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 Deputy Leader (Statutory) reported that a Joint Targeted Area Inspection of multi-agency working to safeguard young people at risk of serious violence or criminal exploitation had been published last month and had praised their effectiveness.  The headline findings of the detailed inspection noted the strength of multi-agency arrangements between the Council, Greater Manchester Police, schools, health agencies and other partner organisations such as the Greater Manchester Violence Reduction Unit and the voluntary and community sector in preventing and tackling serious youth violence and criminal exploitation – including early intervention initiatives to identify those at risk and put measures in place to support them.  It was also noted that whilst recognising the strength of partnerships, the report had also identified areas for improvement. These included enhanced multi-agency evaluation of projects to understand better how they worked together as part of an overall system and more consistency in information recording and sharing between partners.

Councillor Leech sought clarification on why the Inspectors had identified the need for more consistency in information recording and sharing between partners as an area for improvement

The Deputy Leader (Statutory) also reported on the decision of English National Opera (ENO) to relocate its main base for the opera company to the City by 2029.  The announcement followed an agreement reached with Arts Council England in July in which £24m was awarded to ENO to enable the organisation to develop an artistic programme in a new base outside London during the 2024-26 period. It  would develop significant performance and learning activity in Greater Manchester, whilst still delivering an opera season every year in its London home, as it works towards establishing a new main base by 2029.  ENO cited Manchester’s thriving cultural ecosystem as a key factor in its decision, as well as the chance to inspire and work with new audiences and communities and scope for exciting and ambitious new collaborations around new innovations in opera.

Councillor Leech sought clarification as to whether ether was any indication of the proportion of work that the ENO would deliver would be in Manchsetr as opposed to London.

The Executive Member for Environment and Transport reported that Manchester had retained its high placing on a global list recognising cities that were showing leadership on environmental action and transparency.  For the second year in a row, Manchester had received the top score – an A rating – which meant it was rated as being one of the cities in the forefront of building momentum in taking climate mitigation and adaptation measures.  The list, compiled by global not-for-profit environmental organisation CDP, showed that A rated cities demonstrated their climate leadership through concerted  and effective action, just as national governments will be asked to do at COP28 and were taking four times as many mitigation and adaptation measures as non A  List cities.

The Deputy Executive Member for Housing and Development reported that plans for the regeneration of Wythenshawe town centre had been bolstered with the confirmation of £20 million funding from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund.  The money had been awarded by the Department of Levelling Up, Homes and (DLUHC) as part of the third round of national funding in recognition of the progress already made on proposals for Wythenshawe Civic, the high quality of the planned project and the fact it was ready to deliver.  The Council was currently going through a formal tender process to find a joint venture partner to drive the ‘once-in-a-generation' programme of investment over the next 10 to 15years.

Councillor Johnson welcomed the additional funding secured to help deliver the aspirations for the redevelopment of Wythenshawe town centre.

The Executive Member for Housing and Development reported that Manchester Foyer, a leading provider of housing and support services for young people in the city, has marked its 25^th anniversary.  Since opening its doors in 1998, Manchester Foyer had provided a safe and supportive environment for more than 1,000 young people.  Many of these young people come from challenging backgrounds and had experienced difficulties early in life, such as family breakdowns, abusive environments, mental health issues, or substance abuse. The Foyer was committed to providing these young people with the support they need to achieve their full potential and live independent, happy, and fulfilling lives.

The Executive Member for Housing and Development also reported on the proposals being brought forward for a raft of new Selective Licensing schemes to improve private rented sector housing standards in Manchester.  Nine new Selective Licensing areas across six wards, covering 1,872 private rented sector homes, had been proposed and were set to be subject to local consultation next year once Executive approval has been sought.  The areas had been chosen following a ‘hotspot’ mapping exercise that looked at areas of the city where licensing could make a positive impact on those communities and where they met the criteria for a Selective Licensing scheme.

Decision

The Executive note the report.