Agenda item

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

The Annual Portfolio Performance and Resource Reports (PPRR) for the Communities & Sustainability and Economic Development & Regeneration Portfolios are presented for consideration by the Committee. These provide a summary of progress in delivering the portfolio priorities and budgets over the year and specifically during the fourth quarter of 2014/15. They include full-year out-turn performance and financial data for each Portfolio, or forecast/provisional data where this was not yet available.. The reports also included a the final position for the 2014/15 portfolio savings programmes.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to:-

a)    Consider the Annual Portfolio Performance and Resource Reports,  

b)   Review the progress against priorities, performance, budgets and savings targets for 2013/14;

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 Executive alongside the Corporate Performance and Resource Report; and

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

Officer contacts Joe Conmee/Michael Cullen on 0161 474 5396/4361 or email: joseph.conmee@stockport.gov.uk/michael.cullen@stockport.gov.uk

The Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing the Annual Portfolio Performance and Resource Reports for the Communities and Sustainability, and Economic Development and Regeneration Portfolios. The report provided a summary of progress in delivering the portfolio priorities and budgets over the year and specifically during the fourth quarter of 2014/15. They included full-year out-turn performance and financial data for each Portfolio, or forecast/provisional data where this was not yet available. The report also included the final position for the 2014/15 portfolio savings programmes.

The Executive Councillor (Supporting Places) (Councillor Martin Candler) and the Executive Councillor (Thriving Economy) (Councillor Patrick McAuley) attended the meeting to respond to Members’ questions.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         With regard to Performance Indicator C & S,08, the amount of residual household waste collected per household had reduced which was a cause for concern. The Corporate Director advised that education and awareness raising were ongoing.

·         With regard to Performance Indicator C & S.09, there had been a slight reduction in line with national trends of the amount of household waste sent for reuse, recycling or composting.

·         How the Council could encourage people who lived in flats to recycle more and the role of Community Recycling Officers in encouraging people to recycle more and what to recycle.

·         The playground refurbishments undertaken during Quarter 4 had been funded from monies allocated by the Council and commuted sums from developments in the respective areas.

·         There had been some difficulties with the first phase of the use of preventative slurry seal on footways. Some Members expressed concerns about the quality and consistency of the finish, sustainability ,attention to detail. and how long the surface would last.

·         With regard to Performance Indicator C & S 17, the additional time a journey on the route ‘County Boundary to Stockport via A6’ would take on a day with high delays relative to a day with typical delays for the 0730-0930 time period was raised, together with the effect on air quality if there were long traffic delays.

·         A Member requested a copy of the footway survey data and carriageway survey data referred to in Performance Indicators C & S. 04a and C&S.04b.

·         A discussion ensued on Performance Indicator C&S.16 regarding the number of casualties resulting from road traffic collisions. A representative of the Corporate Director clarified that Traffic Officers looked at these figures when examining accident blackspots and the need for traffic calming measures, as opposed to the number of traffic collisions.

·         The park and ride scheme at Melford Grove, Hazel Grove was a commercially run scheme instigated by Stagecoach, primarily for the 192 service between Hazel Grove and Manchester.

·         Reference was made to the contractor appointed to undertake the restoration work at Bramall Hall having entered voluntary administration. Work had currently ceased on site and the project team was working as a matter of urgency to rectify the situation and ensure that works recommenced on site as soon as possible.

·         The Scrutiny Committee debated the issue of free car parking in the district centres and Members requested a review of the evidence on free car parking in the district centres.

·         A Member requested the timeframe for the feasibility study to be completed for A6 to Manchester Airport Relief Road scheme to be extended from Hazel Grove to the M60 at Bredbury.

RESOLVED – (1) That the report be noted.

(2) That an examination of the effectiveness of Slurry Sealing be included in a report on the Highways Investment Programme to a forthcoming meeting of this Scrutiny Committee.

(3) That a copy of the most recent footway survey data and recent carriageway survey data referred to in Performance Indicators C&S .04a and C&S.04b be sent to Members of the Scrutiny Committee.

(4) That a report which reviewed the evidence on free car parking in the district centres be submitted to a future meeting of the Scrutiny Committee.