Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Committee
Our Current Investigations
Over the next couple of months we're planning to look at the following areas of work:
- Heaton Park Business Plan and Mersey Valley Management Structure
- A new task and finish group to look into cultural engagement
Latest News
05/04/2012 - End of the Year
Over the course of this year we have focused on the services that the Council is providing for members of the public in their neighbourhoods, and how to ensure that the impact on these services is minimal in this time of fewer resources. We have played a key role in ensuring that the focus of the Council on implementing the reduction in resources is on those areas that have the least impact on Manchester's residents. Some of the key areas we have focused on are waste and recycling, the environment and leisure.
The new municipal year begins in May, and with it will be new names for all the scrutiny committees. Communities and Neighbourhoods Overview and Scrutiny Committee will become Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Committee, which is much less of a mouthful and we hope that this makes the focus of the committee is clearer. We are looking forward to next year and the work we will be doing, which will include an investigation into culture in the city along with our continual focus on services that matter to residents.
21/02/2012 - Business Plans
Every year we have a chance to scrutinise the Council's business plans. These are the plans put together for each directorate which set out the details of how the directorate will carry out the aims and priorities of the Council. The business plans form part of the process for establishing next year's budget and our role in the process is to ensure that the directorate's plans are aligned to our own priorities as elected representatives of Manchester's residents. We chose to look at the Neighbourhood Services Business Plan, as it is the directorate most closely aligned to our remit. We also chose to look at appendix 8 of all of the business plans. This appendix is the Low Carbon Action Plan which shows how each directorate aims to reduce its carbon emissions, its progress against those targets and the action it will take for next year. The business plans are lengthy documents, and not the most accessible piece of work that we carry out, but as the plans by which services are delivered they are extremely important and one of the key times we can influence how services are delivered. Last year, the business plans were even more important as they were the first documents in place to address how the budget reductions would be implemented. This year's plans followed on from the changes introduced last year and, as such, do not propose such significant differences.
19/01/2012 - Indoor Leisure Review
In our meeting this month, looked at the results of the consultation into leisure centres and the plans for the future. This review came about as a result of the budget reductions last year and originally the proposals were to close two pools in the city. Following the campaign to save Levenshulme Baths the Council decided to instead replace Levenshulme Baths with a modern facility that would be cheaper to run. The proposals we looked at this month were to replace Chorlton Leisure Centre, Chorlton Library, Miles Platting pools, Levenshulme Leisure Centre and Levenshulme Library with three new facilities. We were very pleased to hear that these three communities will have brand new leisure centres that will replace the outdated facilities they currently have. At the meeting we heard from Levenshulme Community Association, who wanted the the Levenshulme Baths to be refurbished. Although we recognise the concerns raised, we felt the proposals for new, cheaper to run facilities make more sense for local communities and the Council. We recommended that the Executive approve the proposals, and in addition asked the officers in charge to ensure that the current facilities are kept open for as long as possible before they need to be closed.
Get Involved
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 4997 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.
