Issue - meetings

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

The Mid-Year Portfolio Performance and Resource Report (PPRR) for the Economy and Regeneration Portfolio is presented for consideration by the Committee. This provides a summary of progress in delivering the portfolio priorities, reform programme and other key projects in the first half of the year, with a particular focus on the second quarter (July to September). It includes forecast performance and financial data (where this is available) for the Portfolio, along with an update on the portfolio savings programme.

The report is based on the 2017/18 Portfolio Performance and Resource Agreement (PPRA) which was considered by the Scrutiny Committee on 25 May 2017 and approved by the Cabinet on 13 June 2017.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to:-

·         Consider the Mid-Year Portfolio Performance and Resource Report;  

·         Review the progress against delivering key projects, priority outcomes, targets and budgets for 2017/18;

·         Highlight key areas of and responsibility for taking forward corrective action to address any performance or resource issues;

·         Highlight any significant issues or changes to be fed back to the Cabinet alongside the Corporate Performance and Resource Report;

·         Identify how areas of strong performance and good practice can be shared in other services.

Officer contact: Alan Lawson on 0161 474 5397 or email: alan.lawson@stockport.gov.uk / Kora Yohannan on 0161 474 4032 or email: kora.yohannan@stockport.gov.uk

The Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out the Mid-Year Portfolio Performance and Resource Report (PPRR) for the Economy and Regeneration Portfolio for consideration by the Committee. This provided a summary of progress in delivering the portfolio priorities, reform programme and other key projects in the first half of the year, with a particular focus on the second quarter (July to September). It included forecast performance and financial data (where this was available) for the Portfolio, along with an update on the portfolio savings programme.

The report was based on the 2017/18 Portfolio Performance and Resource Agreement (PPRA) which had been considered by the Scrutiny Committee on 25 May 2017 and had been approved by the Cabinet on 13 June 2017.

The Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration (Councillor Kate Butler) attended the meeting to present the report and respond to Members’ questions.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

• Officers were congratulated on the management of the A6 Wellington Road Bridge Waterproofing Scheme and Members requested information on the lessons which could be learnt from the successful management of the project.
• Ward councillors expressed concern about the management of the project to repair the bridge at Simpsons Corner, Hazel Grove.
• Officers were congratulated on the Aurora development and the success of the Holiday Inn Express hotel at Stockport Exchange.
• The establishment of a Safer Stockport Town Centre Group was commended, in advance of the opening of the Redrock development.
• The Council was keen that people who lived in the Borough’s priority areas, lived in poverty or were customers of Stockport Homes gained employment at the Redrock development.
• With regard to the section on Poverty Insight under the section on Priorities, Performance, Risks and Opportunities (paragraph 1.1 refers), a Member requested further information on which definition of poverty was being used.
• With regard to the section on Museums and Cultural Attractions under the section on Priorities, Performance, Risks and Opportunities (paragraph 1.2.1 refers), a Member queried how an additional 129 visitors since the previous Portfolio Performance and Resources report to the Committee had generated an additional revenue of £3,616.
• Clarification was sought on why Performance Indicator E&R 01 ‘% Occupied managed workspace and incubator floor space actively managed for start-up/micro-businesses was shown as ‘green’ when the actual figure for Quarter 2 was below the forecasted figure.
• In response to Members’ questions, the Corporate Director agreed to circulate the Council’s anti-social behaviour strategy to Members of the Scrutiny Committee.
• The Corporate Director clarified that the Council’s Pothole programme in 2017/18 was shown as zero in the Capital Programme as this was a one-off additional grant from the Government.
• A Member highlighted the positive target for the year end which was shown for footfall in the market area, despite the disappointing numbers reported in Quarter 2.
• Work to recruit an independent Chair and establish the Stockport Work and Skills commission was underway with the first meeting of the Commission scheduled to take place in January 2018.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.