Green action at December’s full Council

Sheffield’s four Green Councillors have submitted a set of amendments to the meeting of the full council on Wednesday 6th December 2017.

The meeting is at 5pm and is open to the public who are permitted to attend and ask questions.

The amendments represent what Green councillors would do differently to the ruling Labour Administration. They include:

1. An amendment to oppose a limit on the number of motions councillors can submit. This adversely affects the opposition parties. The amendment also calls for the chance to debate the Green motion at the start of the meeting. At October’s meeting, the council agreed to debate a Green motion first at the December meeting. However, in December, the Administration has put our motions to the end of the agenda to guarantee they will not be discussed.
2. To criticise the NHS proposals about closure of the Minor Injuries Unit at the Hallamshire Hospital and the Walk-In Centre on Broad Lane
3. To propose the view that the Council has a moral duty to protect the city’s children.
4. To call on the Administration to end the situation which means Council tenants can be evicted if they cannot pay water bills on time. No other householders in the city face this threat.
5. To apologise for the alarm and distress caused to Councillor Alison Teal for the Administration’s (failed) attempt to send her to prison.

The amendments are in addition to the Green motions. We proposed a public and independent enquiry into the conduct of members of the Administration and Council officers that led to the High Court case being brought against Councillor Alison Teal.

Separately, we proposed a scheme to enable requests for “Play Streets.”

The Green Party motions are on the Council agenda papers at http://democracy.sheffield.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?MId=6694

The full text of the amendments is shown below:

Suspension of procedure rules
Proposed – Cllr Douglas Johnson; seconded Cllr Alison Teal
Delete the words “the number of motions submitted through the recognised groups …. will be limited to no more than four.”
Add “Re-approves the revised formula adopted at the meeting of this Council in October 2017.”

Access to Urgent Primary Care
Proposed – Cllr Douglas Johnson; seconded Cllr Magid Magid
Insert after (c):
(d) is disappointed that the consultation does not include options, or invite public comments, on the closure of the Minor Injuries Unit and Walk-in Centre;
(e) is further disappointed that NHS officials declined to share the draft consultation paper with the cross-party Healthier Communities and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee at its meeting on 20 September 2017, despite the consultation going live on 25 September;
(f) Believes that, in any consultation, it is vital to be open and clear about the most significant practical changes being proposed.”

Children’s services
Proposed – Cllr Alison Teal; seconded Cllr Magid Magid
Deletes (j)
In para (k) replace “believes that this Administration do everything it can to protect the city’s children” with “believes that this Administration has a moral duty to protect the city’s children.”

“National budget”
Proposed – Cllr Douglas Johnson, seconded Cllr Magid Magid
Insert after (m),
“Notes that, in Sheffield, only Council tenants can be evicted from their homes if they cannot pay water bills on time and therefore calls on the Administration to end this practice by accounting for water bills separately from rent accounts and ceasing to pursue eviction in the courts because of water rates.”

Public Accountability of Members and Officers
Proposed – Cllr Magid Magid;  seconded Cllr Douglas Johnson
Add after (g),
(h) Apologises for the alarm and distress caused to Cllr Alison Teal