To receive a report from the Executive Leader and other members of the Executive on the conduct of Executive business since the last Council Meeting.
Minutes:
The Leader of the Council (Policy, Finance & Devolution) (Councillor Alex Ganotis) thanked the Council for his appointment as Leader of the Council and welcomed those councillors that had recently been elected to the Council. It was then reported he had requested that a review be undertaken on the use of the Council’s reserves to evaluate whether they struck the right balance between the risk to the Council and the demands on the Council’s budget. It was also stated that there had been a £3.9 million carryover from last year and that the principles underpinning the use of this had been set out in the Leader’s Report with a view to investing this in resources which would have continued rather than one-off benefits for the Borough. It was also stated that there would need to be an increased focus on income generation.
Finally, the Leader of the Council stated that he had requested that a cross-party review of the constitution be undertaken which would include the potential realignment of scrutiny committees, the remit of area committees and the transparency and role of the Health & Care Integrated Commissioning Board and Health & Wellbeing Board
The Executive Councillor (Communities & Housing) (Councillor Sheila Bailey) referred to the recent incidents of flooding in the Borough and expressed sympathy with those who had been affected by this. It was stated that an investigation into the flooding and the response to it had been commissioned by the Executive. It was reported that the government had not provided financial support to those residents affected as it had done elsewhere in the country and the Council had written to the government in relation to this matter. A grant of £100 was available to affected residents through the Forever Manchester Fund and the Council had agreed to fund an additional support package of £200 per property coupled with a four month freeze on Council Tax.
It was further reported that £615,000 of transitional funding had been allocated to parks infrastructure in Priority 1 areas with the balance being used to improve access routes to North Reddish Park and Bruntwood Park.
Finally, Councillor Bailey stated that investigations were ongoing in relation to the creation of a Stockport construction company to build homes that people can afford and that it was proposed that a Stockport Housing Commission be established to oversee the strategy for housing across the Borough.
The Executive Councillor (Economy & Regeneration) (Councillor Kate Butler) reported that she had held a number of discussions with traders in and around Stockport Market and stated that it was her view that the Market Hall, Market Place and the Underbanks area of Stockport had potential to form the ‘beating heart’ of the town centre. It was stated that a report had been commissioned from CBRE to provide an evidence base for the future of the market. Councillor Butler also commented that work was ongoing on how best the Council could exploit its valued arts and culture facilities.
The Executive Councillor (Education) (Councillor Dean Fitzpatrick) reported that an Ofsted inspection had taken place between 3-6 May 2016 in respect of the Council’s adult education provision which had identified that Council leaders did not challenge senior managers sufficiently and that the effectiveness of leadership and outcomes for learners required improvement. It was commented that it was regrettable that under the previous administration the service had been failing to provide the required standard of education and support to adults to help them improve their life chances. An improvement board had now been set up to drive up standards in this area and that the target was to be rated as ‘good’ at the time of the next inspection.
Councillor Fitzpatrick stated that he had recently attended the official opening of Oak Tree Primary School and commented that physical infrastructure played an important part of a young persons’ learning experience and ultimately their attainment. It was stated that the Executive would aim to narrow the gap in educational attainment across the Borough.
Finally, it was reported that the Executive was making arrangements to ensure that there were sufficient school places in Stockport to meet demand and was planning ahead to ensure that capacity across the sector was maintained through the development of a new capital programme.
The Executive Councillor (Children & Family Services) (Councillor Colin Foster) reported that he had attended a meeting of the Safeguarding Board which had looked at serious case reviews which aimed to improve practice and minimise the risk of incidents occurring in the future. It was stated that this was the last meeting to be attended by David Mellor as Chair of the Board and Councillor Foster thanked Mr Mellor for his work and commitment to the Board.
Councillor Foster then commented that ‘Stockport Family’ had now been in operation for four months and had brought together those people who worked with children, young people and families. It was stated that the new operation had already begun to develop new and innovative ways of working and increased cooperation.
The Executive Councillor (Health) (Councillor Tom McGee) commented on health inequalities in the Borough and how improvements could be made to the lives of people through public health interventions. Reference was made to the rate of cancer within Stockport and that 40% of these were preventable. It was stated that work needed to be undertaken to identify any barriers to accessing appropriate support.
The Executive Councillor (Reform & Governance) (Councillor David Sedgwick) expressed his thanks for the work of the Elections Team and Democratic Services during the recent local elections and referendum. Councillor Sedgwick then referred to the tragic circumstances surrounding the death of Jo Cox MP and stated that in the light of this a review would take place of employees’ and members’ safety when undertaking their duties.
Councillor Sedgwick stated that he had attended the recent Armed Forces Day on Saturday, 25 June and expressed the Council’s gratitude for the work of the armed forces.
Finally, Councillor Sedgwick outlined that a priority for his portfolio would include progression of the ‘Digital by Design’ project to improve the use of technology within the Council; and maximising business rate collection.
The Deputy Leader of the Council (Adult Social Care) (Councillor Wendy Wild) reported that £150,000 of transitional funding will be made available for the local voluntary sector by the Council during the current financial year with an announcement due to made shortly on the proposed eligibility criteria and how groups may bid for this funding.
Councillor Wild then congratulated all those involved in the second ‘Doing Dementia Differently’ event held on Tuesday, 28 June which was a workshop for people with dementia and their supporters which included music, poetry, film and drama celebrating the achievements of those living with dementia.