Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 24 November 2011.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 24 November 2011 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair, subject to the amendment in the pre-amble to Minute 4 (ii) ‘Neighbourhood Policing’ of ‘Inspector Steve Dicks’ to ‘Inspector Steve Dix’.

The following interests were declared:-

Personal Interests

There were no announcements by the Chair.

(a)  Sergeants Lythgoe and Crowe-Moore, and PC Taylor (Greater Manchester Police) attended the meeting to answer questions from Councillors and members of the public in relation to Neighbourhood Policing issues within the area represented by the Central Stockport Area Committee.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

•           Operation Airborne dealing with evening and night time problems in licensed premises, particularly in the run up to Christmas.

•           Operation Antidote dealing with anti-social behaviour.

•           Operation Harpoon in targeting burglaries in the area,

•           Operation Gotham which encouraged residents to light up their homes as the nights became darker in order to try and prevent burglaries.

•           The Safer Plates initiative to ensure vehicle number plates were secured.

•           Business Watch schemes which were partnerships between the business community and the local policing teams working together to prevent and reduce crime in communities.

•           As a result of thefts in previous years, motorists were warned not to leave their engines running unattended whilst clearing frost and snow from their cars.

•           Anti-social behaviour on Offerton Lane, next to the Strawberry Gardens public house.

•           Incidents in Adswood Park and on the Bridgehall estate.

•           The new telephone number (101) for reporting non-emergency crimes.

•           The problems caused by heavy goods vehicles ignoring the weight limit on Hempshaw Lane.

•           the transfer of some officers in the west area to a new police station in Cheadle.

RESOLVED – That Sergeants Lythgoe and Crowe-Moore, and PC Taylor be thanked for their attendance and presentation.

No public questions were submitted.

(a)       Mark Calderbank (Area Conditions Officer) attended the meeting to answer questions from Councillors and members of the public in relation to Environmental Services issues within the area represented by the Central Stockport Area Committee.  A written summary of the Area Conditions Officers’ activity was also provided (copies of which were circulated).

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

•           The resolution of issues caused by trade waste on Castle Street in Edgeley.

•           Whether there were any prosecutions imminent from fly tipping.

•           Problems of waste being dumped on the former Adswood Working Men’s Club site, and the general condition of the site.

•           Problems with damaged advertising hoardings in Edgeley and Cheadle Heath, particularly near the Morrison’s roundabout.

•           Black waste bags being left unattended in parts of Brinnington over the Christmas/New Year period.

RESOLVED – (1) That Mark Calderbank be thanked for his attendance.

(2) That Members of the Area Committee be advised whether any prosecutions were imminent from fly tipping.

(3) That a representative from NPS Stockport be invited to the next meeting of the Area Committee to respond to issues around the condition of the site at the former Adswood Working Men’s Club.

(b)  Simon Sherry (Highways Officer) attended the meeting to answer questions from Councillors and members of the public in relation to Highway Services issues within the area represented by the Central Stockport Area Committee.

RESOLVED – That Simon Sherry be thanked for his attendance.

A petition was submitted containing approximately 700 signatures from the Underbanks Traders Association requesting the abolition of the pedestrian zone, free short period parking, pay on exit parking, improvements to street lighting and improvements to the Christmas lighting.

RESOLVED – (1) That the petition be referred to the Executive Councillors (Transportation) and (Regeneration) for consideration.

(2) That a report be submitted to a future meeting of the Area Committee and the Executive Councillors (Transportation) and (Regeneration) be requested to attend the meeting.

Discussion on the Performance of Stockport Academy

Ben Dunne, Principal of Stockport Academy, will attend the meeting.

Discussion on the Performance of Stockport Academy

Mr Ben Dunne, Principal of Stockport Academy and Dr Antony Edkins, Regional Executive for the United Learning Trust in the North of England, attended the meeting to discuss the performance of Stockport Academy. Following a significant amount of change and staff turnover last year, the Academy had achieved a marked increase in attendance and GCSE attainment in 2011. It had a target to achieve ‘outstanding’ status by 2015.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

•           The number of pupils in the sixth form.

•           The greater level of stability now achieved amongst the staff and the consequent reduction in agency staff.

•           The need for the Academy to continue to develop a close working relationship with the Council and local Councillors.

•           The regular, informal contact by local Ward Councillors with the Principal of the Academy was found to beneficial, and there would be benefits in this being formalised.

•           It was queried whether it would be possible for Minutes from the Governing Body to be made available prior to the meeting.

•           Whether it would be possible to increase the representation from the local authority on the Governing Body.

•           The aim was that families who currently had a child who attended the Academy would choose to send their younger children to it. The relationship with the primary schools was therefore very important.

•           The tracking of pupils after they left the Academy last year had shown a high proportion of pupils who left the sixth form had gone on to University. There had been no NEETs (young people not in education, employment or training) who had left the school in the last academic year.

RESOLVED – (1) That Mr Ben Dunne and Dr Antony Edkins be thanked for their attendance and presentation.

(2) That regular meetings be held between the Academy, the United Learning Trust and local Ward Councillors, commencing in January 2012.

(3) That representatives from the Academy and the United Learning Trust be invited back to the Area Committee in twelve months’ time.

There were no items to consider.

(To be heard no earlier than 6.30pm)

The following development application will be considered by the Area Committee:-

DC048189              63 Winifred Road, Heaviley

Change of use to juveniles’ hostel/half way house (sui generis)

The Area Committee is recommended to refuse the application.

(a)  To consider the development applications where members of the public have attended the meeting in order to speak or hear the Area Committee’s deliberations.

(b)  To consider the remaining applications.

(c)  To consider consultations (if any) received by the Service Director (Place Development) on any planning issues relevant to the Central Stockport Area Committee area.

Officer contact: Mark Jordan 0161 474 3557, email mark.jordan@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Democratic Services Manager reported that plan no. 48189 for a change of use to juveniles’ hostel/half way house at 63 Winifred Road, Heaviley had been withdrawn.

A representative of the Democratic Services Manager submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) of the Service Director (Legal & Democratic Services) listing any outstanding or recently determined planning appeals and enforcements within the area represented by the Central Stockport Area Committee.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

Councillor David White in the Chair

Assistant Chief Executive (Communications) to update the Area Committee.

Further to the debate at the last meeting of the Area Committee, the Assistant Chief Executive (Communications) reported on work which her department had carried out with IPSOS MORI to progress the ‘formal ballot’ to gauge people’s views on the proposal to create a Community Interest Company with CASU in Woodbank Park at the site of the former nursery. It was proposed that an article would appear in the next edition of ‘The Review’ to be published in January to publicise the ‘ballot’.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

•           Concern was expressed about the timescale for the ‘ballot’ given that the Council would be entering a period of ‘purdah’ towards the end of March prior to the local elections in May.

•           Concern was expressed that the electoral register would not be able to be used for a ‘formal ballot’ as it could be for a referendum.

•           Use of the full electoral register would assist the registration mechanism. Public notices would be displayed at the park inviting non-local residents to register for the referendum.

RESOLVED – (1) That the Area Committee requests that a referendum be held and the full electoral register used to assist the registration mechanism.

(2) That a further meeting be held in January between the Vice Chair of the Committee, Manor Ward councillors and Officers to discuss the consultation process and the means of canvassing the views of people as to whether they were in favour of the proposal or not.

Councillor Chris Murphy in the Chair.

To consider a report of the East and West Area Housing Managers, Stockport Homes   

The report updates the Area Committee on progress in delivery of Stockport Homes’ Neighbourhood Action Plans for Brinnington; Mottram Street;  Lancashire Hill;  Davenport, Cale Green, Edgeley and Cheadle Heath; Adswood and Bridgehall; York Street and Hollywood Towers. Neighbourhood Action Plans are used by Stockport Homes to bring together in a holistic plan for a neighbourhood, a range of housing issues, and wider sustainability issues that impact on the quality of life for residents living in neighbourhoods, such as the quality of the local environment, anti-social behaviour, community safety, worklessness and help to identify future investment and make managerial decisions.

The Committee is invited to note and comment upon the Neighbourhood Action Plan update.

Officer contacts: Rebecca Cullen/Maria Lindars, 0161 474 2944/2965, e mail: revecca.cullen@stockporthomes.org/maria.lindars@stockporthomes.org.

A representative of the Chief Executive, Stockport Homes submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) updating the Area Committee on progress in the delivery of Stockport Homes’ Neighbourhood Action Plans.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

•           The availability of garages to rent in the east area.

•           The good work carried out by Stockport Homes on the Walnut Street estate and at the York Street flats.

•           A request for there to be targets in the plans for reductions in anti-social behaviour in areas where it was prevalent, for example the Walnut Street estate and part of York Street.

•           The concentration of tenants who caused anti-social problems in certain areas.

•           The Stockport Homes’ accommodation at Victoria Park needed to be reported to this Area Committee and not the Stepping Hill Area Committee.

•           Whether  tenants were charged for work to be carried out on their property when it was left in a sub-standard condition.

•           It was clarified that it was Stockport Homes’ policy to leave adaptations to a property and to keep a register of all properties where adaptations had taken place.

•           Stockport Homes’ fencing programme for communal blocks of flats.

•           Where the skips were located for the community clean ups in Adswood and Bridgehall.

RESOLVED – (1) That the report be noted.

(2) That information on anti-social behaviour be included in the next report to this Committee.

(3) That information regarding the location of the skips for the community clean ups be sent to Ward Councillors.

To consider a report of the Programme Director, Schools Organisation and the Assistant Head of School Improvement (Services to People)

This report provides further information on the closure of Offerton School with regard to the impact of the closure of Offerton School, the effect on pupils, public transport issues and the lessons learnt from the process.

The Area Committee is requested to note the report.

Officer contacts: Stephen Bell/Alan Beswick on 0161 474 3846/3918, e mail: stephen.bell@stockport.gov.uk/alan.beswick@stockport.gov.uk

A report had been submitted by the Programme Director, Schools Organisation and the Assistant Head of School Improvement (Services to People) (copies of which had been circulated) providing further information on the closure of Offerton School with regard to the impact of the closure of Offerton School, the effect on pupils, public transport issues and the lessons learnt from the process.

In the absence of the report authors, it was :-

RESOLVED – That the report be deferred to the next meeting of the Area Committee.

To consider a report of the Service Director (Place Management)

This report proposes a part-revocation to an existing order for No Waiting at any Time on Maitland Street in Heaviley.

The Area Committee is requested to approve the recommendations in the report.

Officer contact: Max Townsend 0161 474 4861, e mail: max.townsend@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Democratic Services Manager submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) of the Service Director (Place Management) proposing a part-revocation to an existing order for No Waiting at any Time on Maitland Street, Heaviley.

RESOLVED – That approval be given to the following scheme at an approximate cost of £450 from the Area Committee’s Highway Maintenance and Traffic Management Delegated Budget:-

Revoke No Waiting At Any Time

Maitland Street, Heaviley

East side from a point 14 metres north of the north easterly kerb line of Windemere Road for a distance of 5 metres in a northerly direction.

To consider a report of the Service Directors (Legal & Democratic Services) and (Place Management)

This report sets out objections received regarding the above named Order that was agreed by the Committee on 25 August 2011. The report also details the response of the Service Director (Place Management) to the objections.

The Area Committee is recommended to agree that the exemption for school buses remains in place and that the Order be not made.

Officer contact: Zoe Allan on 0161 474 3138, e mail: zoe.allan@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Democratic Services Manager submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) of the Service Director (Place Management) setting out objections received to a proposed Traffic Regulation Order which would revoke exemptions for school buses/coaches to use Kennerley Road, Davenport.

The Area Committee was advised that the Stepping Hill Area Committee on 20 December 2011 had agreed that the exemption for school buses should remain in place.

RESOLVED – (8 for, 0 against, 2 abstentions)  (1) That it be recommended that the exemption for school buses/coaches be revoked and the Order be made as originally advertised.

(2) That the issue be referred to the Executive Councillor (Transportation) for determination.

To consider a report of the Service Director (Place Management)

This report provides an update on progress since the last report to Area Committee and details the recommendations made by the Brinnington and Reddish Joint Ward Committee to how the Frank Bramwell Legacy money should be spent.

The Area Committee is asked to consider the report and agree to the recommendations of the Brinnington and Reddish Joint Ward Committee.

Officer contact: Neil Oxley on 0161 474 3681, e mail: neil.oxley@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Democratic Services Manager submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) of the Service Director (Place Management) providing an update on progress since a report to the Area Committee in March 2011 and detailing the recommendations made by the Brinnington and Reddish Joint Ward Committee to how the legacy left by the late Mr Frank Bramwell for Reddish Vale and South Reddish Parks should be spent. The various projects recommended for approval by the Ward Committee were set out in the report.

RESOLVED – (1) That the recommendations of the Brinnington and Reddish Joint Ward Committee, as set out in the report, be approved.

(2) That a report be submitted to the next meeting of the Brinnington and Reddish Joint Ward Committee with more detailed costs for each project and an update on progress.

(3) That the Cheadle Area Committee be requested to set aside some of the Brookfield Park Shiers Family Trust legacy for projects on the Larkhill estate in the Davenport and Cale Green Ward.

A representative of the Democratic Services Manager submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) updating the Area Committee on progress since the last meeting on decisions taken by the Area Committee, the current position on Area Flexibility Funding and the Highway Maintenance and Traffic Management delegated budgets.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

There are currently no vacancies to consider.

There were no vacancies to consider.