Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Leader of the Council.

The report endorses and acknowledges the financial forecasts in the Corporate Director’s report and sets out the Executive’s response. This is in the form of a strategic framework for Investing in Stockport, a single programme for growth and reform over the medium term.

The Scrutiny Committee arte invited to consider the report and make any comments to the Executive.

The Leader of the Council and the Deputy Leader (Executive Councillor for Corporate, Customer and Community Services) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out the strategic framework for Investing in Stockport, the single programme for sustainable growth and public service reform in the Borough over the medium term. The report further identified those areas where in order to deliver against the outcome framework described in section 3 of the report, the Executive had asked for investment business cases to be brought forward in August and September 2014.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         The development of a two year budget plan for 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 would make it possible to develop far reaching propositions for reform which could take into account the almost certain need for further reductions from 2017/2018 onwards.

·         The Council must ask itself how best it can invest the resources it will retain in future years and how to align these resources with others to achieve the best outcomes.

·         Two significant pieces of work had been undertaken to develop an outcome focused approach – (i) an outcome focused re-design exercise undertaken by the Council’s Senior Management Group and (ii) key partners had been engaged in a series of detailed discussions and the endorsement of the Stockport Partnership Board had been secured for a whole partnership framework that would align public resources over the medium term and provide a vision to which business and community leaders can aspire.

·         Reducing future need for and demand on public services was at the heart of the Investing in Stockport strategy.

·         Digital Stockport was vital to enable citizens to interact with the Council in the easiest and most effective way – the Council will need to review its ICT capability.

·         The need to explore alternative service delivery models to ensure the optimum use of resources. This included the Councils relationship with Stockport Homes, Life Leisure and Solutions SK.

·         It was recognised that substantial demands would be placed on Council employees as the Council changed the way in which it operates in future and that significant work would have to be undertaken to support this change in culture.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Leader of the Council.

The report endorses and acknowledges the financial forecasts in the Corporate Director’s report and sets out the Executive’s response. This is in the form of a strategic framework for Investing in Stockport, a single programme for growth and reform over the medium term.

The Executive is recommended to agree the approach and proposals included in the report as the Executive’s response to the MTFP forecast contained in the Corporate Director’s report.

The Executive Councillor (Corporate, Customer & Community Services) introduced a joint report (copies of which had been circulated) of the Leader of the Council and Executive Councillor (Corporate, Customer & Community Services) endorsing and acknowledging the financial forecasts in the report of the Corporate Director for Corporate and Support Services and setting out the Executive’s response. This was in the form of a strategic framework for Investing in Stockport, a single programme for growth and reform over the medium term.

RESOLVED – That the approach and proposals included in the report as the Executive’s response to the Medium Term Financial Plan forecast contained in the report of the Corporate Director for Corporate and Support Services be approved.