Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 2 December 2013.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 2 December 2013 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 interests were declared:-

Personal Interests

To consider call-in items (if any).

There were no call-in items to consider.

To consider a joint report of the Service Director (Adult Care Services) and the Chief Operating Officer (Stockport CCG)

The Better Care Fund (previously referred to as the Integration Transformation Fund) was announced in June 2013 as part of the 2013 Spending Round.  It provides an opportunity to transform local services so that people are provided with better integrated care and support. The report sets out the proposals that will go forward as part of the bid from Stockport.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to comment on the report prior to consideration by the Executive and Clinical Commissioning Group Board.

Officer contact: Terry Dafter on 0161 474 4401 or email: terry.dafter@Stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Service Director (Adult Social Care) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing a joint bid from the Council and the Stockport Clinical Commissioning Group for funding from the Better Care Fund (previously known as the Integration Transformation Fund) which aimed to provide an opportunity to transform local services so that people were provided with better integrated care and support.

The Executive Councillor for Adult Care Services (Councillor Keith Holloway) attended the meeting to answer members’ questions.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         It was stated that one of the conditions of funding was the protection of social care services and the definition that  would be worked towards in Stockport would be codified in the final application although it was anticipated that it would revolve around the progression of intermediate care services and reablement.

·         The funding would be allocated over two years with targets associated with spending over this period on an outcomes basis.  It was noted that as funding was only released on the basis of the assessment of achieved outcomes, consideration needed to be given to the stringency of the spending expectations.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a Joint Report of the Corporate Director for Corporate and Support Services and the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration.

The report provides the Scrutiny Committee with the opportunity to comment on an illustrative Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Budget which will be considered by the Executive at its meeting on 11 February 2013 to recommend to the Council Meeting an HRA budget for 2014/15, including the level of rent and service charges. 

The illustrative budget is based on a number of key assumptions set out in the report regarding income from rent and service charges; expenditure commitments contained within the HRA 30 year Business Plan and Asset Management Strategy and indicative spending requirements to support inflationary pressures and identified investment priorities.

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

Officer contact: Michael Cullen on 0161 474 4631 or email: michael.cullen@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Corporate Director for Corporate and Support Services submitted a joint report of the Corporate Director for Corporate and Support Services and the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration (copies of which had been circulated) providing the Scrutiny Committee with the opportunity to comment on an illustrative Housing Revenue Account Budget which would be considered by the Executive at its meeting on 11 February 2013 to recommend to the Council Meeting an HRA budget for 2014/15, including the level of rent and service charges.

The illustrative budget was based on a number of key assumptions set out in the report regarding income from rent and service charges; expenditure commitments contained within the HRA 30 year Business Plan and Asset Management Strategy and indicative spending requirements to support inflationary pressures and identified investment priorities.

The Executive Councillor for Communities and Sustainability (Councillor Stuart Bodsworth) attended the meeting to answer members’ questions.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         Stockport’s proposed rent increase was less than being implemented elsewhere in the country.

·         The proposed increase in energy charges of 8% detailed in the report had now been reduced to 4% following positive discussions between the Chair of the Scrutiny Committee and Stockport Homes.

·         A discussion took place in relation to the potential for an additional increase in the deficit in service charges resulting from the proposed reduction in energy charges in the light of the projected increase in deficit within the report based upon on 8% service charge increase.  In response, it was stated that Stockport Homes was confident that the reduction in the energy service charge could be contained without a significant impact on service provision.

·         The introduction of energy efficiency measures has had an impact on tenants’ energy use.

·         There was a Hardship Fund available to support those tenants’ who were struggling with costs associated with energy charges.

RESOLVED - That the report be noted.

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

The report provide the background to the current five year agreement with the Council (through Stockport Homes) to collect water charges on behalf of United Utilities which is due to expire on 31 March 2014.  The collection of water charges has been a huge success for the Council, Stockport Homes and the Housing Revenue Account (HRA). This report further outlines the terms of a proposed new agreement from April 2014, together with the associated risk and rewards.

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

Officer contact: Andy Kippax on 0161 474 4319 or email: andy.kippax@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing the background to the current five year agreement with the Council (through Stockport Homes) to collect water charges on behalf of United Utilities which was due to expire on 31 March 2014. 

It was reported that the collection of water charges had been a successful for the Council, Stockport Homes and the Housing Revenue Account (HRA). The report further outlined the terms of a proposed new agreement from April 2014, together with the associated risk and rewards.

The Executive Councillor for Communities and Sustainability (Councillor Stuart Bodsworth) attended the meeting to answer members’ questions.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         It was suggested that consideration should be given to extending the discount of £5 for payment by direct debit by apportioning the discount across the whole customer base as those who were unable to pay by direct debit were usually those in most financial need.  However, it was stated that the direct debit discount scheme was administered by United Utilities which would preclude any local intervention. 

·         Further work was taking place with United Utilities in relation to the development of a ‘social tariff’ for water charges to ensure that people could be moved to the lowest available tariff as a means of providing further assistance to tenants.

·         Concern was expressed in relation to the potential for tenants to be evicted as a result of the accrual of arrears of water charges.  In response, it was stated that there was a policy in place around this which stipulated that eviction would be the last possible resort.

RESOLVED – That the Executive Councillor for Communities and Sustainability be recommended to give approval to a five year extension to the current agreement between the Council and United Utilities for Stockport Homes to collect water charges on behalf of United Utilities.

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

This report was requested by the Scrutiny Committee at its meeting on 23 May 2013.

The report provides an overview of a number of high-profile capital investment schemes over the past few years completed by Stockport Homes which were designed to improve energy efficiency across the housing portfolio and address fuel poverty for customers and highlights the impacts on both costs to the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and savings to customers. 

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

Officer contact: Andy Kippax on 0161 474 4319 or email: andy.kippax@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing an overview of a number of high-profile capital investment schemes over the past few years completed by Stockport Homes which were designed to improve energy efficiency across the housing portfolio and address fuel poverty for customers and highlighting the impacts on both costs to the Housing Revenue Account and savings to customers.

The Chair reported that this item had been placed on the agenda following a request from the Scrutiny Committee at its meeting on 23 May 2013.

The Executive Councillor for Communities and Sustainability (Councillor Stuart Bodsworth) attended the meeting to answer members’ questions.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         There had been initial problems with the biomass energy boilers which had now been resolved.

·         The biomass fuel was sourced from woodlands in and around the Greater Manchester and Cheshire region.

·         Consideration was being given to the development of a depot within Stockport for the processing of biomass material.

RESOLVED – That the work of Stockport Homes in implementing the energy efficiency projects be welcomed and congratulated.

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 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 items for the Scrutiny Committee’s next meeting and Forward Plan items which fell within the remit of the Scrutiny Committee.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.