Agenda

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 1 October 2024.

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

To receive announcements from the Mayor.

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

To receive any questions from and provide answers to the public in relation to matters relevant to the Council’s activities.

To receive petitions, and by prior arrangement, receive delegations and presentations from members of the public, community groups or partnership organisations.

(a)      Greater Manchester Police, Crime & Fire Panel

Councillor Jake Austin to answer questions, if any, on the business of the Greater Manchester Police, Crime & Fire Panel.

(b)      Greater Manchester Combined Authority

The following councillors to answer questions (if any) on the business of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority:-

To receive a report from the Returning Officer as to the persons elected to the office of Councillor on 17 and 31 October 2024 as follows:-

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Finance & Resources.

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Finance & Resources.

To consider a report of the Chair of the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee.

To receive a report from the Leader of the Council and other members of the Cabinet on the conduct of Cabinet business since the last Council Meeting.

To answer questions from Councillors addressed to the Leader of the Council or other members of the Cabinet, in accordance with Council Meeting Procedure Rule 11.

To receive the Minutes of the Cabinet held on 5 November 2024 and the record of executive decisions taken since the last Council Meeting, (schedule enclosed, decisions previously circulated) and consider any recommendations they contain.

To receive a report from the Chairs of the Scrutiny Committees on the conduct of Scrutiny business.

To receive a report from the Chairs of the Scrutiny Committees on the conduct of Scrutiny business.

To answer questions from Councillors addressed to the Scrutiny Chairs, in accordance with Council Meeting Procedure Rule 11.

To receive the Minutes of the following Scrutiny Committees:-

Adult Social Care & Health – 17 October 2024

Children & Families – 16 October 2024

Communities & Transport – 14 October 2024

Corporate, Resource Management & Governance – 15 October 2024

Economy, Regeneration & Climate Change – 17 October 2024

Scrutiny Co-ordination – 11 November 2024

To receive a report from the Chairs of the Planning & Highways Regulation; Licensing, Environment & Safety; and Audit Committees on the conduct of their business since the last Council Meeting.

To answer questions from Councillors addressed to the Chairs of Ordinary and Area Committees, in accordance with Council Meeting Procedure Rule 11.

To receive the minutes of the following Ordinary and Area Committees:-

Ordinary Committees

Appeals Panel – 9 October 2024

Audit – 18 September 2024

Employment Appeals – 4 and 18 October 2024

Member – 15 October 2024

Planning & Highways Regulation – 25 September 2024

Area Committees

Bramhall & Cheadle Hulme South – 4 November 2024

Central Stockport – 31 October 2024

Cheadle – 29 October 2024

Heatons & Reddish – 28 October 2024

Marple – 30 October 2024

Stepping Hill – 29 October 2024

Werneth – 28 October 2024

Ward Committees and Area Sub-Committees

Brookfield Park Shiers Family Trust Sub-Committee – 30 September 2024     

This Council notes:

·         The Borough’s Winter Services Policy and Winter Services Operational Plan last reviewed in 2018 sets out the current criteria used for decision making regarding current carriageway gritting routes, footway and cycleway gritting routes, grit box and additional grit locations.

·         A report coming to the Communities & Transport Scrutiny Committee on 2 September

·         2024 on the matter. At that Committee meeting it was minuted that:

‘Members could use ward highways budgets to fund grit bins for their local areas.’

·         Section 41(1a) of the Highways Act 1980 puts the LA under a duty to maintain and to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that safe passage along a highway is not endangered by snow or ice

·         That the current policy is being applied as so to restrict new Grit bin locations to high altitude areas of the Borough only at the cost of more highly built up areas in the Central of the Borough with highest populations and where residents can assist with gritting on inclined footways on major thoroughfares such as to railway stations.

·         That Members and residents are best placed to know where grit bins are best situated in their communities based on testimonies from vulnerable residents such as the elderly and disabled.

·         This Borough’s policy ‘A Plan for Walking and Cycling in Stockport 2019-2029’. That states:

(a)  OBJECTIVE 1 - To make walking and cycling the natural choices for all ages and abilities for commuting, utility and leisure trips over shorter distances both within Stockport and to neighbouring areas.

(b)  OBJECTIVE 4 - Ensure that neighbourhoods and district centres are "walking and cycling friendly“ to encourage local trips by bike and on foot

(c)  When walking and cycling infrastructure improvements are made, there is an increase in the ‘feel good’ factor for the local community.

 This Council resolves:

·         That the relevant Cabinet Member arranges for the review of the Borough’s current winter policy around grit bins forthwith and amend it so that grit bin requests are dealt with through a common sense approach and that Ward Members can use the Highways budget delegated to them as they see fit on priorities residents set.

·         That this review takes place imminently before freezing temperatures are upon us.

·         That all Members are updated by December 2024 on this.

Moved by:                  Councillor Matt Wynne

Seconded by:           Councillor Asa Caton

This council recognises:-

·         There should be no conflict between improving the lives of LGBTQ+ people and improving anyone else’s lives. Any attempt to suggest there must be a conflict between for instance women’s rights and LGBTQ+ people’s rights is false.

·         LGBTQ+ people are facing rising levels of discrimination and hate crime. We should all be working together to eliminate all discrimination and hate crime.

·         Due to the systemic oppression they face LGBTQ+ people can often face significantly worse outcomes when it comes to healthcare, education, housing and work.

·         LGBTQ+ people have been part of Stockport for as long as it has existed. They are our family, our friends, our coworkers and members of our communities.

·         That in the most recent iteration of the Safer Stockport Partnership there is a commitment to identify and work to eliminate the causes of hate crime.

·         The council has already taken actions to support Stockport’s LGBTQ+ community such as previously passing a motion condemning conversion therapy, supporting its own staff’s LGBTQ+ network and currently funds Stockport’s LGBTQ+ Network known as the RESPECT Network.

This council calls on the government to:

·         Fully ban all forms of conversion therapy relating to gender and sexual orientation.

·         Add a gender-neutral option on all forms of official documentation such as passports and remove the requirement for gender markers  on such documentation.

·         Produce and fully fund a robust, community led and well researched plan to identify and eliminate the causes of discrimination and hate crime.

·         Improve LGBTQ+ people’s access to official documentation, healthcare, education, housing, government services and work.

This council resolves to:

·         Provide quarterly updates, to the council and relevant stakeholders, on the progress of the Safer Stockport Partnership’s aim to identify and work to eliminate the causes of hate crime.

·         Fully progress its membership of Stonewall’s Diversity scheme. Or a similar scheme that provides independent, external accreditation.

·         Encourage Stockport’s schools and colleges to sign up to programmes, such as those provided by The Proud Trust, aimed at improving LGBTQ+ students experience during education.

·         Encourage more Stockport GP’s to sign up to the Pride in Practice initiative offered by the LGBT Foundation which works to improve the experiences of LGBTQ+ people accessing primary care services.

·         When creating and altering the council’s constitution, policies and documentation to, where appropriate, use gender neutral language.

·         Offer help and advice to Stockport’s LGBTQ+ groups to access funding and support to help with the good work they do.

·         Encourage councillors and council employees to, when they are able to, attend LGBTQ+ events and initiatives in Stockport.

·         Encourage council employees to make use of the Employee Volunteering Policy, using a proportion of their paid time to volunteer with local Stockport groups doing good work, including for the LGBTQ+ community.

Moved by:                  Councillor Dan Oliver

Seconded by:           Councillor Rosemary Barratt

This council welcomes the recent 2024 Government Budget and acknowledges its benefits for the residents of Stockport.

The budget outlines significant investments and reforms aimed at strengthening public services, supporting local businesses, and addressing cost-of-living pressures.

This Council particularly acknowledges the following points :

·       The increase in the National Living Wage to £12.21 per hour will support many low-paid workers , boosting income for families and helping to alleviate financial pressures

·       We applaud the allocation of additional funding for the NHS, including an investment to deliver more than 1.25 million diagnostic tests and expand capacity for 30,000 procedures. We also welcome an additional £1 billion to reduce the backlog of critical NHS maintenance, repairs and upgrades, and will be making the case for much needed investment into Stepping Hill Hospital

·       A substantial increase in local road maintenance funding to address potholes. The budget goes beyond the government's initial pledge to fix an additional 1 million potholes each year, providing an extra £500 million to the 2024-25 baseline for local roads maintenance

·       We recognise further investment in social care, with a minimum of £600 million in new grants specifically aimed at supporting social care services. More investment is needed though in this field, and we will work with the Government to help achieve this.

·       Increased investment in children’s services, including a £1 billion boost for SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) and alternative provision, will improve services for families in Stockport.

·       The government plan to simplify the wider local funding landscape, reducing the number of grants and consolidating them into the Local Government Finance Settlement, as well as moving towards a multi-year settlement for local government so local authorities can plan more effectively.

·       The £500 million boost to the Affordable Homes Programme will support the development of more desperately needed affordable homes in Stockport. Future grant investments will prioritise social housing, enabling Stockport to expand its supply of homes for social rent, providing secure, affordable options for those in need.

·       Finally, we welcome the extension to the Household Support Fund, with the government providing £1 billion in 2025-26.

This council expresses its support for the 2024 Budget and its contributions to improving the quality of life for our residents. We look forward to working alongside the community to maximise these benefits and drive positive change across Stockport.

Moved by:               Councillor Christine Carrigan

Seconded by:          Councillor Paul Wright

This Council notes the essential role that local assets play in vibrant communities across Stockport. We recognize that these valued venues come in various forms, from community centres and pubs to cinemas, libraries, and music venues.

This Council further acknowledges that the challenges facing our high streets, alongside slow economic growth, have contributed to the decline of key community assets in Stockport. These cherished places, when left empty or neglected, not only affect our local economy but also diminish community pride.

This Council welcomes the UK Government’s plans to introduce a Community Right to Buy, providing communities with stronger powers to secure local assets, including the right of first refusal on a wider range of community-valued assets and an extended timeframe—from six to twelve months—for communities to raise funds for asset acquisition.

We celebrate the role that Stockport’s residents have played in revitalising these spaces, helping to create community hubs that bring people together. Notable local initiatives, such as Stockport Plaza showcase the positive impact of community action. This Council is committed to furthering these successes and ensuring that these processes are accessible for everyone.

This Council commits to:

·       Actively supporting community groups interested in acquiring assets, helping to connect them with local and national funding sources and organizations that offer infrastructure support, such as Plunkett UK and Power to Change.

·       Working with Council officers to develop practical steps for Stockport to:

Moved by:               Councillor Claire Vibert

Seconded by:          Councillor Helen Hibbert

We believe amendments to the laws relating to compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) and blighted land are required, to:

·         Give councils greater powers to take over ownership of derelict land and property which has become a blight on the local community; this is a problem affecting a number of communities in Stockport, Greater Manchester, and the rest of the country.

·         Make CPOs cheaper to administer, simpler to implement and faster to progress; they can easily be prevented by the sale of the property or transfer within the owner’s company structure. 

·         Change the emphasis with CPOs, the legal requirement should be placed on a site’s owner to demonstrate progression of a scheme, thereby reducing the costs to local authorities.

·         Consider increased taxation to tackle problems where blight and anti-social behaviour occur, the government could enable the funds raised to be used to facilitate construction of new homes.

·         Enable councils to convert affected land into community assets, which they can retain, or dispose of for the construction of housing.

The council asks that the Chief Executive writes to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Mayor of Greater Manchester to highlight the need for change, the difficulties experienced by local residents and the lack of powers and resources the council has to respond.

Moved by:                  Councillor Catherine Stuart

Seconded by:           Councillor Dallas Jones

This Council notes;

·       The Armoury Roundabout (Greek Street) civil engineering works taking place starting in December 2024 – March 2026 and resulting in the bridge being offline between March 2025 and March 2026.

·       These works being a Network Rail led project carried out in conjunction with Stockport Council and other major stakeholders.

·       The widespread disruption this will cause for day-to-day life for the people of Stockport.

·        

This Council further notes:

·       The disappointment that a relatively small public realm improvement scheme (known as ‘Edgeley > Stockport MCF’ to upgrade the top of Castle Street and provide road safety and pedestrian improvements to the top of the District Centre (between here and Moseley Street) remains unfunded after years of anticipation and a pledge that it would be in place before the bridge came out.

·       This walking and cycling scheme was first conceived in 2019, went out to consultation in June 2021. The Town Centre section is now complete and the section between the Town Hall & A6 is due to be constructed soon.

·       That the route mentioned (between Edgeley and the Thomson Street Bridge) is not fit for purpose as a designated primary diversionary route for both pedestrians and cyclists in its current state given it borders the school gates of Our Lady Primary School. This route in its current state does not meet modern standards for accessibility, for disabled persons and the thoroughfare is regularly blocked by parked cars.

·       That a longer route for a primary diversion (which will be at least 12 months) is not acceptable and will not be considered.

This Council resolves:

·       To write to the GMCA, Transport for Greater Manchester, GM Transport Commissioner, Chair of the Bee Network Committee and the GM Mayors Office asking them to allocate CRSTS ATF monies to this scheme as soon as possible given the uniqueness of this project and the disruption it will bring to Edgeley residents.

·        In the alternative, recommend that the Cabinet agrees to draw capital funding internally as a Borough to deliver this small scheme before the Armoury Roundabout is replaced given shovels could be in the ground to deliver this scheme within a short time frame with a view that the scheme is delivered by March 2025.

Mobed by:               Councillor Matt Wynne

Seconded by:          Councillor Leah Taylor