Issue - meetings

To consider a joint report of the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Devolution and Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Resources, Commissioning & Governance.

The Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Devolution (Councillor Elise Wilson) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) seeking approval for the One Stockport Borough Plan.

RESOLVED – (54 for, 8 against) That the One Stockport Borough Plan be approved and adopted.

To consider a report of the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Devolution and Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Commissioning, Resources and Governance.

This report covers how partners across Stockport have approached the development of a shared borough plan, including an overview of the insight which has informed the development of the priorities, and introduces a draft borough plan for cabinet consideration. The draft plan has been shared across Stockport partners, including with scrutiny and area committees. The draft plan (appendix.1) is also accompanied by a full engagement report (appendix.2) and an equality impact assessment (appendix.3).

The Cabinet is asked to approve the One Stockport Borough Plan for submission to the Budget Council Meeting.

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

The Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Devolution submitted the One Stockport Borough Plan (copies of which had been circulated) that detailed how partners across Stockport had approached the development of a shared borough plan, including an overview of the insight which had informed the development of the priorities, and introduced a draft borough plan for cabinet consideration. The draft plan had been shared across Stockport partners, including with scrutiny and area committees.

RESOLVED – That the Council Meeting be recommended to approve and adopt the draft One Stockport Borough Plan.

To consider a joint report of the Leader of the Council & Cabinet Member for Devolution and the Deputy Leader of the Council & Cabinet Member for Resources, Commissioning & Governance.

This report covers how partners across Stockport have approached the development of a shared borough plan, including an overview of the insight which has informed the development of the priorities, and introduces a draft borough plan for scrutiny comment and consideration. The draft plan is being shared with all scrutiny committees and comment is invited on the whole plan however to support discussions Table 1 indicates where borough plan priorities more directly relate to the remit of this committee. The draft plan is also accompanied by a full engagement report (appendix 1) and an equality impact assessment (appendix 2).

The Area Committee is recommended to comment on and note the report.

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

A representative of the Corporate Director (Corporate and Support Services) and Deputy Chief Executive submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing how partners across Stockport had approached the development of a shared borough plan, including an overview of the insight which had informed the development of the priorities, and introduced a draft borough plan for scrutiny comment and consideration.

Holly Rae (Head of Service Strategy and Commissioning, Stockport Council) attended the meeting to present the item and to respond to questions from councillors.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         The publication of an addendum to the report that addressed the comments previously made by the Area Committee at its meeting on 17 December 2020 on the shape and direction of the Borough Plan was welcomed.

·         It was suggested that the language used throughout the report was vague or ambiguous and did not commit the Council to defined measurable actions or outcomes.

·         Commitment to community action was forged through grass roots organisations and voluntary activity and not through top-down management by the Council.

·         It was suggested that the continued progress of the Borough Plan through the Council’s decision-making structures should be halted.

·         Residents wanted to see the Council continued to demonstrate value for money for their Council Tax through visible and defined improvements in services such as waste collection and highway repairs.

·         It was noted that the Borough Plan had identified the needs of an ageing population as an issue, and the development of a Local Plan for Stockport needed to consider this in terms of the housing types and locations for these that would reflect the changing demographics of the borough.

·         Further consideration needed to be given the vision for Stockport Town Centre and the borough needed to bold with its future planning in this regard.

·         The Plan needed to identify some actions, measurements and timescales for these if it were to have any value.

·         It was suggested that the use of the One Stockport branding on the Borough Plan was unhelpful in defining its purpose.

·         The Plan seemed ill-defined in terms of how its vision would be realised.

·         It was commented that the Plan was repetitive in a parts and was overly long and might usefully be edited down to produce a more focussed and accessible document.

·         The extensive consultation and engagement with the wider community, and children and young people in particular, was welcomed.

·         The breadth and scope of the proposed Borough Plan was so wide as to dilute its potential impact.

·         The needs of specific communities and localities in the borough needed to be focussed on rather than the approach of developing broad boroughwide plans.

·         Councillors should have been engaged with as the start of the development of the Plan rather than being presented as a finalised document at the end of the process.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a joint report of the Leader of the Council & Cabinet Member for Devolution and the Deputy Leader of the Council & Cabinet Member for Resources, Commissioning & Governance.

This report covers how partners across Stockport have approached the development of a shared borough plan, including an overview of the insight which has informed the development of the priorities, and introduces a draft borough plan for scrutiny comment and consideration. The draft plan is being shared with all scrutiny committees and comment is invited on the whole plan however to support discussions Table 1 indicates where borough plan priorities more directly relate to the remit of this committee. The draft plan is also accompanied by a full engagement report (appendix 1) and an equality impact assessment (appendix 2).

The Area Committee is recommended to comment on and note the report.

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

A representative of the Corporate Director (Corporate and Support Services) and Deputy Chief Executive submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing how the the Council was proposing to progress the development of the Borough Plan; the approach to capturing the views of residents, businesses and the workforce; the data and insight that would be considered, and how this would inform the priorities for the future.

Kirsteen Roe (Service Director – Citizen Focus) attended the meeting to present the item and to respond to questions from Councillors.

The following comments were made/issues raised:

·         Members commented that this was a visionary plan which was about setting sights high and having ambition.  Delivery plans would emerge later which would support the Borough Plan.

·         Members felt that it was important to emphasise individual duty and responsibility within the plan.

·         In response to a Member’s question relating to who had been consulted and what the feedback had been, Members were advised that a wide range of groups had been engaged with.  For example, discussions had been held with the business community, the voluntary community and the social enterprise sector.  Workshops had also been arranged with various forums, including the inter-faith forum.  Public engagement had started with schools, but this was currently paused due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  A number of surveys had taken place, for example a survey relating to people’s experiences of lockdown and the challenges and situations, both positive and negative, that may have resulted.

·         In terms of feedback, there had been a focus on how the plan tackled inclusion and inequality across the Borough.  It was also felt that case studies, photographs and stories would help in ‘bringing the plan to life’.

·         Members commented that digital infrastructure and access to lifelong learning would be paramount in the future.

·         Members commended the collaborative work with organisations who put Stockport first and who were ambitious for Stockport.

·         Members would like to see more information presented in a digital format as often this was easier to engage with than in a written form.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a joint report of the Leader of the Council & Cabinet Member for Devolution and the Deputy Leader of the Council & Cabinet Member for Resources, Commissioning & Governance.

This report covers how partners across Stockport have approached the development of a shared borough plan, including an overview of the insight which has informed the development of the priorities, and introduces a draft borough plan for scrutiny comment and consideration. The draft plan is being shared with all scrutiny committees and comment is invited on the whole plan however to support discussions Table 1 indicates where borough plan priorities more directly relate to the remit of this committee. The draft plan is also accompanied by a full engagement report (Appendix 1) and an equality impact assessment (Appendix 2).

The Area Committee is recommended to comment on and note the report.

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

A representative of the Corporate Director (Corporate and Support Services) and Deputy Chief Executive submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing how partners across Stockport had approached the development of a shared borough plan, including an overview of the insight which has informed the development of the priorities, and introducing a draft borough plan for comment and consideration.

Holly Rae (Holly Rae (CSS Service Head, Stockport Council) attended the meeting to present the item and to respond to questions from councillors.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         The publication of an addendum to the report providing feedback on the specific comments on the Borough Plan made by the Area Committee at its last meeting was welcomed.

·         Members welcomed the plan and thanked the officer team for the work that had been undertaken.

·         It was commented that clarity was needed for the that the Borough Plan was being put together, the process involved and what happens next.

·         It was stated that the Borough Plan was about making it practical, deliverable and more action driven.

·         The content of the Borough Plan was reflective of the feedback provided by the various engagement forums and provided reassurance that people were listening.

Holly Rae welcomed the feedback from the Area Committee and provided assurance that work will be ongoing on the Borough Plan to reflect a stronger positioning around the Stockport relationships.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a joint report of the Leader of the Council & Cabinet Member for Devolution and the Deputy Leader of the Council & Cabinet Member for Resources, Commissioning & Governance.

This report covers how partners across Stockport have approached the development of a shared borough plan, including an overview of the insight which has informed the development of the priorities, and introduces a draft borough plan for scrutiny comment and consideration. The draft plan is being shared with all scrutiny committees and comment is invited on the whole plan however to support discussions Table 1 indicates where borough plan priorities more directly relate to the remit of this committee. The draft plan is also accompanied by a full engagement report (appendix 1) and an equality impact assessment (appendix 2).

The Area Committee is recommended to comment on and note the report.

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

A representative of the Corporate Director (Corporate and Support Services) and Deputy Chief Executive submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing how partners across Stockport had approached the development of a shared borough plan, including an overview of the insight which has informed the development of the priorities, and introducing a draft borough plan for comment and consideration.

Holly Rae (CSS Head of Service, Stockport Council) attended the meeting to present the item and to respond to questions from councillors.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         It was suggested that the Plan was vague and lacked measurable outcomes by its success could be judged.

·         It was important to challenge the borough’s performance as the perception was that it was falling behind its neighbouring authorities and comparable authorities in a number of key areas, and in particular with regard to children and young people.

·         The inclusion of feedback on the specific comments previously made by scrutiny committees and area committees was welcomed.

·         The continued evolution and development of the Plan as had progressed through various committees was noted.

·         It was suggested that the Plan would not resonate with the majority of residents and that tangible outcomes needed to be seen.  It was stated that the majority of Offerton residents would see the development of a new leisure centre in the area as a meaningful outcome of such a Plan.

·         The goal of preserving local heritage centres was welcomed and it was commented that the re-opening of local libraries could be a useful step towards improving digital inclusion which was a key aspect of the Plan. In response, it was stated that any re-opening would need to comply with COVID-19 regulations, but that this was key in providing access to equipment for local people.

·         In response to question about progress toward tackling health inequalities, it was stated that work was underway and that a more detailed response would be provided directly to members.

·         Concern was expressed in relation the lack of a coherent approach to providing accessible housing and the lack of any detail in relation to this matter in the Plan was a matter or regret.

·         It was queried what the Council had done to promote LGBT History Month.

·         It was stated that there was a perception that the Council’s default position was to say ‘no’ to new initiatives, and there needed to be change in approach such that it worked to actively try and find a way to say ‘yes’.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a joint report of the Leader of the Council & Cabinet Member for Devolution and the Deputy Leader of the Council & Cabinet Member for Resources, Commissioning & Governance.

This report covers how partners across Stockport have approached the development of a shared borough plan, including an overview of the insight which has informed the development of the priorities, and introduces a draft borough plan for scrutiny comment and consideration. The draft plan is being shared with all scrutiny committees and comment is invited on the whole plan however to support discussions Table 1 indicates where borough plan priorities more directly relate to the remit of this committee. The draft plan is also accompanied by a full engagement report (appendix 1) and an equality impact assessment (appendix 2).

The Area Committee is recommended to comment on and note the report.

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

A representative of the Corporate Director (Corporate and Support Services) and Deputy Chief Executive submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing an update on the campaign to date, an outline of Phase 2 and also sought to gain support from all wards and set out how Members and their communities could get involved going forward.

As part of the Council’s economic recovery work and ongoing engagement with the community and voluntary sectors, the One Stockport campaign had been launched in Spring 2020. The campaign’s overarching aims were to support local businesses, connect our communities, and promote health and wellbeing. In addition, the campaign aimed to ensure a coordinated approach to consider how Stockport could build back better.

Kirsteen Roe (Service Director – Citizen Focus, Stockport Council) attended the meeting and made a presentation on the One Stockport campaign.

The following comments were made/issues raised:

·         Members felt that it was important to develop the idea of localities and suggested that these should be examined further.  It may be that smaller localities would work better, particularly in terms of examining levels of deprivation.  Members requested more detail was included relating to retail and employment

·         Members commented that it may be necessary to move away from long term plans and have a more agile approach.

·         Members welcomed the aspiration of the plan to make it connect locally and acknowledged that the plan was a work in progress which would need to be reviewed and adapted regularly.

·         It was important that district centres were developed and made viable for the longer term, and that neighbourhoods and communities were brought together.

·         It was important that measures were introduced which enabled Officers to gauge the impact that the plan had.

·         Members were advised that the aim was to ‘bring the plan to life’ by using photographs and case studies.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a joint report of the Leader of the Council & Cabinet Member for Devolution and the Deputy Leader of the Council & Cabinet Member for Resources, Commissioning & Governance.

This report covers how partners across Stockport have approached the development of a shared borough plan, including an overview of the insight which has informed the development of the priorities, and introduces a draft borough plan for scrutiny comment and consideration. The draft plan is being shared with all scrutiny committees and comment is invited on the whole plan however to support discussions Table 1 indicates where borough plan priorities more directly relate to the remit of this committee. The draft plan is also accompanied by a full engagement report (appendix 1) and an equality impact assessment (appendix 2).

The Area Committee is recommended to comment on and note the report.

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

A representative of the Corporate Director (Corporate and Support Services) and Deputy Chief Executive submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing how partners across Stockport had approached the development of a shared borough plan, including an overview of the insight which has informed the development of the priorities, and introducing a draft borough plan for comment and consideration.

Kirsteen Roe (Service Director – Citizen Focus, Stockport Council) attended the meeting to present the item and to respond to questions from councillors.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         The publication of an addendum to the report providing feedback on the specific comments on the Borough Plan made by the Area Committee at its last meeting was welcomed.

·         It was commented that the report referred to Stockport being ‘one of the best connected towns’, however this was not representative of the Borough as a whole as there were many communities that suffered from extremely poor connectivity including, for example, Greave.

·         The ongoing impact of the coronavirus pandemic had made people look more to their immediate communities rather than to the Borough as a whole, and there needed to be a more localised focus to the Plan.

·         Further information was requested in relation to the number of groups and organisations involved in the Stockport Interfaith Forum that had been referred to within the report.

·         Further detail was requested in terms of what was being proposed in terms of interventions in Stockport’s local and district centres.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a joint report of the Leader of the Council & Cabinet Member for Devolution and the Deputy Leader of the Council & Cabinet Member for Resources, Commissioning and Governance.

This report covers how partners across Stockport have approached the development of a shared borough plan, including an overview of the insight which has informed the development of the priorities, and introducers a draft borough plan for scrutiny comment and consideration. The draft plan is being shared with all scrutiny committees and comment is invited on the whole planm however to support discussions Table 1 indicates where borough plan priorities more directly relate to the remit of this Committee. The draft plan is also accompanied by a full engagement report (appendix 1) and an equality impact assessment (appendix 2).

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to comment on and note the report.

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

A representative of the Corporate Director (Corporate and Support Services) and Deputy Chief Executive submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing how partners across Stockport had approached the development of a shared borough plan, including an overview of the insight which had informed the development of the priorities, and introducing a draft borough plan for comment and consideration by the Scrutiny Committee.

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:-

·         The importance of the ambitious regeneration plans for the district centres, as well as the town centre, were welcomed.

·         As well as the town centre, Stockport was comprised of a number of district and local centres with different wants and needs. There was not a unified view amongst the residents of Stockport about the borough and some residents had little involvement with the town centre and did not consider themselves to be part of Stockport. The Plan appeared to be town-centre focussed. It was suggested there needed to be a greater focus on the borough’s district centres.

·         More information was requested on the criteria by which the success of the Plan would be measured and the timelines for doing so. More focus should be put on specific measures, for example with regard to jobs and climate change.

·         Members requested that the comments of the Area Committees be reflected to a greater extent in the Plan. It was noted that Members would have a further opportunity to comment on the Borough Plan at forthcoming meetings of the Area Committees.

·         There needed to be a greater effort to engage with people and particular groups such as young people.

·         The statistic that Stockport was the 8^th most polarised borough in England needed greater analysis and it would be helpful for Members to see the data that underpinned it.

·         A Member enquired what measures the Council would be taking to improve diversity and tackle racism.

·         In celebrating the borough’s parks, it was important that residents were encouraged to go to their local park in an attempt to avoid the congestion which had occurred.

·         It was suggested that individual Wards could have increased funding to help support the wider aims of the Plan.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a joint report of the Leader of the Council & Cabinet Member for Devolution and the Deputy Leader of the Council & Cabinet Member for Resources, Commissioning & Governance.

This report covers how partners across Stockport have approached the development of a shared borough plan, including an overview of the insight which has informed the development of the priorities, and introduces a draft borough plan for scrutiny comment and consideration. The draft plan is being shared with all scrutiny committees and comment is invited on the whole plan however to support discussions Table 1 indicates where borough plan priorities more directly relate to the remit of this committee. The draft plan is also accompanied by a full engagement report (Appendix 1) and an equality impact assessment (Appendix 2).

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to comment on and note the report.

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

The Leader of the Council & Cabinet Member for Devolution and the Deputy Leader of the Council & Cabinet Member for Resources, Commissioning & Governance submitted report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing how partners across Stockport have approached the development of a shared borough plan, including an overview of the insight which has informed the development of the priorities, and introduces a draft borough plan for scrutiny comment and consideration.

The Cabinet Member for Adult Care and Health (Councillor Jude Wells) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.     

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         Covid-19 has had a negative impact on deprived communities across the borough having already experienced health inequalities, but has work already started on the One Health Plan. In response, it was stated that work was already underway to link the strategies and develop it further.

·         People are keen to see what happens once it launches as a project across the borough.

·         The action points reflecting the areas of activity in the plan was welcomed as it provided information that has been fed through the Area Committee consultation.

·         It is important to bring everyone along across Stockport with the plan whether they are on board or not, but feel engaged through the process.

·         Communicating the plan in the community is also important by building on the strengths that already exist through the unique experiences and the things that would unite the borough.

·         It should be noted that one of the main priorities was to address inequalities to improve the health and wellbeing of the residents in the borough.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a joint report of the Leader of the Council & Cabinet Member for Devolution and the Deputy Leader of the Council & Cabinet Member for Resources, Commissioning & Governance.

This report covers how partners across Stockport have approached the development of a shared borough plan, including an overview of the insight which has informed the development of the priorities, and introduces a draft borough plan for scrutiny comment and consideration. The draft plan is being shared with all scrutiny committees and comment is invited on the whole plan however to support discussions Table 1 indicates where borough plan priorities more directly relate to the remit of this committee. The draft plan is also accompanied by a full engagement report (Appendix 1) and an equality impact assessment (Appendix 2).

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to comment on and note the report.

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

The Leader of the Council & Cabinet Member for Devolution and the Deputy Leader of the Council & Cabinet Member for Resources, Commissioning & Governance submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out the One Stockport Borough Plan, covering how partners had approached the development of a shared borough plan, including an overview of the insight which had informed the development of the priorities, and introducing the draft plan for the Scrutiny Committee’s comments.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         Members sought clarification on the figures relating to employment by 2030. In response, it was noted that there would be significant changes to the market and based upon the intelligence, data and national research the figure of 85% job creativity by 2030 was derived.

·         It was commented that the plan was a bit more focused than previous versions which was good for scrutiny and families in Stockport, however, there needed to be more improvement relating to children living in poverty with a laser focus to improve this for the children of Stockport.

·         Members also commented that the plan had greatly improved and now included details and strategies, but more engagement was needed as there were still a number of people who had not yet heard about One Stockport.

·         There was a request for additional information and links to the documents referred to in the plan.

·         It was commented that the plan and research was capturing the employment and skills and lifelong learning across the borough and preparing the residents to respond to the changes and working with Greater Manchester Combined Authority to improve the plan and make it stronger.

·         Members enquired about raising the awareness of the plan across the Borough including engaging with people on and through social media and expressed some concerns regarding the mental health and wellbeing of the young people across the borough. In response, it was stated that mental health would be included in the plan and the social media figures would be shared with the Committee.

·         There was a concern regarding the number of people who had been engaged across the borough and enquiries were made relating to how that could be improved upon to address the inequalities for the deprived and disadvantaged in the borough. In response, it was noted that the comments would be taken on board and assurance would be provided regarding a stronger emphasis on the inequalities and what could be done to address it across Stockport.

RESOLVED – (1) That the report be noted.

(2) That the social media figures relating to the engagement of the Borough Plan be shared with the Committee.

To consider a joint report of the Leader of the Council & Cabinet Member for Devolution and the Deputy Leader of the Council & Cabinet Member for Resources, Commissioning & Governance.

This report covers how partners across Stockport have approached the development of a shared borough plan, including an overview of the insight which has informed the development of the priorities, and introduces a draft borough plan for scrutiny comment and consideration. The draft plan is being shared with all scrutiny committees and comment is invited on the whole plan however to support discussions Table 1 indicates where borough plan priorities more directly relate to the remit of this committee. The draft plan is also accompanied by a full engagement report (appendix 1) and an equality impact assessment (appendix 2).

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to comment on and note the report.

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

A representative of the Corporate Director (Corporate and Support Services) and Deputy Chief Executive submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing how partners had approached the development of a shared borough plan, including an overview of the insight which had informed the development of the priorities, and introducing a draft borough plan for the Scrutiny Committee’s comments and consideration.

The Leader of the Council & Cabinet Member for Devolution and the Deputy Leader of the Council & Cabinet Member for Resources, Commissioning & Governance attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         The consultation with partner organisations and members of the public had been good, and the information and data provided was comprehensive and concise.

·         The document required greater analysis, for example drawing conclusions and highlighting issues from the feedback from residents such as how much they valued the greenspace in the borough. The document should focus on how things could be transformed and the practical ways of doing so, and how the actions would be measured.

·         Concern was expressed that the One Neighbourhood Partnership model would solely be a plan for central Stockport. The district centres were equally as important.

·         Residents who lived, for example, greater than a ten minutes’ walk from the town centre did not feel well connected so there was a lot of work to be done in improving the connectivity for those who lived out of the town centre.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a joint report of the Leader of the Council & Cabinet Member for Devolution and the Deputy Leader of the Council & Cabinet Member for Resources, Commissioning & Governance.

This report covers how partners across Stockport have approached the development of a shared borough plan, including an overview of the insight which has informed the development of the priorities, and introduces a draft borough plan for scrutiny comment and consideration. The draft plan is being shared with all scrutiny committees and comment is invited on the whole plan however to support discussions Table 1 indicates where borough plan priorities more directly relate to the remit of this committee. The draft plan is also accompanied by a full engagement report (appendix 1) and an equality impact assessment (appendix 2).

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to comment on and note the report.

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

A representative of the Corporate Director (Corporate and Support Services) and Deputy Chief Executive submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing how partners across Stockport had approached the development of a shared borough plan, including an overview of the insight which had informed the development of the priorities, and introducing a draft borough plan for scrutiny comment and consideration.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         The clear identification in the report of those priorities in the Plan that fell within the remit of the Scrutiny Committee was welcomed.

·         It was suggested that the alliterative effect of using ‘One Hope’ rather than ‘One Future’ in conjunction with ‘One Heart’ and ‘One Home’ might set better within the communications for the Plans.

·         While social value is intrinsic to and threaded throughout the document, however it is only explicitly mentioned once.

·         It was noted that members would have further opportunity to comment on the Borough Plan at meetings of the area committees taking place in the coming weeks.

·         The summary of responses from area committees within the report from when matter was last remitted those committees was noted and welcomed.

·         In response to the statement in the report that Stockport was the best connected town in the north of England, it was commented that while this was true of the town centre, many other areas of the borough suffered from very poor connectivity, particularly with regard to connections between the different districts of the borough.

·         Concern was expressed that throughout the consultation it was clear that respondents expressed an affinity with and pride of their local community, however the Plan itself seemed to be town-centre focussed. It was suggested there needed to be a greater focus on the borough’s district centres.

·         It was important to create employment opportunities and utilising employment land appropriately in Stockport so that young people had access to good employment within the borough.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.