Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 30 May 2018.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 30 May 2018 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Councillors and officers to declare any interests which they have in any of the items on the agenda for the meeting.

Councillors and officers were invited to declare any interests which they had in any of the items on the agenda for the meeting.

No declarations were made.

To consider call-in items (if any).

There were no call-in items to consider.

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

Policy priorities for 2018/19 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.

This report presents the draft 2018/19 Agreement for the Communities and Housing 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 & Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing the 2018/19 Agreements for the Communities & Housing Portfolio, which set out the policy priorities for the year ahead and incorporated the existing Council and Borough Plan priority outcomes alongside specific priorities of the Cabinet.  The Agreement would also form the basis for regular in-year reporting.

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:-

·         The proposal to tackle emissions along the A34 in Cheadle and Gatley as part of the GM Clean Air Plan was welcomed, but it was suggested that there were other areas of the Borough which similarly suffered from issues of poor air quality which needed attention such as the A6 in Hazel Grove and Bents Lane in Bredbury.

·         In response to a question about the potential for neighbourhood plans to be developed in less affluent areas of the Borough, it was stated that these were community lead plans and were not initiated by the Council.  It was stated that the Council would work with any community organisation that wished to develop a neighbourhood plan for their area.

·         A discussion took place in relation to the reported increase in fly-tipping and the actions the Council was taking to address this.  It was stated that in each instance the Council attempted to recover evidence to ascertain who was responsible for the waste.  Consideration was also being given to the use of covert cameras at known hot spots, however the results from other local authorities where this had been used had been mixed.

·         Members of the public had responded positively to the poster campaign in relation to dog fouling.

·         The highway tree replacement programme was welcomed and it was requested that local councillors be consulted on the locations of tree planting within their wards in advance of any works taking place.

·         The number of rough sleepers in Stockport was in single figurers, however the Council continued to offer support and accommodation to those people who were rough sleeping but this support was not always taken up.

·         Representatives of Greater Manchester Police would attend a future meeting of the Scrutiny Committee along with representatives of the Safer Stockport Partnership.

·         Concern was expressed in relation to the contamination of recyclables which placed the Council at risk of receiving fines.  In response it was stated that this was one of the reasons behind the removal of the ‘bring’ recycling sites across where there had been issues with the contamination of recyclable materials, and there remained problems with residents’ understanding of which plastics, in particular, were suitable for recycling.

·         The position with regard to recyclables was particularly complex as discussions were ongoing with regard to the development of a Greater Manchester Waste Strategy and the re-tender for the waste collection service along with a lack of clarity on the status of existing legislation with regard to waste and recycling which was largely based on EU regulations and whether this would be translated into UK law following Britain’s departure from the European Union.

·         Concern was expressed with regard to the erosion of public transport throughout Stockport and the wider Greater Manchester area.

·         There was a need to make provision for the gypsy and traveller community.

·         There needed to be improvements in the provision of recycling facilities within Council offices.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

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

This report provides the second annual report of the 2016-2021 Stockport Homes Delivery Plan. The Delivery Plan and the annual outcomes report ensures that there is continuous improvement in the services to tenants and the delivery of decent, modern homes that meet the needs and aspirations of the communities in Stockport.

The Delivery Plan sets out what Stockport Homes will deliver during the period 2016-2021; how it and the Council will work together and how tenants, the Council and other stakeholders can measure the success of Stockport Homes in achieving its objectives. The document is an appendix to the Management Agreement between Stockport Homes and the Council and sets all the outputs of Stockport Homes, the key performance requirement of the services and includes the performance standards expected.

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

Officer contact: Gill Bennett on 0161 474 3823 or by email on gill.bennett@stockporthomes.org

The Corporate Director for Place Management & Regeneration and a representative of the Chief Executive of Stockport Homes submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing the second annual report to the scrutiny committee in relation to Stockport Homes’ performance against its 2016-2021 Delivery Plan.

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:-

·         The digital inclusion sessions were welcomed and it was commented that a number of residents had reported that the sessions also provided an opportunity for socially isolated elderly residents to get out of the house and meet other people.

·         It was stated that the ‘Stockport SoRT-IT’ campaign which aimed to resolve community issues at a community level through a flexible restorative justice approach had been wound up in April.  The Council was offering an interim referral process until a new system was put in place.

·         The introduction of Positive Engagement Officers was having a significant impact in dealing with those people who lead chaotic lifestyles, or who may not realise the offence they were causing to other residents.

·         A discussion took place in relation to the availability of advice and support from Stockport Homes following the closure of local housing offices and the concentration of facilities in the new Cornerstone building.  In response it was stated that for many people it was easier to get to the town centre than it was to the old area based housing officers.  In addition, the vast majority of contact was over the telephone where location was not an important factor, and that housing officers spent a significant amount of time out in the localities and held surgeries to ensure that residents were able to raise issues in person.

·         Work was ongoing to ensure that complaints were dealt with effectively.  A member commented that councillors were receiving an increasing number of complaints from residents which should not have escalated to the point that they had.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

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

The purpose of the report is to:-

·         Set out the context for why the Council needs a Noise Action Plan for road noise.

·         Identify options with regards to noise reduction.

·         Outline a detailed action plan for the period up to 2019-20 to bring the Council in line with the requirements of The Noise Action Plan: Agglomerations Environmental Noise (England) Regulations 2006, as amended January 2014.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to comment on the proposed action plan and support its recommendation to the Cabinet for adoption.

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

The Corporate Director for Place Management & Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) which set out the context for why the Council needed a noise action plan for road noise; identifying options with regard to noise reduction; and outlining a detailed action plan for the period up to 2019-20 to bring the Council in line with the requirements of amended The Noise Action Plan: Agglomerations Environmental Noise (England) Regulations 2006.

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:-

·         While there was a more significant impact in the use of low noise surfacing on roads where the speed of traffic was 50mph and above, a member commented that there were several roads in Hazel Grove which had this surfacing provided where road speeds were approximately 30mph but which still delivered a beneficial impact.

·         The police needed to do more to control noise nuisance caused by noisy exhausts.

·         The comment within the report that an A6 to M60 link would have a positive impact on the volume of traffic using various roads in the Offerton area was welcomed.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Democratic Services Manager.

The report sets out a suggested process for the selection of scrutiny review topics and an explanation as to how the reviews will be supported.

The Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee is invited to comment on the report and subject to those comments refer the report to Scrutiny Committees for consideration.

Officer Contact: Stephen Fox on Tel: 0161 474 4306 or email: stephen.fox@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Democratic Services Manager submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) inviting the Scrutiny Committee to consider the process for the identification of suitable Scrutiny Review topics and to suggest topics for inclusions within the Scrutiny Work Programme.

The following suggested topic areas were discussed:-

·         How the Council could implement universal design within new housing developments to ensure that housing in the future was accessible for all future residents without the need to undertake subsequent costly adaptations.

·         The potential to undertake a joint review with the Economy & Regeneration Scrutiny Committee with regard to the impact of ongoing reductions in the extent and frequency of bus services throughout the Borough and the pressing need to develop and enhance bus services to cater for projected increases in housing developments as part of the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Democratic Services Manager.                                                       

The report sets out planned agenda items for the Scrutiny Committee’s next meeting and Forward Plan items that fall within the remit of the Scrutiny Committee.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to consider the information in the report and put forward any agenda items for future meetings of the Committee.

Officer contact: Damian Eaton on 0161 474 3207 or email: damian.eaton@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Democratic Services Manager submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out the planned agenda items for the Scrutiny Committee’s next meeting and any relevant Forward Plan items.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.