The Lord Mayor informed the Council that Bernard Priest had resigned from his seat for Ardwick ward since the last meeting.

The Lord Mayor informed the Council that a further five Councillors would not be seeking re-election in May 2023 and thanked them for their contribution to the Council and the residents and ward they represent. The Councillors not seeking re-election were:

William Jeavons – Deansgate ward

Eddy Newman – Woodhouse Park ward

Luke Raikes – Baguley ward

Sarah Russell – Northenden ward; and

Greg Stanton – Didsbury ward.

The Lord Mayor announced that she had agreed to the submission of the minutes of the Constitutional and Nomination Committee, held on 29 March 2023.

Councillor Good moved a motion without notice to seek Council’s approval to suspend Rule of Procedure 14.1, in order, to submit a late Notice of Motion for consideration.

Councillor Leech seconded the motion without notice.

The motion without notice was put to the Council and the Lord Mayor declared it was lost.

Decision

To reject the proposed motion without notice.

To allow members an opportunity to declare any personal, prejudicial or disclosable pecuniary interest they might have in any items which appear on this agenda; and record any items from which they are precluded from voting as a result of Council Tax or Council rent arrears. Members with a personal interest should declare that at the start of the item under consideration. If members also have a prejudicial or disclosable pecuniary interest they must withdraw from the meeting during the consideration of the item

Councillor Johns declared a Pecuniary Interest in Minute number CC/23/23, Notice of Motion – Skills for Manchester, as he had been involved in the writing of a report referenced as part of the Motion. Councillor Johns withdrew from the meeting when minute number CC/23/23 was considered and took no part in the discussion or decision-making process.

To submit for approval the minutes of the meeting held on 3 March 2023.

Decision

The Minutes of the Council (budget) meeting held on 3 March 2023 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Lord Mayor.

Manchester is a place where businesses large and small want to operate and provide jobs for our workforce. Our growth as a city has helped attract a younger, more diverse and higher-skilled population. However, businesses are still struggling to find the right skills that they need and for the jobs of the future.

As a city we must tackle the challenges that this skills gap presents to us otherwise we will cease to grow and build the inclusive economy that our residents deserve.

According to the Institute for Public Policy Research - State of the North Report 2022, just one in six people aged 16-64 in the North of England hold at most a level 1 qualification, compared to just over one in seven in England as a whole. If Government truly wants to level up, then they need to invest in our education and skills system to help us address this challenge.

For too long, central government has not taken a holistic view of skills and education. There is a disconnect between skills and jobs, and between Whitehall and our local labour market in Manchester. Our local businesses, employers, education and skills partners and local leaders understand the local labour market and know what is required to plug the skills gap. However, further devolution is needed to make a success of addressing the challenges which we currently face.

Following the publication of the Levelling Up White Paper last year, Greater Manchester was recognised as a ‘trailblazer’ Combined Authority, and negotiations began with central government on further devolution of skills budgets. Greater Manchester’s leaders have been calling for further devolution of the skills system, careers and more employment support.

Following the Budget earlier this month, the government listened and in Greater Manchester we now have the ability to create the country’s first integrated technical education city-region. This is now a step in the right direction in terms of skills devolution, however, there is still more the government needs to do to ensure Manchester has all the necessary powers to provide the skills opportunities Mancunians deserve. 

Manchester continues to be a thriving city which is making good progress with our growth in terms of the economy and jobs. We must build on that momentum with our partners in the sector, and call on the government to provide fair funding in order to truly deliver the benefits of ‘levelling up’.

This council resolves: -

1.    To ask the Leader of the Council to continue to work with the Mayor of Greater Manchester to ensure that Manchester’s voice continues to be heard when pushing for further skills devolution from central government.

2.    To request that the Leader of the Council writes to the government calling for education and skills to be front and centre of all levelling up activity and investment.

3.    To lobby the government to increase spending at all levels of education and skills and to invest further in lifelong learning.

Proposed by Councillor Taylor, Seconded by Councillor Wilson and supported  ...  view the full agenda text for item 24.

Motion Proposed and Seconded: Councillor Taylor and Wilson

Manchester is a place where businesses large and small want to operate and provide jobs for our workforce. Our growth as a city has helped attract a younger, more diverse and higher-skilled population. However, businesses are still struggling to find the right skills that they need and for the jobs of the future.

As a city we must tackle the challenges that this skills gap presents to us otherwise we will cease to grow and build the inclusive economy that our residents deserve.

According to the Institute for Public Policy Research - State of the North Report 2022, just one in six people aged 16-64 in the North of England hold at most a level 1 qualification, compared to just over one in seven in England as a whole. If Government truly wants to level up, then they need to invest in our education and skills system to help us address this challenge.

For too long, central government has not taken a holistic view of skills and education. There is a disconnect between skills and jobs, and between Whitehall and our local labour market in Manchester. Our local businesses, employers, education and skills partners and local leaders understand the local labour market and know what is required to plug the skills gap. However, further devolution is needed to make a success of addressing the challenges which we currently face.

Following the publication of the Levelling Up White Paper last year, Greater Manchester was recognised as a ‘trailblazer’ Combined Authority, and negotiations began with central government on further devolution of skills budgets. Greater Manchester’s leaders have been calling for further devolution of the skills system, careers and more employment support.

Following the Budget earlier this month, the government listened and in Greater Manchester we now have the ability to create the country’s first integrated technical education city-region. This is now a step in the right direction in terms of skills devolution, however, there is still more the government needs to do to ensure Manchester has all the necessary powers to provide the skills opportunities Mancunians deserve.

Manchester continues to be a thriving city which is making good progress with our growth in terms of the economy and jobs. We must build on that momentum with our partners in the sector and call on the government to provide fair funding in order to truly deliver the benefits of ‘levelling up’.

This council resolves: -

1.    To ask the Leader of the Council to continue to work with the Mayor of Greater Manchester to ensure that Manchester’s voice continues to be heard when pushing for further skills devolution from central government.

2.    To request that the Leader of the Council writes to the government calling for education and skills to be front and centre of all levelling up activity and investment.

3.    To lobby the government to increase spending at all levels of education and skills and to invest further in lifelong learning.

Councillor Nunney  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24.

At the end of February, Andy Burnham signed an open letter to the Government calling for a freeze on private sector rents. He was joined by his fellow Labour metropolitan mayors in London and Liverpool, along with the two co-leaders of the Green Party, Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay, the Greater Manchester Tenants Union, the Greater Manchester Law Centre, several Labour Councils, unions and organisations across the country in signing the letter to housing secretary Michael Gove.

What the letter asked was:

The Government must now act to protect renters. We therefore call on the government to follow the lead of the Scottish government and:

·        Introduce an immediate freeze on rents to protect renters.

·        Implement an immediate ban on evictions until the cost of living crisis is over.

·       Deliver on the commitment to end section 21 by fast tracking the much-delayed Renters Reform Bill.

In response Tory Government said: “We continue to work with the sector and tenants, however, evidence shows rent controls in the private sector do not work – leading to declining standards and a lack of investment and may encourage illegal subletting. Our reforms will deliver a fairer deal for renters, including empowering them to challenge unjustified rent increases and a ban on Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions.”

This response is neither true nor adequate to the urgent action we need right now in this cost-of-living crisis for our city’s private renters.

The urgent nature of the crisis also shows why plans to increase housing supply, even if they were to actually be implemented by this council, are inadequate on their own – any effect on price of new supply would take years to filter through and not make much difference in the here and now.

This council notes that:

·       Privately rented homes in Manchester make up around 32% of the total housing stock.

·       The average cost of privately renting a property in Manchester, according to property websites, has increased in 2022 by 20.5%, from average monthly rent of £959 to £1,157. In January 2023 that had risen to £1,600.

·       Around 40% of council homes have been transferred to the private rented sector through right-to-buy. The UK Housing Review 2022 branding right-to-buy as a ‘strategic failure’. Many of those homes ended up in the unregulated private rented sector and often were NOT offered to families at an affordable rent.

·       Increasingly unaffordable rents makes the Council’s efforts to accommodate homeless people and families by using temporary accommodation inherently inflationary and precarious.

·       Understandably the council are trying every avenue to reduce the costs and provide a decent standard of housing for our residents, however recent proposals to offer to bring private stock up to a living standard and supplement the rent for a period of 12 months, both incentivise private landlordism and leave families at risk of future eviction. This at a time when the higher rent hits families already struggling with the cost of living.

·       The current demand for rented properties at affordable prices has led to an  ...  view the full agenda text for item 25.

Motion Proposed and Seconded: Councillor Johnson and Councillor Bayunu

At the end of February, Andy Burnham signed an open letter to the government calling for a freeze on private sector rents. He was joined by his fellow Labour metropolitan mayors in London and Liverpool, along with the two co-leaders of the Green Party, Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay, the Greater Manchester Tenants Union, the Greater Manchester Law Centre, several Labour Councils, unions and organisations across the country in signing the letter to housing secretary Michael Gove.

What the letter asked was:

The Government must now act to protect renters. We therefore call on the government to follow the lead of the Scottish government and:

• Introduce an immediate freeze on rents to protect renters.
• Implement an immediate ban on evictions until the cost-of-living crisis is over.
• Deliver on the commitment to end section 21 by fast tracking the much-delayed Renters Reform Bill.

In response Tory Government said: “We continue to work with the sector and tenants however, evidence shows rent controls in the private sector do not work – leading to declining standards and a lack of investment and may encourage illegal subletting. Our reforms will deliver a fairer deal for renters, including empowering them to challenge unjustified rent increases and a ban on Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions.”

This response is neither true nor adequate to the urgent action we need right now in this cost-of-living crisis for our city’s private renters. 

The urgent nature of the crisis also shows why plans to increase housing supply, even if they were to actually be implemented by this council, are inadequate on their own – any effect on price of new supply would take years to filter through and not make much difference in the here and now.

This council notes that:

• Privately rented homes in Manchester make up around 32% of the total housing stock.
• The average cost of privately renting a property in Manchester, according to property websites, has increased in 2022 by 20.5%, from average monthly rent of £959 to £1,157. In January 2023 that had risen to £1,600.
• Around 40% of council homes have been transferred to the private rented sector through right-to-buy. The UK Housing Review 2022 branding right-to-buy as a ‘strategic failure’. Many of those homes ended up in the unregulated private rented sector and often were NOT offered to families at an affordable rent.
• Increasingly unaffordable rents makes the Council’s efforts to accommodate homeless people and families by using temporary accommodation inherently inflationary and precarious. 
• Understandably the council are trying every avenue to reduce the costs and provide a decent standard of housing for our residents, however recent proposals to offer to bring private stock up to a living standard and supplement the rent for a period of 12 months, both incentivise private landlordism and leave families at risk of future eviction. This at a time when the higher rent hits families already struggling with the cost of living.
• The current demand for rented properties  ...  view the full minutes text for item 25.

To submit the minutes of the Executive on 15 February 2023 (non-budget) and part proceedings of the Executive on 22 March 2023 and in particular to consider:-

Exe/23/35      Capital Programme Update

Decisions

Recommend that Council approve the following changes to Manchester City Council’s capital programme:-

·                ICT – End User Experience Additional Funding. A capital budget increase of £0.326m funded by £0.185m Borrowing and £0.141m virement from ICT Investment Plan.

The proceedings of the Executive on 15 February 2023 and 22 March 2023 (part proceedings) were submitted. The Council was asked to give particular consideration to the following recommendation:

Exe/23/35      Capital Programme Update

Recommend that Council approve the following changes to Manchester City Council’s capital programme:

ICT – End User Experience Additional Funding. A capital budget increase of £0.326m funded by £0.185m Borrowing and £0.141m virement from ICT Investment Plan.

Decisions

1.    To receive the minutes submitted.

2.    To approve the following changes to Manchester City Council’s capital programme:

ICT – End User Experience Additional Funding. A capital budget increase of £0.326m funded by £0.185m Borrowing and £0.141m virement from ICT Investment Plan.

To receive answers to any questions that councillors have raised in accordance with Procedural Rule 23.

Councillor Igbon responded to a question from Councillor Nunney regarding refuse collection guidelines to not place bins after collection in a way that obstructs pedestrians.

Councillor Rawlins responded to a question from Councillor Leech regarding the number of trip claims that had been paid out in the last five years when a previous highway inspection had identified no defects.

Councillor White responded to a question from Councillor Leech regarding the discussions that had taken place with Housing Associations related to their response to reports of mould in tenant’s property’s.

Councillor Rawlins responded to a question from Councillor Leech regarding a late response from Officers that left only 10 minutes to decide on whether to call in a Key Decision.

Councillor Igbon responded to a question from Councillor Leech regarding fly-tipping reports and investigations.

Councillor Rawlins responded to a question from Councillor Leech regarding the impact of pulling out of plans to buy a solar farm on the Council’s ambition to halve the Council’s carbon emissions by 2025 and reducing them to zero by 2038.

Councillor Rawlins responded to a question from Councillor Leech regarding water companies dumping untreated sewage into rivers and watercourses.

Councillor White responded to a question from Councillor Good regarding making owner-occupiers on the Grey Mare Lane estate a priority with the newly announced £10m Government funding to retrofit private properties in Manchester.

Councillor Rawlins responded to a question from Councillor Good regarding the cap on visitors permits being lifted for the Eastlands Residents’ Parking Scheme.

Councillor Akbar responded to a question from Councillor Good regarding the new IT system to handle resident permits for the Eastlands Residents’ Parking Scheme.

Councillor Craig responded to a question from Councillor Good regarding the non-publication of the full breakdown of consultation responses to the Central Retail Park.

Councillor Rawlins responded to a question from Councillor Wright regarding plans for grass cutting in parks this year.

Councillor Rawlins responded to a question from Councillor Richards regarding pavement parking.

Councillor Igbon responded to a question from Councillor Johnson regarding if the Council had plans to charge residents for replacement recycling bins.

Councillor Midgely responded to a question from Councillor Bayunu regarding members consultation about the value of the provision of local adult social care organisations and their funding.

To note the minutes of the following committees:

Communities & Equalities – 7 February & 7 March  2023

Resources & Governance – 7 February & 7 March 2023

Health – 8 February, 22 February & 8 March 2023

Children & Young People – 8 February & 8 March 2023

Environment & Climate Change – 9 February & 9 March

2023

Economy – 9 February & 9 March 2023

The minutes of the following Scrutiny Committee meetings were submitted:

·         Communities and Equalities – 7 February 2023 and 7 March 2023

·         Resources and Governance – 7 February 2023 and 7 March 2023

·         Health – 8 February 2023, 22 February 2023 and 8 March 2023

·         Children and Young People – 8 February 2023 and 8 March 2023

·         Environment and Climate Change – 9 February 2023 and 9 March 2023

·         Economy – 9 February 2023 and 9 March 2023

Decision

To receive those minutes submitted.

To submit for approval the minutes of the following meetings and consider recommendations made by the committee:

Planning and Highways Committee – 16 February and 16 March 2023

Licensing Policy Committee – 10 March 2023

Standards Committee – 16 March 2023

Personnel Committee – 22 March 2023 and in particular to consider

PE/23/02        Draft Pay Policy Statement 2023-24

The Committee:-

1.         Note the content of the draft Pay Policy Statement and commend it for approval by the Council at its meeting on 29 March 2023.

2.         Note the organisation’s Pay and Grading Structure for the financial year 2023/24 appended to the draft Pay Policy Statement and commend it for approval by the Council at its meeting on 29 March 2023

Constitutional and Nomination Committee – 29 March 2023 (to be tabled)

The minutes of the following meetings were submitted:

·         Planning & Highways Committee – 16 February 2023 and 16 March 2023

·         Licensing Policy Committee – 10 March 2023

·         Standards Committee – 16 March 2023. The Council was asked to note that the annual report of the Standards Committee would be considered as a separate item of business.

·         Personnel Committee – 22 March 2023. The Council was informed that the recommendation to Council from the minutes would be considered as a stand-alone item (see Minute number CC/23/32 below).

·         Constitutional and Nomination Committee – 29 March 2023.

The Council was asked to give particular consideration to the following item:-

CN/23/05       Urgent Business

The Chair agreed to submit a change to the Council’s current appointments to Council Committees as Urgent Business. The Committee was invited to consider and make recommendations to Council on proposed changes to current memberships.

The following amendments were proposed:

Council Committee:

Decision

To approve the amendments to Committee memberships as follows:

When moving the minutes, Councillor Karney informed the Council that the above amendment to Committee memberships was withdrawn.

Decisions

1.    To receive those minutes submitted.

2.    To note the amendment to the Constitutional and Nomination Committee minutes regarding the withdrawal of the amendment to the Planning and Highways Committee membership.

To consider the report of the Director of Planning, Building Control and Licensing

The Council considered a report of the Director of Planning, Building Control and Licensing. The report requested Council to pass a resolution to designate certain streets in Manchester as prohibited streets for the purpose of street trading.

The report provided the details of the publication, on 10 February 2023, of the statutory notice of the Council’s intention to so designate those streets and the outcome of the statutory consultation period. The report also provided the Council with details of the remaining statutory steps which must be taken before any such designation takes effect.

The Council was asked to pass a resolution to designate certain streets as prohibited streets for the purpose of street trading in accordance with Appendix 1 of the report submitted and as detailed in the statutory notice published on 10 February 2023.

Decision

The Council resolved to designate certain streets as prohibited streets for the purpose of street trading as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report submitted, and as detailed in the statutory notice published on 10 February 2023.

The Council is requested to note the report.

The Council considered the report of the City Solicitor. The purpose of the report was to report on the matters within the remit of the Standards Committee since the last annual report in March 2022, that covered the period up to 31 January 2022 and to summarise the work undertaken by the Council’s Monitoring Officer from 1 February 2022 to 31 January 2023.

Decision

The Council noted the report.

The report of the City Solicitor is enclosed.

The Council considered a report of the City Solicitor. The report informed the Council of key decisions that had been taken in accordance with the urgency provisions in the Council’s Constitution.

Decision

The Council noted the report.

To consider the report of the Director of Human Resources, Organisational Development and Transformation.

The Council considered a report of the Director of Human Resources, Organisational Development and Transformation, that had been considered by the Personnel Committee on 22 March 2023.

The report introduced the draft Manchester City Council Pay Policy Statement for 2023/24 and sought approval of the statement by the Personnel Committee prior to its agreement by Council.

The statement was cognisant of the organisational context and the impact of the 2023/24 budget. It set out the direction of travel in relation to pay for Manchester’s officers for the year ahead in line with the organisational priorities.

The statement had been developed to comply with the legal requirement set out under section 38 (1) of the Localism Act 2011 and took account of other relevant legislative requirements.

The Statement also included information on the Council’s ‘Gender Pay Gap’ and work to proactively promote workforce equality, in accordance with the requirement to carry out Gender Pay Reporting set out within The Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties and Public Authorities) Regulations 2017.

The Personnel Committee in considering the report, had agreed the following:-

PE/23/02        Draft Pay Policy Statement 2023-24

The Committee:

1. Note the content of the draft Pay Policy Statement and commend it for approval by the Council at its meeting on 29 March 2023.

2. Note the organisation’s Pay and Grading Structure for the financial year 2023/24 appended to the draft Pay Policy Statement and commend it for approval by the Council at its meeting on 29 March 2023

The Council was recommended to agree the above recommendations.

Decisions

1. The Council approved the content of the draft Pay Policy Statement, as submitted.

2. The Council approved the Pay and Grading Structure for the financial year 2023/24 as appended to the draft Pay Policy Statement, as submitted.