Sheffield referendum results prove people power is alive and well

The governance and Broomhill, Broomfield, Endcliffe, Summerfield and Tapton (BBEST) neighbourhood plan referendums, although very different, were both sparked by Sheffielders who wanted and succeeded in taking more control of their community.

It’s Our City made history with its petition of more than 26,000 signatures - the biggest of its kind - that triggered the governance referendum on how the council is run. It then empowered voters to turnout and choose to change the council from a strong leader model to a modern committee system - a commitment the city will have to keep for at least the next nine years. The result was a clear 64.8 per cent in favour of change.

Anne Barr, co-chair of It’s Our City, said: “I would like to stress what a David and Goliath struggle it has been because it is communities and residents going up against the establishment. An establishment that at times has been uncooperative in working with us in terms of changing things for the better.

“This is inspiring because it shows people working together in communities can effect powerful change so I think that is a really strong message to come out of today.

“A lot of people are disillusioned, they feel their vote doesn’t count. Today we have shown very clearly that is not the case - that we can effect real change if we all work together."

In a district stretching from Ranmoor student village to Weston Park, an area lauded as the 'prettiest suburb in England' by the poet Sir John Betjeman, the community has taken more control of what developments happen in its area and where - after 91.9 per cent of voters chose to adopt a blueprint created by the community.

The BBEST neighbourhood planning forum, a group of more than 200 local residents, developed the plan over a period of around eight years - overcoming challenges and mapping out where they wanted to see things like shops, houses and travel routes.

It aims to enhance green and open spaces, maintain a sustainable community, boost the retail centre, offer a better experience for walkers and cyclists and preserve and enhance the area’s character.

Councillor Shaffaq Mohammed, leader of Sheffield Liberal Democrats, was an elected representative for the area when the plans were first being drawn up.

He said: “It’s been a long time coming but what it does do is gives the community a lot more power over developments.

“Local plans are the way forward, it can be frustrating in terms of how long it takes to get there.

“The Dore plan is about to go as well so we will soon have another similar referendum this year.

“It’s about empowering communities so it’s not always centralising power and control at the Town Hall or with councillors.”

These referendum results were announced today at the English Institute of Sport Sheffield following a dramatic election count on Friday that saw the Green Party gain five seats from Labour and the Liberal Democrats, three, pushing the council to no overall control for the first time in a decade.

While the BBEST neighbourhood plan is already detailed and decided, the details of the new committee system will be ironed out over the next year before being implemented from May 2022.

Broadly, the new model will have a number of committees with areas of decision-making responsibilities such as transport and development. Each committee will be made up of councillors of all parties, with the number of seats proportionate to the political make-up of the council.

All decisions will have to be considered at a meeting of a committee and not by individual councillors.

Ms Barr said: "We are only at the start of change…The system has got to be designed, we are hoping there is going to be vision and a real political will to get the best blueprint for Sheffield we can get.

“There is no ‘one size fits all’, this can be tailor made specifically to the needs of our city and we hope this is going to be embraced.

“We issue a challenge to Sheffield Council to give us the best system possible, really go for it and make this a blueprint that other people across the country can emulate.”

Councillor Terry Fox, leader of Sheffield Labour, congratulated It's Our City on its victory and said: "We want to use this result as a positive opportunity to improve how the council works and deliver what the people want to see from the council.

“We said whichever system the people of Sheffield vote for, we would implement that decision and develop a system to make it work. Ultimately what everyone wants to see is a system that enables the council to deliver for Sheffield, that makes decisions in an accountable, inclusive and transparent way. We will work with other political parties to discuss the way forward over the coming days and weeks."

Kate Josephs, chief executive of the council and returning officer for the elections, added: “The people of Sheffield have spoken, they used their democratic right to decide what they want us to do and how they want us to operate, which is a great thing and what we are all here for.

“Yes, there are lots of details to work out but I can confidently reassure anybody who is worried that we will be working really hard together across all parties and as officers supporting political parties to make sure we come up with a really clear, ambitious plan for our city going forward.”