To receive any questions from and provide answers to the public in relation to matters relevant to the Council’s activities.
Minutes:
Members of the public were invited to put questions to the Mayor and councillors on matters within the powers and duties of the Council.
Nine public questions were submitted as follows:-
· Relating to the Future High Street Fund and how the opposition to the proposals could be prevented from silencing the voices of the local community and depriving the local community out of this much needed investment.
Councillor Andy Sorton responded that moving the library service was about providing an inclusive service and to provide access to people across the borough. Councillor Sorton stated that the Central Library building reflected the age of its design and was no longer able to serve everyone in the borough and could not provide the range of facilities that would be available at Stockroom.
The Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Devolution (Councillor Elise Wilson) further responded that Stockroom and the Future High Street Fund bid represented another step forward in delivering positive change for the town centre area. The proposals had been consulted on in-depth and broadly including through ward councillors and the local Area Committee to ensure that the decisions taken by the Cabinet were influenced by local people.
· Relating to when the last time the Council spent £14.5m on a community facility such as Stockroom was, and if Stockroom didn’t go ahead when the council would be able to build a similar facility that met all the community’s needs.
The Cabinet Member for Citizen Focus (Councillor David Sedgwick) responded that the development of the Stockroom facility would permit more room for people to gather and that it would enhance the town centre and improve the life chances of some of the poorest and most deprived communities in Stockport. Councillor Sedgwick stated that following discussions with officers, there had not been this level of investment in a purely community-led facility in memory and that this opportunity did not arise that often.
The Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Resources, Commissioning & Governance (Councillor Tom McGee) responded that there was a growing Black, Asian and minority ethnic population in Stockport and that it was important that there needs were properly catered for. It was stated that opportunities such as this did not come very often and that the Council was trying to obtain grants through levelling up funds for Marple and Reddish to improve community facilities there.
· Relating to the message the Council would send to community organisations if it could not agree to spend £14.5m of government money on the Stockroom project.
The Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Devolution (Councillor Elise Wilson) responded that there were significant challenges in securing successful bids for funding, although under the current administration the Council had seen significant success in this area. Having secured £14.5m through the Future High Streets Fund had been a coup for Stockport and Sector3 had been instrumental in both the thanking and design proposals and remained strong supporters of Stockroom. It was stated that would have a positive impact on the town centre and would no doubt form part of many VCSC funding bid applications going forward. However, Councillor Wilson stated that there appeared to be a number of members who were prepared to turn their back on investment and the partnership work that had gone into the Stockroom proposal and the new plans for the Central Library building that had recently been announced by the Cabinet.
The Cabinet Member for Citizen Focus (Councillor David Sedgwick) further responded that the Stockroom proposal was about promoting better quality services while at the same time tackling in inequalities in society. Councillor Sedgwick stated that a failure to come to agreement on Stockroom would send a dreadful message and may jeopardise any future bids for funding that the Council made.
· Relating to a lack of a written response to a question asked at the 18 November 2021 meeting of the Council Meeting regarding a lack of enforcement of the actions contained in the 2008 and 2016 iterations of Stepping Hill Hospital’s travel plan.
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· Relating to a lack of a written response to a question asked at the 18 November 2021 meeting of the Council Meeting regarding an agreement between the Council and Stockport NHS Foundation Trust for the provision of a permanent solution to the parking problem at the site being the responsibility of the Trust.
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· Relating to a lack of a written response to a question asked at the 18 November 2021 meeting of the Council Meeting regarding the enforcement of an agreement between the Council and Stockport NHS Foundation Trust in regarding a requirement to ensure that parking demand did not exceed on-site provision or place a demand on any nearby streets and car parks.
The Cabinet Member for Sustainable Stockport (Councillor Sheila Bailey) responded that it was not possible to enforce the planning obligation or to require the hospital to take action that removed on street parking in neighbouring streets beyond the management of its travel plan. It was stated that the hospital continued to be responsible for the implementation of its travel plan and had worked with the Council to introduce a range of measures over recent years designed to reduce car parking in neighbouring streets such as encouraging more agile working; introducing active travel facilities for its workforce; promoting the park and ride scheme in Hazel Grove; and adjusting its car park fees for staff at the hospital.
· Relating to the Heatons Active Neighbourhood Scheme and the continued imposition of roadblocks despite the trial having ended.
The Cabinet Member for Citizen Focus (Councillor David Sedgwick) stated that a written response would be provided to the question.
· Relating to the impact that rejecting the Stockroom bid would have on other similar bids for funding for heritage assets throughout the borough.
The Cabinet Member for Citizen Focus (Councillor David Sedgwick) responded that the Cabinet had made it clear that the Central Library building was safe and that it would be kept open to the public. It was stated that the Council had made a bid to transform Reddish Baths that was unfortunately unsuccessful, however this may be revisited in the future as it was stated that there was a lot of merit in the application. Councillor Sedgwick stated that bids needed to have credibility if they were to succeed and that a failure to arrive at a consensus jeopardised this.
The Cabinet Member for Economy & Regeneration (Councillor David Meller) responded that a bid for funding had also been made for Marple which had also been unsuccessful. However, it was stated that a failure to use the funding from the Future High Streets Fund in the way that had been intended would make any future bid more difficult to win.
· Relating to whether the Council was committed to listening to young people and protecting the Stockroom bid.
The Cabinet Member for Children, Family Services & Education (Councillor Colin Foster) responded that the development of the Stockroom proposal had involved young people in several ways, including during the consultation process where young people had been asked their views about Stockroom and the move of library services and 65% of the respondents were in favour of the change.