Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for Corporate and Support Services.

The Scrutiny Panel is to consider the report and provide comments. 

Officer Contact: Murray Carr, 0161 474 3019, email murray.carr@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Corporate Director for Corporate and Support Services submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) in order to provide the Panel with a variety of confidential information in relation to the Council’s public buildings with provision for community use across the Borough.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

• Councillors requested that the information on community buildings be arranged by Area Committee area and should include a map to enable them to identify where there may be a specific need for or surplus of community buildings.
• It was suggested that other Councillors may wish to contribute by providing a more detailed insight into the situation regarding community buildings in their area.
• The review would benefit from information on community buildings offered by other organisations such as church halls and war memorial halls.
• The review would benefit from further information from the Hub and Asset team, who are undertaking a locality model which would include information from the third sector.
• Consideration should be given to the sustainability of Voluntary Management Committees.
• Reports should only include libraries that contain hireable space, and the measurement information should only pertain to the hireable space as opposed to the whole library.
• Reports should only contain the main parameters to allow members to focus on the key information.
• Councillors suggested that Stockport Homes be requested to provide information which they hold which was missing from the report.

RESOLVED – (1) That the scope of the review, as set out in the report, be agreed and, in particular, the review focuses on five aspects of community buildings, namely:-

• The geographical need for community buildings
• The availability of community buildings
• How community buildings are currently utilised
• The current management arrangements
• The current condition of community buildings

(2) That the Democratic Services Manager be requested to ascertain further information from local Councillors regarding community buildings in their area.

(3) That the representative of the Corporate Director for Corporate and Support Services provides a report at the next scheduled meeting addressing comments made by panel members.