Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council

Thursday, 01 October 2009

Carbon Reduction Commitment

Cabinet noted the forthcoming participation by the Council in the Governments Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) programme, a 'cap and trade' scheme for high energy users which is intended to increase energy efficiency and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Participation in the scheme was determined by the consumption of half hourly metered electricity during the calendar year 2008.  Consumption in excess of 6,000MWh required full participation,  and on this basis Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council qualified and would be full participants in the scheme.

CRC requires organisations in the scheme to purchase carbon emission 'allowances' from the Government. The allowances will be available at the start of the scheme at a price of £12 per tonne of carbon dioxide.  On the current carbon dioxide emission figures for Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council the cost will be around £350-400k.  However, for the first year only, two years allowances will need to be purchased thus an expenditure of £700k to £800k must be planned for April 2011.

The scheme is 'fiscally neutral' in that the payments received will be recycled back to participants on the basis of their performance in reducing emissions each October.  Determination of the repayment is made according to the organisation's position in a league table of all participants.  At the top of the league table a 'bonus' of 10% is paid whilst at the bottom a 'penalty' of 10% applies.  Over a period of five years this bonus (or penalty) rises to 50%.  The actual bonus or penalty payable for a given league table position is on a linear scale from top to bottom.

Further details on how the Council is contributing towards carbon reduction can be obtained from Mike Chicken, the Environmental Projects Manager, tel. 01642 528148; e-mail mike.chicken@stockton.gov.uk.  Details of the Council's Carbon Management Programme can be found at: http://www.stockton.gov.uk/citizenservices/envpol/carbman/

Billingham Town Centre Redevelopment - Public Exhibition

Billingham Town Centre is set to be extensively redeveloped over the next few years. A public exhibition of the proposals for improvement is to take place over the near future.
The exhibition will be staffed at the following times:

• Monday 2nd November - 1pm to 5.30pm
• Tuesday 3rd November - 10am to 7pm
• Wednesday 4th November - 10am to 6pm

The exhibition will then remain on display in the shop window of 108 Queensway (close to Dorothy Perkins) from Thursday 5th November to Saturday 14th November. You will be able to have your say online from the webpage from 6pm on Monday 2nd November. 

Billingham Town Centre

A progress report was submitted to Cabinet on the master planning for Billingham Town Centre regeneration. This followed a decision by Cabinet in January 2007 to sell the freehold of Billingham Town Centre, and Kingsway car parks, to Halladale (now Stockland UK).

Since the sale, Stockland has been consulting with potential supermarket operators and other national and local retailers and businesses to determine their needs, which are being used to form the basis of their master planning exercise.  Due to the current economy and market forces; and in particular the property investment climate this process has understandably slowed. Nevertheless, the emerging master plan proposed is based on a phased approach and its key elements include refurbishing the Town Centre to attract new retailers alongside the creation of new anchors to encourage pedestrian flow throughout the town.

Stockland has also agreed terms to create a refurbished large retail unit at the former Kwik Save/1 East Precinct/Resource Centre/Town Centre MOT Testing site.  Whilst this proposed development was outside the main master planning exercise it would improve the linkages between the Forum and the Town Centre.  Stockland was currently in negotiations with a national retailer regarding this unit and were expected to submit the planning application by the end of December 2009.

The draft master plan was based on the principle of forming a major anchor in part of the West Precinct, which would be suitable for a national food store operator.  In addition, the existing ASDA unit would be retained (and possibly expanded) and a fourth anchor store would be created opposite the former Kwik Save building.

The remainder of the Town Centre would benefit from significant refurbishment to attract new retailers and create an attractive environment.  Details of the refurbishment proposals were still under consideration by Stockland, but may include new cladding, new shop fronts and feature lighting.

Stockland were also currently holding positive negotiations with several national retailers regarding potential leases of the four anchor stores and also of the existing retail units.  Grainger Games has recently opened (47 Queensway) in the Town Centre.  Additionally, the Queensway Dental Practice had also taken the opportunity to expand their successful business into former residential flats adjacent to their existing premises and to a substantial area within Crown Buildings opposite their practice.

For further information regarding the progress of the Billingham Town Centre Regeneration, contact Louise McDonald, Regeneration Projects Manager, tel. 01642 528942; e-mail louise.mcdonald@stockton.gov.uk

Place Survey

Through Autumn 2008 we carried out a survey to find out what you think of living in your local area and the services we and other local organisations such as the Police and Health provide.

The Government require all local authorities in England and Wales to carry out this survey, called 'the Place Survey'. A questionnaire was sent out to a random sample of 6,000 people from across the Borough. A total of 1,520 questionnaires were returned.  The results were released nationally this summer and will be used to identify what you think we are doing well and where we need to improve, as well as what you think the priorities are for the services we provide.

Stockton Council Cabinet have been provided with details of the findings of the first survey and they can be accessed at http://www.egenda.stockton.gov.uk/aksstockton/images/att10018.doc
http://www.egenda.stockton.gov.uk/aksstockton/images/att10019.doc

The survey asked questions about:

• Things in the borough you think most need improving
• How you think public services are doing
• Satisfaction with a range of different services provided by the Council and other organisations that provide services to the public, for example, the Police, the Fire Service, hospital and GP services
• How well run the Council is and whether you think it provides value for money
• How informed you feel about public services and how well you feel you can influence them
• How many local people are involved in volunteering
• How well you feel local people get on together
• Community Safety

The results showed that the things you feel need improving the most are:

• Activities for teenagers
• Continuing to reduce levels of crime
• Road and pavement repairs

Satisfaction with the local area as a place to live is good at 78% and 73% feel people in their local areas get on well together, both of which are in line with the picture nationally.   26% of people felt that parents need to take more responsibility for the behaviour of their children, compared with 30% of people nationally.  Only 28% of people feel they are able to influence decisions, again in line with the national picture and only 28% saying they actively want to be involved in influencing decisions.

Almost half the people who completed the questionnaire are satisfied with the way Stockton Council runs things which is higher than the satisfaction level with Councils nationally.   More people in Stockton feel they are informed about public services (48%) than people nationally (38%) and 36% believe the Council provides value for money compared with 33% nationally.

The results also show that local services are seen as being fair and that the local area is greener and safer.  Satisfaction with libraries, parks and open spaces and environmental services is high with lower levels of satisfaction in relation to museums, theatres and sports and leisure facilities.

50% of people are satisfied with the police, 62% with the fire service, 84% with their GP, 75% with the local hospital and 61% with their local dentist.

Most people feel safe during the day but less than half say they feel safe at night.   A higher percentage of people in Stockton say they agree with the way the police and public services are tackling issues of crime and anti-social behaviour than the national picture.

IPSOS Mori, a leading UK research company, has subsequently undertaken further analysis of the results nationally.  The research, supported by the Audit Commission, identified that even where satisfaction with local areas is improving and local people accept that council services are getting better, they often assume that this is in spite of the council, rather than because of it.  It also goes on to identify that there are a number of factors, many of which are outside the direct control of local public services, that have an impact on shaping people's satisfaction including;

• The proportion of the population with degrees
• The proportion of homes which are under-occupied
• Deprivation levels
• The proportion of the population that are aged under 21
• Which region the area is in

It also identified the importance of good communication in helping local people to understand the issues, make them more aware of what is being done to address them and also in making information available on what services are available to them.

For information about the different services provided in Stockton from the Council please click on the link to the Stockton Borough Council website.
For information on health services click on  http://www.stockton-on-tees.nhs.uk/
For Cleveland Police http://www.clevelandpa.org.uk/
and for Cleveland Fire and Rescue Service http://www.clevelandfire.gov.uk/

Further information on the Place Survey can be found at http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/placesurvey2008

Economic Climate Update

Cabinet was advised of both the positive and negative economic changes that had taken place in the borough in the last month.

On the positive side, it was noted that Stockton fabrication specialist  MB Tech had won several recent contracts, including work on a baggage tunnel at Heathrow Airport and walkways for the London 2012 Olympic Stadium.  Nifco UK Ltd, a Stockton based plastics company, had seen workloads increase as a result of the Government's Car Scrapping Scheme, and had begun to re-employ many of their staff previously made redundant. B & M Bargains were also scheduled to move into the former Woolworth's unit in Stockton High Street, creating 40 jobs.  However, AAG Swepco, the Billingham based renewable energy company, had announced it had gone into administration, with 53 employees being made redundant and a further 80 contractors.

The number of claimants seeking Job Seekers Allowance in Stockton had increased by 341 since August to 6,627.
A full copy of the Economic Climate report can be viewed at http://www.egenda.stockton.gov.uk/aksstockton/images/att9496.doc. Further information on any of the above economic climate information can be obtained from Richard Poundford, Head of Regeneration & Economic Development, tel. 01642 527024, e-mail Richard.Poundford@stockton.gov.uk