Minute/Decision Summary –Unconfirmed (DRAFT)

Meeting- Stockton Renaissance

Date – Tuesday 6th July 2010

Castlegate Quay Watersports Centre, Moat Street, Stockton-on-Tees

Item/Issue

/ Doi /

Comments/

DECISION

/

ACTION

/ Does it need councilapproval/
Endorsement? / Are any other boards affected? /
CONTACT
1. Welcome, Introductions and Apologies
The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting. Graham Prest Chaired the meeting
Apologies were noted. / Noted / No / No / No / Sarah Upex, Area Partnership Board Coordinator, SBC
2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST (DOI)
Members were advised to declare DOI at the start of the meeting before any items are discussed.
Dave Pickard declared an interest in agenda item 6 as a Director of Tristar Homes. / Noted / No / No / No / Sarah Upex, Area Partnership Board Coordinator, SBC
3. Minutes of the Stockton Renaissance Partnership Board Meetings held on 11th May 2010
Minutes agreed as a true and accurate record. / Noted / No / No / No / Sarah Upex, Area Partnership Board Coordinator, SBC
4. local economic assessment
The Board were informed that it is a requirement for the local authority to carry out a Local Economic Assessment as part of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009. The first assessment is due to be completed October 2010 and will provide statistical baseline/evidence for future economic development. The assessment will link economic development with spatial planning. Its aim is to provide a more balanced approach of the assessment of the economy. The core evidence for the assessment is based on the Economy (industry, earnings, business creation, skill needs), Society (population, worklessness, skills levels) and the Environment (housing, economic assets, connectivity).
It was recognised that there are challenges as this is a new piece of work and often difficult to link data to the strategy as the data is often out of date. The impact of the recession is also a challenge as it has affected employment trends during the study. In terms of best practice, the team have been working with sub regional partners, CLES, have used existing data and have a dedicated core team of 3 officers working on this as part of their work programme.
The Board were informed that consultation and engagement has been carried out with the following:
  • Public Sector
-Council Members
-Strategic Partners
-Mandatory Consultees
  • Private Sector
-Local business and Developers
-Business networks and Representative Groups
  • Third Sector
-Umbrella organisations
-Community Groups and Social Enterprise (looking at how can support people to get back into economic activity)
The strategy focuses on a number of key factors including: Society, Economy and Environment.
  • Society
-The retirement population is projected to increase whilst the working age population falls
-Have high levels of welfare dependency
-Health levels of the local community negatively effecting people
-High mortality rates
-Skills base is increasing
  • Economy
-The stock of business in the borough is well below the national average with an additional 2,500 additional new businesses needed in the borough to meet the national average
-Transport infrastructure can have an effect on the economy
-High public sector improvement in Stockton above the national average
-High dependence on the service sector
-Manufacturing is currently strong
  • Environment
-Despite a wide selection of housing types within the borough, much is of low quality and in deprived areas. Where housing market renewal has taken place the economic profile of the area has improved
-Climate change
-Heavy industry producing carbon – needs to be reduced whilst maintaining production
-New green energy businesses are establishing
The following discussion took place:
  • Tina Williams commented that need to reassess how money is spent as the same issues keep being discussed. A needs assessment should be done for the economy. Need to work with people from the communities we want to improve for them to act as ambassadors for that community and go out and talk to people. This also means that you get buy in from the local community
  • Cllr McCoy raised how can you predict anything due to unknowns such as spending cuts, skills, education and transport etc. Might have aspirations but need to be realistic and tangible and achievable. Costs will be involved with working with the third sector as this can not be done for free
  • Cllr Fletcher noted that there should be a model for the economy to show the different schemes and the jobs that they have created. Support needs to be in place for people to set up their own businesses and this needs to come from grass routes. It was requested that a graph to highlight the change in the economy from the 80’s to now with the difference schemes have made would be useful. RP noted that the gap has been narrowed and Stockton comes out well in terms of skills shortages, however it was recognised that there still are shortages. Cllr Fletcher noted that there needs to be better public transport (including low carbon) and needs to be flexible for people to be able to travel further.
  • Lesley Cannon noted that skills and aspirations need to be improved, regardless of the economy there are still opportunities and things are still happening and this needs to be translated to customers who go into Job Centre Plus. Need to give them practical advice which means something. Need to take away barriers to unemployment. People are leaving school with low aspirations and partnership working needs to be done to prevent this
  • Doff Pollard noted that the government needs to look at new incentives for people to set up their own business. This partnership need to look at these opportunities and make the most of them.
It was noted that in light of potential funding reductions, important to work together to bid in for funding and to be prepared. There are opportunities as the economy has to grow, which is why this assessment needs to be right. RP noted that will come back to Renaissance once have a draft of the document and will go to the community with the document / Derek Lincoln, SBC
5. End of year local area agreement (laa)
Stockton’s Local Area Agreement has been in place since June 2008 and covers the period April 2008 to March 2011. It is monitored by Renaissance every six months. The Board were presented with an update on performance for the first two years of the LAA to March 2010.
The Board were informed that intotal there are 52 separate measures in the Local Area Agreement. There are 33 designated, 10 mandatory and nine local measures. At the end of year two progress against 46 of these measures was reported. Time lags on data mean that reporting of outturn on the remaining measures will be later in the year. Of those where data is available:
  • 48% (or 22 measures) have achieved or are on track to achieve the 2009/10 targets.
  • 52% (or 24 measures) have missed their target
It was noted that there are some stretching targets in the LAA and the achievement of these targets at the year two outturn has been affected by the impact of the economic climate both in terms of increased volumes of clients requiring a service and the economy impacting on employment rates, benefit claimants, business start ups etc. Key areas within the LAA where year two performance has missed targets are the economic related measures, net additional dwellings deliverable, educational attainment measures and the timeliness in the provision of care packages and direct payments or personalisation. Performance against these measures and all indicators within the LAA are being closely tracked in the early part of the final year of the LAA to maximise where possible the overall achievement of the final year 3 targets.
The Board were provided with some of the key achievements and areas of slippage in relation to each of the themes within the Local Area Agreement. / Lesley King, SBC
6. public sector – post election update
Julie Danks provided an update to the Board on behalf of some of the public sector organisations on the Board. It was noted that things are constantly changing.
Stockton Borough Council
The Council recently received notification of in year reduction in funding of £3.3m, made up of £2.5m Area Based Grant, £250,000 specific grants and £600,000 Local Transport Plan funding. The recent budget also indicated reductions in funding over the next four years.
Significant savings have already been built in to the Medium Term Financial Plan as part of the ongoing Efficiency, Improvement and Transformation reviews.
Primary Care Trust
A new supplementary OperatingFramework was published on 21 June 2010 to be followed by the Health White Paper in July 2010. Both documents provide information on future direction for the NHS. In the meantime, alongside other public sector organisations, the PCT faces significant financial challenges. The PCT, as part of NHS Tees, continues with its plans to deliver 20% more efficiency over the next 4 years. These plans are based on delivering efficiencies rather than cuts in services.
In addition, the PCT needs to make significant management cost reductions in excess of 30%.
Cleveland Police
Cleveland Police are making plans to deliver the £1.3m savings in this year’s budget and will be making every effort to protect frontline services. This process will be assisted by the outsourcing of the majority of the back office functions.
JobCentre Plus
Nationally, JCP will not be renewing any fixed term contracts for staff who were taken on as a result of the recession, and there is now a ban on recruitment.
No more bids for Future Jobs Fund (FJF) will be accepted and the £1000 Recruitment subsidy for employers will be abolished from 30th June 2010. A Single Work Programme will be introduced to supersede all programmes currently on offer (including Flexible New Deal) and this should be in place nationally by Summer 2011. It has been suggested that 18-24 year olds may be handed off to the Single Work Programme at 6 months rather than 12 months.
Probation Service
The Probation Services main overheads are salaries and they are looking at managing efficiencies through natural wastage.
Cleveland Fire Brigade
The Brigade’s in-year cuts are affected by the previously noted reduction in the Area Based Grant. The definitive position in relation to the Brigade’s Budget over the 4 years from 2011/12 onwards will not be known until details of the settlement grant are released in October, although the shortfall is expected to be significant. In anticipation of the need to make any substantial and sustainable savings, the Brigade has embarked on a Business Transformation programme to examine the full range of services we deliver, both statutory and non-statutory, and to explore how and where efficiency savings might be made.
There was a discussion around the impact that this will/has had on BSF and the new hospital and the effect that this will have on jobs and skills. The ambitions for new ways of working have also been affected. It was also noted that the cut to housing benefit could have a great affect on the economy. Dave Pickard congratulated the Housing Team on the transfer of council housing stock which will unlock £140m over the next 5 years. 75% of those employed by Tristar are local people and this means that can invest in areas and services which would not have been able to without the stock transfer.
It was agreed that further updates on funding cuts and information on the impact on services will be brought to Renaissance when available. / It was agreed that further information be presented to the Board when available / No / No / No / Julie Danks, SBC
8. ANY OTHER BUSINESS
None / Noted / No / No / No

Attendance:Graham Prest (Vice Chair – Health & Wellbeing Partnership), Darren Best (Safer Stockton Partnership), Cllr Laing (SBC), Tony Campbell (Business Forum), Cllr Mrs Fletcher (SBC), Paul Thomas (Central Area Partnership Board), Cllr Cook (SBC), Val Scollen (Northern Area Partnership Board), Dave Pickard (Housing & Neighbourhood Partnership), Graeme Oram (Western Area Partnership Board), Cllr McCoy (Health & Wellbeing Partnership), Neville Anderson (Trade Union Council), Jane Humphreys (Children’s Trust Board), Cllr Rigg (Western Area Partnership Board), Lesley Cannon (Job Centre Plus), Paul Burns (Arts and Culture Partnership), Darren Best (Cleveland Police)

Advisors: Ruth Hill, Lesley King, Dawn Welsh, Sarah Upex,Paul Dobson, Julie Derbyshire, Eddie Wrigley, Julie Danks, Emma Champley, Richard Poundford, Marc Bould, Derek Lincoln

Observers:Chris Nestor (Standards Committee), Jan Doherty

Apologies:

Cllr Lupton (Chair – SBC), Chris Willis, Alex Bain (Community Empowerment Network), Cllr Cunningham (MP), Lucia Saiger, Shanim Ahktar, Mike Lakinsi (Economic Regeneration & Transport Partnership), Neil Schneider (Local Public Service Board), Steve Boyd (Observor), Chris Livingstone, Stephen Hume (Observor), Cllr Beall (Health & Wellbeing Partnership), Cllr Gibson (SBC), Ian Harrington (Safer Stockton Partnership), Carol Langrick, Allison Agius (Advisor)

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