Agenda item

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

The First Update Portfolio Performance and Resource Report (PPRR) for the Economy and Regeneration Portfolio is presented for consideration by the Committee. This provides a summary of progress in delivering the portfolio priorities, reform programme and other key projects during the first quarter of the financial year (April to June 2018). It includes forecast performance and financial data (where this is available) for the Portfolio, along with an update on the portfolio savings programme.

It is the first report to be based on the 2018/19 Portfolio Performance and Resource Agreement. This was considered by the Scrutiny Committee on 5 July 2018 and approved by the Cabinet on 17 July 2018.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to:-

·         Consider the First Update Portfolio Performance and Resource Report;  

·         Review the progress against delivering key projects, priority outcomes, targets and budgets for 2018/19;

·         Highlight key areas of and responsibility for taking forward corrective action to address any performance or resource issues;

·         Highlight any significant issues or changes to be fed back to the Cabinet alongside the Corporate Performance and Resource Report;

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

Officer contact: Alan Lawson on 0161 474 5397 or email: alan.lawson@stockport.gov.uk / Kora Yohannan on 0161 474 4032 or email: kora.yohannan@stockport.gov.uk

The Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) presenting the First Update Portfolio Performance and Resource Report for consideration by the Committee. This provided a summary of progress in delivering the portfolio priorities, reform programme and other key projects during the first quarter of the financial year (April to June 2018). It included forecast performance and financial data (where this was available) for the Portfolio, along with an update on the portfolio savings programme.

The Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration (Councillor Kate Butler) attended the meeting to respond to Members’ questions. She updated the Scrutiny Committee on progress with the Stockport Work and Skills Commission and the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) /social value work. With regard to the latter, the Growth team was supporting plans by the private and community sectors to develop a CSR matching service, encouraging locally-based small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to undertake meaningful CSR activity within the Borough.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

• Under the section of the National and Regional Policy Drivers on Brexit, UK GDP had remained static since the previous performance report and had not grown by 0.2% as stated in the report.
• It was queried why the A6 was not currently included in the Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan and Members requested that the report which would be prepared in the near future be submitted to this Scrutiny Committee as well as the Communities and Housing Scrutiny Committee.
• A Member suggested that the Council approached Cheshire East Council for data it possessed on air quality on the A6.
• Discussions were ongoing at a national and Greater Manchester level on how to improve air quality, in particular at the identified hotspots.
• The Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan made no reference to the air pollution from the aircraft at Manchester Airport. The Corporate Director agreed to pursue this with Transport for Greater Manchester.
• With regard to Performance Indicator E&R 5.1 on carbon dioxode emissions (metric tonnes per capita) within the scope of influence of local authorities, clarification was sought on which particulate matter this referred to.
• With regard to Performance Indicator E&R4.5 on the square feet of office, retail and industrial space let or sold to new occupiers in Stockport Town Centre, a Member enquired why the status was green when it was stated that forecast was difficult to predict.
• A Member enquired what the £300,000 was for in the capital programme for 2020/21 for district centres.
• In response to a question, the Corporate Director indicated that a more detailed report on progress on the A6 to Manchester Airport Relief Road and the SEMMMS Strategy Refresh would be available in the near future. A Member reported that the mitigation measures were still causing serious concerns for some of the residents of High Lane.
• With regard to Performance Indicator E&R 1.1 on the number of breaches of planning control discovered as a % of complaints received, a Member requested details of the breaches.
• In May 2017 numbers claiming employment-related benefits in Greater Manchester fell for the first time since November 2017. Unemployment rates, however, were still above national and regional rates, although they had fallen since the EU referendum.
• Long term trends in claimant counts had to be treated with caution due to changes in benefits, not the least the roll out of Universal Credit.
• In response to a Member’s question, the Corporate Director agree to provide Members with details of the highways tree replacement programme.
• With regard to Town Centre Living, the Corporate Director clarified that the Council was working with Homes England in order to proceed to the next stage of the project and that the three committed schemes had to be in place by 2019 to access funding for the next stage.
• With regard to events in the Market Place, a Member was provided with more details on Stockport’s first Food and Drink Trade show which was held in the Market Place on 20 June 2018.
• Rhode Island Coffee was congratulated on its tenth year of operating in Stockport.
• More details on the phasing of the capital programme allocation would be available in the near future.

RESOLVED – (1) That the report be noted.

(2) That Members of the Scrutiny Committee be requested to advise Officers in advance of the meeting of any detailed requests for information which they were intending to request at the meeting.