Meeting of the Council Meeting held in the Council Chamber, Town Hall on 30 June 2016 at 6.00 pm.

PRESENT

The Mayor (Councillor Chris Gordon) in the chair; Deputy Mayor (Councillor Lisa Walker); Councillors Geoff Abell, Malcolm Allan, Brian Bagnall, Sheila Bailey, Kenny Blair, Stuart Bodsworth, Laura Booth, Kate Butler, Anna Charles-Jones, Richard Coaton, Christine Corris, Stuart Corris, Dickie Davies, Tom Dowse, Roy Driver, Annette Finnie, Dean Fitzpatrick, Colin Foster, Alex Ganotis, Lord Goddard, Graham Greenhalgh, Tom Grundy, Yvonne Guariento, Paul Hadfield, Philip Harding, Daniel Hawthorne, Keith Holloway, Linda Holt, Sylvia Humphreys, Mark Hunter, Mike Hurleston, Susan Ingham, Oliver Johnstone, Julian Lewis-Booth, Syd Lloyd, Tom McGee, Wendy Meikle, Chris Murphy, Adrian Nottingham, John Pantall, Paul Porgess, Iain Roberts, Maureen Rowles, Lisa Smart, David Sedgwick, June Somekh, Andy Sorton, Charlie Stewart, John Taylor, Jon Twigge, Alanna Vine, Wendy Wild, David Wilson, Mark Weldon, Elise Wilson, John Wright and Suzanne Wyatt.

1. FORMALITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

(i) Minutes

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the Annual Meeting of the Council held on 24 May 2016 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Mayor.

(ii) Urgent Decisions

No urgent decisions were reported.

(iii) Mayor's Announcements

The Mayor referred to recent events both at home and abroad which had involved the tragic and senseless loss of life. The Mayor reported that Jo Cox, the MP for Batley and Spen was killed in her constituency on 16 June 2016; that 49 people were killed and a further 53 injured during an attack in Orlando, Florida on 12 June 2016 and 41 people had been killed and more than 200 people injured in an attack at Istanbul Airport on 28 June 2016.

The Mayor invited those present to stand in silence as a mark of respect to those who had lost their lives or who had been injured.

The Mayor then reported that he had attended an event to celebrate Armed Forces Day on 25 June 2016 held on Castle Street in . The Mayor further reported that an event to commemorate the centenary of the Battle of The Somme would be held at War Memorial on Friday, 1 July at 11.00 am. Council Meeting - 30 June 2016 Finally, the Mayor reported that a number of Stockport food and drink operators had received nominations for the Food & Drink Festival Awards this year including ‘Foodie Friday’ in the Market Place; the Magnet Public House, Wellington Road North; Indian Tiffin Room, Cheadle; Heaton Hops, ; Brassica, and Bakers Vaults, Stockport.

(iv) Declarations of Interest

Councillors and officers were invited to declare any interests which they had in any of the items on the Summons for the meeting.

The following interests were declared:-

Personal Interests

Councillor Interest

Stuart Bodsworth Summons Item 3(ii) – ‘Executive Business – Questions’ as an employee of the Environment Agency which was referred to as part of a question submitted under this item.

Christine Corris Summons Item 6(iii) – ‘Motions - Armed Forces Community - and Stuart Corris Inclusion In 2021 Census’ as members of the Royal British Legion.

Tom McGee Summons Item 3(ii) – ‘Executive Business – Questions’ as the Chair of the Governing Body of Aquinas College which was referred to as part of a question submitted under this item.

Personal and Prejudicial Interests

Councillor Interest

Geoff Abell and Summons Item 7 – ‘Application to Establish Marple Neighbourhood Tom Dowse Area’ as a member of the Marple Neighbourhood Forum.

Malcolm Allan and Summons Item 7 – ‘Application to Establish Marple Neighbourhood Sue Ingham Area’ as a member of the Marple Neighbourhood Forum Executive.

Annette Finnie Summons Item 7 – ‘Application to Establish Marple Neighbourhood Area’ as a member of the Marple Civic Society.

All those members declaring a personal and prejudicial interest left the meeting during the consideration of this item and took no part in the discussion or vote.

2. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

(i) Public Question Time

Members of the public were invited to put questions to the Mayor and Councillors on matters within the powers and duties of the Council. Council Meeting - 30 June 2016 Four public questions were submitted as follows:-

 Relating to flooding on the Estate in Offerton and why there had been a delay in securing skips for residents’ use.

Councillor Booth responded that she had experienced difficulties in contacting Council officers responsible for co-ordinating the response to the flooding over the weekend concerned. It was commented that when the appropriate officer had spoken to her, it was stated that there was no authority to authorise the procurement of skips for residents’ use and it required further contact through the Chief Executive to ensure that skips were provided.

 Relating to flooding on the Bosden Farm Estate in Offerton and why the Council had only offered £100 to residents whereas other local authorities had provided grants of up to £500.

Councillor Meikle responded that she did not consider that this disparity was fair, but that the grant provided by the Council had been funded by Forever Manchester which was a community foundation fund. In other areas, central government had provided the funding for grants in excess of this amount which had not been forthcoming on this occasion.

 Relating to alcohol advertising and whether removing such advertising from hoardings in the vicinity of schools was tokenistic when alcohol advertising was prevalent during major sporting events on television and whether improvements in education would produce better results.

Councillor McGee responded that there were already restrictions on alcohol advertising around television programmes which were designed for children but that sporting events were not covered by this provision due to the mixed nature of the audience. It was further stated that the origins of the motion on the Summons relating to alcohol advertising near schools and colleges was a presentation made by young people to the Children & Young People Scrutiny Committee expressing concerns that they had that Stockport had one of the highest rates of hospital admissions for alcohol related disease for children under eighteen. It was consequently important to reduce the exposure of young people to such advertising.

Councillor Elise Wilson replied that reducing the exposure of young people to alcohol advertising was a campaign brought to the Council’s attention by young people and the motion was the latest step in this campaign.

 Relating to why Councillor Driver had voted to close Baths which had been a valued community asset in Reddish.

Councillor Driver replied that the decision to close Reddish Baths had been taken by the Executive in 2008 and had been supported by him.

(ii) Petitions and Presentations

There were no petitions presented to the meeting.

Council Meeting - 30 June 2016 Police and Crime Commissioner for

Tony Lloyd (Interim Mayor and Police and Crime Commissioner for Greater Manchester) attended the meeting to address the Council in relation to his role as Interim Mayor and the work of the Police and Crime Commissioner which was followed by questions from Councillors.

At the conclusion of the item, the Mayor expressed thanks to Tony Lloyd for his attendance and presentation.

(iii) Joint Authorities

(a) Section 41 Spokespersons

The Mayor reported that under Section 41 of the Local Government Act 1985, the following councillors had been nominated by the bodies indicated to answer questions relating to the discharge of functions of joint authorities for the Municipal Year 2016/17:-

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority - Councillor Walter Brett Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority - Councillor Roy Driver

Questions

There were no questions in relation to the business of the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority or the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority.

(b) Greater Manchester Police and Crime Panel

RESOLVED – That Councillor Alex Ganotis be appointed to answer questions in relation to the business of the Greater Manchester Police and Crime Panel.

Questions

There were no questions in relation to the business of the Greater Manchester Police and Crime Panel.

(c) Greater Manchester Combined Authority

RESOLVED – That the following councillors be appointed to answer questions in relation to the discharge of the functions of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee:-

Greater Manchester Combined Authority - Councillor Alex Ganotis Transport for Greater Manchester Committee - Councillor John Taylor

Questions

There were no questions in relation to the business of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority or the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee. Council Meeting - 30 June 2016 (d) GMCA/AGMA Scrutiny Pool

There were no questions on the business of the GMCA/AGMA Scrutiny Pool.

3. LEADER'S REPORT AND EXECUTIVE QUESTION TIME

(i) Executive Business

The Leader of the Council (Policy, Finance & Devolution) (Councillor Alex Ganotis) thanked the Council for his appointment as Leader of the Council and welcomed those councillors that had recently been elected to the Council. It was then reported he had requested that a review be undertaken on the use of the Council’s reserves to evaluate whether they struck the right balance between the risk to the Council and the demands on the Council’s budget. It was also stated that there had been a £3.9 million carryover from last year and that the principles underpinning the use of this had been set out in the Leader’s Report with a view to investing this in resources which would have continued rather than one-off benefits for the Borough. It was also stated that there would need to be an increased focus on income generation.

Finally, the Leader of the Council stated that he had requested that a cross-party review of the constitution be undertaken which would include the potential realignment of scrutiny committees, the remit of area committees and the transparency and role of the Health & Care Integrated Commissioning Board and Health & Wellbeing Board

The Executive Councillor (Communities & Housing) (Councillor Sheila Bailey) referred to the recent incidents of flooding in the Borough and expressed sympathy with those who had been affected by this. It was stated that an investigation into the flooding and the response to it had been commissioned by the Executive. It was reported that the government had not provided financial support to those residents affected as it had done elsewhere in the country and the Council had written to the government in relation to this matter. A grant of £100 was available to affected residents through the Forever Manchester Fund and the Council had agreed to fund an additional support package of £200 per property coupled with a four month freeze on Council Tax.

It was further reported that £615,000 of transitional funding had been allocated to parks infrastructure in Priority 1 areas with the balance being used to improve access routes to Park and Bruntwood Park.

Finally, Councillor Bailey stated that investigations were ongoing in relation to the creation of a Stockport construction company to build homes that people can afford and that it was proposed that a Stockport Housing Commission be established to oversee the strategy for housing across the Borough.

The Executive Councillor (Economy & Regeneration) (Councillor Kate Butler) reported that she had held a number of discussions with traders in and around Stockport Market and stated that it was her view that the Market Hall, Market Place and the Underbanks area of Stockport had potential to form the ‘beating heart’ of the town centre. It was stated that a report had been commissioned from CBRE to provide an evidence base for the future of the market. Councillor Butler also commented that work was ongoing on how best the Council could exploit its valued arts and culture facilities. Council Meeting - 30 June 2016 The Executive Councillor (Education) (Councillor Dean Fitzpatrick) reported that an Ofsted inspection had taken place between 3-6 May 2016 in respect of the Council’s adult education provision which had identified that Council leaders did not challenge senior managers sufficiently and that the effectiveness of leadership and outcomes for learners required improvement. It was commented that it was regrettable that under the previous administration the service had been failing to provide the required standard of education and support to adults to help them improve their life chances. An improvement board had now been set up to drive up standards in this area and that the target was to be rated as ‘good’ at the time of the next inspection.

Councillor Fitzpatrick stated that he had recently attended the official opening of Oak Tree Primary School and commented that physical infrastructure played an important part of a young persons’ learning experience and ultimately their attainment. It was stated that the Executive would aim to narrow the gap in educational attainment across the Borough.

Finally, it was reported that the Executive was making arrangements to ensure that there were sufficient school places in Stockport to meet demand and was planning ahead to ensure that capacity across the sector was maintained through the development of a new capital programme.

The Executive Councillor (Children & Family Services) (Councillor Colin Foster) reported that he had attended a meeting of the Safeguarding Board which had looked at serious case reviews which aimed to improve practice and minimise the risk of incidents occurring in the future. It was stated that this was the last meeting to be attended by David Mellor as Chair of the Board and Councillor Foster thanked Mr Mellor for his work and commitment to the Board.

Councillor Foster then commented that ‘Stockport Family’ had now been in operation for four months and had brought together those people who worked with children, young people and families. It was stated that the new operation had already begun to develop new and innovative ways of working and increased cooperation.

The Executive Councillor (Health) (Councillor Tom McGee) commented on health inequalities in the Borough and how improvements could be made to the lives of people through public health interventions. Reference was made to the rate of cancer within Stockport and that 40% of these were preventable. It was stated that work needed to be undertaken to identify any barriers to accessing appropriate support.

The Executive Councillor (Reform & Governance) (Councillor David Sedgwick) expressed his thanks for the work of the Elections Team and Democratic Services during the recent local elections and referendum. Councillor Sedgwick then referred to the tragic circumstances surrounding the death of Jo Cox MP and stated that in the light of this a review would take place of employees’ and members’ safety when undertaking their duties.

Councillor Sedgwick stated that he had attended the recent Armed Forces Day on Saturday, 25 June and expressed the Council’s gratitude for the work of the armed forces.

Finally, Councillor Sedgwick outlined that a priority for his portfolio would include progression of the ‘Digital by Design’ project to improve the use of technology within the Council; and maximising business rate collection. Council Meeting - 30 June 2016

The Deputy Leader of the Council (Adult Social Care) (Councillor Wendy Wild) reported that £150,000 of transitional funding will be made available for the local voluntary sector by the Council during the current financial year with an announcement due to made shortly on the proposed eligibility criteria and how groups may bid for this funding.

Councillor Wild then congratulated all those involved in the second ‘Doing Dementia Differently’ event held on Tuesday, 28 June which was a workshop for people with dementia and their supporters which included music, poetry, film and drama celebrating the achievements of those living with dementia.

(ii) Questions

The Leader of the Council (Policy, Finance & Devolution); the Deputy Leader of the Council (Adult Social Care); and the Executive Councillors (Communities & Housing), (Economy & Regeneration), (Education), (Health) and (Reform & Governance) answered questions and responded to comments relating to the business of the Executive in accordance with Council Meeting Procedure Rule 11.

(iii) Minutes

The Mayor declared the Minutes of the Executive Meetings held on 26 April and 12 June 2016 (copies of which had been circulated) and the record of executive decision taken (copies of which were circulated) since the last meeting of the Council to be duly received.

4. SCRUTINY

(i) Scrutiny Business

There were no reports from the Chairs of the Scrutiny Committees on the conduct of their business since the last Council Meeting.

(ii) Questions

There were no questions relating to the business of the Scrutiny Committees in accordance with Council Meeting Procedure Rule 11.

(iii) Minutes

The Mayor declared the Minutes of the following Scrutiny Committees (copies of which had been circulated with the Summons) to be duly received:-

Adult Care Services & Housing – 26 May 2016 Children & Young People – 13 April and 1 June 2016 Corporate, Resource Management & Governance – 12 April and 31 May 2016 Environment & Economy – 14 April and 2 June 2016 Health & Wellbeing – 5 April and 25 May 2016 Scrutiny Co-ordination – 13 June 2016 Council Meeting - 30 June 2016 (iv) Scrutiny Annual Report 2015/2016

The Chair of the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee (Councillor Wendy Meikle) submitted the Scrutiny Annual Report for 2015/16 (copies of which had been circulated) summarising the work of the Scrutiny Committees during the current Municipal Year.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

5. ORDINARY AND AREA COMMITTEES

(i) Regulatory Business

There were no reports from the Chairs of the Planning and Highways Regulation; Licensing, Environment and Safety or Audit Committees on the conduct of their business since the last Council Meeting.

(ii) Questions

There were no questions relating to the business of the Ordinary, Area and Ward Committees in accordance with Council Meeting Procedure Rule 11.

(iii) Minutes

The Mayor declared the Minutes of the following Ordinary and Area Committees (copies of which had been circulated with the Summons) to be duly received:-

Ordinary Committees

Health & Wellbeing Board – 18 May and 8 June 2016 Licensing, Environment & Safety – 27 April 2016 Licensing, Environment & Safety Sub-Committee – 25 April and 2 June 2016 Planning & Highways Regulation – 31 March and 28 April 2016 Stockport Homes Member – 25 April 2016 Town Centre – 7 June 2016

Area Committees

Bramhall & South – 21 April and 9 June 2016 Central Stockport – 21 April and 9 June 2016 Cheadle – 19 April and 7 June 2016 Heatons & Reddish – 18 April and 6 June 2016 Marple – 20 April and 8 June 2016 Stepping Hill – 19 April and 7 June 2016 Werneth – 6 June 2016

6. MOTIONS - NOTICE OF WHICH HAVE BEEN GIVEN UNDER COUNCIL MEETING PROCEDURE RULE 12

(i) Railway Station Accessibility

MOVED AND SECONDED - This Council Meeting notes Council Meeting - 30 June 2016

 The government’s encouragement for disabled people to start (or return) to paid employment;  The important role played by our rail network in helping people to travel to and from their workplaces;  The difficulties faced accessing rail services by disabled people;  Stockport’s Rail Strategy, published last year, which noted that step-free access should be a minimum facility at stations.  The importance of the £102m Department for Transport” Access for All” programme in funding adaptations to railway stations to make them more accessible;  The additional £3m funding within Greater Manchester from the “Rail Station Improvement Strategy”; and  That around half of the 96 railway stations across Greater Manchester still require more work, including important commuter stations across Stockport such as Bredbury, Heaton Chapel and Reddish North, and including other locally important destination stations such as Manchester Oxford Road, which all have stepped access to at least one platform.

This Council Meeting notes with concern

 The proposals within the recent Hendy report to defer half of the “Access for All” projects until the period 2019-24;  That this is a 50% reduction in funding for the current period, delaying vital improvements across the network;  That future funding may be impacted by this re-phasing, meaning fewer adaptations may be delivered in total by 2024; and  That any delay to a particular station being adapted means services are not accessible to all, contrary to the various Disability Discrimination and Equalities Acts.

This Council Meeting believes that deferring any “Access for All” project would be a mistake and supports the calls by Transport for All and Campaign for Better Transport to overturn this decision.

This Council Meeting therefore resolves to ask the Chief Executive to write to

 the Secretary of State for Transport, asking him to reject the proposed re-phasing of Access for All projects and instead, wherever possible, to undertake more accessibility improvements in the current period; and  the Chair of Transport for Greater Manchester Committee, urging him to consider how more Transport for Greater Manchester funding can be made available to bring our railway stations up to the high accessibility standards of Metrolink.

AMENDMENT MOVED AND SECONDED - This Council Meeting notes

 The government’s encouragement for people with a disability to start (or return) to paid employment;  The important role played by our rail network in helping people to travel to and from their workplaces;  The difficulties faced accessing rail services by those with a disability; Council Meeting - 30 June 2016  Stockport’s Rail Strategy, published last year, which noted that step-free access should be a minimum facility at stations  Funding adaptations to railway stations to make them more accessible is principally the responsibility of Government through the Department for Transport's £102 million ”Access for All” programme  That around half of the 96 railway stations across Greater Manchester still require more work, including important commuter stations across Stockport such as Bredbury, Heaton Chapel and Reddish North, and including other locally important destination stations such as Manchester Oxford Road, which all have stepped access to at least one platform.

This Council Meeting notes with concern

 The proposals within the recent Hendy report to defer half of the “Access for All” projects until the period 2019-24;  That this is a 50% reduction in funding for the current period delaying vital improvements across the network;  That future funding may be impacted by this re-phasing, meaning fewer adaptations may be delivered in total by 2024; and  That any delay to a particular station being adapted means services are not accessible to all, contrary to the various Disability Discrimination and Equalities Acts.

This Council Meeting believes that deferring any “Access for All” project would be a mistake and supports the calls by the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee, Transport for All and Campaign for Better Transport to overturn this decision.

This Council Meeting therefore resolves to ask the Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Transport, asking him to reject the proposed re-phasing of Access for All projects and instead, wherever possible, to undertake more accessibility improvements to rail stations across Greater Manchester and make more funding available to bring Greater Manchester's railway stations up to the high accessibility standards of Metrolink within a reasonable timescale.

For the amendment 36, against 20, abstentions 3.

AMENDMENT CARRIED

The amendment was then put as the substantive motion and it was

RESOLVED – (58 for, 1 abstention) This Council Meeting notes

 The government’s encouragement for people with a disability to start (or return) to paid employment;  The important role played by our rail network in helping people to travel to and from their workplaces;  The difficulties faced accessing rail services by those with a disability;  Stockport’s Rail Strategy, published last year, which noted that step-free access should be a minimum facility at stations Council Meeting - 30 June 2016  Funding adaptations to railway stations to make them more accessible is principally the responsibility of Government through the Department for Transport's £102 million ”Access for All” programme  That around half of the 96 railway stations across Greater Manchester still require more work, including important commuter stations across Stockport such as Bredbury, Heaton Chapel and Reddish North, and including other locally important destination stations such as Manchester Oxford Road, which all have stepped access to at least one platform.

This Council Meeting notes with concern

 The proposals within the recent Hendy report to defer half of the “Access for All” projects until the period 2019-24;  That this is a 50% reduction in funding for the current period delaying vital improvements across the network;  That future funding may be impacted by this re-phasing, meaning fewer adaptations may be delivered in total by 2024; and  That any delay to a particular station being adapted means services are not accessible to all, contrary to the various Disability Discrimination and Equalities Acts.

This Council Meeting believes that deferring any “Access for All” project would be a mistake and supports the calls by the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee, Transport for All and Campaign for Better Transport to overturn this decision.

This Council Meeting therefore resolves to ask the Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Transport, asking him to reject the proposed re-phasing of Access for All projects and instead, wherever possible, to undertake more accessibility improvements to rail stations across Greater Manchester and make more funding available to bring Greater Manchester's railway stations up to the high accessibility standards of Metrolink within a reasonable timescale.

(ii) Alcohol Advertising Near Schools And Colleges

In accordance with the provisions of Council Meeting Procedure Rule 14.7 (Alteration of Motion) at the request of the mover of the motion the Council Meeting gave its consent to the alteration of the motion as tabled to incorporate an alteration proposed by the Liberal Democrat Group which had been published and circulated in advance of the meeting.

RESOLVED - This Council notes that

 Public health statistics suggest a decline in the numbers of young people drinking regularly in Stockport and a decline in the amount of alcohol consumed by those who do drink, but that a significant number of young people still drink at harmful levels  When alcohol-related hospital admissions for 16 and 17 year olds are considered in isolation there was a recorded increase in the rate in Stockport between 2011-12 and 2015-16  Stockport is still significantly above the English average for under 18s being admitted to hospital for treatment related to alcohol, with 59.5 admissions per 10,000 compared to a national average of 36.6 between 2012-13 and 2015-16, although for this broader age group admission rates have fallen in each of the last three years Council Meeting - 30 June 2016  Work has taken place in Stepping Hill Hospital’s emergency department to ensure that clinical staff are fully aware of the impact of alcohol on young people’s attendances  The 2014 ‘What About YOUth’ national survey of 15 year olds received 856 responses from local young people and found that Stockport was above the national average for the percentage of young people who had been drunk in the past week – 16.5% compared to the English average of 14.6%  The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) apply rules on alcohol advertising in the media which place an emphasis on protecting young people and ensure that adverts aren’t directed at people under 18 or contain anything that is likely to appeal to them  Despite these rules strict rules on alcohol advertisement in the media, which were brought into force in 2005, widespread outdoor alcohol advertising remains, including near local schools and colleges  Stockport’s current Drug and Alcohol Strategy, last refreshed in 2014, has helped to bring down overall alcohol-related hospital admissions  The Executive Member for Health has requested a refresh of Stockport’s Drug and Alcohol Strategy, one of the aims of which is to bring down alcohol-related hospital admissions to the lowest level possible

This Council believes that

 Alcohol advertisement often has a profound impact on the drinking habits of young people which can have long-term implications on their future alcohol use  Another trend in alcohol consumption is that there has been an increase in binge drinking and some young people are still drinking at levels that would be considered risky for adults

This Council resolves

 To invite the members of the Stockport Youth Council who presented to the Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Committee on Wednesday 13th April to present to a future Full Council Meeting  To ask the Chief Executive, in consultation with members of Stockport Youth Council, to write to the Under Secretary of State for Public Health, the Minister of State for Schools, the Greater Manchester Health and Wellbeing lead (currently Lord Peter Smith), and the Chief Executive of the ASA to lobby for tighter restrictions on outdoor alcohol advertising near local schools and colleges and to ensure these are proactively enforced.  To include reference to advertising in Stockport’s refreshed Drug and Alcohol Strategy.

(iii) Armed Forces Community - Inclusion In 2021 Census

RESOLVED - This Council notes that

 Stockport’s Armed Forces Community consists of serving personnel, both Regular and Reservist, and their dependents, as well as our veterans and their dependents.  The Royal British Legion estimates that there are currently between 6.5 and 6.7 million members of the Armed Forces Community living in the UK, accounting for around one in ten people.  Stockport Council and our local partner agencies have obligations to the Armed Forces Community in the planning and provision of services which are enshrined in our own Council Meeting - 30 June 2016 Armed Forces Covenant which was endorsed by the Council meeting of 25th April 2013.  The Armed Forces Community are also supported by a large UK Armed Forces charity sector comprising 1,818 registered charities in and Wales who would be assisted by reliable and comprehensive data on our Armed Forces population.  The next censuses in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will be conducted in 2021.  Whilst the Office for National Statistics (ONS) is responsible for delivery of the census in England and Wales and the UK Statistics Authority for coordinating the census arrangements across the UK, it is for the UK Parliament to determine what questions feature in the final census documents.

This Council believes that

 The Armed Forces Community should not face disadvantage in the provision of services and that special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given the most.  Despite the large Armed Forces population, the 2011 UK census contained just two questions related to the Armed Forces and failed to collect information on veterans and their dependents and only provided limited detail about Reservists and the dependents of those currently serving.  Delivery of commitments made under Stockport’s Armed Forces Covenant would be helped by more reliable data on our Armed Forces Community and the 2021 census provides a unique opportunity for the nation to produce this comprehensive snapshot.

This Council resolves

 To support and promote the Royal British Legion’s call for Parliament to include a new topic in the 2021 census that concerns military service and membership of the Armed Forces Community when they approve the final census questionnaire through the legislative process in 2019.  For the Chief Executive to write to the Minister for the Cabinet Office urging the UK Government to include questions concerning membership of the Armed Forces Community in the 2021 census.

7. APPLICATION TO ESTABLISH MARPLE NEIGHBOURHOOD AREA

The Executive Councillor for Economy & Regeneration (Councillor Kate Butler) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing an application submitted by Marple Civic Society to establish Marple Neighbourhood Area under the provisions of the Localism Act 201.

RESOLVED – That approval be given to the designation of the area as submitted in the application as the Marple Neighbourhood Area.

The meeting closed at 9.46 pm