The Stepping Hill Area Committee met on Tuesday 10 September 2024, approving funding for dropped crossings on Castle Shaw Road in Offerton. The committee also discussed the remit of area committees and received an update on the One Stockport Local Neighbourhoods and Prevention Programme.

Castle Shaw Road Dropped Crossings

The committee approved the installation of dropped crossings on Castle Shaw Road in Offerton. The cost of £3,550 will be funded from the Area Committee’s Delegated Budget for the Offerton Ward. This decision was made following a report from the Director of Place Management.

Remit of Area Committees

A report was presented outlining the ongoing work of the Constitution Working Party, which is examining the current delegations to area committees. Members of the Stepping Hill Area Committee expressed their support for the existing area committee system, believing that decisions are best made at a local level. They also suggested that the procedure for electing an area committee chair should be determined by each individual Area Committee, rather than being centralised. The committee also considered Stockport Town Hall to be the most suitable venue for their meetings due to its accessibility via public transport. The current boundaries of the council's Area Committees were also deemed to accurately reflect the geographical and cultural makeup of the borough. The committee noted the report, which will be used by the Working Party to inform any recommendations for change.

Neighbourhoods and Prevention Programme Update

An update was provided on the One Stockport Local Neighbourhoods and Prevention Programme. The data presented highlighted significant disparities between wards within the Stepping Hill area, particularly between Offerton and Norbury and Woodsmoor, indicating unequal levels of poverty across different areas. Members suggested that this data could be used to identify residents eligible for pension credit and welcomed recommendations for advice centre venues, noting the absence of public libraries in the Norbury and Woodsmoor ward. The committee requested that updates on the programme be provided at six-month intervals and noted the report.

Community Engagement

Under community engagement, the Chair announced that the council had submitted its final comments to Stepping Hill Hospital on its draft travel plan and was awaiting a response. Councillors will be informed of any updates from the hospital. An update on the petition for an on-street parking permit scheme on Diamond Street, Hazel Grove, was scheduled to be presented at the October meeting. The Chair also announced a memorial service for Lord Andrew Stunell, the former Member of Parliament for Hazel Grove Constituency, to be held at Stockport Town Hall Ballroom on 24 September 2024. A representative from Greater Manchester Police was unable to attend to provide an update on neighbourhood policing, and no written update had been received. No public questions were submitted, nor were any petitions or organisations wishing to address the committee during the Open Forum. An item regarding Ward Flexibility Funding for the Webb Lane Alley Collective was withdrawn.

Planning Appeals and Enforcement

A report summarising recent appeal decisions, current planning appeals, and enforcement action within the Stepping Hill Area Committee area was noted by the committee.

Progress on Area Committee Decisions

The committee noted a report providing an update on progress made since the last meeting regarding decisions taken by the Area Committee, as well as the current position on area flexibility funding, ward discretionary budget funding, and the highway and traffic management delegated budget.