To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 11 September 2024.

Decision

The Executive approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting on 11 September 2024.

Report of the Chief Executive attached

The Executive considered a report of the Chief Executive which provided an update on key areas of progress against the Our Manchester Strategy – Forward to 2025 which reset Manchester’s priorities for the next five years to ensure the Council could still achieve the city’s ambition set out in the Our Manchester Strategy 2016 – 2025.

The Executive Member for Environment, Clean Air and Transport reported on the launch of a Council initiative to become the UK’s first Carbon Literate City as part of the drive to become zero carbon by 2038.  The effort, co-ordinated by the Council working with The Carbon Literacy Project, aimed to achieve the status by getting the equivalent of 15% of the city’s population – 85,349 people – trained and certified as Carbon Literate.  Being Carbon Literate would enable people to take informed decisions, whether in their personal or work lives and becoming a Carbon Literate City would help in the collective effort to dramatically cut harmful carbon emissions across Manchester.  The Council was already committed to Carbon Literacy and was the first local authority to achieve The Carbon Literacy Project’s Silver organisational designation and was working towards Gold status. By December this year the Council aimed to have 50% of its staff, around 3,500 people, trained and certified in Carbon Literacy.

The Executive Member for Housing and Development reported the planning permission had been approved for the UK’s ‘first of a kind’ purpose-built majority LGBTQ+ Extra Care social rent housing scheme.  The development would deliver 80 one and two-bedroom apartments for older people within a high quality, low carbon building designed to respect the surrounding conservation area. The scheme would also include communal facilities including treatment rooms and landscape gardens.  The site would also include a neighbouring development of 40 one and two[1]bedroom homes on a shared ownership model, offering more affordable homes.  The development would be funded by Great Places, with funding support from Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s Brownfield Housing Fund.  Work on the site was scheduled to start later this year.

The report also provided updates on the following areas of activity:-

·            Sister (formerly ID Manchester) –  Manchester’s new £1.7bn innovation district and neighbourhood;

·            The launch of Manchester’s new Cultural Strategy;

·            The opening of Crown Street Primary School – Manchester’s first new city centre primary school in two decades; and

·            The opening of Sacred Heart Family Hub – The city’s latest Family Hub officially in Gorton

Decision

The Executive note the report.

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive attached

The Executive considered a repot of the Deputy Chief Executive, which detailed the fourth Annual Report of the Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP)  2020-25 and provided an overview of progress made during the year 2023-24.

The Executive Member for Environment, Clan Air and Transport reported that the Council had made significant progress in reducing its direct carbon emissions to date and had consistently remained below the allocated carbon budget. since first reporting its carbon emissions in 2009/10, the Council had reduced its CO2 emissions by 67%.

In 2023/24 the Council’s target was to emit less than 21,562 tCO2. The Council had exceeded its allocated CO2 emissions target for the year 2023/24 having emitted a total of 23,056 tCO2. This was the first year within the current CCAP period where the Council had seen an annual increase in emissions.  The increase in emissions was largely due to the UK National Grid increasing the amount of natural gas and coal used in the production of national electricity over the last year, something which was out of the Council’s control. There had been increased carbon input to the national electricity system by approximately 7%, which in turn impacted the Council’s emissions.

In the past four years of the current CCAP delivery, the Council had not emitted more than 25,501 tCO2 in any one year. Therefore, unless there was a significant further change in carbon levels within the national energy supply, it was expected that the Council would successfully meet its science-based target for the 2020-25 CCAP period.

It was further reported that as the current CCAP covered the period 2020-25, a new 2025-30 version was in development, led by the Council’s Zero Carbon Team.  Development of the new CCAP would take into account all planned and upcoming national, regional and city level policy changes to understand how they would impact on the next five years of Council action on climate change.  The new CCAP would also have climate adaptation actions embedded to ensure the Council was educating and influencing others to become more resilient city in the face of climate change.  A full CCAP 2025-30 progress update would be presented to the Council’s Environment, Climate Change and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Committee in in January 2025 and a final draft of the Plan in September 2025  ahead of seeking approval from Executive in October 2025

Councillor Leech sought clarification as to how the UK National Grid increasing the amount of natural gas and coal used in the production of national electricity impacted on the Council’s own emissions and whether this would have an opposite effect in the event the National Grid used less natural gas and coal used in the production of national electricity.  He also sought clarification as to whether the baseline expectation of how much use of natural gas and coal had changed throughout the whole period of aiming for net zero.

Decision

The Executive  approve the Climate Change Action Plan Annual Report for 2023 - 2024.

Report of the Director of Public Health attached

The Executive considered a report of the Director of Public Health, which sought the formal adoption of a Social Economic Duty (SED)that aimeds to address socio-economic inequalities by requiring public bodies to consider these inequalities in their decision-making processes.

The Deputy Leader (Statutory) reported that the Council’s Anti-Poverty Strategy was the mechanism by which Making Manchester Fairer Theme Two - Lifting low-income households out of poverty and debt was delivered, implementing interventions that positively impacted residents’ lives over the medium to long-term.  As part of the implementation of the Anti-Poverty Strategy, adopting the SED would be a key action and mechanism to deliver consistent and equitable services for Manchester residents at socio-economic disadvantage.

The Equality Act 2010 provided a legal framework to protect individuals from discrimination based on nine specific characteristics age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion and belief, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity and marriage and civil partnerships (for employment purposes only). The connection between economic inequality and discrimination on the grounds of specific characteristics protected in force provisions of the Act were well established.  The SED was a powerful tool for addressing socio-economic inequality. Section 1 of the Equality Act – the Socio-economic Duty, required public bodies to which this section applies, to adopt transparent and effective measures to address the inequalities, when making decisions of a strategic nature about how to exercise its functions, have due regard to the desirability of exercising them in a way that is designed to reduce the inequalities of outcome which result from socio-economic disadvantage.

The Council’s understanding of the scale and impact of poverty on its residents had ensured that they were already considered within decision-making by including poverty as a priority group within the Equality Impact Assessment process.   To ensure that SED was integrated into Council policies, practice and decision making, it was proposed to incorporate into the Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) process.  Additionally, there was a plan to establish a quality assurance process for EIAs, which would facilitate the support and monitoring of EIA implementation.

Councillor Leech queried whether any calculation had been made on the impact of the Government’s decision to retain the two child benefit cap to Manchester children and families.  He also commented that the level of poverty in Manchester also needed to take account of those pensioners who would be subject to the removal of the Winter Fuel Allowance.

The Leader clarified that the report before the Executive was in relation to agreeing a technical process for the Council’s decision making going forward and was not to be confused with the content of the Council’s Anti-Poverty Strategy.

Decisions

The Executive:-

(1)       Agree the formal adoption of the Socio-Economic Duty and integration into its policy development and decision-making processes. By doing so, the Council will demonstrate its continued commitment to social justice and contribution to a more equitable city

(2)       Agree to effectively implement the Duty, by:

·            Developing a comprehensive implementation plan including agreed governance and approval process.

·            Providing staff training and development.

·            Establishing robust  ...  view the full minutes text for item 78.

Report of the Strategic Director (Neighbothoods) attached

The Executive considered a report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods), which set out plans for a new contract for Greater Manchester Arts Centre Ltd (trading as and subsequently referred to as HOME), and a new grant agreement for the National Football Museum, taking into account the Council’s investments in the two organisations to date, their impact and achievements over the last ten years, and their plans for the next funding period.

The Deputy Leader reported that both HOME and the National Football Museum, had their origins in Council decisions to locate the organisations in Manchester as part of a wider economic and regeneration plan to help stimulate the economic growth of the City Centre through an enhanced cultural offer.  This strategy had included meaningful revenue contributions to facilitate this level of ambition and had been highly effective

Through strong collaboration and partnership working, the Council had been able to reduce its ongoing commitment to fund its Strategic Cultural Investments through generating alternative funding streams and by identifying general efficiencies.  Since 2015/16, the Council had reduced its commitment from £1,368,394 to £1,268,394 for HOME and from £1,850,000 to £1,250,000 for the National Football Museum and the Culture Team would continue to help organisations to diversify its income and identify efficiencies. This approach would not only safeguard these key cultural assets that had had a stimulating impact for Manchester’s economy, but it would also ensure that they made a contribution towards helping manage the Council’s ongoing revenue pressures.

It was proposed that the Executive agreed a new grant agreement for HOME from 1 April 2025 to run between 10 years minimum and 15 years maximum in duration and that that the funding level would be the current contract price of £1,268,394, subject to annual budget setting.  In relation to the National Football Museum it was proposed that a new grant agreement from 1 April 2025 to run between 10 years minimum and 12 years maximum in duration and that that the funding level would be a maximum of £1,200,000 in 2025/26, a maximum of £1,150,000 in 2026/27, and a maximum of £1,150,000 in 2027/28 and subsequent years, all subject to annual budget setting and the conditions of the grant agreement being met, be agreed.

Councillor Leech sought clarification as to how the GVA from larger cultural projects such as HOME and the National Football Museum compared to smaller Arts and Culture establishments that the Council also supported

Decisions

The Executive:-

(1)       Approve a contract for a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 15 years with Greater Manchester Arts Centre for the management and operation of HOME from 1 April 2025 with revenue support of up to a maximum of £1,268,394 per annum.  

(2)       Approve a grant funding agreement for a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 12 years with the National Football Museum from 1 April 2025 with revenue support of up to a maximum of £1,200,000 in 2025-26 and up to a maximum of £1,150,000 in 2026-27  ...  view the full minutes text for item 79.

Report of the Strategic Director, Growth and Development attached

The Executive considered a report of the Strategic Director (Growth and Development), which sought approval of a revised Manchester EV Strategy.

The Executive Member for Environment, Clean Air and Transport reported that the revised Manchester EV Strategy defined the role of the Council in delivering electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure for both the public and residents. This revision reflected advancements in technology, central Government policy developments and a broader range of charging options for residents and included how the Council would assist in supporting the commercial rollout of EV charging infrastructure.

The revised strategy set out the current situation, future forecasted demand and a way forward to the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans in 2035.   The strategy focussed on meeting the forecasted demand for resident and visitor charging needs, to meet forecasted demand through the provision of both public and private charging infrastructure.

The main barriers to the transition to EVs were the initial cost of the vehicles, how far a car travels on a single charge and concern over the location and availability of charge points).  Although the Council had no control over the first two areas it had a role to play in providing opportunities for how and where residents can charge their vehicles.

The strategy set out three main areas for action:-

·            Encouraging the transition towards EVs;

·            Improving charging infrastructure; and

·            Identifying funding opportunities.

The revised strategy considered the role of the Council in providing EV infrastructure for both the public and residents and sets out principles of how the Council would engage with this infrastructure, noting that the electrification of public transport, including buses, and other forms of electric vehicles was beyond the remit of this strategy.

The Strategic Director (Growth and Development) acknowledged that the easiest and most affordable solution for residents was to install a home charger, and as such the revised strategy now included guidance supporting the use of cable mats.  She also advised that the Council was developing a scheme for the installation of cable gullies where residents could safely and legally park on the roadside outside their home.  It was also note that the Council’s main priority was to support those residents who were unable to access a home charger through the expansion of the public charging network as within Manchester, there were currently 348 publicly available EV charge points (as of April 2024).  Forecasting work had indicated that by the time the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars comes into force in 2035, 6,010 public charge points would be required in the city, rising to 12,105 by 2050. 

It was noted that although there was no statutory requirement for the Council to provide EV charge points, it had a significant role to play where public charge points would be located on highways and in council car parks and assisting in the expansion of the public charging network to help fill the gaps in the infrastructure network. 

Councillor Leech welcomed the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 80.

Report of the Strategic Director (Growth and Development) attached

The Executive considered a report of the Strategic Director (Growth and Development), which sought approval for consultation on the Holcroft Moss Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).

The Executive Member for Housing and Development reported that the Places for Everyone Joint Local Plan (PfE) was adopted by Council on 20 March 2024.  As part of the process that led to the adoption of PfE, a Habitats Regulation Assessment (HRA) of the draft Joint Local Plan was undertaken.

The HRA identified that there was a potential risk of harm from increased air pollution caused by the cumulative impact of traffic resulting from development in the PfE Plan area alongside the Warrington Metropolitan Borough Council (WMBC) area with respect to the Manchester Mosses Special Area of Conservation (SAC), and in particular Holcroft Moss (the land was located in Warrington MBC’s area).  To mitigate against this harm, there was a need for the delivery of long-term ecological resilience works, involving hydrological restoration measures to benefit Holcroft Moss.

The SPD would apply across the whole Places for Everyone Joint Local Plan (PfE) area and was, therefore, being prepared jointly by the nine PfE authorities including Manchester.  The draft SPD supplemented PfE Policy JP-C8, in particular clause 17, which required planning applications accompanied by a Transport Assessment to consider air quality impacts on Holcroft Moss which was within the Manchester Mosses Special Area of Conservation (SAC). 

The SPD would facilitate and provide guidance on the timely provision of required mitigation at Holcroft Moss, due to increased air pollution caused by the cumulative impact of traffic resulting from development.

Decisions

The Executive:-

(1)      Approves the draft Holcroft Moss SPD (Appendix 1) and supporting documents as the basis for a six-week public consultation commencing no earlier than 1 November 2024.

(2)      Delegate approval to the Head of Planning, Building Control and Licensing to make minor, non-material modifications to the draft Holcroft Moss Supplementary Planning Document before consultation commences, subject to consultation and agreement with the eight other Places for Everyone authorities

Report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods) and Strategic Director (Growth & Development) attached

The Executive considered a report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods), and Strategic Director (Growth and Development), which provided an update on progress made in relation to the delivery of the outcomes in line with the Eastlands Regeneration Framework (ERF), across the Etihad Campus and sought approval to enter into the revised arrangements of the Sports City Management Company Ltd.

The Leader advised that a key component to realising the vision of the ERF and ensuring that the Etihad Campus environs could achieve its full economic potential was to ensure that the management of the Campus met the expectations of residents, visitors, existing and new organisations and their staff in terms of safety, security, cleanliness and general appearance of the place.  As such having robust estate management arrangements in place for the Campus were central to delivering the vision and wider commercial strategy for it.

The current arrangements provided that the Council and Manchester City Football Club (MCFC) shared the non-match day costs of managing the estate common parts, on an equal basis.   The current phase of capital investment into the area by Eastlands Arena Limited and City Football Group (CFG) would significantly increase the usage and footfall across the Campus, making it a year round offer. This had facilitated the need to revise the estate management arrangements and agree an appropriate apportionment of costs between the Sports City Management Company Ltd’s Members to ensure that the Campus remained fit for purpose.  This was in the context of the future growth of the campus and that the safety, security, cleanliness of the site needs to reflect that of a world leading sport and entertainment district.

The investment made by Eastlands Arena Limited and its operational business plan had led to the Arena being invited to join the Sports City Management Company, with each Member organisation contributing to the running costs based upon an agreed apportionment matrix. This was a beneficial arrangement for all parties, with the costs being more widely distributed across new and future tenants of the Campus.  The proposed variation to the Shareholders’ Agreement and Articles of Association would dilute the Council’s shareholding of the Company to 33.3%. Each Member organisation will be represented by two Directors.

The decision by the existing Members to invite the Eastlands Arena Limited to become a shareholder was predicated upon the level of investment committed by the Oak View Group, to deliver the Arena, including its investment into the wider infrastructure across the Etihad Campus and beyond. In the future, if developments were brought forward by new commercial operators, the existing Members might seek to offer these companies the opportunity to become Shareholders of the Company.

Decisions

The Executive

(1)       Note the update provided in relation to progress made regarding the evolution of the Sports City / Etihad Campus in accordance with the Eastlands Regeneration Framework (2019).

(2)       Approve the revised arrangements for Sports City Management Company Ltd with membership from the Council, City Football Group and Eastlands Arena Limited.

(3)       Delegate authority  ...  view the full minutes text for item 82.

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive attached

The Executive considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive, which provided an update on the progress that had been made on the refurbishment and partial restoration of the Town Hall and Albert Square under the Our Town Hall (OTH) project and sought endorsement of the proposal to increase the capital budget of the project, funded by borrowing, to secure the continued delivery of the Our Town Hall.

The Deputy Leader reported on key aspects of progress that had been made on the project.  Over the coming months more of the Town Hall would emerge from behind the scaffolding as further external works concluded.  Albert Square would be progressively opened, giving back more space for the people of Manchester to enjoy at the heart of the city and enabling more of the benefits of the project to be realised ahead of its completion.  As the focus of the works turned to life after construction, the project team was developing plans for the run-in to building launch, in particular how to engage the people of Manchester in the pre- and post-launch activities.

It was reported that as a result of the challenges that had been faced by the project, including an extremely challenging 18 month period with intense pressures on cost and programme, the project was forecasting a cost and programme overrun.  These challenges included significant disruptions from ‘uncontrollable’ elements such as nesting falcons, Covid-19, extraordinary levels of inflation and unprecedented pressure on the supply chain (labour and materials availability).  When added to the project specific challenges of design complexity, market appetite and discovery, and a construction programme so complex that it comprised 22,000 activities, these contributed to a situation in which there had not been a single month since Notice to Proceed (NTP) in which the project had been in ‘steady state’ and as a consequence the completion of the project would be delayed due to the combination of these external factors and the extent of discovery uncovered. 

The Deputy Leader advised that at NTP the total construction budget, including fees and client-side costs was £305.17m.  In October 2023, the Council approved additional interim funding of £29m to maintain progress with the construction works to the end of December 2023 (part-one funding) . The current approved project budget was £353,826,699. 

Given the ongoing uncertainty related to potential further discovery and re-design, the project was at this stage seeking Council approval for further interim additional funding of £76m based on an assessment of potential cost pressures which are uncertain at this time and therefore prudent allowances have been made. These heads of cost included construction costs, change following further discovery, prolongation claims not yet agreed, additional professional fees and contingency allowances for risk including design flowing from discovery, inflation on works remaining, disruption to work packages and potential further delay.  It was anticipated that by March 2025, the project would be in a better position to assess the remaining risk of further discovery.

In terms of steps to improve the programme  ...  view the full minutes text for item 83.

The officers consider that the following item or items contains exempt information as provided for in the Local Government Access to Information Act and that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information. The Executive is recommended to agree the necessary resolutions excluding the public from the meeting during consideration of these items. At the time this agenda is published no representations have been made that this part of the meeting should be open to the public.

Decision

The Executive agrees to exclude the public during consideration of the following item which involved consideration of exempt information relating to the financial or business affairs of particular persons and public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive attached

The Executive considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive, which provided additional information to supplement the Our Town Hall Project – Progress Update (Part A) report that was of a commercially sensitive nature.

Decision

The Executive note the report.