This meeting will include a variety of topics relating to housing, transport, climate change, leisure and culture in Trafford.

Response from the Executive to Scrutiny Committee Task & Finish Group – Reducing Car Dependency

The Executive will consider the recommendations made in July 2024 by the Scrutiny Committee’s Task and Finish Group in relation to reducing car dependency in Trafford. This follows an investigation by the Scrutiny Committee, which included meetings with Council Officers, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), other “good practice” Councils and Dame Sarah Storey¹, the Active Travel Commissioner for Greater Manchester. The Scrutiny Committee recommendations focus on the themes of safety, a greener environment, modal shift, communications, car parking and young people and, amongst other things, include calls for an overarching strategy on reducing car dependency, a review of current parking policy and the freeing up of car parking space for other uses. The Executive’s response is that it “supports the principle of widening transport choices and reducing reliance on the private car” and references the TfGM 2040 Transport Strategy, Streets for All and its associated Design Guide, and the Trafford Walking, Wheeling and Cycling Strategy as documents that align with the ambition to reduce car dependency.

Draft Trafford Housing Allocations Policy 2025

The Executive will consider a report on the Draft Trafford Housing Allocations Policy 2025. The report sets out the rules, criteria and procedures which determine how Trafford Council will nominate households to social and affordable rented housing in Trafford, provided by Registered Providers. The current policy uses a banding system to prioritise applications. The report identifies that, as at 31 March 2024, there were 6,592 live applicants on the Council’s Housing Register, and that only 5% of those applicants were housed in 2023/24. The report also notes a significant increase (2,463 since 2022/23) in the number of homelessness applications received by Trafford Council.

The report details proposed changes to the policy, including several legislative amendments designed to align the Trafford Policy with the requirements of the 1996 Housing Act (as amended) and the 2021 Domestic Abuse Act. It also notes that, as Trafford Council does not have its own housing stock, the policy relies on Nomination Agreements with Registered Providers. As part of this, the report details that the Council’s main Registered Provider, L&Q (formerly Trafford Housing Trust), is in the process of increasing its nomination percentage to Trafford Council from 75% to 100%. The report also proposes the removal of Bands 4 and 5 from the allocations policy. These bands currently cover applicants who do not have a ‘reasonable preference’ for housing and those with a ‘reduced preference’ due to rent arrears, behaviour, no local connection, or savings, equity, or earnings above a threshold. The intention of removing these bands is to “create a more manageable and meaningful Housing Register which reflects applicants with the most housing need.” The report also proposes the introduction of a secondary guidance document to help officers assess applications under medical, social and welfare criteria; to strengthen the rationale for awarding priority to Care Leavers and to insert additional preference for Armed Forces applicants. Following its consideration by the Executive, it is intended that the draft policy will be subject to public consultation in January 2025.

Update on the Redevelopment of Lacy Street, Stretford (Part 1)

The Executive will receive a report on the redevelopment of Lacy Street, Stretford, where the Council is proposing to develop 53 homes, a mixture of 2, 3, and 4-bedroom apartments and houses. The homes would be for private market sale, with 14 designated for affordable shared ownership. The report states that the site was previously a car park and had been identified for redevelopment as part of the masterplan to redevelop Stretford Mall, which was acquired by Trafford Council in partnership with Bruntwood in 2019. The Lacy Street development will enable the connection between the Mall and the Bridgewater Canal. The report notes that the Council has secured grant funding for the redevelopment from the Future High Street Fund and Brownfield Funding and that work to prepare the site has now been completed. The report recommends that the Executive approves the proposals for the development and delegates authority to progress the scheme through to delivery.

Civic Quarter Heat Network – approval to accept Green Heat Network Fund grant

The Executive will consider a report on the proposed Civic Quarter Heat Network, which is intended to supply heat to a number of public buildings in Stretford and a range of proposed new developments. The network would include a central energy centre and a network of pipes distributing heat to customers (known as “heat offtakers”). It is proposed that the network will be powered by heat extracted from the United Utilities sewer that runs through the Civic Quarter using a 4MW heat pump. The network is estimated to cost £36m, of which Trafford Council has applied to the Government’s Green Heat Network Fund for £1m to support the commercialisation of the scheme and £4.75m towards construction. The Executive is being asked to approve the acceptance of the grant if awarded and to move to the commercialisation phase of work. The report also recommends that authority be delegated to the Corporate Director of Place to carry out a procurement exercise to identify commercialisation advisers and a third-party delivery partner.

Former William Wroe Golf Course, Flixton – Future Plans

The Executive will receive a report regarding the future plans for the former William Wroe Golf Course, Flixton. The golf course closed in 2017 and following public engagement, an options appraisal by Arup and a decision by the Executive in March 2020, in 2024 the site secured Fields in Trust protected status. The report states that the site is not currently part of the Council’s routine maintenance regime, although mowing of paths and essential works to trees and other infrastructure are carried out. The report notes that Trafford Environmental Projects (TEP) has explored the feasibility of wetland enhancement and creation at the site, with recommendations including wetland areas, landscape works and footpath routes.

The report recommends that the Executive agrees that, over the next few years, the focus for the site should be on nature and biodiversity, accessibility and signage. To support this, the report identifies a number of possible sources of external funding, including the Environment Agency’s Water Environment Investment Fund, potential landfill funds and crowdfunding. It also notes that TfGM has contributed £130,000 to greening measures in Trafford as a condition of the Trafford Park Metrolink development work and that an element of this could be used to fund footpath improvements at William Wroe. Following a public vote, the report notes that the site has now been renamed as William Wroe Meadows.

Trafford Council & Trafford Leisure: New Operating Agreement (Part 1)

The Executive will consider a report which sets out proposed new governance arrangements and a new contract and Operating Agreement between Trafford Council and Trafford Leisure Community Interest Company (CIC). Trafford Leisure CIC currently manages the Council’s Leisure Centres and wider leisure estate on the Council’s behalf. The report states that the new arrangements have been developed in collaboration with Sport England, Greater Sport and Max Associates and that they will “cover all key aspects and contractual arrangements between the Council and its leisure provider; legal, governance, property management, leases, financial arrangements, funding schedules, service specifications, performance monitoring and reporting across the entire leisure estate.”

The report notes that the Council is committed to investing in its leisure estate and has previously approved £74.65m of capital investment to refurbish leisure centres in Altrincham, Sale, Stretford, and Partington. The report also notes that, as a result of a legal challenge to HMRC guidance, in March 2023 HMRC issued revised guidance regarding the VAT treatment of Council-provided leisure services. The result of this is that income from delivering sporting and leisure services is now classed as “non-business” and that VAT on associated costs is fully recoverable. Consequently, the report recommends that a further report should be brought to the Executive in the New Year detailing the implications of Trafford Leisure delivering services under an Agency Model Agreement with Trafford Council.

Cultural Strategy Activation

The Executive will receive a report providing an update on the activation of the Cultural Strategy which was adopted by Trafford Council in July 2023. The report notes that a new Director of Cultural Transformation has been appointed to lead the activation of the Strategy. The vision of the Strategy is that “We will make Trafford a place powered by cultural and creative expression that comes from everyone, and which will enrich lives and life chances.” The Strategy has three strategic aims, focusing on Leadership, Talent and Communities. The report provides an update against each of these aims, including details of: a new Cultural Transformation Hub; a Creative and Cultural Leadership Group; a Trafford Cultural Education Partnership; the development of an online Trafford listings platform called Trafford Is.. and the Creative Cluster programme. The report also notes that Trafford Council has registered its interest in applying for Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture programme.

Trafford Data Strategy 2024-27

The Executive will receive a report providing a summary of the proposed Trafford Data Strategy 2024-27, which seeks to put data at the “core of strategic planning and decision-making, setting out a pathway to further develop data capabilities that can support the delivery of our strategic and operational priorities.” The report notes that Trafford Council does not have an existing Data Strategy and that a data maturity assessment has been undertaken which has identified that Trafford currently operates as a ‘Transaction Government’, where “data is often held in silos and services across Council departments don’t routinely share data”. The report also notes that, based on Trafford’s use of Unique Property Reference Numbers (UPRNs), GeoPlace have assessed Trafford’s level of data integration as Level 2 out of 5, placing Trafford alongside approximately 43% of UK Councils. The report details four pillars that will support the strategy – Data Governance, Data Quality, Data Culture and Data Integration - and gives examples of how these would work in practice, including use cases relating to adults and children’s social care. The report also discusses Trafford’s use of Power BI and cloud computing, the development of new data roles and the application of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.

Council Tax Support Scheme 2025-26 – Proposed Scheme Following Consultation

The Executive will consider a report which sets out final recommendations on Trafford Council’s Council Tax Support (CTS) scheme for working age residents. In October 2024, the Executive approved a proposal to formally consult on proposed changes to the CTS Scheme. The report notes that the existing CTS scheme for working age residents is complex, was designed prior to the introduction of Universal Credit and is difficult to administer. The report summarises the main aspects of the existing scheme, including the calculation of awards, non-dependant deductions and a Band D cap on the maximum amount of CTS payable to households not in ‘Protected Groups’. It states that the Council has consulted with a range of organisations on proposed changes to the scheme, including: The Council’s Welfare Rights team; representatives of the Council’s Exchequer Services team; the Community Hubs; Adult Social Care teams; Registered Social Landlords; Advisory Services, including Trafford’s Welfare Rights team, Welfare Rights Africa Caribbean Group, Citizens Advice Bureau, Access Trafford and Host. The report notes that there were 40 responses to an online consultation and sets out a range of feedback received during the consultation process, including the impact of the proposed changes on large families, concerns about the level of the income bands and a preference for a Band C cap (rather than a Band B cap, as proposed) given that a Band C is the average Council Tax band in Trafford.

The report proposes a final draft scheme for implementation from 1 April 2025, which incorporates some minor changes in response to the consultation feedback. The main feature of the new scheme is an Income Banded Scheme for all working age applicants, where the amount of CTS awarded would be calculated based on the applicant’s household income, disregarding elements such as housing costs, childcare costs, and child benefit. The report notes that the precise level of the income bands will be set by the Council each February to align the costs of the scheme with the Council’s annual budget. The report also proposes a flat rate non-dependant deduction for non-dependants aged 21 or over and notes that this and the removal of Tariff Income were proposals that received a mixed response from consultees, with concerns raised that this could make some claimants worse off. The report defends this proposal, noting that these elements will be difficult to automate and that removing them will allow Trafford Council to process new claims and changes in circumstances much more quickly. The report also notes that the Council will retain its Discretionary Council Tax Support Scheme, allowing residents to apply where they believe they should receive more CTS than their assessed entitlement. The report includes an updated Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA), which has identified a low impact on claimants in the ‘age’ category due to the impact of the proposed changes on large families. The report notes that “the Council’s view is that the large families affected do have more income than their peers and are therefore being treated fairly by the assessment of overall family income.” It also notes that these large families will receive transitional protection in 2025-26 and will receive the same level of support they would have under the current scheme (less band cap and non-dependant deduction changes), with letters advising them of the transitional arrangements and encouraging them to seek advice from support agencies.