Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 12 July 2017.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 12 July 2017 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

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

The following interests was declared:-

Personal & Prejudicial Interest

To report any urgent action taken under the Constitution since the last meeting of the Cabinet.

No urgent decisions were reported.

Members of the public are invited to put questions to the Chair and Cabinet Members on any matters within the powers and duties of the Cabinet, subject to the exclusions set out in the Code of Practice.  (Questions must be submitted no later than 30 minutes prior to the commencement of the meeting on the card provided.  These are available at the meeting. You can also submit via the Council’s website at www.stockport.gov.uk/publicquestions)

No public questions were submitted.

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Education.

Pownall Green Primary School is a 2FE school with approx. 400 pupils on roll and receives a delegated budget allocation of c. £1.3m p.a. via the local funding formulae. In addition the school receives an annual devolved formula capital allocation at £0.008m p.a. for minor school lead capital projects. The Prudential Borrowing loan application is to finance a project to re-develop and construct a new enhanced Kids Club building on the school grounds to be used as a new Before and After School provision operated by the School, to cater for 90 pupils (currently 70 pupils and oversubscribed) and replace the current provision operated by a third party.

The Cabinet is recommended to support and approve the proposed Prudential Borrowing request from Pownall Green Primary School to finance the school project to develop Before/After School provision.

Officer contact: Peter Hughes, 0161 474 3947, peter.hughes@stockport.gov.uk

The Cabinet Member for Education submitted a report (copies of which had been circualted) inviting the Cabinet to consider a request from Pownall Green Primary School for a Prudential Borrowing Loan to finance a project to develop before and after school provision on the school site.

The Cabinet Member emphasised that the request had been assessed as financially viable and the enhanced provision that would be available at the school in future would support the Cabinet’s wider aims.

RESOLVED – That approval be given to the proposed Prudential Borrowing request from Pownall Green Primary School to finance the School’s project to develop before/after school provision as set out in the report.

To consider a report of the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance, Policy & Devolution.

The purpose of this report is to inform the Cabinet on the operation and effectiveness of the Council's Treasury Management function for 2016/17. 

Throughout 2016/17 the Council complied with its legislative and regulatory requirements.  The key actual prudential and treasury indicators detailing the impact of capital expenditure activities during the year, with comparators are found in the main body of the report. 

This annual review report is a backward-looking review of the treasury management operation for the previous financial year and is the last report in the 2016/17 reporting cycle.

In treasury management terms the 2016/17 financial year largely continued the challenging environment of previous years, with lasting low investment returns and counterparty risk remaining high.

The Cabinet is asked to recommend that the Council Meeting:

·       Approve the actual 2016/17 prudential and treasury indicators in this report;

·       Note the annual treasury management report for 2016/17;

·       Note that no fundamental changes have been made during 2016/17 to the Treasury Management Policy Statement and Practices approved at the Council meeting on 16 September 2016.          

Officer contact: Lorna Soufian 0161 474 4026, lorna.soufian@stockport.gov.uk

The Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance, Policy & Devolution submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) informing the Cabinet on the operation and effectiveness of the Council’s Treasury Management function for 2016/17.

During 2016/17 the Council complied with its legislative and regulatory requirements.  The key actual prudential and treasury indicators detailing the impact of capital expenditure activities during the year, with comparators were set out in the report.

The 2016/17 financial year had continued to be challenging, with lasting low investment returns and counterparty risk remaining high.

The Leader of the Council emphasised the continuing good performance of the Treasury Management function in the difficult circumstances and its importance in sustaining the Council’s ambitious investment strategy.

RESOLVED – That in relation to the Treasury Management Annual Report 2016/17 the Council Meeting be recommended to:

·       approve the actual 2016/17 prudential and treasury indicators in this report;

·       note the annual treasury management report for 2016/17;

·       note that no fundamental changes have been made during 2016/17 to the Treasury Management Policy Statement and Practices approved at the Council meeting on 16 September 2016.

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Economy & Regeneration.

At the Council meeting in December 2016 it was agreed that the Council should commence work on a new Stockport Local Plan. This first phase of this work is preparation of a Local Issues Paper.  Approval is sought for the Issues Paper and for a public consultation process from 28th July – 8th October 2017.

Cabinet is asked to approve, subject to comments, the Local Plan Issues Paper. 

Officer contact: Steven Johnson/Darren Pegram, 0161-474-3509/ 3171, steve.johnson@stockport.gov.uk / darren.pegram@stockport.gov.uk

The Cabinet Member for Economy & Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) inviting the Cabinet to consider the Local Plan ‘Issues Paper’, produced as the first phase of the development of the new Stockport Local Plan, that would inform a public consultation exercise by ‘setting the scene’ for the development of new policies or land use allocations that would feature in the Local Plan.

The Cabinet Member and the Leader of the Council stressed the importance of the Local Plan process in shaping the future of Stockport and so stressed the importance of public engagement with the upcoming consultation.

Other Cabinet Members echoed these points, commending officers for their work in making the document easily readable, and emphasised the need to engage with young people in particular.

RESOLVED – That the Local Plan Issues Paper be approved.

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Reform & Governance

Two years ago the then Executive considered and supported a proposal to invest in building new digital capabilities in order to support our growth and public service reform ambitions. In February 2017, the current Cabinet presented a Working Paper that set out the following basis on which further investments would be made to utilise these capabilities, and develop new ones, in order to support identified spending reductions over the medium-term.  This report now sets out the broad scope of a second phase of the Digital by Design programme that will meet these expectations.  In doing so the proposed work will lead to a range of improvements to how services are supported and delivered, and will reform working practices to facilitate recurrent annual reductions in revenue spending of £1.5m in Corporate and Support Services and a further £0.6m in Children’s Services. 

The Cabinet is invited to

·        discuss the issues raised in the report;

·        agree a further investment in a second phase Digital by Design programme as detailed in the report;

·        ask the Deputy Chief Executive, by September 2017, to agree the funding and delivery details of the second phase in conjunction with the Cabinet Member for Reform and Governance in respect of Corporate and Support Services; and in addition the Cabinet Member for Children and Families and the Corporate Director for People in respect of Stockport Family services.  

Officer contact: Steve Skelton; 0161 474 3174, steve.skelton@stockport.gov.uk

The Cabinet Member for Reform & Governance submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) inviting the Cabinet to consider proposals for the second phase of investments for the Digital by Design Programme that would reform working practices and reduce revenue spending. The proposals, relating to Corporate and Support Services and Stockport Family, would be subject to further work to develop detailed Delivery Plans. A further report would also be submitted to the Cabinet detailing the funding arrangements for the investment.

RESOLVED – That in relation to the Digital by Design Phase II proposals:-

·         a further investment in a second phase Digital by Design programme be approved;

·         the Deputy Chief Executive be requested, by September, to agree the funding and delivery details of the second phase with the Cabinet Member for Reform and Governance in respect of Corporate and Support Services; and in addition the Cabinet Member for Children and Families and the Corporate Director for People in respect of Stockport Family services.

To consider a report Cabinet Member for Reform & Governance.

This is a draft proposal for Information Advice and Guidance. It is being brought forward earlier than other Growth and Reform proposals because of the dependencies with commissioning. Following the Cabinet meeting it will go to the relevant scrutiny cycles for comment. 

It is recommended that the report be noted and that officers be asked to draw up more detailed proposals in line with the content of the report.

Officer contact: Alison Blount, 0161 474 5107, Alison.blount@stockport.gov.uk

The Cabinet Member for Reform & Governance submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) inviting the Cabinet to consider a draft proposal for changes to the Information, Advice and Guidance services to realise potential savings as part of the Council’s Growth and Reform Programme. The draft proposals had been brought forward ahead of other planned proposals in order to meet commissioning dependencies.

The Cabinet Member highlighted the high quality of the work from staff and volunteers at the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, but emphasised that the current contractual arrangements could not be extended any further due to the Council’s own procedures and other procurement regulations. This provided an opportunity for the Council to consider more fundamentally the service and how it was provided.

RESOLVED – That the Information, Advice and Guidance draft proposals for the recommissioning of the service be approved and that the Deputy Chief Executive be requested to prepare a detailed business case for the proposal.

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Reform & Governance

The report will set out the views of the Marple and Werneth area committees to the proposed changes to the Committee names.

Officer contact: Craig Ainsworth, 0161 474 3204, craig.ainsworth@stockport.gov.uk

The Cabinet Member for Reform & Governance submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) updating the Cabinet on the discussions by the Marple and Werneth area committees in relation to proposals to change the area committees’ names to better reflect the communities they served.

The Cabinet Member emphasised the ambivalence of the comments made by the area committees and highlighted the suggestion made by the Marple Area Committee to undertake public consultation on the proposal.

RESOLVED – That in relation to the Constitutional Review of Area Committees and the possible change of area committee names:-

·         the comments of the Marple and Werneth area committees be noted;

·         the Deputy Chief Executive be requested to make arrangements to consult the public within the Marple and Werneth area committee areas on the possible change to the names to ‘Marple and High Lane Area Committee’ and the ‘Bredbury, Romiley and Woodley Area Committee’ respectively.

On:-

(a)  Matters (if any) referred to the Executive Meeting

(b)  Any called-in Executive Decisions

There were none to consider.