Issue - meetings

This item has been placed on the agenda at the request of the Area Committee at their meeting held on 26 January 2023.

Jane Bardsley (Senior Neighbourhood Officer, Stockport Council) attended the meeting to provide an update on Community Payback Schemes.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:

• The Community Payback Team were working on a proposal to house an unpaid team at Alexandra Park in order to progress work across the borough, with the initial projects to be undertaken in the Brinnington and Central Stockport areas.
• It was noted that the teams had been working in cemeteries across the borough and had been so doing throughout the pandemic.

·         In response to a question about funding for this scheme, it was advised that there were no exchange of funds, and that in return for providing a space for the crew to be based, along with secure vehicles and supervisors, the borough benefited from the works carried out.

·         There was no conflict of interest in terms of unpaid crews clearing unadopted highways and contractors clearing adopted highways.

·         The rolling programme of works for unpaid crews was paused during the pandemic and going forward the scheme would work on the same basis.

·         The pre-pandemic list of tasks and areas to visit would largely be the same post-pandemic. Neighbourhood officers and councillors would be asked to feed into the list of works and help prioritise resources.

·         The needs of the workers must be considered, which would be picked up as part of the risk assessment for the project.

·         Members requested to be given advanced notice of works being carried out by the crews.

·         Overall, members welcomed the work being carried out on the scheme.

RESOLVED – That the update be noted.

This item has been placed on the agenda at the request of Councillor Wynne.

The Chair advised members that Jane Bardsley (Senior Neighbourhoods Officer, Stockport Council) had sent her apologies for the meeting and so was unable to support the discussion on this agenda item. It was requested that attendance be postponed until the meeting of the Area Committee scheduled to be held on 9 March 2023.

RESOLVED – That the Assistant Director for Legal and Democratic Governance be requested to make arrangements for the item to be programmed onto the agenda of the next meeting of the Area Committee.