Councillor’s report March/April 2014

Instead of the diary, here is a list of my activities for the last 6 weeks. It is based on diaried appointments, so time spent on administration, reading and casework is not included. I could analyse the latter from my records.

Campaigns/issues

• Penistone Rd “improvements” – supported CycleSheffield campaign not to increase speed limit and to improve facilities for pedestrians and cyclists (attended briefing and spoke at highways cabinet).
• Pedestrian improvements associated with Streetahead work – meeting with highways officer about proposed use of “opportunities fund” in Sharrow Vale area
• Briefing about extension of Parking Permit Zones around city centre
• Streetsahead – attended public meeting put on by Amey about their tree work
• Student move out– round table meeting with Veolia, Environmental Protection Service, Universities to discuss measures to deal with students throwing out their household belongings at the end of the year (“red bags” and “bring it don’t bin it” schemes).
• Sustainable City Centre – briefing with senior council officer re SCC’s alternative plans following the end of the “Seven Stones” (Hammerson’s) plan; also met Richard Motley of Cultural Industries Quarter, looking to produce a “neighbourhood plan” for that area.
• Advertising in the city centre – briefing in support of a local independent group who wish to get a contract.
• Support for Community Café proposal in Broomhall – comments on planning, meetings with protagonists
• Sharrow Surestart building – NHS Properties are now charging commercial rent so the midwives and most of the remaining support groups will have to move out (meeting with officers and stakeholders to hear about plans, followed by briefing for update/more detail).
• Surestart prevention services and voluntary projects which are providing much of the remaining activity (meeting with Shipshape and briefing with consultant in public health to discuss commissioning and funding).
• Medicals for taxi drivers –investigation into whether there would be any possible benefit from increasing the frequency of medical checks for taxi drivers (meeting with Dir of Public Health to discuss data needed).
• Fossil Fuel Divestment – supported SCACC (Sheffield Campaign Against Climate Change) campaign to get South Yorkshire Pensions Authority to divest from fossil fuels (met with both Sheffield councillors on SYPA and attended SCACC meeting and subgroup)
• Fracking – volunteered to help on SCACC stall at TUC conference
• Briefing about boundary review – sight of initial draft maps of new wards

Regular meetings

• Licensing sub-committee x 3 – two sessions of taxi driver cases; one on sale of live animals and mobile trader conditions
• Licensing policy meeting – approving new scale of fees
• Cycle Forum
• Lansdowne TARA (Tenants & Residents Association) – plus separate meeting with chair
• Hanover TARA (discussion re council’s new “recognition policy”)
• Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Committee (substitute for Rob Murphy) – discussion of Lettings Policy and Housing Revenue Account expenditure (question about reinstating waste monitoring officers, requested by TARA)
• Local Area Partnership meeting for lead ward councillors
• Full Council – Green motion calling on government to work towards Financial Transaction Tax (Robin Hood Tax) though in order to get it passed we had to water down an earlier (rejected) version calling for unilateral action; Green amendment to Labour’s on creating a separate planning class use for betting shops (we asked to support the Sustainable Communities Act campaign for the same thing, thus combing efforts with other councils and ensuring the proposal is considered).
• Full Governors’ meeting at Lowfield Primary School
• Party Whips meeting
• Allotment Advisory Group

Public meetings/appearances

• Looked in on St Patrick’s day celebrations in Town Hall
• Disability Sheffield AGM at the Circle
• Gateway 10th Anniversary celebration at Highfield Trinity
• Lunchtime fundraiser in Town Hall for orphanage in Kashmir
• Portland Works open day
• Sheffield Renewables AGM
• Grow Sheffield/ Abundance AGM
• First same sex marriage ceremony – at midnight in Town Hall. (see video here)
• Freedom Ride – met Sheffield contingent on station; and a week later spoke to protestors at Meadowhall (there are campaigns against loss of OAP rail pass and loss of early morning concessions for disabled people)
• Future of Retail in the city centre, presentation to session on “who is city centre for?” at two day conference organised by Sheffield University
• Fracking – spoke at meeting organised by Hope Valley Green Party
• Celebration at Israac to mark SCC passing motion calling on government to recognise Somaliland (alongside dignatories from Somali government and local Cllrs, MP and MEP)
• Met with opposition members of Somaliland being presented to Lord Mayor in Town Hall
• Interviewed for Our Broomhall project
• Interviewed for video about role of councillors (for website encouraging students to vote)
• Attended State of Sheffield presentation and workshop
• Hillsborough 25th anniversary memorial ceremony with Dep Lord Mayor of Liverpool and other Sheffield party leaders
• Participated in Green Commission launch (presentation and round table discussion)
• ECO network at Hubs (organised by Sheffield Hallam students)
• Radio Sheffield x 2 – on licensing fees (for Sexual Establishments) and city centre
• Sheffield Live – views on city centre development
• Hustings – to support Sarah Jane
• Anti-trident – chaired meeting organised by Sheffield CND with Bruce Kent speaking

Green Party meetings

• Central ward group
• Campaigns group
• Greener Futures group
• Election group
• Monthly general meeting
• Mass canvass, I organised training session
• Canvassing sessions – half a dozen
• One-to-one meetings with members and supporters – a dozen
• Social/fundraiser (55th birthdays x 2 at Fagans)