Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 3 November 2011.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 3 November 2011 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Councillors and officers to declare any interest which they may have in any of the items on the agenda for this meeting (including whipping declarations).

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 Interest

To consider call-in items (if any).

There were no items to consider.

To consider a report of the Corporate Director of Place

The report provides a detailed overview of performance which relates to this Scrutiny Committee.

The information is provided in the form of the Quarter 2 2011/12 Portfolio Performance and Resources Reports for each of the Environment, Leisure, Regeneration and Transportation Portfolios, and specific detail and information in relation to the council’s ‘A Safe and Strong Stockport’, ‘A Thriving Stockport’ and ‘A Green Stockport’ Priorities.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to:-

(1) Review the current levels of performance;

(2) Highlight key areas of, and responsibility for, taking forward corrective action to address any existing or forecast performance issues;

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

Officer contact: Doug Holland, Tel: 0161 474 2976, email: doug.holland@stockport.gov.uk

The Corporate Director of Place submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing the Scrutiny Committee with a detailed overview of performance which related to this Scrutiny Committee. The information provided was in the form of the Quarter 2 2011/12 Portfolio Performance and Resources Reports for each of the Environment, Leisure, Regeneration and Transportation Portfolios, and specific detail and information in relation to the Council’s ‘A Safe and Strong Stockport’, ‘A Thriving Stockport’ and ‘A Green Stockport’ Priorities.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

     Environment Executive Portfolio

•           A Member welcomed the Housing Standards team recovering monies from a landlord for carrying out works following non-compliance with a notice.

•           The details of the pressure on the Licensing, Environment and Safety Committee following the statutory survey undertaken by the taxi service with regard to the limits imposed on hackney carriage licence numbers.

•           The closure of public toilets and the savings being achieved by the community toilets scheme.

•           The situations when charges were levied for wheelie bins

•           The excellent figures for the percentage of household waste sent for reuse, recycling or composting.

   Leisure Executive Portfolio

•           With regard to shared library services, the timescale for the procurement of a shared library management system and Greater Manchester information service. The savings would be achieved in 2013/14.

•           The figures in the Leisure Strategy referred to the period after the £400k allocation to be spent on Target Fitness Plus, Cheadle.

•           An increasing number of schools were opting out of the School Library Service.

Regeneration Executive Portfolio

•           Whether the increase in the number of Job Seekers Allowance claimants compared to job vacancies was an indication of a skills shortage.

•           The total number of apprenticeships created and how this compared with other local authorities.

•           The rise in youth unemployment was higher than the national average.

•           The reduction in the percentage of occupied managed workspace and incubator floorspace actively managed to start up micro businesses, and the measures being taken to increase occupancy.

•           The interest from firms in the remaining units at S: Park

•           How vacancy rates were measured in the town centre.

•           With regard to financial support for new businesses, what the criteria was for the loans and the default rate for late and non-payments.

•           The alternative funding source for the Mealhouse Brow Development, should this be necessary.

•           What the priorities were which had led to a comparatively small percentage of the funding available in 2011/12 being spent in the form of completed grant claims.

Transportation Executive Portfolio

•           A Member requested a copy of the Service Level Agreement once the transfer of grounds maintenance to Solutions SK had been completed.

•           The excellent work carried out under the retaining walls programme.

•           The current situation with regard to winter gritting contingency arrangements.

•           The current situation with regard to the Connect 2 scheme.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Assistant Chief Executive (Policy, Strategy, Partnerships & Transformation)

The Draft Portfolio Priorities in relation to the Environment, Leisure, Regeneration and Transportation portfolios to be included within the Council Plan for 2012/13.

The Scrutiny Committee is requested to comment on the draft portfolio priorities.

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

A representative of the Assistant Chief Executive (Policy, Strategy, Partnerships and Transformation) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out the draft Portfolio Priorities for the Environment, Leisure, Regeneration and Transportation executive portfolios to be included within the 2012/13 Council Plan.

The following comments were made/issues raised on the draft priorities:-

Environment Executive Portfolio

•           Members had no substantive comments and supported all the priorities that related to the Environment executive portfolio.

Leisure Executive Portfolio

•           A Member felt that the priorities were not extensive and detailed enough.

Regeneration Executive Portfolio

•           With regard to attracting new investment and supporting the development of existing businesses, there should be a focus on encouraging women into business.

•           Concern was expressed how the objective of maximising external funding to support regeneration in Stockport would be achieved when there were fewer programmes to bid for funding and as a result staffing in this area was being rationalised.  However, as an example the Corporate Director for Place advised that the Council had received £5m funding from the Department of Transport towards the construction of a multi-storey car park adjacent to Stockport Railway Station.

Transportation Executive Portfolio

•           With regard to those aspects of securing improvement to the transport network which related to the longer term objectives of tram-trains and Metrolink, the two methods of providing trams should not be in competition with each other. However, it was pointed out that it was easier to initiate tram-train projects which should help to prevent any possible conflict. As a consequence tram-train projects should be a higher priority for Stockport than Metrolink.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted and the comments be referred to the Executive for consideration in conjunction with the Draft Council Plan 2012/13.

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for Place.

The report provides a summary of the results of the consultation which relate to the portfolios under the remit of this Scrutiny Committee.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to consider and comment on the consultation responses.

Officer contact: Jim McMahon on 0161 474 4800 or e mail: jim.mcmahon@stockport.gov.uk

The Corporate Director for Place submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) summarising the results of a range of consultations undertaken on the Executive’s saving proposals for the 2012/13 budget. The report included summaries of the consultations on the proposals within the Environment, Regeneration, Transportation and Leisure executive portfolios, and Planning & Highways.

The following general comments were made/issues raised:-

•           It was suggested that whilst the report summarised the consultation process itself, it did not include enough detail in relation to the responses to the consultations.

•           A question was raised as to how the consultation process had influenced the savings proposals.

•           A question was raised as to how the Council would achieve the necessary level of reductions in posts in 2012/13.

•           It was noted that no consultation had been undertaken with regard to the reduction in the grant to the Sports Trust while there had been a major consultation exercise in relation to the Leisure Strategy.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted and the comments of the Scrutiny Committee be referred to the Executive for consideration in conjunction with the Executive’s savings proposals.

To receive a presentation on the outcome of the consultation on the draft strategy for meeting the physical needs of the people of Stockport through the provision of leisure facilities.

Officer contact: Carol Morrison, Tel: 474 4501, email: carol.morrison@stockport.gov.uk

The Service Director (Communities) made a presentation advising the Committee on the outcome of the consultation on the draft strategy for meeting the physical needs of the people of Stockport through the provision of leisure facilities. A copy of the presentation was circulated at the meeting.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

•           The Equality Impact Assessment should be submitted to the Committee. It was clarified that the completed strategy, including the Equality Impact Assessment, would be submitted to the next meeting of the Committee.

•           Although there was broad agreement with the Council’s overall investment plan with the exception of the Friends of Peel Moat, 59% of respondents to IPSOS MORI neither agreed or disagreed with the closure of Peel Moat Target Fitness to support the investment programme. This  was more than double the respondents who disagreed with the closure of the centre.

•           The question: ‘How far do you agree or disagree with the closure of Peel Moat Target Fitness to support the investment programme would self-evidently lead to particular responses depending on whether or not somebody was a user of the Peel Moat Centre or one of the other centres.

•           It was clarified that the responses of all people who lived in the borough would be considered, including those with a Manchester post code.

•           It was queried how long the touch screens were in place at the Peel Moat Centre.

•           There were not enough paper copies of the consultation form available at the Peel Moat Centre.

RESOLVED – (1) That the completed strategy, including the Equality Impact Assessment, be submitted to the next meeting of the Committee on 2 February 2012.

(2) That Members be advised how long the touch screens were in place at the Peel Moat Centre.

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for Place.

The Scrutiny Committee is requested to consider the revised Stockport Economic Development Strategy 2012-17 and Action Plan 2012-14.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to comment on the report.

Officer contact: Sharon Mayo, Tel: 474 3733, email: sharon.mayo@stockport.gov.uk

The Service Director (Place Development) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) requesting the Committee’s comments on the revised Stockport Economic Strategy 2012-17 and Action Plan 2012-14, prior to its consideration by the Executive.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

•           how young people trying to get back into work would be affected by the significant reduction in the education sector forecasted up to 2020.

•           The effect of more residents working outside the borough than commuting into it for work.

•           The aim of the Adult Education, Skills and Employment Strategy 2010 to reduce the numbers of Stockport residents reliant on out of work benefits.

•           With regard to the objective of increasing the proportion of high-growth businesses within Stockport, the report from Manchester’s Commission for the New Economy had noted that Stockport had good start-up and survival rates for new businesses, but proportionally fewer of these businesses achieved higher growth than other parts of Greater Manchester, or left the borough in order to realise high growth.

•           The need to increase the national profile of Stockport of the strong offer it has for businesses, investors and skilled residents.

•           The effect of the recently announced Manchester Airport City Enterprise Zone on the borough’s offer.

•           The lack of space available for new small and medium sized businesses in the district and local centres.

•           The lack of connectivity between the district and local centres and the town centre, and the lack of connectivity between the train station and the bus station.

•           Work experience, mentoring and apprenticeships for unemployed people.

•           The role of Employment and Skills Advisers in increasing local engagement in work clubs, jobs fairs and one to one support in priority areas.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted and the Scrutiny Committee’s comments be forwarded to the Executive for consideration.

To consider a report of the Service Director (Place Development)

The Scrutiny Committee is requested to consider the draft Markets Strategy and Acton Plan, in particular the proposals to tender for the operation of the markets.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to comment on the report.

Officer contact: Paul Lawrence/Nicola Turner, Tel: 474 1940/218 1635, email: paul.lawrence@stockport.gov.uk/nicola.turner@stockport.gov.uk

The Service Director (Place Development) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) requesting the Scrutiny Committee to consider the draft Markets Strategy and Action Plan, in particular the proposals to tender for the operation of the markets. The aim of the proposed tendering process was to help determine how best to deliver the vision for an enhanced offer in the Markets and Underbanks, and enable the completion of an options appraisal.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

•           Some market stalls were now in competition with Primark in the selling of goods at competitive prices.

•           Most markets had a critical mass to which they operated. Generally successful markets had a wide range of people using them, and a wide variety of stall holders selling different goods.

•           A Member expressed the view that a public partnership should be explored first.

•           The market traders had expressed the view that there should not be market stalls on Warren Street away from the Market Hall.

RESOLVED - That the report be noted.

To note the résumé of the meeting held on 12 September 2011.                   

Officer contact: Leah Shallaker Tel: 474 3203, email: leah.shallaker@stockport.gov.uk

The Committee considered a résumé (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting of the Environment Partnership held on 12 September 2011.

RESOLVED – That the résumé of the meeting held on 12 September 2011 be noted. 

To note the résumé of the meeting held on 20 October 2011.                   

Officer contact: Leah Shallaker Tel: 474 3203, email: leah.shallaker@stockport.gov.uk

The Committee considered a résumé (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting of the Stockport Economic Alliance held on 20 October 2011.

RESOLVED – That the résumé of the meeting held on 20 October 2011 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: David CleeTel: 474 3137 email: david.clee@stockport.gov.uk.

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

RESOLVED – That the report be noted, subject to a report on the Leisure Strategy being submitted to the meeting of the Scrutiny Committee on 2 February 2012.