Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 10 October 2022.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 10 October 2022 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.

The following interest was declared:-

Personal and Prejudicial

To consider call-in items (if any).

There were no call-in items to consider.

To consider whether it is in the public interest to exclude the press and public from the meeting during consideration of the following item:

RESOLVED - That in order to prevent the disclosure of information which was not for publication, the disclosure of which would not be in the public interest, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of any of the exempt information in Agenda Item 12 – ‘Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure (EVCI)’.

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for Corporate & Support Services & Deputy Chief Executive.

This committee has a statutory responsibility to review and scrutinise community safety partnership activity and routinely receives an annual review and partnership update.  This focuses on the activity of the One Stockport Safety Partnership (OSSP) since committee approved the partnership’s 2022-2025 Plan in March 2022.  OSSP was previously known as the Safer Stockport Partnership – the new name was adopted by the partnership’s board in September 2022 to bring consistency to the names of all our key  strategic partnerships.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to:-

a)    Consider the SSP 2022 Annual Update 2020/21 presentation.

b)    Note the priorities within each of the three themes in OSSP’s 2022/23 delivery plan.

c)    Note the proposed actions within the Safer Streets initiative

d)    Provide any comments or reflections on the issues covered in the presentation.

e)    Consider and comment on content and format of future Scrutiny updates (including performance information) and timing of the updates.

Officer contact: Karishma Chandaria at: karishma.chandaria@stockport.gov.uk

Michael Cullen (Deputy Chief Executive) and Chief Superintendent John Webster (Greater Manchester Police) attended the meeting and made a presentation providing an update on the activity of the One Stockport Safety Partnership since committee approved the partnership’s 2022-2025 Plan in March 2022. 

The Cabinet Member for Communities & Housing (Councillor Helen Foster-Grime) attended the meeting to respond to councillors’ questions.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         A large proportion of reports of anti-social behaviour actually relate to young men on the streets who are not necessarily committing criminal offences, but are perceived by the wider community as being troubling.  This was particularly the case during the winter months when it became darker, earlier.

·         Following the neighbourhood response review undertaken by Greater Manchester Police, work was taking place to move to a dedicated neighbourhood policing response to address such issues of anti-social behaviour.

·         An efficient neighbourhood response was recognised as being vitally important in effectively tackling issues of anti-social behaviour.

·         It was proposed that there would be three dedicated neighbourhood teams, each led by an inspector with three sergeants, between 12-14 constables and a further 12-14 PCSOs. 

·         With regard to the misuse of off-road bikes, it was stated that the police would not routinely chase offenders due the significant level of risk involved.  As a result, it was important that where there was any intelligence in relation to where these bikes were stored, that this information was passed along to the police so that the nuisance could be prevented from happening in the first place.

·         The detection rate for burglary had risen from less than 2% 12 months ago, to 16.7 in October as a result of investment in the neighbourhood crime team.

·         Where appropriate, restorative justice was being used for minors as an alternative to criminal prosecution.

·         A significant amount of preventative work had taken place around Halloween and bonfire night which had successfully reduced the level of anti-social behaviour and the challenges that had faced the police last year.  Further detail was requested in relation to the statistical data on reported incidents which it was agreed would be circulated to members separately.

·         The significant amount of work that had taken place to improve the call handling process for 111 non-emergency calls was welcomed.  It was noted that calls to 111 were now answered more quickly than 999 emergency calls were 12 months ago.

RESOLVED- That the report be noted.

The 2022/23 Quarter 2 Portfolio Performance and Resources Reports (PPRRs) for the following three portfolios are presented to members for consideration.

·                     Climate Change and Environment.

·                     Communities and Housing.

·                     Highways, Parks and Leisure Services.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to:-

(a)      Consider the Mid-Year Portfolio Performance and Resource Reports.

(b)      Review the progress to date (and forecasts) relating to delivering key targets and budgets for 2022/23.

(c)      Highlight key areas of and responsibility for taking forward corrective action to address any performance or resource issues.

(d)      Highlight any significant issues or changes to be fed back to the Cabinet alongside the Corporate Performance and Resource Report.

(e)      Identify how areas of strong performance and good practice can be shared in other services.

Climate Change and Environment 

Alan Lawson, Strategy and Performance Manager  alan.lawson@stockport.gov.uk (07890 563587)

Kora Yohannan, CSS Manager Specialist Strategic Financial Adviser

Kora.yohannan@stockport.gov.uk (474 4032)

Communities and Housing

Aaron Madray, CSS Senior Officer, Strategy and Performance aaron.madray@stockport.gov.uk (474 4862)

Kora Yohannan, CSS Manager Specialist Strategic Financial Adviser Kora.yohannan@stockport.gov.uk (474 4032)

Highways, Parks and Leisure Services 

Alan Lawson, Strategy and Performance Manager

alan.lawson@stockport.gov.uk (07890 563587)

Kora Yohannan, CSS Manager Specialist Strategic Financial Adviser

Kora.yohannan@stockport.gov.uk (474 4032)

The Director of Place Management submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing the Mid-Year Portfolio Performance and Resource Report (PPRR) for the Climate Change and Environment; Communities and Housing; and Highways, Parks and Leisure Services portfolios. The report provided a summary of progress in delivering the portfolio priorities, reform programme and other key projects in the first half of the year, with a particular focus on the second quarter (July to September).

The Cabinet Members for Climate Change and Environment (Councillor Mark Roberts); Communities & Housing (Councillor Helen Foster-Grime); and Highways, Parks and Leisure Services (Councillor Grace Baynham) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

Highways, Parks and Leisure Services Portfolio

·         Further information was requested in relation to the detail of the six action priorities contained in the Active Communities Implementation Plan.

·         Work was taking place to address incidents of double or multiple reporting of incidents of fly-tipping through the use of better mapping in the online reporting tool.

·         In response to question about the nature of the contained outbreak reserve, it was stated that this was a government resource provided in relation to the pandemic to help facilitate the Council’s ongoing response.  Certain elements of expenditure from within the Highways, Parks and Leisure Services portfolio were being met from within this reserve but which was held in another portfolio area for accountancy purposes.

·         A review was taking place in relation to the transfer of all residents permit parking schemes to paid schemes in the light of the ongoing pressures residents were facing as a result of the cost-of-living crisis.

·         Should residents wish to transfer to a paid scheme, then they were able to progress this through the submission of a petition to their local area committee.

·         In relation to the ‘Torkington tennis and multi sports improvements’ project identified in the report, it was stated that designs were being developed for changing rooms which would be shared with ward councillors prior to a planning application being submitted.

·         In response to a question about the level of fines given to those convicted of fly-tipping offences, it was stated that this did not offset the cost of remediation and prosecution and in most cases, it did not provide sufficient deterrent.

·         As the level of dedicated cycling infrastructure in the borough increased, work was taking place to review how these could best be targeted to remove leaf fall and other detritus within the existing annual leaf clearing programme.

Climate Change and Environment Portfolio

·         In response to a question about identifiable successes within the portfolio, The Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environments stated that a significant amount of work was taking place which had included meetings with UK1000, the Green Finance Institute and discussions with the British Hydro-Electric Association.  Data on greenhouse gas emissions would be presented to a future meeting of the scrutiny committee and feasibility investigations were taking place on the potential for the introduction of a district heat network.

·         It was important that targets that were set were properly rooted in science and not ideology or rhetoric.

·         It was commented that it was important that a proper maintenance plan was in place where new trees were planted, as there was anecdotal evidence that a significant proportion of newly planted trees had failed.   In response, it was stated that it had to be acknowledged that not all trees would survive, however one initiative that had worked well was to encourage local residents to ‘adopt’ trees outside their houses.

·         The waste collection service was now running at normal capacity and collected approximately 1million bins each month.  Work was taking place to provide new technology that will allow bin collection crews to be more responsive to missed bin collections.

Communities and Housing Portfolio

·         With regard to the stalled development at Melford Road, Hazel Grove, it was stated that the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To consider a report of the Director of Public Health and the Service Director for Citizen Focus.

The purpose of this paper is to provide an update on the work of the Fair and Inclusive team in the first six months of the programme 1st March – 30th Sept 22.

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

Officer contact: Julie Jarman by email at: julie.jarman@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Director of Public Health and the Service Director for Citizen Focus submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing an update on the work of the Fair and Inclusive team in the first six months of the programme from 1 March to 30 September 2022.

The Cabinet Member for Communities & Housing (Councillor Helen Foster-Grime) attended the meeting to respond to councillors’ questions.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         The online activity around promoting warm spaces had been supplemented by printed publicity materials which had been distributed widely.

·         It was commented that housing, transport, environment and health had not been included in outcomes framework and that these needed to be addressed as part of any holistic approach to this area of work.  In response it was stated that although this had not been included in the framework, there was still a significant element of work taking place.

·         The work on pension credit outreach was welcomed, however it was noted that this had been funded through a ‘one-off’ pot of money and it was queried how progress in this area could be maintained once the funding had ended.  In response, it was stated that there were approximately, 3000 pensioners who were not claiming what they were entitled, which was a number that would reduce as a result of the work that was taking place.  As a consequence, there would be a smaller number of people to identify in the future which would not be as resource intensive as this pilot work.

·         There remained a stigma amongst some parts of the population against claiming ‘benefits’ or taking what was perceived to be a ‘handout’.  The terminology being used tried to encourage recipients to consider pension credit as an element of the pension to which they were entitled.

·         It was noted that meetings in relation the Stockport Women and Girls network had been held during the day which could be seen to exclude working women.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Director of Place Management.

The report details the findings of the Scrutiny Review Panel around a Stockport Greenspace Standard, providing scrutiny with an update on the application of the findings.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to consider and adopt the final report for submission to the Cabinet.

Officer contact: Emma Stubbs at emma.stubbs@stockport.gov.uk

The Director of Place Management submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing the findings of the Scrutiny Review Panel around a Stockport Greenspace Standard, providing scrutiny with an update on the application of the findings.

The Scrutiny Committee was invited to make amendments to the report prior to its submission to the Cabinet on 6 December 2022.

The Cabinet Member for Highways, Parks and Leisure Services (Councillor Grace Baynham) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

RESOLVED – (1) That the draft ‘Stockport Greenspace Standard 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.

To consider a report of the Corporate Director (Corporate and Support Services) and Deputy Chief Executive

This report provides an overview on the energy contracts held by the Council both for its estate’s portfolio including some schools and the street lighting and other highway-based energy contracts. The report sets out a proposed change in strategy for the procurement of our energy within a framework that requires Cabinet approval on the basis that the likely cumulative value of contracts entered into is greater than £10m which requires Cabinet approval

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

Officer contacts: Emily Brough, James Kington, Sue Stevenson, Kora Yohannan by email at emily.brough@stockport.gov.uk, james.kington@stockport.gov.uk, sue.stevenson@stockport.gov.uk, kora.yohannan@stockport.gov.uk

The Director of Place Management submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing an overview on the energy contracts held by the Council both for its estates portfolio, including some schools, and the street lighting and other highway-based energy contracts.

The report set out a proposed change in strategy for the procurement of energy within a framework that required Cabinet approval on the basis that the likely cumulative value of contracts entered into was greater than £10m.

The Cabinet Member for Highways, Parks and Leisure Services (Councillor Grace Baynham) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Director of Place Management.

The report provides an update on the School Streets trial which ran in Stockport from 13th June 2022 to 31st July 2022.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to note the finding of the report and the potential alternatives which could be considered. They are also asked to note the significant barriers to being able to do School Streets long term and acknowledge the lack of resource, financial and human, for all options.

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

The Director of Place Management submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing an update on the School Streets trial which ran in Stockport from 13th June 2022 to 31st July 2022.

The report identified a number of barriers to the long-term sustainability of school street schemes, with specific regard to staffing and financial resources to support them; as well as outlining some potential alternatives that could be considered.

The Cabinet Member for Highways, Parks and Leisure Services (Councillor Grace Baynham) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         Concern was expressed in relation to the potential for the displacement of the issues that had been experienced outside schools to other locations outside of the scheme boundaries.

·         It was suggested that there was a gap between what had been presented to schools and local communities in advance of taking up trial schemes and the reality of what was sustainable in the long-term.

·         The aim of changing behaviour and promoting the benefits of walking was welcomed.

·         In many circumstances, individual schools would be able to continue with school streets schemes as the experimental traffic regulation orders remained in place.  However, this would be subject to them being able to identify a sustainable pool of volunteers to support it.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Strategic Head of Service (Legal and Democratic Services).

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 Assistant Director - Legal & Democratic Governance (Monitoring Officer) 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.

It was requested that an item be included on the agenda for the next meeting of the Scrutiny Committee in relation to water supply issues in the south of Stockport following the closure of a water treatment works after a power cut.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Director of Place Management

It is evident that support to improve the Electrical Vehicle Charging Infrastructure (EVCI) within Stockport is required to encourage the decarbonisation of transport and improve air quality in the borough. It has been identified that by entering into an agreement with the sustainable infrastructure company Iduna, the council could help improve EVCI provision across the borough. Iduna have funding to support the role out of EVCI in the borough which can be accessed by residents and visitors of Stockport and paid for using Be.EV membership or ‘webpay’. To do this Iduna is seeking to lease parking spaces under council ownership.

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

Officer contact: Mark Glynn / Sue Stevenson by e-mail mark.glynn@stockport.gov.uk   /  sue.stevenson@stockport.gov.uk

The Director of Place Management submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing a proposal to encourage the decarbonisation of transport and improve air quality in the borough by improving the Electrical Vehicle Charging Infrastructure (EVCI) within Stockport. 

It had been identified that by entering into an agreement with the sustainable infrastructure company, Iduna, the council could help improve EVCI provision across the borough. It was stated that Iduna had funding to support the role out of EVCI in the borough which could be accessed by residents and visitors to Stockport and paid for using Be.EV membership or ‘webpay’.

The proposal involved Iduna leasing a number of parking spaces under council ownership.

The Cabinet Member for Highways, Parks and Leisure Services (Councillor Grace Baynham) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.