Agenda item

(a)       Greater Manchester Police and Crime Panel

Councillor Sheila Bailey to answer questions, if any, on the business of the Greater Manchester Police and Crime Panel.

(b)       Greater Manchester Combined Authority

The following councillors to answer questions (if any) on the business of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee:-

(a)       Greater Manchester Police and Crime Panel

There were no questions in relation to the business of the Greater Manchester Police and Crime Panel.

(b)       Greater Manchester Combined Authority

Councillor MacAlister asked which of the 90 measures identified in the Clean Air Plan are being or had been implemented in Stockport.

The Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Policy, Finance and Devolution (Councillor Alex Ganotis) responded that the Council had undertaken work to improve traffic flows which had included improvements to junction management as slow moving traffic has a more negative impact on air quality than fast moving traffic.  It was confirmed that not enough was currently being done to address air quality and that work needed to be done to expedite the implementation of the measures in the Plan.

Councillor MacAlister asked how information relating to the Clean Air Plan was being disseminated to officers and what training was planned.

The Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Policy, Finance and Devolution (Councillor Alex Ganotis) responded that Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM)was leading on the Clean Air Plan on behalf of the ten Greater Manchester districts and had brought in the necessary expertise to implement it.  It was stated that TfGM had devised a publicity programme for the Plan and training for officers across the conurbation.

Councillor MacAlister asked what measures the Council would put in place to monitor air quality along the most polluted routes, especially in locations where schools, nurseries and accommodation for elderly people were sited.

The Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Policy, Finance and Devolution (Councillor Alex Ganotis) responded that the routes most affected by air quality had now been clearly mapped out which would allow the Council to look at solutions for those individual areas of road.

Councillor Lloyd asked whether the Leader of the Council agreed that the decision to appoint the Chief Executive of the Combined Authority to the role of interim Chief Executive of Transport for Greater Manchester and whether this second role was separately remunerated.

The Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Policy, Finance and Devolution (Councillor Alex Ganotis) responded that there needed to be a close alignment between the Combined Authority and Transport for Greater Manchester and the Chief Executive of the Combined Authority has found that an increasingly large part of his role had already been dedicated to issues involving transport.  As a result, it was not anticipated that this appointment would result in a significant change to the proportion of time that the Chief Executive dedicated to this role.  Councillor Ganotis confirmed that he would provide a written response with regard to the issue of the remuneration for the role of Interim Chief Executive of Transport for Greater Manchester.

Councillor Lloyd asked whether Transport for Graeter Manchester would give consideration to a petition prior to taking a decision on changes to bus services.

Councillor Taylor confirmed that was the case.

Councillor Lloyd stated that Councillors Clark and Smart had been involved in drawing up a petition in relation to the former 380 and 381 bus services which received approximately 1,500 signatures, and asked whether Councillor Taylor was surprised that this had not been submitted to Transport for Greater Manchester.

Councillor Taylor responded that he had made enquiries with TfGM who had confirmed that such a petition had not been received and he failed to understand why it had not been.

In response, Councillor Smart stated that she had presented the petition on the understanding that it would be conveyed to the appropriate officer in TfGM and then asked whether it was the duty of a councillor to represent their residents when an issue of concern was raised, such as the cancellation of a bus service.

Councillor Taylor responded that the service in question had not been cancelled, but had rather been varied.

(c)        Greater Manchester Waste Committee

There were no questions in relation to the business of the Greater Manchester Waste Committee.