Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council

Thursday, 03 September 2009

Building Schools for the Future (BSF) - Options for the South of the Borough

The BSF Strategy for Change agreed by Cabinet in February 2009 (see Cabinet Update - February 2009) included a commitment to review possible options to increase the number of secondary school places in Ingleby Barwick. The preferred option set out in the strategy was to increase capacity at All Saints Church of England Voluntary Aided School in Ingleby Barwick from 600 to 900 places; with corresponding reductions in the capacity of Conyers School in Yarm and Egglescliffe School, and to relocate Egglescliffe School to its playing fields at Allens West. It was considered that these schools, the three highest achieving secondary schools in the borough, should be considered together as any action to increase capacity at one school would inevitably impact on the others.

Three other options have since emerged from discussions between the school communities, members and officers and Cabinet was invited to consider these as follows alongside the original preferred option:-

A:  The current preferred option set out in the BSF Strategy for Change agreed by Cabinet and approved by Government;

B:  To create a second school in Ingleby Barwick;

C:  To increase the capacity of All Saints School beyond 900 places;

D:  To relocate Egglescliffe School to a site within Preston Park.

Cabinet was invited to approve further assessment of each option to establish the extent to which each might deliver the Council's strategic objectives for BSF as stated in the approved BSF Strategy for Change:

• Putting the learner first
• Every school a good school
• Schools at the heart of the community.

A number of issues were identified as requiring investigation during the assessment and it was agreed that the results of the feasibility study be reported back to Cabinet upon completion, including any other viable options identified. Thereafter, full public consultation will take place, to include members seminars, public meetings in each of the south of the borough areas, and the distribution of a consultation paper.

No timescale was identified as yet for completion of the feasibility studies, however, for further details of The Council's BSF programme contact Julia Morrison, Asst Director/Head of Children, Schools and Complex Needs, tel. 01642 527041; e-mail julia.morrison@stockton.gov.uk or Kirsty Watt, tel. 01642 524525, e-mail kirsty.watt@stockton.gov.uk

Cabinet Appoints Older People's Champion

The Older People's National Framework (NSF) introduced the idea of older people's champions who would play a key role in promoting the interests of older people. The position on older people's champions was summarised by the Department of Health as follows:

"In general champions are people with a desire to improve older people's services and are willing to work together and use their influence to stand up for the interests of older people. They have a role in ensuring older people have access to information about local services and plans for older people. All champions will be committed to rooting out age discrimination in access to treatment and services and helping to implement the NSF and related services for older people." (Department of Health Website. April 2003)

During 2008/09, the Corporate, Adult Services and Social Inclusion Select Committee undertook a scrutiny review of the Older People' Strategy and examined progress against the Action Plan. The Committee was mindful of the diverse make up of services both within the Council that contributed towards the Council's Older People's Strategy, as well as other public, private, voluntary, community sector and Third Sector organisations. The absence of a developed elected Member role within the authority to act as a dedicated focal point and champion for older peoples issues was identified by Members and the Committee felt that the appointment of a Member champion would help raise the profile of older people. Should such a role be established, it was hoped that it would encourage other public and partner organisations to follow suit.
Cabinet was therefore pleased to be able agree a defined role for such an important member champion, based on the Department of Heath's "A Toolkit for Older People's Champions" which included many key priorities for the role, including challenging and eradicating age discrimination, ensuring issues of concern for older people are considered in local planning and decision making, and drawing attention at a national level of any identified areas of concern that apply more widely than the local area. Full details of the role can be found at http://www.egenda.stockton.gov.uk/aksstockton/images/att9776.doc

Given that the remit of the Older Person's Champion would relate to all policies and services and not solely health and social care issues, the Cabinet Member for Access and Communities was deemed to be the most appropriate Member to represent the interests of older people, and therefore it was agreed that Councillor David Coleman, Cabinet Member for Access & Communities, be appointed as the Council's Older People's Champion. For contact details, visit http://www.egenda.stockton.gov.uk/aksstockton/users/public/admin/main.pl?op=MemberDetails&keyid=23

Tees Valley Transport Schemes

Cabinet was advised of progress on the following transport schemes currently being developed in the Tees Valley, which were set to bring in around £100M of investment into the sub region:-

• East Billingham Transport Corridor
• Tees Valley Bus Network Improvements
• Tees Valley Metro

The East Billingham Transport Corridor (EBTC) was highlighted in the Council's Local Transport Plan in 2004 as a major scheme necessary to address the volume of heavy goods vehicles, particularly tankers, passing through residential areas of Billingham on route to the industrial areas to the east of the town. A preferred route alignment for a new road link to be constructed between the A1046 Haverton Hill Road and the A1185 Seal Sands Link Road was identified however the scheme did not emerge as a Government priority for funding. Since this time though, following discussions with the Government Office for the North East (GONE), it was recommended that delivering the northern section of the original route would achieve the majority of the objectives of the scheme. £5M was therefore approved by GONE to allow the East Billingham Transport Corridor scheme to be completed by 2011. Initial works would commence in this financial year to acquire the necessary land.
Cabinet had previously backed bids for funding from the Government's Department of Transport  (DfT) to improve the Tees Valley Bus Network. A proposed scheme was submitted which set out 'core route corridors' considered to be essential within the network structure; the majority of proposed core routes being within the urban areas of the Tees Valley.
The DfT have now approved funding for the scheme, which was to include improved passenger facilities on the core routes, fares and ticketing improvements, introduction of Real Time Passenger Information, and other measures included at http://www.egenda.stockton.gov.uk/aksstockton/images/att9743.doc
It was hoped that upon the DfT's necessary consideration of a revised business case for the scheme, works 'on the ground' could commence early in 2010.

For some considerable time, there have been proposals to develop a rapid transit (Metro) system within the Tees Valley to support future regeneration aspirations.  This project was included within the City Region Business Case as a key future year investment project and, in line with recent national policy; proposals have been developed for a high quality, fast and reliable rail-based solution to assist regeneration.  
Feasibility work carried out to date has shown that the preferable option is to improve the existing heavy rail train service, whilst leaving open the possibility that more tram-like vehicles could be used at a much later date. The recommended option for improving heavy rail, now being examined in more detail, makes more efficient use of the current local rail network to better meet the travel needs.
The estimated local contribution required from each of the partner Councils is £800,000 for phase 1, to be funded from each Council's own Local Transport Plan and funding for the subsequent phases (2 & 3) would need to be identified through the Regional Funding Allocation, the new franchise for local train services, developer contributions, the Third Local Transport Plan (LTP3) and Network Rail investment plans.

Despite the wider economic benefits, it is unlikely that the project would secure DfT funding in one package given major scheme funding criteria.  It is therefore recommended that delivery be carried out in three phases to better attract funding, to fit in with the renewal of the franchise for Northern Rail train services in 2013 and to ensure realism in delivering such a big project.  Phase 1 of Metro (estimated cost £35m), scheduled for implementation between 2009 and 2012, had now been granted funding for the following elements:

a. New Platforms at Darlington and Middlesbrough Stations;

b. Relocation of Stations at Durham Tees Valley Airport and Wilton;

c. Station improvements at Eaglescliffe, Thornaby and Hartlepool;

d. A new station at James Cook University Hospital; and

e. Refurbished trains with higher levels of passenger quality and comfort than that currently used operating four times an hour between Darlington and Saltburn during the day.

The works to improve Eaglescliffe and Thornaby Stations were scheduled to be completed during 2010/2011, and would include upgrades to the current station buildings at both locations, a new footbridge and lift at Eaglescliffe, and a contribution towards the same works at Thornaby.

For further details on any of the above schemes, contact Chris Renahan, Local Transport Plan Manager, tel. 01642 526729; e-mail chris.renahan@stockton.gov.uk

Sp Cabinet-Monday, 14th September 2009

Council Housing Stock-Options for Future Investment

A special meeting of Cabinet was held to discuss the important issue of the ownership, management and maintenance of the Council's housing stock. This followed previous reports presented to Cabinet in August 2007 and November 2008 which revealed the need for the Council to consider how to build upon the investment made to improve Council properties as part of their management by Tristar Homes Ltd; and how to ensure that the required further stock investment needed over the next 30 years could be achieved. It was noted that "unless Members, on behalf of tenants, were prepared to accept a much lower standard of investment than is required, the only viable option available to the Council was stock transfer".

Cabinet was advised of the work undertaken since November 2008 in exploring the stock transfer option (for details of the full report visit http://www.egenda.stockton.gov.uk/aksstockton/images/att9841.doc which included consideration of the implications of the findings of the long awaited Housing Revenue Account Review by the Housing Minister. Cabinet was advised that as the financial proposals contained in the HRA review were financially less advantageous than the current terms of stock transfer,  "The Council is currently able to go ahead with its transfer proposal and this window of opportunity is likely to provide the best housing standards for existing and future tenants".

An elected member reference group had also been established, initially to work alongside the already established Homes for the Future Tenants Group. The two groups quickly decided they would come together to work on the landlord selection process. The Joint Reference Group (JRG)was established with a remit to consider options for landlord choice before making a recommendation back to Cabinet for their consideration.

A long list of potential landlords (including both national and north east housing organisations) was evaluated by the JRG against the agreed criteria.  Following this evaluation the JRG agreed a short-list of options. These options were:

1. Transfer to Tristar Homes as a newly created stand-alone Registered Social landlord (RSL).
2. Transfer to Tristar Homes as a newly created RSL, which would form a new Group structure with Housing Hartlepool (an existing RSL).
3. Transfer to Tristar Homes as a newly created RSL, which would form part of the existing Fabrick Group (alongside Erimus Housing and Tees Valley Housing Limited).
4. Transfer to Tristar Homes as a newly created RSL, which would form part of the existing ISOS Group (alongside NomadE5, Castle Morpeth, and Milecastle).

Following a comprehensive interview and evaluation process, all JRG members agreed that the report to Cabinet would state there was " majority support for Housing Hartlepool and Tristar Homes in a new Group structure "(on the basis of 11 preferences to 4).

Cabinet was advised that should it give the go ahead for the stock transfer, further development work would be required including the development of an Offer Document, which is the Council's offer to tenants. This would set out to tenants a series of 'promises' in relation to property improvements and the standards of service they would receive (and will specify for example arrangements for area management and tenant involvement/participations structures) should tenants vote in favour of stock transfer.  The Offer Document also details to tenants the implications of a 'No vote'.  All elected members would also have the opportunity to be actively involved in identifying property and service improvements via Drop-In sessions and briefings.  It was envisaged that tenants would be balloted on the proposal in Spring 2010.

Further work would also be required to establish a new Shadow Board for what would be a new Registered Social Landlord (RSL). It was proposed that such a Board should consist of 12 members; with equal representation (4) sought from the Council's representatives, tenant representatives and independent representatives.

Cabinet concluded that it supported the transfer of the Council's housing stock as their preferred delivery option to secure future stock and service investment needs; and approved the recommendations of the Joint Reference Group for a new landlord structure with the establishment of a new Registered Social Landlord (Tristar Homes) to form part of a new group structure to be developed with Housing Hartlepool. For full details of the decision visit http://www.egenda.stockton.gov.uk/aksstockton/users/public/admin/kab10.pl?cdr_id=d090121&arc=50&phase=two&operation=detail or contact Julie Nixon, Head of Housing, tel. 01642 527072; e-mail Julie.nixon@stockton.gov.uk