The first thing to say is that Climate Emergency Manchester’s next online meeting is from 8pm to 8.45pm-ish on Tuesday 1st September. Email us on contact@climateemergencymanchester.net if you want to attend. We will be discussing
- what the council is(n’t) doing and how to attend the virtual scrutiny meetings without losing the will to live
- what CEM is up to (petition, active citizenship toolkit, liaising with other groups) and how you can be involved at whatever level you like
- other stuff that is happening in Manchester
We’re having these meetings at the beginning of every “scrutiny week” from now to the end of the year.
The second thing to say is that there are “only” five scrutiny committee meetings next week. That will make the process of sitting through 5 two hour webcasts and emerging with a spring in your step all the more manageable. (The Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Committee meeting has – quite sensibly – “been postponed by one week (to 9 September) to give officers time to put together the requested information (in particular in relation to the re-opening of schools, as having the meeting the week after schools re-open will enable Members to get a picture of how it has actually being working in practice rather than just the plans for re-opening).”
The third thing to say is that climate change is not front and centre on a single item on a single agenda. Not even Neighbourhoods and Environment Scrutiny Committee, within whose remit it currently falls. This is yet another good example of why a seventh scrutiny committee, dedicated to climate change, is required. The climate emergency (the clue is in the name), requires monthly assessment of progress, not to be squeezed in every three or four months or so, which is the current situation. Please sign the petition for a seventh committee (you have to live, work or study within Manchester City Council’s boundaries – no age limit, no citizenship requirement) and also share it.
The fourth thing (and then we are done, promise) to say is that nonetheless, people who care about climate change should be paying very close attention, especially Weds 2nd September to one item on the NESC (private rented sector plans) and Thursday 3rd September at 10am to the Economy Scrutiny Committee, when the “economic recovery narrative” of the city and also the Housing Revenue Account Delivery model – Northwards ALMO Review are discussed.
So, Resources and Governance meets on Tuesday 1st September, 10am. Link to webcast address and agenda here.
-
Independent Race Review update
Report of the Director of HROD to follow
- HROD Update
Report of the Deputy Director of HROD attached
This report provides an overview of support to staff during the Council’s response to the COVID19 pandemic and an update of
the work to develop management standards as part of the Our Ways of Working programme 11 – 90
- Our Manchester Strategy re-set
Report of the Director of Policy, Performance and Reform attached
This report provides an overview of the Our Manchester Reset
“Aaaargh Manchester” – sorry “Our Manchester” is the Council’s PR wheeze/way of folding people and organisations into straitjackets of Potemkin engagement. Here’s the schedule for the “reset” (which is what bureaucrats call ‘oh, yeah, we have achieved little, have no resources or spine for admitting that or changing course…. so we will have a refresh/reset”
Next up, Health Scrutiny Committee, Tuesday 1st September, 2pm.. Link to webcast address and agenda here.
NOTHING on climate change and its physical/mental health implications….
5. Manchester’s 10 Point COVID-19 Action Plan
In July the Committee received the Manchester Local Prevention and Response (Outbreak) Plan. At the end of July the Government announced the new restrictions that would apply to Greater Manchester and this was followed by the declaration of a major incident on Sunday 2nd August. The attached 10 Point Plan builds on the Prevention and Response Plan and sets out the key actions that have been progressed over the month of August. Many of the actions in the 10 Point Plan will continue throughout September and the plan will be updated regularly. 13 – 22
- Recovery of NHS services
Manchester Foundation Trust, Manchester Local Care Organisation, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHSFT and Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership This paper provides an update on the reinstatement of NHS services following changes in service provision as a result of the impact of Covid-19.
Neighbourhoods and Environment Scrutiny Committee, Wednesday 2nd September, 2pm.. Link to webcast address and agenda here.
Item 5 has stuff on “zero carbon” that is worth looking at…
5 Private Rented Sector Strategy 2020-2025
This report provides an overview of the new Private Rented Sector Strategy 2020-25 and action plan. The Committee is invited to comment on the report prior to its submission to the Executive on 9 September 2020.
- Extension to Selective Licensing Schemes – Public
One of the main themes of the refreshed Private Rented Sector Strategy is to improve property and management conditions in the private rented sector with a particular focus on the poorest quality properties. Selective licensing is a useful tool to apply targeted interventions in the most challenging areas of the City.
Officers are seeking approval to commence an extensive consultation exercise to establish whether the declaration of a selective licensing scheme is required within these identified areas. The Committee is invited to comment on the report prior to its submission to the Executive on 9 September 2020.
- Housing Compliance and Enforcement – Performance in 2019/20
This report provides the Committee with an update on demand for and performance of the Housing Compliance and Enforcement Team during 2019/20.
- Fire Safety in High Rise Residential Buildings
This report provides the Committee with information on the range of activities to address fire safety in high rise residential buildings. The Committee is invited to comment on the report prior to its submission to the Executive on 9 September 2020
Economy Scrutiny Committee, Thursday 3rd September, 10am. Link to webcast address and agenda here.
Item 6 (“Economic recovery narrative”) and Item 8 should be of especial interest.
- Update on COVID-19 Activity
- Economic recovery narrative for the City
- Economy Dashboard
The dashboard provides the most up to date metrics for 2020/21 to provide real time data on key aspects of the City’s economic recovery.
- Housing Revenue Account Delivery model – Northwards ALMO Review
This report informs of the outcome of the recent “due diligence” review of the Arms Length Management Organisation (AMLO), Northwards Housing, undertaken by Campbell Tickell. The report provides a summary of the findings and goes on to propose to develop a service offer to tenants in light of the findings in order to move to a full consultation and “test of opinion” of tenants and leaseholders to the service being brought in-house.
Fascinating though, is the fact that there will be not one but TWO reports about the Airport, at some point. (such gems you can find in the Overview Report at the end…)
Communities and Equalities Thursday 3rd September, 2pmm. Link to webcast address and agenda here.
Nowt on climate…
- Peterloo Memorial – to follow
- Proposed Public Spaces Protection Order Wynnstay Grove
This report provides an update on the outcome of the consultation for the proposed Public Spaces Protection Order for Wynnstay Grove.
- Update on COVID-19 – to follow
