The local Liberal Democrats have written to Sheffield City Council Leader Cllr Terry Fox demanding that he works to improve Sheffield’s public transport in line with motions passed at a meeting of the Council in December.

Liberal Democrat Group Leader Shaffaq Mohammed said; “At this meeting we stepped up and passed these motions calling for better public transport, we would have appreciated the opportunity to debate the issues with the Councils Labour and Green leadership, but in their absence we believe that the people of Sheffield would want their concerns raised.”

Read the letter below:

The plans that would see bus lanes introduced on Abbeydale and Ecclesall Roads have attracted thousands of comments during consultation that has taken place over the last two months and the Liberal Democrats say it is time to reconsider rather than pushing ahead with the current disliked proposals.

Lib Dem Transport Spokesman Councillor Tim Huggan said; “These plans would have a major effect on many local businesses, making it harder for people to get to some of the city’s main shopping streets outside of the town centre. Whilst we support measures to strengthen public transport these plans are not right for these roads and need to be withdrawn"

“We want the South Yorkshire Mayor to move forward on the bus franchise model for public transport, that would lead to a regular, frequent and more reliable bus services for Sheffield Residents – Cllr Johnson should join us in those efforts.”

In a new wave of funding from January 7th, up to £6000 is available for businesses in the hospitality sector. Sheffield City Council is currently working towards provision of the funding. In 2020 Sheffield City Council gave back around £16 million in unspent grant money to Central Government because it was not provided to businesses before the deadline. 

Lib Dem council group leader Shaffaq Mohammed said “What lessons have they learnt from last time? We’re sleepwalking into the same situation. It’s not the first time this has happened on Mazher Iqbal’s watch.”

“I urge businesses to come forward, engage with their local council and tap into these cash grants, which will help to cover costs and protect jobs as we double down on our efforts to get boosted and defeat this virus.”

Sheffield Star Link - Sheffield hospitality firms 'will go under' due to delays in Omicron grants councillor claims

Around 800 people returned our survey on the proposed stadium in Meadowhead. If you haven’t completed it yet, you can complete it at Meadowhead Survey. We will pass on any new reponses to Sheffield FC.

Local councillor Simon Clement-Jones met with Sheffield FC to present the findings of the survey. Sheffield FC have said they will attend a public meeting early next year to discuss their plans with local residents. 

Cllr Simon Clement-Jones welcomed this news. He said, “It’s clear from our survey that people are very split on the plans."

He added “It’s good that Sheffield FC have agreed to meet with local people to hear their concerns. As soon as the details of the meeting are finalised, we will let you know.”

Sheffield Liberal Democrats stepped in to ensure members of the public could still exercise their democratic right to ask questions of those in power as Labour and Green councillors refuse to do their job.

Empty Labour and Green seats at the Octagon Centre yesterday

The City Council’s Liberal Democrats are hugely disappointed to see a motion that they put to the City Council’s Full Council meeting to give greater powers and responsibilities to Council’s newly created Local Area Committees (LACs) be voted down by Labour and Green Councillors.

In recognition of World Toilet Day on Friday 19^th November, Sheffield Liberal Democrats have begun a campaign calling for more toilets with better disability access to be put into the city centre, claiming that free public conveniences have become nearly impossible to find in Sheffield in recent years.

Local Lib Dems have backed a letter sent to the COP26 climate change summit signed by hundreds of local councillors across the country calling on more power for local government to tackle climate change.

Sheffield Lib Dems at the COP26 march in the city centre

Lib Dem councillors are supportive of the overall goals of Sheffield’s recently announced Clean Air Plan, which will involve charging commercial vehicles for using city centre roads.  However, the inclusion of the city’s inner ring road in the plan is more than likely to push traffic onto side streets that are less suited for large quantities of traffic.

The continued delay to the Council's scheduled November Full Council meeting shows that the Council is currently lacking leadership and a ‘can-do’ attitude.

The meeting that should have been taking place on Wednesday 3^rd November was postponed due to not having a covid-safe venue to hold it in. So far, the Council have failed to rearrange the meeting or sort out alternative arrangements.

A food waste collection scheme first championed by the Sheffield Liberal Democrats has now been delayed by the Labour/Green coalition in control of Sheffield Town Hall.

A question from Liberal Democrat Councillor Sophie Thornton at a recent Council meeting led to the revelation that the Council has been breaking the law.

After a week of council coalition discussions and meetings, I wanted to give you as members a quick update on our thinking and where we are given the considerable interest and questions members have shown over the last few days.

The Lib Dems are calling for the Focused Mass Testing of care homes, schools, students, high risk workplaces and their families to bring people together safely over Christmas. With fears growing around South Yorkshire’s restrictions over the festive period, being one of the hardest hit areas by the COVID-19 outbreak, these leaders are mounting their frustrations with their local Councils for their “lack of initiative and proactivity” on testing. 

Lib Dem councillor Shaffaq Mohammed said, “This is absolutely scandalous!

“Sheffield’s taxpayer money should not have been spent in Scarborough while Sheffield’s sporting heritage was told not to re-open.

Sheffield City Council were given £113m by the Government to give out to local businesses during the Coronavirus pandemic. After failing to give the money out in time, the Council are set to give £16m of that money back to Government.

Liberal Democrat questions to the Labour council has uncovered that despite £16m remaining, over 1,600 of Sheffield’s businesses were refused any grant money by the council!

The Government has announced that rental e-scooters will be legal from Saturday with a maximum speed of 15.5 MPH. Local Councils will be able to trial and run 12 month trial schemes.  Fifty local Authorities have expressed an interest in being part of the trials with Middlesborough being the first from the 4th July.  E-scooters. have the potential to be real alternative to short car journeys which can clog up many of the City’s streets.

Liberal Democrat Councillors are asking Sheffield City Council to get serious in the way it supports rough sleepers throughout the COVID-19 crisis. This follows the government roll-back of emergency accommodation support and an arson attack on a key homelessness charity.

Liberal Democrats have welcomed the lifting the restrictions on key workers at Sheffield’s Hospitals at Car Parks owned by the City Council.

Liberal Democrats have called for the lifting the restrictions on key workers at Sheffield’s Hospitals.

Liberal Democrat MEPs have today written to the EU Commissioner for Trade, Cecilia Malmstrom, asking her to urgently seek assurances from the Government of Brazil that it will act to honour its environmental commitments to the Amazon Rainforest, as a condition of the ratification of the recently agreed EU - Mercosur trade agreement. The European Parliament will vote on the provisional trade agreement in the coming months. 

A new ‘code of conduct’ for Lord Mayors was proposed to Sheffield Full Council meeting on Tuesday 5^th December.

In a chaotic Council Chamber, Labour ended abstaining on their own motion and the Liberal Democrats defeated it.

While this hasn't been released by the Council yet, we have heard from a reliable source that the 20 of the healthy trees on Western Road will be saved!

Sheffield has some of the most underfunded schools in the country. But in this year’s budget, the Government gave more money to fixing pot holes than our schools. School should be a place where young people are given the experiences and tools to get on in life. That’s what parents expect. That’s what teachers want to deliver. That’s what the Budget failed to deliver.

Labour are set to force through a 90% cut in money expected to be used by local communities to improve their areas.

The Liberal Democrats are calling for an urgent cash injection for Sheffield’s schools.

Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Campaigner for Sheffield Hallam, Laura Gordon has met with several headteachers from within the Hallam constituency to listen to their concerns.

Liberal Democrats are claiming victory as Sheffield’s health bosses are set to agree plans which would keep the Minor Injuries Unit and Walk In Centre open until April 2020 and the urgent eye care services indefinitely.