To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 9 November 2021.

The Chair informed the Committee that the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, and the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Baroness Beverley Hughes, would be attending the Committee’s next meeting on 11 January 2022 and he suggested that Members discuss beforehand the format of and focus for this agenda item.

Decision

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 9 November 2021 as a correct record.

Report of the City Solicitor

This report provides an overview of the data and activity in Manchester in relation to disability, linked to inequalities in life chances and the impacts of COVID-19.  This is one of a series of ‘deep dive’ reports that the Committee requested into different aspects of equalities.

The Committee received a report of the City Solicitor which provided an overview of the data and activity in Manchester in relation to disability, linked to inequalities in life chances and the impacts of COVID-19. This was one of a series of ‘deep dive’ reports that the Committee had requested into different aspects of equalities.

The main points and themes within the report included:

• Statistical information relating to disabled people in Manchester;
• Work to improve the life chances of disabled people in Manchester; and
• Celebrating diversity.

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were:

• That the condition of pavements, and roads, was an equalities issue which disproportionately affected disabled people and some other groups such as older people and that decisions on the prioritisation of repairs and maintenance should take into account equality issues;
• That some consultations were not carried out in a way which was accessible to all Manchester residents;
• The impact of austerity measures on disabled people;
• How accessible was this meeting and its papers for disabled people, including people who were visually impaired and the Deaf community;
• What was being done to increase the number of disabled people in senior positions in the Council;
• That the Council should be using the social model of disability; and
• What was being done to ensure that Equality Impact Assessments (EIAs) reflected the impact of proposals on disabled people.

The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager advised that her team would link up with Age Friendly Manchester and the Highways service to look at what could be done to improve the condition of pavements and she offered to provide Members with an update on this.  She advised that she would also talk to the Communications Team about the accessibility of consultations and would update Members on this.

The Strategic Lead (City Centre Partnerships) advised that the Highways Service and officers in Growth and Development who were working on areas such as the public realm and travel were increasingly taking a more joined-up approach to their work.  She outlined the work focusing on a modal shift, encouraging people to walk, cycle and use public transport more, and advised that improving pavements and pedestrianising spaces were key to this.  She emphasised the importance of consultations being accessible and advised that she was working with officers to look at how this could be improved.

A Member requested that representatives from the Highways Service be invited to a future meeting to discuss equalities issues relating to pavements and roads, to which the Chair agreed.

The Chair suggested that the question about the accessibility of meetings be raised through Committee Services and the Overview and Scrutiny Co-ordinating Group.  The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager offered to discuss with Committee Services how accessibility could be strengthened.

In response to a Member’s question, the Head of Commissioning for Adult Social Care outlined the range of supported housing accommodation that was available both in-house and externally and offered to provide any further information that the Member  ...  view the full minutes text for item 52.

Report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods)

To provide an update on demand for and performance of the Compliance and Enforcement service during 2020/21 including an overview of the service’s activities in support of the Council’s response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The report also provides a forward look at challenges and future workload pressures as a result of changes to legislation, policy and areas of growth that will have an impact on the work carried out by Compliance and Enforcement teams.

The Committee received a report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods) which provided an update on demand for and performance of the Compliance and Enforcement Service during 2020/21 including an overview of the service’s activities in support of the Council’s response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The report also provided a forward look at challenges and future workload pressures as a result of changes to legislation, policy and areas of growth that would have an impact on the work carried out by Compliance and Enforcement teams.

The main points and themes within the report included:

• Overall demand;
• Proactive activity;
• Formal enforcement action;
• COVID-19 response;
• Current challenges and future workload;
• Neighbourhood compliance;
• Food Health and Safety and Airport Team;
• Trading Standards;
• Housing;
• Licensing Out of Hours Team; and
• Environmental Protection Team.

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were:

• Obstructions on the pavement, such as fruit and vegetable displays and shop signs, and what was being done to address this;
• Cars parking on the pavement;
• To request more information on the review of the approach to inspecting licensed premises;
• Enforcement action against non-Blue Badge holders parking in spaces for Blue Badge holders;
• That the Council should publicise the enforcement action it took to address issues affecting residents;
• Plans in response to the motion passed by Council the previous week relating to drink spiking;
• That there was a perception that enforcement activity was not undertaken consistently and equally across all wards;
• Praise from Members about Compliance Officers within their wards and for the service’s work during the pandemic; and
• That there should be a more joined up approach between the Council and Biffa on contaminated bins.

The Head of Compliance Enforcement and Community Safety advised that many businesses owned space in front of their shops and were entitled to use it but, where shop were encroaching onto and obstructing the pavement, her service would take enforcement action.  She reported that, where cars were parked in contravention of yellow lines or other traffic regulations, Parking Services would take enforcement action; however, if this was not the case, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) would need to decide whether an obstruction was being caused and, if so, take action.  The Chair advised that Councillors needed to have clear information on which service was responsible for these kinds of issues, including the issue of parking in cycleways, so that they could report issues that were raised with them and empower residents to report these themselves.  He also expressed concern that these issues were not being enforced to the extent that Members would like and asked the Head of Compliance Enforcement and Community Safety to raise this with Parking Services.  The Head of Compliance Enforcement and Community Safety advised that she would also raise the issue of the enforcement of Blue Badge parking spaces with Parking Services.  In response to a Member’s question, she advised that there was no legislation which prevented people from parking their cars on residential streets close to Manchester Airport while  ...  view the full minutes text for item 53.

Report of the Governance and Scrutiny Support Unit

This report provides the Committee with details of key decisions that fall within the Committee’s remit and an update on actions resulting from the Committee’s recommendations. The report also includes the Committee’s work programme, which the Committee is asked to amend as appropriate and agree.

A report of the Governance and Scrutiny Support Unit was submitted. The overview report contained a list of key decisions yet to be taken within the Committee’s remit, responses to previous recommendations and the Committee’s work programme, which the Committee was asked to approve.

Decision

To note the report and agree the work programme.