Our Current Investigations
At our next meeting we'll be taking reports on proposals to introduce 20mph speed restrictions on non-major residential roads; an update on waste and recycling activity across the city and the plans for new sports facilities at Belle Vue Sports Village. This meeting will take place on Tuesday 21 May at 2pm (Committee Room 11, Ground Floor of the Town Hall).
Latest News
20/05/2013 - Libraries Budget Proposals Consultation response
Last week, another extra meeting of the Committee was scheduled to allow members to consider a report on the findings from the recent consultation on proposals to remodel the way library services are delivered across the city prior to consideration by the Executive. Committee members were asked to give their support to a recommendation that the Executive agree to withdraw revenue funding from 6 libraries (Burnage, Fallowfield, Levenshulme, Miles Platting, New Moston and Northenden Libraries) and decommission them in their current form with effect from 29 June 2013. After a lengthy debate, and after hearing a number of representations from numerous community representatives from the affected communities, we recommended that the Executive shoud defer the date for the withdrawal funding to allow sufficient time for proposals and plans for viable community outreach models to be in place.
09/04/2013 - Leisure Budget Proposals Consultation response
This month we added in an extra meeting of the committee to consider the responses to the recent consultation on leisure proposals that were communicated to residents as a part of the overall Neighbourhood Services budget proposals on 23 January 2013. These proposals set out a plan to invest to replace Chorlton and Withington facilities with a new facility to be built at Hough End and to invest and provide a new Levenshulme Leisure Centre (which included a library offer) to replace the existing buildings. A report was presented which discussed business plan proposals for four community organisations to run the pools and leisure facilities at Broadway, Levenshulme, Miles Platting and Withington and discussed the future arrangements for the Mersey Valley. We acknowledged that difficult decisions need to be made in the current financial climate and commend the committment to deliver high quality, first class leisure facilities for our residents in these difficult times. We also recommended that officers look at again at the business case for Broadway and that they work with the community organisation to develop a revised business case before a final decision on Broadway is taken.
21/01/2013 - The Greater Manchester Green Deal
This month we looked at the Council's involvement in the development of the Greater Manchester Green Deal. The Green Deal is central government's flagship environmental policy for providing a new way to pay for energy-saving home improvements, such as loft, cavity or solid wall insulation, double glazing, a new boiler or even 'micro-generation' systems such as solar panels. Officers are shaping a policy in conjunction with colleagues across the 10 Greater Manchester Authorities to help the poorest and most vulnerable households, improve the coldest homes and create economic opportunties and benefits across the region through appropriately aligned policies, procurement methods and programmes of work.
24/12/2012 -Consultation on the Ordsall Chord proposals
We heard about Network Rail's proposals to construct a new rail link between Manchester Victoria and Manchester Piccadilly stations. Whilst we broadly welcomed the proposals and felt that the Ordsall Chord will be very good news for passengers, we acknowledged residents concerns over the impact and urged Network Rail to minimise and mitigate these were possible.
To find out more information have a look at our full work programme. This includes what topics we will be looking at, what sepcific issues we will be considering and who we will be hearing from. Please bear in mind that the programme is continually updated, and so dates and agenda items may change from those listed in the programme.
If there's an issue you want to contribute to, let us know. You can either send a written contribution to scrutiny@manchester.gov.uk or you can attend a meeting and ask the Chair if you can speak. You can also suggest a topic for us to look into by filling in our 'suggestions form.'
If you want to speak to somebody about contributing to the committee, please call our scrutiny support officer on 0161 234 3376 or e mail scrutiny@manchester.gov.uk.
Role of the Committee
"Our focus, as members of the Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Committee, is on the services that are based in local areas that have an impact on communities. It is our role to ensure that they are being run in the best interests of the residents who use them. These services include those that are vital to the effective running of a city, such as waste and planning, but also those that bring benefits to residents who access them such as culture, leisure and libraries. Our key priority is ensuring that the views of local people are influencing those making the decisions that affect them and that services are being run to benefit residents.
Our areas of interest include waste, street management, carbon emissions and climate change, planning, highways, culture, housing, libraries and theatres, leisure and sport, and neighbourhood working.
Through this page you'll be able to keep in touch with what we've been doing, find out what we'll be investigating over the next few months and how you can get involved." Councillor Basil Curley, Chair of the Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Committee.