Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Communities & Housing Scrutiny Committee.

The Scrutiny Panel have held four meetings to carry out a review on Stockport’s current policies and procedures for School Streets and Playstreets. Officers have researched and gathered extensive material from various sources including other local authorities (LAs) and outside organisations.

The panel heard evidence from representatives from a range of groups including Leeds City Council, www.playingout.net, Mums for Lungs, and meetings were held with officers from Wigan, Tameside and Manchester Council that also supplied evidence of their schemes. All 10 Greater Manchester boroughs were approached to supply benchmarking data on their position with both schemes.

The report outlines the key findings of this review and aims to give recommendations for the future of both play streets and School Streets schemes in Stockport.

The Cabinet is recommended to consider the report and consider how it might respond to the report’s findings and recommendations.

Officer contact: Sue Stevenson on 0161 474 4351 or email: sue.stevenson@stockport.gov.uk

The Lead Councillor for the Review (Councillor Adrian Nottingham) presented the final report of the Scrutiny Review Panel – ‘The Council's Policy for Active streets, School Streets and Play streets’ (copies of which had been circulated).  The Chair of the Communities & Housing Scrutiny Committee (Councillor Mark Roberts) also attended the meeting to respond to questions from councillors and to address the meeting in relation to the review.

The Chair of the Review Panel extended his thanks to those officers that supported the review. 

It was commented that there were a number of interrelated issues that had been raised by scrutiny committees, area committee and the Council Meeting and that these would be drawn together to provide a co-ordinated approach to those issues, including those raised as part of this review.

RESOLVED - (1) That Corporate Director (Place) & Deputy Chief Executive be requested to prepare a response to the “The Council's Policy for Active streets, School Streets and Play Streets” Scrutiny Review and the recommendations contained therein for consideration by the Cabinet at a future meeting.

(2) That the gratitude of the Cabinet be recorded for the excellent work undertaken by the Scrutiny Review Panel ‘The Council's Policy for Active streets, School Streets and Play Streets” and others involved in the Review.

To consider a report of Councillor Adrian Nottingham, Scrutiny Review Panel Lead Councillor.

The report sets out the findings and recommendations of the Scrutiny Review Panel – The Council's Policy for Active Streets, School Streets and Play Streets

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to comment on and approve the final report for submission to the Cabinet.

Officer contact: Mark Glynn on 0161-474-3700 or email: mark.glynn@stockport.gov.uk

Councillor Adrian Nottingham (Lead Councillor for the scrutiny review) submitted the draft final report of the Scrutiny Committee’s Review of the Council's Policy for Active Streets, School Streets and Play Streets (copies of which had been circulated) that contained the findings and recommendations from the Review.  The Scrutiny Committee was invited to make amendments to the report prior to its submission to the Cabinet on 21 September 2021.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         There had been a significant level of engagement in the review process from community groups, interested parties and stakeholders.

·         The viewership of webcasts of the scrutiny review meetings demonstrated a high level of public interest in the outcomes of this review.

·         It was disappointing that it had taken so long for the final report to be submitted for consideration following the last meeting of the review panel at which it made its recommendations.

·         The level of engagement demonstrated through this review sets an example for how future such reviews should be conducted.

·         The recommendations contained in the report were welcomed and endorsed, and the recommendation with regard to the removal of public liability insurance was specifically highlighted as underpinning the work of the review.

·         The level of participation from elected members who were not members of the review panel was also noted as being an exceptional feature of this review.

·         The use of remote meetings as the platform for conducting the review was considered to be a significant feature in its ability to engage with a wide range of stakeholders.

RESOLVED – (1) That the draft ‘Council's Policy for Active Streets, School Streets and Play Streets Review Final Report’ be approved and adopted.

(2) That the thanks of the Scrutiny Committee be extended to all those who took part in the Scrutiny Review.