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 Skills, Employment and Leisure reported that Manchester had been recognised by UNESCO as a City of Lifelong Learning.  The recognition meant Manchester joined an international network of 356 cities around the world - the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities - that each successfully promoted lifelong learning across their communities and shared inspiration, know-how and best practice with each other.  As part of this partners across the city would now be looking to revitalise learning opportunities within families and across communities, as well as facilitating learning opportunities within workplaces.

The Executive Member for Skills, Employment and Leisure also reported that Manchester had been selected as the host of this year’s prestigious MTV Europe Music Awards (the EMAs), billed by its organisers as “music’s biggest global celebration.”  The awards, would be held at Co-op Live which would become the UK’s biggest indoor arena with a capacity of 23,500 when it opened next month.  The event on Sunday 10 November 2024 promised to attract international and home-grown stars and would be broadcast in 150 countries, boosting Manchester’s visitor economy and providing another showcase for the city. 

The Executive Member for Healthy Manchester and Adult Social Care reported that detailed evaluation was taking place of the impact of the strengths-based, practice-led Better Outcomes, Better Lives programme which concluded at the end of last year.  Work had taken place over three years to support behaviour and culture change around care practitioners working in a ‘strengths-based’ way, which meant identifying the strengths of the person what was important to them and the strengths in their existing network and expand the use of shorter-term support that enabled independence. This had been achieved through investing in and expanding the Reablement Service, increasing the number of people accessing the service, and promoting the use of TEC. 

The Executive Member for Skills, Employment and Leisure reported that the “Generator”, a new enterprise hub in the city centre, opened last month to provide businesses and freelancers with affordable and flexible workspaces as well as free access to multi-faceted business information support.  The hub was designed to help drive economic growth and innovation in Manchester by creating a space where pre-start and start-up businesses could work, learn, network, and grow. It was situated in the Town Hall Extension on St Peter’s Square, making it a convenient location for entrepreneurs, freelancers, and hybrid workers.  The project had been made possible by funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) working with Manchester City Council.

The Executive Member for Housing and Development reported that progress was being made on three key developments which together, would help shape the final chapter of the transformation of Ancoats.  The inaugural development by This City, the council’s own low-carbon housing company, had been on site for 10 months and was progressing well. The two apartment blocks were at their halfway point and work to create 10 townhouses was now underway.  Ultimately the development would deliver 129 new homes on a long-term brownfield site owned by the Council.  Some 30% of these would be capped at the Manchester Living Rent which was capped at the same level as the Local Housing Allowance to ensure they were affordable to as many people as possible.  Development of the Ancoats Mobility Hub had also reached its highest point and now celebrated its ‘topping out.’  The Mobility Hub was an innovative project which supported the aim for Ancoats to be a low-traffic, pedestrian-first neighbourhood. The Hub would feature secure parking for 150 bikes alongside changing facilities, 102 electronic vehicle charging points and up to 30 spaces for car club and car share schemes as part of a car park which reduced the need for parking in nearby developments.  The Hub, which was funded by a combination of Homes England and GMCA Brownfield Land Funding, was expected to be completed later this year. 

The Executive Member for Skills, Employment and Leisure reported that residents and local businesses were being encouraged to give their views on a new plan to support a thriving Chorlton district centre.  The aim of the Public Realm Plan, part of the Council’s commitment to focus on district centres across the city, was to ensure the centre of Chorlton remained an attractive, welcoming and accessible space for local people and visitors to enjoy.  The draft plan would help guide investment in the area’s public spaces in the coming years – and was part of a city-wide focus on local district centres to ensure they could benefit from emerging regeneration opportunities. 

The Executive Member for Skills, Employment and Leisure also reported that a planning application to refurbish Heaton Park’s Orangery and bring it back to life had been submitted.  The plans would see the Orangery, last open in 2012, undergo refurbishment to bring the much loved building, steeped in history, back into use.  The work to the Orangery, which was part of the Grade 1 listed Heaton Hall, would focus on new flooring, a full redecoration, new doors, upgraded toilets and a full overhaul of the electrical and heating systems including a new low carbon air source heat pump in line with the Council's commitment to become zero carbon by 2038.  The fit out the building would take approximately five months to complete, leaving a blank canvas for any future operating partner.

Decision

The Executive note the report.