Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Executive Councillor (Communities & Sustainability)

The report sets out the outcome of the independent assessment of the Council’s greenspace, waste collection and street cleansing (including grounds maintenance) functions so that a decision on whether or not to renew these agreements by 31 March 2014 can be taken. The report also sets out the current position around the agreement with the Council’s Highways Maintenance functions so that a decision on renewing these agreements can be taken by 31 March 2014.

(Note: the report includes information ‘not for publication’ in its appendix that has been circulated to executive councillors only)

The Executive is asked to:

·      agree to utilise the planned programme Investing in Stockport to formulate the scope of any scope of any extension beyond 31st March 2017;

·      agree that the Council should determine whether or not to renew these agreements with regard to the provision of the Council’s Greenspace, Waste Collection, Street Cleansing (including grounds maintenance) no later than 31st March 2015;

·      agree to an extension to the highway and street lighting maintenance contract for a further 12 months to 31st March 2015, with a clear and binding agreement for SSK implement new ways of working by 1st May 2014; and

·      agree, in the event that SSK do not implement new ways of working, to delegate to the Corporate Director for Place Management & Regeneration in consultation with the Executive Councillor (Communities & Sustainability) the decision to review the Council’s options with regard to the provision of the Highway and Street Lighting Maintenance in Q2 2014/15.

Officer contact: Megan Black, 0161 218 1410, megan.black@stockport.gov.uk

The Executive Councillor (Communities &Sustainability) submitted a report ( copies of which had been circulated) inviting the Executive Meeting to consider the outcome of an independent assessment of the Council’s greenspace, waste collection and street cleansing (including grounds maintenance) functions so that a decision on whether or not to renew these agreements by 31 March 2014 could be taken. The report also set out the current position around the agreement with the Council’s Highways Maintenance functions so that a decision on renewing these agreements could be taken by 31 March 2015.

(Note: the report included information ‘not for publication’ in its appendix that has been circulated to executive councillors only)

RESOLVED – That in relation to the Council’s Greenspace, Waste Collection and Street Cleansing (including grounds maintenance) contracts:-

·      the planned programme Investing in Stockport be used to formulate the scope of any extension to these contracts beyond 31 March 2017;

·      the Council should determine whether or not to renew these agreements with regard to the provision of the Council’s Greenspace, Waste Collection, Street Cleansing (including grounds maintenance) services no later than 31 March 2015;

·      an extension to the highway and street lighting maintenance contract for a further 12 months to 31 March 2015 be agreed, with a clear and binding agreement for SSK to implement new ways of working by 1 May 2014; and

·      in the event that SSK do not implement new ways of working the Corporate Director for Place Management & Regeneration, in consultation with the Executive Councillor (Communities & Sustainability), be authorised to determine whether or not to review the Council’s options with regard to the provision of the Highway and Street Lighting Maintenance in Q2 of 2014/15.

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for Place Management & Regeneration.

The report sets out the outcome of the independent assessment of the Council’s greenspace, waste collection and street cleansing (including grounds maintenance) functions so that a decision on whether or not to renew these agreements by 31st March 2014 can be taken.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to comment on the proposal in advance of consideration by the Executive.

Officer contact: Megan Black, 0161 218 1410, megan.black@stockport.gov.uk

(NOTE: The Chair was of the opinion that this item, although not included on the agenda, should be considered as a matter of urgency in accordance with Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972 in order to allow the Scrutiny Committee to consider this matter in advance of its consideration by the Executive Meeting on 18 March 2014).

A representative of the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) reviewing the outcome of an independent assessment of the Council’s Greenspace, Waste Collection and Street Cleansing (including Grounds Maintenance) functions as the Executive had to make a decision on whether to renew these agreements by 31 March 2014.

(Note: the report included exempt information ‘Not for Publication’ contained in Appendix Two that had been circulated to Members of the Scrutiny Committee only).

The Executive Meeting would be recommended to:-

·         Agree to utilise the planned programme ‘Investing in Stockport’ to formulate the scope of any extension to the contracts beyond 31 March 2017;

·         Agree that the Council should determine whether or not to renew these agreements with regard to the provision of the Council’s Greenspace, Waste Collection and Street Cleansing (including Grounds Maintenance) no later than 31 March 2015;

·         Agree to an extension to the Highway and Street Lighting Maintenance Contract for a further twelve months to 31 March 2015, with a clear and binding agreement for Solutions SK to implement new ways of working by 1 May 2014.

·         Agree, in the event that Solutions SK do not implement new ways of working, that authority be delegated to the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration, in consultation with the Executive Councillor (Communities and Sustainability), to determine whether or not to review the Council’s options with regard to the provision of the Highway and Street Lighting Maintenance in Quarter 2 in 2014/15.

The Executive Councillor (Communities and Sustainability) (Councillor Stuart Bodsworth) attended the meeting to respond to Members’ questions.

Members were generally supportive of the report and the consultants’ report on which it was based and it was:-

RESOLVED – That the Executive be advised that this Scrutiny Committee supports the recommendations in the report to be submitted to the meeting on 18 March 2014.