Agenda item

To consider a joint report of the Director of Place Management, Director of Development & Regeneration and Director of Strategy.

The Mid-Year Portfolio Performance and Resource Reports (PPRRs) for the Communities, Culture & Sport and Parks, Highways & Transport Services Portfolios are presented for consideration by the Committee.

The Portfolio Reports are based on the 2023/24 Portfolio Performance and Resource Agreements (PPRAs), which were considered by the Committee on 12 June 2023 and approved by Cabinet on 27 June 2023.

The Mid-Year Reports focus on delivery of the portfolio priorities from April to September 2023 and includes forecast performance and financial data (where this is available) for the Portfolios, along with an update on the portfolio savings programmes.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to:-

a)    Consider the Mid-Year Portfolio Performance and Resource Reports.

b)   Review the progress against delivering key projects, priority outcomes, targets and budgets for 2023/24.

c)    Highlight key areas of and responsibility for taking forward corrective action to address any performance or resource issues.

d)   Highlight any significant issues or changes to be fed back to the Cabinet alongside the Corporate Performance and Resource Report.

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

Officer contact: Alan Lawson by email: alan.lawson@stockport.gov.uk or Kora Yohannan by email: kora.yohannan@stockport.gov.uk

The Director of Place Management and Director of Development & Regeneration and Director of Strategy submitted a joint report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing the Mid-Year Portfolio Performance and Resource Reports (PPRRs) for the Communities, Culture & Sport and Parks, Highways & Transport Services portfolios.

The Portfolio Reports were based on the 2023/24 Portfolio Performance and Resource Agreements (PPRAs), which were considered by the Committee on 12 June 2023 and approved by Cabinet on 27 June 2023. The Mid-Year Reports focussed on delivery of the portfolio priorities from April to September 2023 and included forecast performance and financial data (where this was available) for the Portfolios, along with an update on the portfolio savings programmes.

The Cabinet Member for Parks, Highways & Transport Services (Councillor Grace Baynham) and the Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture & Sport (Councillor Frankie Singleton) attended the meeting to respond to councillors’ questions.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

Communities, Culture & Sport

·         In relation to the moratorium on library fines, it was reported that this had not resulted in a huge increase in book loans, but had resulted in a significant loss of income in fines. In the light of the current libraries budget, there was a reluctance to pause fines again.

·         It was confirmed that £360,000 of the budget had been allocated to the corporate reserve: MTFP resilience and smoothing reserve.

·         Members referred to the One Stockport Safety Partnership and the anti-social behaviour review. It was suggested that the Stockport Homes website should have a direct link to the council’s form for reporting anti-social behaviour.  Members also requested further information relating to report of anti-social behaviour.

·         In terms of the UK Strategic Priorities Fund, members commented that asking the community about where funds should be allocated was a good process.  Members requested a further report on the success of that programme, along with a report on more granular data related to library users.

·         Members commented that the first town centre-wide Christmas celebration event had gone well and requested that consideration be given to making it an annual event.

·         In response it was stated that, whilst funding was a consideration, the possibility of holding this event every year was being looked at.

·         In terms of the impact of the town of culture, the numbers of museum visits had vastly increased in direct correlation with town of culture events. Members requested a future report on the legacy of the town of culture year in order to draw on the investment and learning for the future.

Parks, Highways & Transport Services

·         Members queried whether the ‘school streets’ programme would be extended into other areas.  In response, it was stated that the first school street schemes in the borough had been set up with funds provided by Transport for Greater Manchester and were intended to continue as self-funding.  Members also had the option of using ward delegated budgets to set up school street schemes.

·         The feasibility of the Highways Investment Programme was in the process of being considered and it was important to consider timing in terms of current interest rates and waiting for a prudential time to invest.

·         It was commented that the protection and enhancement of the natural environment was a priority and that a list of proposed locations for orchards, grasslands and meadows had been identified and would be brought to a future meeting of this Committee.  Members were requested to propose further locations, particularly for tree planting.

·         Members requested more granular detail related to formal interventions on fly-tipping.  It was also suggested that CCTV could be employed to assist with fly-tipping enforcement and that a borough-wide approach should be taken to address fly-tipping.  In response it was stated that the council’s approach was to try to keep the borough clean and use targeted enforcement against fly-tipping.  It was further stated that CCTV was reported not to be particularly effective in catching fly-tipping culprits.  A report on fly-tipping enforcement would be brought to a future meeting of this Committee.

·         Members requested an update on the proposed 20 mile per hour zones, when they were likely to be implemented and how they would be enforced.

·         It was confirmed that talks were ongoing with the Greater Manchester Authority to make a business case for bringing Metrolink to Stockport.

·         Members commented positively on the active travel programme and requested that active travel be considered in terms of the borough as a whole, rather than on a piecemeal basis.

·         Members queried the number of bookings for council-owned tennis courts within the borough and in response it was stated that the usage data showed a healthy number of bookings.

·         In terms of unused council-owned buildings within the borough, it was stated that, if a future proposed use involved sports, the feasibility of brining the building back into use would be considered by this Committee.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.