Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration

The Cabinet is developing its medium term strategy, which frames the choices the Council will make about its budget both next year and in future years.  This strategy focuses on five key themes, and specific proposals have been set out for changes in 2019/20.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to discuss the proposals appended to the report.

Officer Contact: Holly Rae on 0161 474 3014 or email: holly.rae@stockport.gov.uk

The Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out the Cabinet’s medium term strategy which framed the choices the Council would make about its budget both next year and in future years. The strategy focused on five key themes and specific proposals had been set out for changes in 2019/20.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         Public consultation on the proposals did not start until 7 December 2018, yet the Cabinet would be considering the proposals on 18 December 2018. It was clarified that the outcome of the consultation would be reported back to the Cabinet meeting on 5 February 2019.

·         The consultation would be conducted via an online questionnaire published on the ‘Have Your Say’ pages of the Council’s website. Paper copies of the questionnaire would be provided at libraries and at the Fred Perry House Reception.

·         The proposal to cease funding for the free Stockport Metroshuttle service after the current contract ended on 27 April 2019 would impact  on the less affluent members of society and would also impact on the Council’s proposals to expand town centre living. The Cabinet Member clarified that other means of funding for the shuttle bus were still being explored and a Member suggested that discussions continued with Transport for Greater Manchester to try and find a replacement for the shuttle bus.

·         A Member requested clarification on paragraph 7.11 of the report regarding the implementation of Universal Credit changes benefit entitlement causing more pupils to be eligible.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a joint report of the Cabinet Member for Children and Families and the Cabinet Member for Education.

The report provides updated information on proposals that fall within this Committee’s remit. 

The Scrutiny Committee are invited to consider and comment on the report.

Officer Contact: Holly Rae on Tel: 0161 474 3014 or email: holly.rae@stockport.gov.uk

The Cabinet Member for Children & Families and Education submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing an update on proposals which fell within the remit of the Scrutiny Committee.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         A Councillor asked how the specific budget saving proposals had been specifically arrived at particularly in respect to proposal one.

·         The Committee noted that a detailed report would be submitted to the next meeting in respect to SEND.

·         Councillors discussed the proposals  relating to the removal of the Stockport Local Assistance Scheme. A number of Councillors expressed concern in relation to this proposal.

·         The proposal to cease funding for the free Stockport Metroshuttle service after the current contract ends on 27th April 2019.

·         The Committee expressed reservations about proposals to remove the Faith element of Free School Travel eligibility. Given the small level of savings it was suggested that the impact on local residents would far outweigh the benefits of the savings achieved . The impact would affect those pupils who attend Harrytown and St James’ schools significantly. 

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Reform & Governance

The Cabinet is developing its medium term strategy, which frames the choices the Council will make about its budget both next year and in future years.  This strategy focuses on five key themes, and specific proposals have been set out for changes in 2019/20.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to discuss the proposals appended to this report.

Officer contact: Holly Rae, 0161 474 3014, holly.rae@stockport.gov.uk

A joint report of the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member for Reform & Governance was submitted (copies of which had been circulated) setting out the Cabinet’s proposals that formed its response to the Medium Term Financial Plan.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         Clarification was sought on whether further detail would be provided on the proposals that had elements that were outstanding. In response it was stated that there was high degree of confidence in providing robust information to the next scrutiny committee.

·         Concern was expressed that the feasibility study on the property proposals would not be finalised until after the budget had been set and so councillors would be approving a budget without knowing if the proposals were feasible. In response it was stated that this would not be the case.

·         Clarification was sought on why it was proposed to increase weekend burial costs by 100% if this was likely to lead to a decrease of £10k in income. In response it was stated that the increase would bring Stockport in line with other local authorities. One of the underlying principals underpinning the charges proposals was to drive behaviour change and these changes were likely to increase income elsewhere. Many of these changes were interconnected and would be monitored after implementation.

·         Clarification was sought on the projected cost of Digital by Design as it currently stated ‘TBC’. In response it was stated that given the scope of the project the possible savings could be significant and variable, therefore it was difficult to quantify. It was suggested that an explanation in the report narrative would have been helpful.

·         It was suggested that reducing the work to TLC on greenspace and street care would be unpopular with the public given their expectations of the use of their Council Tax. Given the increased income from sources such as the airport dividend, would the Cabinet reconsider this proposal? In response it was stated that the proposals had not yet been finalised and would not be done until the New Year. It was also stated that due to the pressures on the Council no part of its operations nor those of its associated bodies were immune from this wider pressure. It was acknowledged that the relationship with TLC added a complication, but that it was right to keep all spend under review.

·         It was queried whether all contractors were required to pay the National Living Wage as this currently set TLC at a disadvantage as it would increase its costs and so make it less competitive. In response it was stated that TLC had been established as a Teckal company that provided some benefits during procurement, but the Council remained under a duty to ensure value for money when contracting services. It was acknowledged that TLC paid its staff differently and this made them a special company and the social value this provided was considered as part of procurement processes. As part of the consideration of value for money the Council would also considered whether a prospective contractor paid the National Living Wage. It was suggested that the Council should make clearer to contractors its expectation that they paid National Living Wage

·         Concern was expressed that the Equality Impact Assessment had identified women and disabled residents as being significantly effected by proposals for the Stockport Local Assistance Scheme (SLAS). In response it was stated that the Cabinet would take this analysis into account when making a decision. It was also clarified that the strategic commissioning proposals were seeking to other means to provide this service rather than remove the support for residents.

·         Further comment was sought on the reasons there had been a reduction in the number of successful applications through the SLAS. In response it was stated that the scheme had been refined over time and some elements of support were approved by Foodbanks and other organisations.

·         Concerns were expressed  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10

To consider a report of the Cabinet Members for Communities & Housing.

The Cabinet is developing its medium term strategy, which frames the choices the Council will make about its budget both next year and in future years.  This strategy focuses on five key themes, and specific proposals have been set out for changes in 2019/20.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to discuss the proposals appended to the report.

Officer contact: Holly Rae on 0161 474 3014 or email: holly.rae@stockport.gov.uk

The Cabinet Member for Communities & Housing submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) outlining the Cabinet approach to developing its medium term strategy, which frames the choices the Council will make about its budget both next year and in future years and providing updated information on specific proposals that fell within the remit of the Scrutiny Committee.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         Concern was expressed that the proposal to increase the fees charged for taxi licences would exacerbate the existing problem of drivers obtaining licences from other authorities where the cost and rigour of the licensing process was more relaxed.

·         It was stated that in many circumstances fees and charges were being increased to a level where the Council was able to cover the cost of providing the service, and that to continue to run these services at a loss was no longer sustainable.

·         Benchmarking exercises had been undertaken to ensure that the proposed charges were not disproportionately out of alignment with those levied by other comparator local authorities.

·         It was confirmed that it was not intended to charge community groups for the use of local parks and greenspaces.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Cabinet Members for Adult Social Care and for Health

The Cabinet is developing its medium term strategy, which frames the choices the Council will make about its budget both next year and in future years.  This strategy focuses on five key themes, and specific proposals have been set out for changes in 2019/20.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to discuss the proposals appended to the report.

Officer contact: Holly Rae, 0161 474 3014, holly.rae@stockport.gov.uk

A joint report of the Cabinet Members for Adult Social Care and for Health was submitted (copies of which had been circulated) setting out the Cabinet’s proposals that formed its response to the Medium Term Financial Plan.

The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care corrected paragraph 1.3 of the covering report by stating that it was intended to submit a further report on the proposals including consultation feedback in January 2019 prior to consideration by the Cabinet in February.

Proposal 3: Support Funds Coordination

The Cabinet Member stressed that these proposals were subject to public consultation and encouraged councillors and other interested parties to make representations as part of that consultation.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:

·         Paragraph 6.2 stated that one of the risk to the proposal was that there would be a threat to health and safety to adults and families in an emergency, in which case, why was ceasing the Local Assistance Scheme (SLAS) being pursued? In response it was stated that this was simple statement of risk but work was underway to explore alternative sources of funding or other actions that could mitigate that risk.

·         Given the impending roll-out of Universal Credit in Stockport there would need to be strong evidence of robust alternative provision. Universal Credit would create significant disruption and therefore previous demands on this service was not a good indicator of future need.

·         All wards in Stockport had residents who had been supported by the SLAS.

·         The report indicated that Manchester and Salford City Councils had managed to maintain or increase their spend on similar schemes and how they had been able to achieve that needed to be explore.

·         This proposal was indicative of the impact of public sector ‘austerity’ and the disproportionate impact that policy had on the least well off in the community.

·         The main uses for the SLAS was for resettlement costs, and the ward with the highest usage was Brinnington & Central but this was likely to be due to people moving into that area where there was the highest proportion of social/ emergency housing. Confirmation of this was sought, as was the number of repeat claimants.

Proposal 5: Stockport Local Transport

(i)     Town Centre Metroshuttle Bus

·         Discontinuing the free bus would be a significant loss to residents. Business in the Town Centre should be approached to seek contributions, particularly the large supermarkets, as they were benefiting from the service. In response it was stated that business had been approached.

·         The Council, as a significant landlord in Stockport Town Centre, should consider continuing to fund this service as a means of protecting its investment and the vitality of the Town Centre.

·         Given the other reductions to services being proposed it was not possible to justify continued expenditure on a free bus service.

·         The patronage of the service vastly exceeded expectations and was far in excess of some of the services subsidised by TfGM, who may consider funding this service.

·         In the event that the service became a paid-for service, would TfGM recompense for the passengers with free passes?

·         Because of the nature of the service and its usage, condensing the hours of operation would likely prompt a change in the pattern of use to match, intensifying that usage.

(ii)    Free School Bus Passes

·         The most significant group to suffer from this proposal would be children in Brinnington. When the Secondary School was closed the free passes were introduced to protect those children.

·         Officers commented that in other local authority areas free passes were restricted to families on maximum tax credit, whereas currently in Stockport anyone in receipt of tax credit was eligible. Under the proposal those on free school meals would continue to be eligible for a free pass.

·         Given the relatively small cost involved it was counterproductive to reduce the eligibility and risk damaging children’s educational opportunities.

·         There were a number of reasons to justify maintaining the free  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6