make representations to the new government,
just as he did with the previous government, representing the view
that the Council had taken in opposing the reopening of tip at
Droppingwell.
Councillor Jones took it from the response that the Leader had not
yet written to the new Secretary of State yet and asked why this
was the case. He stated that the new Labour government’s
ethos was to hit the ground running which obviously had not reached
Rotherham Labour as yet. The Defence Secretary had met with the
Ukrainian leader and the Prime Minister had attended the NATO
summit and the Chancellor had met with every housebuilding
organisation in the country. Yet the Council had not gotten round
to sending an email to the new Secretary of State. He asked to the
Leader to explain why there was no rush?
The Leader stated that he was amused that Councillor Jones thought
that this was the top issue facing the country at this time. The
Leader believed that families would be more worried about poverty,
about not having a home, about homelessness, about NHS waiting
lists and access to public services. They would not be worried
about the Leader’s letter about Droppingwell Tip.
The Leader did confirm that he continued to make representations
and had made complaints to the Environment Agency within the last
few weeks, and he would continue to do so. In due course, when it
was appropriate to do so, those issues would be raised with
ministers as well.
18. Councillor T
Collingham: The original consultation plans for Towns and Villages
included a joint delivery with Highways, to resurface roads and
paint fresh line markings at the same time as delivering the
project. Surely this collaboration with Highways has failed?
Councillor Sheppard stated that he did not accept that at all. The
delivery of the Towns and Villages project, including the
collaboration with Highways, had been successful with 15 projects
delivered so far through the Towns and Villages fund, 11 of which
were carried out by the Highways Delivery Team.
287 metres of roads and 563 metres of footway were repaired in
collaboration with this project and all road markings were
refreshed during the delivery of the new community projects as
required. It had not failed at all.
In his supplementary, Councillor T Collingham stated that, in
addressing snagging issues for the Towns and Villages project, it
had been repeatedly reported that disabled residents were
struggling to exit their vehicles due to the location of planters
on the High Street. He asked why the Council continued to ignore
these concerns and not take action?
Councillor Sheppard stated that he had not been made aware of any
issues regarding access where the new planters had been situated.
The Highways Delivery Team had been involved in the projected
within Councillor T Collingham’s ward and Councillor Sheppard
highlighted a press release that included the following quote from
Councillor T Collingham on the completion of the Towns and Villages
Scheme on Green Arbour Road: Before this area on Green Arbour Road
looked a little tired and was seen to be a hazard by pedestrians
and road users alike, but now it couldn’t be more different.
Parents walking their children to local primary schools can feel
more confident about using this pathway and those popping into the
shops can access the services they need whether they are walking or
driving. Overall, I am delighted with the progress of this project
and cannot wait to see how the planters bloom in the spring.
Councillor Sheppard confirmed that this was a good news story and
asked that any issues with the siting of the planters be reported
to him.
19. Councillor T
Collingham: The council continues to inform residents that the
planters implemented as part of the Towns and Villages project are
the responsibility of parish councils to maintain. Are any of the
planters implemented by the Town and Villages project maintained by
Parish Councils in the borough, and if so, can a list by location
be provided?
Councillor Sheppard explained that arrangements had been made for
an After Care Package for each of the Towns and Villages
schemes. The maintenance regimes
differed across the 22 individual locations in the programme,
depending on the pre-scheme arrangements, and the ownership makeup
of the land. This involved regular
maintenance of all schemes by the Borough Council for a period of
between 3 and 5 years. For those
schemes on highway land, the maintenance was by default the
responsibility of the Borough Council on a permanent
basis.
Councillor Sheppard had asked officers to review all the various arrangements that were in place and by the end of the month, share a list confirming the maintenance arrangements.
He confirmed however that the scheme in Thurcroft was within the highway boundary, so the Borough Council was currently responsible for its maintenance.
20. Councillor Jones:
With the implementation of the new road layout on Westgate with one
single road lane, it’s only a matter of time before a serious
accident will happen, can you confirm if a head on collision does
take place, who would be liable?
Councillor Taylor explained that the scheme had been designed with
reference to relevant guidance and underlying research; and there
was very good forward visibility throughout for the design speed
and speed limit. The layout implemented had been an option allowed
for by Department for Transport guidelines since at least 2008,
with such layouts having existed on the ground for at least two
decades – it was not an experimental or innovative
layout.
Councillor Taylor stated that if people could not drive safely down
a road then it would be a matter for those involved and relevant
agencies to determine liability between them – the Council
would not be liable as it had complied with the design regulations
and codes.
In his supplementary Councillor Jones asked who exactly had asked
for the cycle lanes? He stated that he had spoken with road
cyclists, businesses, residents and other Councillors and non to
date had been asked. Those cycling lanes did not appear in the
Highway Code or on the driving test, so the scheme was littered
with potential accidents waiting to happen. Councillor Jones asked
when the Council was going to start listening to residents and
re-evaluate the ridiculous pieces of ideology before someone got
hurt? He stated that his last quote had come from a road cyclist
who had refused to use the cycle lane.
In response, Councillor Taylor stated that these schemes did not
just happen. There had been research and analysis before the final
design had been agreed. He acknowledged the anecdotal evidence that
Councillor Jones had presented and presented his own. Councillor
Taylor had used one of the cycling schemes on Paternoster Row in
Sheffield as a cyclist and he felt much safer when compared with
other designs. He had also used it as a motorist and did not feel
that he was endangering anyone.
He concluded that the design had been approved and was in
accordance with all relevant legislation and guidance. Of course it
could never be guaranteed that there would be no accidents on any
stretch of road. However the situation would be monitored as usual
and assessed over time.
21. Councillor
Bennett-Sylvester: When considering residential planning
applications are members of the planning board able to reject them
if they feel they would impact on town centre residential
development?
Councillor Williams stated that all planning applications, whether
they were determined by officers or Planning Board, were considered
on their own merits after having regard to both local planning
policy within the Council’s adopted Local Plan and national
planning policy in the National Planning Policy
Framework.
The Council’s local plan had allocated land suitable for
housing to meet the targets set out in the Council’s Core
Strategy. Councillor Williams stated that it would be odd to raise
concerns about a housing application on a site that had been
allocated for that purpose by having concerns about a separate site
in the Town Centre. It could well be considered unreasonable to
resist an application for housing on an allocated site for concerns
about the impact on town centre residential development. Decisions
that were considered to be made on unreasonable grounds could lead
to a costs awarded against the Council in any subsequent
appeal.
In his supplementary question, Councillor Bennett-Sylvester
referenced the 2001 Thorpe Hesley planning inquiry and stated that
one of the pieces of evidence in that was showing that there had
been a 20% drop in the residential population of the town centre.
Councillor Bennett-Sylvester was concerned that some of the sites
in the Town Centre were not coming forward or if they were, it was
with a subsidy from the public purse. He asked the Chair of
Planning what tools would be useful to lead a policy where there
was more favourable market conditions for the Town Centre as
opposed to the greenfield developments?
Councillor Williams explained that it was not for him as Chair of
Planning Board to set Planning Policy. The housing allocations were
set out in the Local Plan and there would be updates throughout the
Local Plan period. Councillor Williams noted that the Council were
leading on Town Centre development and there had been some great
schemes.
22.Councillor
Bennett-Sylvester: A request from Gateway users, can a changing
places toilet facility be provided that is convenient for town
centre shoppers?
Councillor Sheppard explained that there was a changing places
facility at Gulliver’s and was aware of the difference that
having those facilities made. In terms
of the Town Centre, the Council had recently delivered new Changing
Places toilet facilities at New York Stadium, Clifton Park and at
Grimm & Co’s new premises on Ship Hill opposite the Town
Hall. The latter was likely to be the
most convenient facility for people shopping in the town centre. A
new Changing Places
toilet facility was also being planned as part of the redevelopment
of the Markets and Library.
23. Councillor
Reynolds: Are there any costs, fees, or subscriptions to RMBC for
the services of the organisation GO4Growth?
The Leader explained that there were costs of £28,500 across
the length of the contract, with £9,500 paid to date. All the
activities of Go4Growth were externally funded, through
UKSPF, rather than from core Council
funding.
24. Councillor
Bennett-Sylvester: We are several months into running on street
markets whilst market redevelopment takes place. What experience is
being taken from this for future street market provision?
Councillor Taylor explained that in November 2023 the traders in
the Outdoor Covered Market moved operations to expand the on-street
market offer to every day of the week. To date, the feedback from
those traders had been generally positive, with an increased number
of market traders taking advantage of the reduced rents and
contributing to more visible activity in the town
centre.
However, it was also important to recognise that this was currently
working well during the warmer weather, and street markets were
typically less attractive for traders and customers in the winter,
when a covered indoor facility provided a better trading
environment. The Council would continue to review the impact,
especially any variances over the winter months.
In his supplementary, Councillor Bennett-Sylvester praised the
outdoor markets, particularly the bazaar held on a Thursday. The
experience was positive for the Town Centre and raised the quandary
about whether or not markets like the bazaar could be given the
option of remaining as street markets when the indoor market
redevelopment was complete. He asked Councillor Taylor if that was
possible.
Councillor Taylor confirmed that discussions were taking place
regarding keeping that “buzz” in the Town Centre and
confirmed that he would raise Councillor Bennett-Sylvester’s
suggestion in those discussions.
25. Councillor
Bennett-Sylvester: Can the Cabinet Member for Transport, Jobs and
the local economy please give their commentary on the economic
benefits to Rotherham town centre from hosting Pride on June
8th?
Councillor Taylor explained that the first Rotherham Pride since
2019 took place in June and relocated from Clifton Park to the Town
Centre. The event incorporated a stage at All Saints' Square and
stalls at Minster Gardens. There was no parade this year as the
organisers were relatively new to event management and wished to
start with a smaller scale event to test the Town Centre
location.
Although there was no independent economic impact study commissioned for this event (because of its small scale), it did bring an additional footfall to the town centre, which was measured at 5,436 people.
At
another recent town centre event (Roots) where an independent study
was commissioned, visitor spend was calculated at an average of
£22.85 per person.
In his supplementary question, Councillor Bennett-Sylvester paid
tribute to the Pride Team who only started in August 2023 and to
the Rotherham Event’s Team for delivering an excellent event.
Although it was a relatively small event, it did show that All
Saint’s Square in the Town Centre could produce a truly
exciting backdrop for events. Could the Council look at supporting
more events there going forward, particularly if there was a
financial requirement?
Councillor Taylor stated that the regeneration team were well aware
that events in the Town Centre were an important factor and he
thanked Councillor Bennett-Sylvester for his praise of the teams
involved.
26. Councillor Z
Collingham: What is the rationale in requiring the family of some
Council tenants, who lose mental capacity, to obtain a Court order
before the tenancy can be surrendered, leaving Council properties
to stand empty for several months?
Councillor Allen explained that when a tenant who had been assessed
as lacking capacity to make the decision to terminate their tenancy
agreement and did not have anyone with legal authority to make this
decision on their behalf, there was no other way of ending the
tenancy agreement lawfully other than by making an application to
the Court of Protection.
An application to the Court of Protection could take several months
to be processed by the court before a final order was made granting
permission to end a tenancy agreement. The particular circumstance
of a case did influence the time taken to resolve those
issues.
Councillor Allen sought to assure Councillor Z Collingham that in
all cases, the Council was acting in accordance with the law, and
they would always look to work with families to resolve such cases
as quickly as possible.
Councillor Z Collingham stated that he was aware that the law in
this situation could be a nuisance and a cause of delays. He asked
whether Councillor Allen would explore whether the tenancy document
itself could be reviewed to add something to cover these
situations. Given the slim risk of a person in care returning to
their home to find it reallocated, could provision be included for
a doctor’s letter or something similar so that the house
could be put back into the stock as soon as possible?
Councillor Allen explained that the time taken with these processes
was reducing. However, the Housing Allocation’s Policy was
being reviewed and the points raised by Councillor Z Collingham
could be picked up as part of that. Councillor Allen encouraged
Member to join the working group on the Housing Allocation’s
Policy.
27. Councillor Bennett-Sylvester: Can the Deputy Leader
please give their commentary on the benefits of hosting Pride on
June 8th in relation to their social inclusion portfolio?
Councillor Sheppard echoed the earlier thanks given to the Pride
Committee for doing such an excellent job. The Council was pleased
to have had the opportunity to host Pride in the town centre and
work with the new committee of volunteers who had come together to
run it.
Pride was an important platform for the LGBTQ+
community. It was not only a
celebration of diversity in relation to sexuality and gender,
it’s also a platform to address some of the challenges faced
by the LGBTQ+ community, which still battles social stigma,
discrimination and harassment including hate crimes and
violence.
In supporting Pride, the Council upheld it commitment to equality,
demonstrating its support for its own LGBTQ+ employees and elected
members as well as its LGBTQ+ communities. It was about showing community leadership and an
important expression of the value, Caring - demonstrating the
commitment to inclusivity and the desire to take time to listen and
understand what matters to all residents and groups. Councillor
Sheppard was thrilled that it was such a success.
In his supplementary, Councillor Bennett-Sylvester highlighted
bigoted letters in the Rotherham Advertiser and the parliamentary
candidates from parties that had questionable commitments to Human
Rights in relation to equality gaining several thousands of votes
locally and stated that there was still lots of work to do.
Councillor Bennett-Sylvester raised the expansion of Pride Pals and
asked if conversations could take place with the Pride Committee
and information sent through the relevant networks? This would
allow for safe places for people to express themselves.
Councillor Sheppard stated that he was always happy to be engaging
with the Pride volunteers.
28. Councillor
Bennett-Sylvester: Can the Deputy Leader please report on what, if
any percentage of the neighbourhood working budget is provided by
the housing revenue account?
Councillor Sheppard explained that the members Community Leadership
Fund (CLF) budget was £93,456 and it received a £20,000
(21%) HRA contribution which was distributed evenly across the 59
individual budgets. The capital budget did not receive any HRA
funding.
In his supplementary, Councillor Bennett-Sylvester asked if there
was a contribution in terms of officer time? Further, the five most
deprived wards contributed 30 to 37% of Council properties and
suffered the highest deprivation, biggest social problems and were
further behind than other neighbourhoods. He asked whether it was
possible for those areas that had more social housing to receive a
higher proportion of the funding?
Councillor Sheppard confirmed that the Housing Revenue Account did
make a contribution to the Neighbourhood Teams staffing budget. In
terms of the Ward Housing Budgets, there was a base budget for each
ward of £4,000 along with an enhancement dependent upon the
number of Council homes in the ward to give them more resources. At
the Council moved forward with Neighbourhood Working, it wanted to
be able to support all communities together and Councillor Sheppard
was always happy to receive contributions that could contribute to
this.
29. Councillor Bacon:
Can the leader of the council update us on his actions as a
portfolio holder and board member of SYMCA,
and let us know how many times he’s attended a
scrutiny body specifically for this role since he got it?
The Leader explained that he had been appointed as the portfolio
holder of Policy, Engagement and Impact in September 2023. He
confirmed that he had not been asked to attend the SYMCA Overview
and Scrutiny Committee in the role to date.
As a board member of
the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority over the last 12
months, the Leader had been working, together with others, across
the region to:
· Progress the assessment of bus franchising to end the deregulation of the bus network South Yorkshire, in accordance with the statutory process to franchise the network. This builds on the successful transfer of the Supertram network into public control in April.
· Bring more investment into priority schemes in the borough, with the MCA’s budget agreed in March allocating more than £310m into priority interventions to improve our roads, public transport, reduce the risk of flooding and create more jobs and skills across the breadth of the borough.
· Agree a Level 4 Devolution Deal with Government to bring more powers and control to the region from Westminster, so more decisions are made by South Yorkshire, for South Yorkshire.
· Set out a comprehensive blueprint for the future of the region through the new Growth and Skills plans that were agreed in March, to create more and better growth across the whole of South Yorkshire.
In his supplementary question, Councillor Bacon stated that
something was missing as he had not seen any portfolio holders at
SYMCA Overview and Scrutiny Committee meetings. The government
guidance released in 2023 stated that members who were portfolio
holders should commit to engaging regularly with the Committee and
attend when requested. Councillor Bacon asked the Leader to commit
to engaging regularly with the scrutiny bodies in his role as a
SYMCA portfolio holder and to commit to asking other portfolio
holders to do the same?
The Leader explained that he would commit to those requests in
principle as he had no issues with the requests. However, it was
for the SYMCA scrutiny committee, like it was in Rotherham, to
invite portfolio holders to attend. They could not impose
themselves on scrutiny bodies.
The portfolio holders at SYMCA did not make individual decisions.
Decisions were made by the SYMCA Board as a collective.
30. Councillor
Bennett-Sylvester: I’ve recently been at several council
venues that accept Rothercard but seen no POS advertising it. Why
aren’t we providing point of sale material advertising
Rothercard at point of sale?
Councillor Sheppard thanked Councillor Bennett-Sylvester for the
feedback. last year.
The annual review of the scheme was due to take place in September. The Council would be looking at applicant numbers, the range/type of discounts available and take-up rates.
They would also be looking at anything else that could be done to
improve the scheme. So as part of the review, Councillor Sheppard
stated that he would be more than happy to take forward the
suggestion for more actively promoting the benefits of the scheme
across Council venues.
In his supplementary, Councillor Bennett-Sylvester highlighted that
he and Councillor Sheppard were the only two Members of the working
group returned at the election. He therefore encouraged other to
join as he had found the work extremely satisfying.
Councillor Bennett-Sylvester expressed his frustration at the lack
of promotion of Rothercard, such as at the Civic Theatre. People
needed to be more aware that if a service was advertised, it would
be used more. Did the Cabinet Member agree that the Council were
not doing the best job at shouting about how great Rothercard
was?
Councillor Sheppard stated that the Council wanted to get the
scheme promoted as much as possible. Suggestions would be taken
forward as part of the review.
31. Councillor
Tinsley: Biffa have taken over the management of the household
residual waste facility in Manvers. Is there any foreseen changes
to the service in general?
As neither Councillor Alam or Councillor Tinsley were present at
the meeting to ask or answer the question, a written response would
be provided.
32. Councillor
Tinsley: For the Maltby Towns and Villages Highstreet project. Will
we see a shovel in the ground by the end of 2024?
As Councillor Tinsley was not present at the meeting to ask the
question, a written response would be provided.
33. Councillor
Yasseen: Does the council acknowledge that Herringthorpe Playing
Field, as described by the public, is protected by a restrictive
covenant, thus safeguarding and protecting Herringthorpe Playing
fields from any development that does not preserve its designation
for recreational purposes?
As Councillor Yasseen was not present at the meeting to ask the
question, a written response would be provided.
34. Councillor
Tinsley: Broken glass is a daily occurrence In Coronation Park at
Maltby. There has been calls for it to be cleaned daily. Will the
council implement this?
As Councillor Tinsley was not present at the meeting to ask the
question, a written response would be provided.
35. Councillor
Tinsley: When will the enhanced street cleaning on Maltby
Highstreet begin?
As Councillor Tinsley was not present at the meeting to ask the
question, a written response would be provided.
36. Councillor
Tinsley: Why hasn't the council created a Playing Field
Strategy?
As Councillor Tinsley was not present at the meeting to ask the
question, a written response would be provided.