Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Director of Development and Regeneration.

The report provides an update on the District Centre Visioning Sessions and the development of Actions Plans for each Centre.

The Scrutiny Committee is requested to note the progress that is being made by the District Centre Managers to develop Actions Plans in partnership with local stakeholders to help create strong viable District Centres.

Officer contact: Helen Walters 0161 474 3734 | helen.walters@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Director of Development and Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) which provided an update on the district centre visioning sessions and the development of actions plans for each centre.

The Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration, Councillor Colin MacAlister, and Town Centre Manager, Helen Walters, attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee. 

The following comments were made/ issues raised:

·         It was noted that the detailed action plans reflected the work of the Institute of Place Management. All visioning session had taken place and reports were scheduled to be considered at meetings of the seven Area Committees week commencing 6 March 2023.

·         It was expected that learning from the work on district centres could be used to inform future work on local and smaller centres.

·         It was reported that groups of interested parties were submitting queries to District Centre Managers that would be better placed with Neighbourhood Managers. Relationships with the Neighbourhood and Parking Teams would be strengthened to address this.

·         It was reported that some of the visioning sessions were not attended by traders. However, some of those traders fed into the electronic survey.

·         It was suggested that the Scrutiny Committee receive data of district centre footfall to provide them with an indication of the vibrancy of district centres.

RESOLVED – That the progress being made by the District Centre Managers to develop actions plans in partnership with local stakeholders to help create strong viable district centres be noted.