Issue - meetings

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

The Third Update Portfolio Performance and Resource Report for the Communities and Housing Portfolio is presented for consideration by the Committee. This report is shorter, and more data-driven, providing highlights and exceptions reflecting progress in delivering the portfolio priorities and budgets since the Mid-Year Report. It includes forecast performance and financial data for the Portfolio, where new data is available, along with an update on the portfolio savings programme.

With a reduced level of detail being provided within the reports, councillors are asked where possible to direct any questions or requests for further information in advance of the meeting via Democratic Services to enable the timely provision of additional information.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to:-

(a)       Consider the Third Update Portfolio Performance and Resource Report;  

(b)       Comment on the new approach and format of the report as outlined above;

(c)       Review the progress against delivering key projects, priority outcomes, targets and budgets for 2018/19;

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

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

(f)        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 & Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing the third update Portfolio Performance and Resource Report for the Communities and Housing Portfolio providing highlights and exceptions reflecting progress in delivering the portfolio priorities and budgets since the Mid-Year Report. It includes forecast performance and financial data for the Portfolio, where new data is available, along with an update on the portfolio savings programme.

The Cabinet Member for Communities & Housing (Councillor Sheila Bailey) also attended the meeting to respond to councillors’ questions.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         Members welcomed the new, rationalised presentation of the data within the Portfolio Performance and Resources update report.

·         In response to a question in relation to whether the housing target for Stockport in the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework of 15,474 homes for the period up to 2037 was revised downward with the completion of any new development, it was stated that account had already been taken of the existing anticipated annual supply of new homes.

·         It was stated that while the report indicated that there had been an increase in the number of people that had presented as homeless within the first three quarters of 2018/19, there had been a legislative change which meant that the criteria for presenting as homeless had changed which allowed people who otherwise wouldn’t have been able to do so, now could.

·         In response to a question about proposed reductions in capacity in the Public Realm service, whether this would reduce the ability of the Council to respond to incidents of fly-tipping, it was stated that there would be no demand at all for this service if it were not for the small minority of people who considered it acceptable to fly-tip around the borough.  It was stated that those people who committed these acts would likely continue to do so regardless of the capacity made available within the Council to remove the illegally dumped material.

·         Further information was requested in relation to the training and care of staff within the Council and Totally Local Company who dealt with the removal of hazardous waste materials.

·         It was commented that following the introduction of new LED lighting columns, a number of residents had complained that this had resulted in an increase in the number of dark spots between lighting columns as the footprint of the luminaire was not as wide as the older sodium lights.

·         Further information was requested in relation to the activities of Operation Dovetail which aimed to prevent people being drawn into terrorism and extremism.

·         In response to a comment around the difficulties encountered when requesting the installation of a new litter bin, it was stated that one of the budget proposals was actually to reduce the number of litter bins following a review of the current distribution and usage of them.

·         Members of staff were actively encouraged to report ‘near-misses’ in a positive way so as to ensure that action could be taken to minimise risk within the workplace. 

·         A discussion took place in relation to the setting of targets for crime and whether these had been appropriately indexed.  In response it was stated that this would be fed back to the Safer Stockport Partnership.

·         It was noted that there had been 743 new homes built in Stockport which was significantly above the target of 500 for the current year and in the light of this the target for 18/19 of 550 seemed unambitious.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.