Agenda item

To consider a report of the Leader of the Council (Policy, Finance & Devolution).

In August the Executive outlined how it will address the severe financial challenges faced by Stockport because of central Government cuts and significant local cost pressures, and set out a framework of principles that would shape engagement with residents and businesses In October the Executive received an updated Medium-Term Financial position and, in response, set out business cases for proposed changes to address the spending reduction requirement for 2017/18; a series of working papers explaining initiatives that will shape a future reform programme and address wider challenges over the medium-term, and confirmed an intention to raise Council Tax by 3.99% in 2017/18.

This report affords an opportunity to discuss the Executive’s proposed approach taken to addressing the medium-term, by reference to the published background papers and 2017/18 business cases that fall within the remit of each scrutiny committee.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to comment on the report and appendices.

Officer contact: Steve Skelton on 0161 474 3174 or email: steve.skelton@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Deputy Chief Executive submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing how the Executive would address the financial challenges faced by Stockport because of Central Government cuts and significant local cost pressures, and setting out a framework of principles that would shape engagement with residents and businesses.

The report set out business cases for proposed changes to address the spending reduction requirement for 2017/18; a series of working papers explaining initiatives that would shape a future reform programme and address wider challenges over the medium-term, and confirmed an intention to raise Council Tax by 3.99% in 2017/18.

The Executive Councillor (Communities and Housing) (Councillor Sheila Bailey) and Executive Councillor (Economy and Regeneration) (Councillor Kate Butler) attended the meeting to respond to Members’ questions.

The following comments were made/issues raised with regard to the proposal to adjust black bin (residual waste) collections:-

•           The feedback received by Officers from Rochdale, Salford and Bury Councils after they had moved the number of black bin collections from every two weeks to every three weeks had been positive. A Member felt that using these Councils as a comparator was ineffective as Stockport Council had significantly higher recycling rates and it would better for Stockport Council to compare itself with local authorities which had a similar demographic profile.

•           It was estimated that the team of advisers to manage the transition and provide information and guidance to householders would cost approximately £200,000. The cost of replacing the current black bins with the new black bins would be approximately £4/5 million. The existing black bins would be collected and recycled.

•           The proposal would lead to no net saving in the revenue cash limit budget.

•           In order to reach the previous recycling levels reached in Stockport, the opportunity should be taken to re-educate people on the current recycling system as the level of education had not been maintained since the system was originally introduced.

•           A large proportion of local people already took surplus residual waste to the Household Waste Recycling Centres.

•           The Scrutiny Committee was generally not in favour of the proposal to adjust the current system for black bin (residual waste) collections.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.