Agenda item

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for Place Management & Regeneration, Director of Public Health

Between the 10 January and 15 February 2019 the Council undertook a public consultation on the proposed Active Communities Strategy (ACS) and the Walking and Cycling Plan. The attached documents appendices 1, 4, and 4a present the response to the consultation from both the ACS and Walking & Cycling Plan.

Amendments have been made to the ACS and Walking and Cycling Plan to reflect these comments as identified in the consultation reports and the amended documents are attached in appendices 2, 5, and 6.

Equality Impact Assessments were carried out for both the ACS and Walking and Cycling Plan and are attached in appendices 3 and 7.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to:

·         Note the key areas of feedback received during the consultation period on the draft Stockport's Active Communities Strategy, and Cycling and Walking Plan

·         Support that Cabinet adopted the revised Stockport's Active Communities Strategy, and Cycling and Walking Plan

·         Support the recommendation that Cabinet delegate the approval of the revised GM Bee Network Map to the Corporate Director of Place Management and Regeneration in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Economy & Regeneration.

Officer contact: Dr Donna Sager / Caroline Simpson, 0161-474-3928, donna.sager@stockport.gov.uk / caroline.simpson@stockport.gov.uk

The Director for Public Health submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) inviting the Scrutiny Committee to consider the outcome of consultation on the Stockport Active Community Strategy and the Walking & Cycling Plan, prior to their submission to Cabinet for adoption.

·         The quality of consultation with the public on walking and cycling routes that could often be intrusive for residents and hampered efforts to encourage usage and support.

·         There was a clear relationship between deprivation and lack of physical activity.

·         Stockport was an easy place to be physically active in, and did not require the use of formal settings such as gyms and sport centres.

·         It was important to ensure appropriate communications were in place so that people knew about opportunities for activity and also about opportunities to access funding to support new community initiatives.

RESOLVED – That the Stockport Active Community Strategy and the Walking & Cycling Plan be welcomed and the Cabinet be recommended to adopt them.