Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council

Thursday, 11 June 2009

Following the death of Baby P in Haringey in 2008, the Secretary of State for children, Schools & Families asked Lord Laming in November to carry out an independent progress report on child protection in England. (Lord Laming had previously chaired the Inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbie).

The review was to look at what good practice had been achieved in safeguarding children since the Climbie Inquiry, and what were the key obstacles that prevented efficient and effective safeguarding of children.

Cabinet considered the outcome of this review, in which Lord Laming found that legislation introduced by the Children Act 2004 (Every Child Matters) did provide a sound framework for protecting children and promoting their welfare. However, he also identified 58 recommendations he felt were needed to be implemented so as to achieve a step change in arrangements to protect children from harm. He also challenged leaders of social services to accept their responsibility to ensure that policy, legislation and guidance was turned into day to day practice on the frontline of every service.

Lord Laming considered that responsibility for child protection and safeguarding must sit across all partner agencies at both a local and national government level. His key findings revealed:

The Secretary of State subsequently agreed an Action Plan to implement each recommendation, which included the allocation of £57.8M to create a Social Work Transformation Fund to increase capacity to train and support social workers in implementing the change required.

This Council welcomed the findings and had committed to consideration of the detailed implications of them on this authority. The Stockton Local Safeguarding Board was to discuss them at a half day workshop in July; and the North Tees and Hartlepool Foundation Trust Safeguarding Steering Group had also had preliminary discussions. It was considered that this authority already carried out most of the recommendations put forward, however it would receive a further detailed report later this year.

School Term and Holiday Dates

Parents of school children will be also interested to note that Cabinet, at the same meeting, agreed School Term and Holiday Dates for the next two academic years. Details can be found at http://www.egenda.stockton.gov.uk/aksstockton/images/att9002.xls .

Greater North Shore

Cabinet also considered the findings of a twelve month study which looked at what planning framework was necessary to direct and guide future private investment and development within the Greater North Shore area of Stockton over the next 10-15 years.

The study, undertaken in consultation with businesses, residents and stakeholders, identified recommendations in terms of the preferred land use, environment, design, transport/accessibility and economy of the area. These recommendations were carried forward into proposed specific actions within the areas of St. Ann's North, St Ann's South, Church Road/Municipal Quarter and Portrack Lane South. Details of these can be found at http://www.egenda.stockton.gov.uk/aksstockton/images/att9024.doc .

This Council would now embed the findings of the study into its policies within the emerging Local Development Framework, and officers would continue to engage the local business community in the area and investigate how the transport proposals could be achieved.

For further details regarding any of the development proposals for the Greater North Shore area, contact Tim Gibson, Regeneration Projects Manager, tel. 01642 526021, e-mail Tim.Gibson@stockton.gov.uk

Shambles Market Hall

Despite the current poor economic climate, Officers continue to seek businesses and other interested enterprise to occupy the units within the Shambles Market Hall on Stockton High Street, which was refurbished at the end of 2008. Although the refurbishment was undertaken with a view to returning the premise use based around the sale of  specialist food, other entrepreneurial and non food interest is being considered.

The existing traders of a barber and a cobbler, have been retained and whilst the current economic strategy had made the premises difficult to let, it is hoped that any empty units could soon also be utilized as a base for artists to display their arts and crafts, as advocated by the recent Department for Communities and Local Government report 'Taking Care of our Town Centres'.

Discussions are continuing with other interested parties, including wood-turners, painters and local history groups.  Investigations are also ongoing to establish the Tourist Information Office, currently located in the Central Library, into the Shambles later in the year when Stockton's Central Library undergoes necessary electrical and heating works.

For anyone interested in leasing any of the available units, please contact Mike Bowron, Principal Development Officer on 01642 526028 e-mail   Mike.Bowron@stockton.gov.uk

Continuing the theme of the current economic climate, Cabinet received the latest monthly progress report detailing both the positive and negative economic changes that had taken place recently.

Notably this included action in response to the Government's recent creation of a £1 billion Future Jobs Fund to which local authorities and other organisations could bid to create new jobs.   This is a new approach to create jobs and provides hope for young people and jobseekers in deprived communities.  The formal bidding process for access to this fund is now underway and proposals should be submitted by 30th June 2009.  Government expects the majority of bids to be led by Local Authorities, and Stockton will be bidding in the first phase on behalf of Stockton Renaissance, i.e. The Partnership, with jobs expected to start in October 2009.

The preferred model is to target a minimum of 100 jobs (Over and above the government suggested minimum levels) in order to create better and more sustainable and valuable opportunities for young people, and to
- increase the timescale from the minimum period of 26 weeks to 52 weeks
- provide work for a minimum of 30 hours, and
- for Council opportunities, at a salary based on the entry level on Council pay scales, currently £6.22 per hour

For further details on the above, contact Richard Poundford, Head of Regeneration & Economic Development, tel 01642 527024, e-mail richard.poundford@stockton.gov.uk

Allotment provision within the borough

Cabinet also considered a report highlighting that there was insufficient Allotment provision within the borough to meet current demand. It was a duty for every allotment authority, where there was a demand for allotments, to provide a sufficient number of them for residents of that area. There were currently in excess of 400 names on the waiting lists, 25% of the total available plots.

As a result, it was proposed that potential new allotment sites be identified as part of the action planning process for the Council's Green Infrastructure Strategy; and that a separate allotment strategy be developed to look at the future of allotment provision within Stockton on Tees, linking with possible community and housing partnerships, and identifying potential bodies that might be able to set up access to charitable or grant facilities. Available allotment land had already been identified in both Stockton North and in Thornaby (183 plots), at an estimated cost of £140k to bring into suitable condition for use.

It was hoped that the draft allotment strategy would be brought back for consideration to a meeting of Cabinet by the end of 2009.

Stockton on Tees Green Infrastructure Strategy

Cabinet also approved for public consultation a draft Stockton on Tees Green Infrastructure Strategy 2009-2021 which identified local priorities for enhancing the Borough's network of green spaces, river corridors and countryside.

A full copy of the draft strategy and associated links will be available at http://www.stockton.gov.uk/countrysideandgreenspace from 1 July to 30 September.  Comments and feedback would be welcomed.

More information on green infrastructure planning is available from Natural England and CABE websites:

http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/planningtransportlocalgov/greeninfrastructure

http://www.sustainablecities.org.uk/green-infrastructure

For further details, contact Graham Clingan, Countryside & Green space Development Manager, tel. 01642 526870, e-mail Graham.Clingan@stockton.gov.uk

Climate Change and Carbon Management

Finally, Cabinet gave consideration to two important strategies to tackle Climate Change and Carbon Management.

Since an initial Climate Change Strategy had been developed in 2007, a number of significant changes had occurred requiring a review of the current Tees Valley Strategy and the Council's own Action Plan. These changes included the implications of the Climate Change Act 2008, the Pitt Review and the introduction of a set of new national indicators for measuring performance.

The Climate Change Act introduced targets for reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 80% by 2050; and a reduction in CO2 emissions by at least 26% by 2020 against a 1990 baseline figure. The Pitt Review was in response to the severe flooding in the summer of 2007; and focused attention upon the need to consider the impact of climate change on public services and to look at managing the risks posed by climate change.

The most significant change therefore required to the action plan already in place was the revision to the target which was originally to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 8.75% below the year 2000 level by 2012. The proposed target is now a 21% reduction by 2020 against a 2005 baseline using the government's methodology for calculating emissions for the new national indicator 185. This will align the strategy and action plan with the Climate Change Act 2008 and follow a uniform method of measurement.

Clearly an area such as Stockton has significant industrial emissions and in 2006 this amounted to 79% of the total compared with 12% from domestic sources and 9% from transport. The action plan has taken a pragmatic approach in recognising where significant emissions reductions can be achieved whilst recognising the need for economic stability and long term growth. For example there are still opportunities to greatly improve domestic energy efficiency within the Borough utilising existing technologies.

Transport is an area where progress on emissions reduction will be slow and linked to both economic activity and to technological advances. Similarly the emissions from industry and the commercial section are going to be very much linked to the economy and to fiscal measures as well as to changes in technology.

A copy of the Stockton draft Action Plan can be found at http://www.egenda.stockton.gov.uk/aksstockton/images/att9007.doc , along with a copy of the Tees Valley Climate Change Strategy http://www.egenda.stockton.gov.uk/aksstockton/images/att9008.doc . For further details on each, contact Mike Chicken, Environmental Policy Manager, tel. 01642 528148, e-mail Mike.Chicken@stockton.gov.uk

With regard to Carbon Management, in March 2008 Cabinet approved a Carbon Management Strategy and Implementation Plan which demonstrated how the Council could reduce its carbon emissions by 25% over five years. The potential existed to make £4.2M savings over this period, reducing emissions by 23,000 tonnes.

The 'invest to save' Plan produced contained 23 projects, with each having a measurable output in terms of carbon and financial saving. Following completion of year one, a total of £96,000 savings, 2,630 tonnes of carbon saving, had been achieved. This equated to a 7% reduction in carbon emissions, and placed the authority on track to meet its 25% target by 2013.

Initiatives deployed included increased insulation of all Council properties, roll out of use of bio diesel fuel to 100% of fleet vehicles, and measures introduced within schools to provide low carbon under floor heating at a lower running cost, effective and appropriate swimming pool covers, and automatic switch off timers on school PC's. It was stressed that with the forthcoming investment in schools from the Building Schools for the Future, it was important that the successful carbon reduction measures deployed be also contained within any new or refurbished school buildings.