Issue - meetings

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

Policy priorities for 2019/20 were set out within the Council Plan, which was adopted at the Budget Council Meeting in February. This incorporates the shared outcomes from the Borough Plan alongside specific priorities of the Cabinet.

These priorities are articulated within the Portfolio Agreements, which form the basis for regular in-year reporting. Portfolio and Corporate Performance and Resource Reports (PPRRs and CPRRs) will assess progress against key objectives, priorities, outcomes and budgets, enabling Scrutiny Committees to hold the Cabinet to account and for the Cabinet to identify current and future risks to delivery.

Council Plan priorities have been aligned to the new Cabinet Portfolio responsibilities approved at Annual Council on 21 May. These reflect emerging strategic priorities, which continue to inform the Medium Term Financial Plan.

This report presents the draft 2019/20 Agreements for the Economy and Regeneration Portfolio for consideration and comment by the Committee.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to review and comment on the draft Portfolio Agreement.

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

The Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) presenting the draft 2019/20 Portfolio Performance and Resources Agreement for the Economy and Regeneration Portfolio for consideration and comment by the Committee.

The policy priorities for 2019/20 were articulated within the Portfolio Agreements which formed the basis for regular in-year reporting. Portfolio Performance and Resources Reports would assess progress against key objectives, priorities, outcomes and budgets, enabling Scrutiny Committees to hold the Cabinet to account and for the Cabinet to identify current and future risks to delivery.

The Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration (Councillor David Meller) attended the meeting to respond to Members’ questions.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

• A Member requested more detail in the report, where appropriate, to supplement some of the general comments.
• The close working relationship with other portfolios was highlighted, particularly Inclusive Neighbourhoods and Sustainable Stockport, and the Cabinet Member stated that there would be an integrated approach across the different portfolios.
• Members supported the ‘Our Pass’ scheme for 16 to 18 year olds in Greater Manchester which combined free bus travel with access to sports, culture and leisure opportunities and other offers. Members asked for clarification on how the initiative would work with journeys that crossed the boundary of Greater Manchester, for example into Derbyshire or Cheshire East. The scheme did not appear to have been well advertised and more detail was requested on the initiative.
• Members requested financial figures appertaining to footfall at the market and how the management of the market was being assessed and the Corporate Director agreed to circulate this to all Members of the Scrutiny Committee. The Cabinet Member reported back on the meeting held with the National Market Traders Federation on 17 June and how to take the market forward, for example with artisan markets and the food and drink festival which was being held in September.
• With regard to communication with the traders, the management of Market Place Europe had agreed to hold regular quarterly meetings with the market traders and they were introducing a newsletter to be sent to market traders on a quarterly basis and improve marketing by the introduction of advertising boards and the development of a website and social media.
• In response to a Member’s question, the Cabinet Member outlined his long term plans for community wealth building in the borough. This entailed putting social outcomes at the heart of work in the local economy, for example Stockport Homes’ work in securing jobs for people at Redrock. In terms of tendering for contracts, it was important to see if there were employers within the local community who could provide the service. Giving employees an active place in the workforce would result in better outcomes for the organisation. More businesses would be encouraged to pay their employees the living wage.
• A Member felt that that the timeframe for the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework should be altered to fifteen years rather than twenty years. The same methodology could be used but the amount of housing required would, of course, be less.
• Members requested an update following the submission of the Clean Air Outline Business Case.
• In response to a Member’s question regarding Performance Indicator E&R1.1, the Corporate Director stated that the Planning Enforcement team focused on the number of breaches of planning control which caused the most concern. Officers were not pursuing issues which may not have a positive outcome. More information would be provided to a future meeting of the Scrutiny Committee.
• With regard to the percentage of occupied retail, commercial and business premises within the Borough’s district centres (Performance Indicator E&R1.4), a Member requested that the Scrutiny Review on District Centres be completed as soon as possible.
• In response to a Member’s question, the Corporate Director agreed to keep the Scrutiny Committee updated on the Greater Manchester HM Treasury Skills Pilots which  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4