Issue - meetings

To consider a joint report of the Cabinet Member for Citizen Focus and Engagement and the Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration.

The report sets out the proposal to establish a new cultural and social hub in Stockport town centre, provisionally titled ‘One Stockport Hub’; seeks approval from Cabinet to the proposal in principle; and requests that delegated authority be given to the Cabinet Member for Citizen Focus & Engagement and the Cabinet Member for Economy & Regeneration to take the necessary decisions to implement the proposal.

The Cabinet is requested to:

·         Note and approve in principle the proposal to develop ‘One Stockport Hub’.

·         Note and approve the work to consider any future change of use for the Central Library building, which would include engagement with the public and relevant stakeholders.

·         Note the recommendation from the Corporate, Resource Management and Governance Scrutiny Committee and the response to the recommendation as set out in Section 8 of this report.  

·         Delegate authority to the Corporate Director for Place Management & Regeneration and Borough Treasurer, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Citizen Focus and Engagement and Cabinet Member for Economy & Regeneration to take all necessary steps to implement the proposal set out in this report.

Officer Contacts: Paul Richards/ Kirsteen Roe on 0161 474 2940/ 3376 or email: paul.richards@stockport.gov.uk/ kirsteen.roe@stockport.gov.uk 

The Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Resources, Commissioning & Governance (Councillor Tom McGee) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out the proposal to establish a new cultural and social hub in Stockport town centre, provisionally titled ‘One Stockport Hub’.  The aim of the One Stockport Hub was to:-

·         maintain a safe and vibrant Stockport town centre that attracted visitors;

·         provide a library service for the Town Centre, including information and advice, adopting modern design principles in a convenient location, attracting greater footfall and visitors from a wide range of Stockport residents and broadening access to the service;

·         provide access to local history in a convenient and attractive location; and

·         providing an important precursor to the cultural and community hub for which the Council has applied for Future High Streets Funding.

It was noted that following the meeting of the Corporate, Resource Management & Governance Scrutiny Committee on 22 September 2020, the report had been updated to include a recommendation made by the committee in relation to the consultation on the proposed ‘One Stockport Hub and the future of the Central Library building.

The Deputy Leader of the Council advised the Cabinet that taking a decision on the development of the One Stockport Hub was seperate from any decision on the future of the Central Library facility and no such decision had yet been taken.

It was further stated that the council had sought independent legal advice from counsel on the contents of the additional letter that had been received from Councillor Lisa Smart, and which had been circulated with the agenda for the meeting, which confirmed that the consultation process had been undertaken lawfully and in line with the Gunning principles referred to in the letter.  However, Councillor McGee expressed his regret that the omission of the word ‘temporary’ from the consultation in relation to the proposed moving of library services while the council was unable to open Central had caused some confusion.

Councillor McGee reiterated that any permanent move of services from Central Library would be subject to further consultation.

RESOLVED – The Cabinet has:-

(1) Noted and approved in principle the proposal to develop ‘One Stockport Hub’.

(2) Noted and approved the work to consider any future change of use for the Central Library building, which would include engagement with the public and relevant stakeholders.

(3) Noted the recommendation from the Corporate, Resource Management and Governance Scrutiny Committee and the response to the recommendation as set out in Section 8 of this report. 

(4) Delegated authority to the Corporate Director for Place Management & Regeneration and Borough Treasurer, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Citizen Focus & Engagement and Cabinet Member for Economy & Regeneration to take all necessary steps to implement the proposal set out in this report.

To consider a report of the Corporate Director, Corporate and Support Services and Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration

The report sets out the proposal to develop a new cultural and social hub in Stockport town centre, provisionally titled ‘One Stockport Hub’.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to comment on the report.

Officer Contacts: Paul Richards/Kirsteen Roe on 0161 474 2940/3376 or email:

paul.richards@stockport.gov.uk/kirsteen.roe@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Corporate Director, Corporate and Support Services submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out the proposal to develop a new cultural and social hub in Stockport town centre, provisionally titled ‘One Stockport Hub’. The idea was that the One Stockport Hub would attract more service users into the library and locate the hub in a high profile location with good accessibility by public transport. It was a pre-cursor to the Future High Streets Fund bid which aimed to bring together a number of community uses and support Merseyway by driving footfall.

The Cabinet Member for Citizen Focus and Engagement (Councillor Kate Butler) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         Although the perception may be that there were the same number of members of staff working in a particular library, there were a lot more staff working in the back office.

·         Whilst supporting the principle of a One Stockport Hub in Stockport Town Centre was supported a Member felt that there needed to be more work carried out on how the Central Library building would be used in the future.

·         The total occupation cost of both the Central Library and the vacant former Argos unit should the proposal for One Stockport Hub not go forward was in the region of £250,000. This was because the Council would continue to have a liability for the former Argos unit for service charge, insurance and business rates until such time as an occupier was found. The report highlighted that in the current retail market the unit was unlikely to be let in the near future and attracted significant void costs.

·         A Member highlighted that the budget figure for the One Stockport Hub did not cover the refurbishment of the first floor for public use.

·         Concern was expressed that there had been a central library in Stockport for 107 years and that other local authorities had either improved the facilities at the existing library or moved to another library and that this Council was proposing to establish a new local library. The report should contain a process and timeline on the Council’s plans for the future use of the Central Library building.

·         Concern was expressed that there was no specific reference in the consultation to closing the Central Library and therefore residents were not afforded the opportunity to express whether or not they wished to retain the Central Library. It was suggested that there should be a second round of consultation on this aspect and the outcome reported back to this Scrutiny Committee.

·         A Member felt that although the Central Library was in a good location when it was built it was no longer located in the middle of the town centre. There was a lack of space for pupils wishing to study at the Central Library. The increase in the number of young people living in the town centre in the future would place greater pressure on the amount of space available for study at the Central Library.

It was then

MOVED AND SECONDED

(1) That the Cabinet be recommended to undertake further work on the future of the Central Library building and subsequently undertake a further round of consultation on the proposal to develop a ‘One Stockport Hub’ making clear what the Council’s plans are for the Central Library building.

(2) That the outcome of the further round of consultation be reported back to this Scrutiny Committee.

For the motion 6, against 1, abstentions 2

MOTION CARRIED

It was then

RESOLVED  –  (1) That the Cabinet be recommended to undertake further work on the future of the Central Library building and subsequently undertake a further round of consultation on the proposal to develop a ‘One Stockport Hub’ making clear what the Council’s plans are for the Central Library building.

(2) That the outcome of the further  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8