{Disestablished Committee} - Finance and General Purposes Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Read the Minutes

12 January 2006

Present:

• Councillor Priest - In the Chair 
• Councillors Andrews, Fisher, Flanagan, Isherwood, Leech, Morrison, Pritchard, Brian O'Neil, Rothery, Sandiford and Trotman.

Also Present:

• Councillor Swannick, Executive Member for Planning and Highways 
• Councillor Hackett, Executive Member for Culture and Leisure 
• Councillor P. Murphy, Executive Member for Direct Services 
• Councillor Jeff Smith, Executive Member for Education

FGP/06/1 Minutes

Decision

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on15 December 2005.

FGP/06/2 Postal Services Review - interim report

The Committee considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Regeneration) on the approach adopted by the Finance and General Purposes Post Office Sub Group on examining the future development of postal services within the City. Members were informed that the New Economics Foundation (NEF) had undertaken extensive work for the Sub Group to develop a variety of perspectives on the implications of the liberalisation of postal services and the social and economic role of post offices with specific reference to quantifying the impact of closures.

The Committee noted that NEF were scheduled to produce a draft report for the Post Offices Sub Group by the end of January. Decision To note the report and look forward to the final report being submitted to this Committee in March.

FGP/06/3 City Centre Residents parking arrangements

A report of the Head of Engineering Services was submitted on the proposals to introduce an off-street and on-street parking scheme for city center residents. Members were informed that as a continuation of the consultative process, residents were asked whether they would be interested in purchasing parking permits for different options. Both off-street and on-street proposals were considered, to reflect the growth in residential accommodation in the City Centre.

Members were also informed about on street parking convenience vouchers, which offered an element of convenience for residents if they were at home in the day. Proposals for district nurses, regarding the potential to over-stay within a pay and display bay had also been accommodated within the scheme, and the potential for establishing a pay as you go car club in the city center, and of providing dedicated bays for disabled city centre residents were being actively explored.

Members had concerns that the provision of dedicated off-street car parking could discourage developers of new accommodation projects within the city centre from providing adequate off street parking as an integral element of their schemes. The Head of Engineering Services reassured members that residential developments in the city centre developed since 2004 were not covered by these arrangements and that developers would still need to demonstrate the capability to provide adequate parking arrangements for all schemes in line with Council policy at outline development stage.

Officers also confirmed that no additional resources would be required to 'police' the arrangements and that there would be implications for parking enforcement activity in other parts of the city. The Executive Member for Planning and Highways assured members that there would be an exhaustive review of the effectiveness of the proposals after 12 months operation, in which the participation of the scrutiny committee would be welcomed. He also informed the Committee that significant interest had been shown by a number of operators in the joint development of a car club for city centre residents, and it was possible that a scheme could be operational by the Spring.

Decision

To support the proposals which seek to achieve a balance between the needs of city center residents and other users, and to welcome the invitation to participate in the review of the scheme process after 12 months operation.

FGP/06/4 Maintenance of War Memorials, Civic Statues and Public Art.

Consideration was given to a report of Director of Manchester Galleries on the on-going survey work and improvement programme for the City Council's war memorials, civic statues and public art.

The Committee noted that 28 priority works of art and war memorials had been surveyed by conservation specialists from the National Museum Liverpool, and proposals for treatment had been drawn up.

Members referred to a number of war memorials that were not in the ownership of the Council, some of which required essential cleaning and preservation. Officers indicated that a comprehensive record of all such memorials was progressively being established so that the Council could offer professional advice about cleaning and preservation treatments.

The Executive Member for Culture and leisure indicated that many of these private memorials were maintained to a very high standard but there was a danger that inappropriate cleaning could cause irreparable damage and the professional advice that the Council was able to offer was therefore hugely important.

The Director outlined the arrangements to add missed names to war memorials following representations made by relatives.

Decision

To note the work being done to ensure that Manchester's war memorials continue to honour the sacrifice of past generations in the cause of peace and liberty.

FGP/06/5 Governance and management of schools

A report of the Deputy Chief Executive was considered on the proposed Terms of Reference and scope for a corporate review of Governance of Schools in Manchester. Officers commented that improvement in educational attainment was one the City Council's core objectives, and lay at the heart of the Council's plans for the development of the school estate and was fundamental to the review of the Community Strategy.

Key to the delivery of sustainable improvement in attainment was the quality of governance of schools within Manchester, there was a recognized need to consolidate the progress made in developing the capacity of governing bodies and the city council needed to take advantage of the current comprehensive review of the Manchester Education Partnership to ensure further improvement were made.

Members were also informed that the review would be a fundamental element in the transformation of the Education Service and of the performance of schools in Manchester, and would inform and support the development of new structures of governance for individual schools and for new models of district service coordination and delivery across the City. Referring to the District Auditor's Public Interest Report in relation to Whalley Range High School, and also to past internal audits of the school, a member enquired whether a fundamental review of the way that the Council conducts its audit of schools would form part of the review in hand.

Officers indicated that a report would be brought back to the Committee in March which would deal in detail how the Council proposed to respond to each of the recommendations made by the District Auditor and the w ay that audit supported the role of governance. Other members emphasized the voluntary nature of school governance and the importance of equipping school governors with the necessary skills and knowledge they needed to effectively hold school managers to account. The Interim Chief Education Officer supported this view and the appreciation that governors was a challenging one and worked best when there was a strong recognition and acceptance of the partnership between governors and managers of a school.

The importance of having a system of governance embedded in local communities was supported as being key to success, but members also supported the need for governors to have the services of an independent clerk who could hold the ring between governors and the school managers. The Deputy Chief Executive confirmed that this would be considered as part of the review.

Decision

1. To note the proposed Terms of Reference and Scope of the proposed review of Governance of Schools in Manchester.

2. That a further report be submitted to this Committee in March in respect of those matters referred to in the Council's Statement of Internal Control in the 2004/05 accounts.

3. To note that responsibility for oversight of the broader review rests with the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

(Councillor Flanagan declared a personal interest in relation to school contracts and withdrew from the meeting during consideration of this item.)

FGP/06/6 Planning Enforcement Sub Group

The Committee considered a request from the Physical Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee to re-establish the joint sub group so that members could look further at the effectiveness of planning control and enforcement.

Decision

To re-establish the Planning Enforcement Sub Group and to appoint Councillors Andrews and Fisher as this Committee's representatives.

FGP/06/7 Date of Special Meeting

Decision

To agree to change the date of the special meeting that will scrutinise budget proposals to Monday 27 February (10.00am)