Agenda item

Agenda item

Progress update on the development of the Our Manchester Strategy 2025-2035

Report of the Assistant Chief Executive

 

This report provides an update on the development of the new Our Manchester Strategy for the city covering the period 2025 to 2035. It builds on a previous report to Scrutiny Committees in July 2024. This report summarises the second round of engagement activity, the findings that are most relevant to the work of the Committee, and includes an overview of the new strategy.

Minutes:

The Committee considered the report of the Assistant Chief Executive that provided an update on the development of the new Our Manchester Strategy for the city covering the period 2025 to 2035. It built on a previous report to Scrutiny Committees in July 2024.

 

Key points and themes in the report included:

 

·         Providing an introduction and background, noting that The Our Manchester Strategy 2025 was the ten-year strategy for the city and was due to expire in 2025;

·         Providing a summary of the second round of engagement activity;

·         The findings that were most relevant to the remit of the Committee;

·         An overview of the new strategy, noting that the OMS would focus on twelve priorities over the next ten years; and

·         Following formal approval, the OMS 2025-20235 would be launched in April 2025.

 

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

 

·         Recognising the range of positive community engagement, in particular with the Manchester Deaf Centre and the use of British Sign Language;

·         Noting the experience of the Covid pandemic, would the OMS be flexible to respond to the changing needs of the city;

·         Noting the relatively low figures presented in relation to the question asked about the priority about climate change;

·         Noting that the views of young people were underrepresented in the consultation responses;  

·         Consideration needed to be given to the visual images used in the final published document; and

·         As democratically elected representative of residents, how were the views of Councillors captured in the priorities.

 

The Head of City of Policy noted the comment made regarding the images used and stated that there existed a wealth of images that could be drawn upon to ensure the final document reflected the population of the city. He stated that the OMS was a ten-year strategy, and the priorities were flexible to respond to the changing needs of the city. He further commented that the OMS Strategy was a high-level strategy that articulated the priorities and ambitions for the city, and this would inform a range of specific Council strategies, such as the Housing Strategy. He said that an implementation plan would also be devised to accompany the OMS. He commented that progress on delivery of the OMS would be captured and reported in the annual State of the City report.

 

The Head of City of Policy stated that the Council had a distinct and unique civic leadership role on the issue of climate change and referred to the responses received in relation to climate change and commented that these included a range of views, including climate change deniers and people questioning how the Council could respond and influence such a huge global issue. The Executive Member for Clean Air, Environment and Transport commented that the Council had made significant progress in reducing its own carbon emissions and that the new Manchester City Council Climate Change Action Plan for 2025-30, that was currently being developed would include specific consideration of communications and resident engagement.

 

The Strategy & Economic Policy Manager stated that an Equalities Impact Assessment had been undertaken to inform the approach to the consultation exercise. He commented that a number of in person events had been undertaken, including Eid in the Park that had resulted in a large number of conversations, but not necessarily resulted in formal questionnaires being completed, however a summary of those conversations had been collated and included in the analysis. Regarding young people, he stated that a significant amount of intelligence and information had already been collected as part of the consultation exercise undertaken as part of the UNICEF Child Friendly City work and this wealth of data had also been utilised to inform the priorities, similarly the Age Friendly work undertaken was also captured. He commented that he welcomed the positive feedback from the Committee and thanked the range of external partners who had also supported this activity to deliver this work.

 

The Strategy & Economic Policy Manager commented that briefing sessions had been facilitated and had been a useful resource to inform where engagement activities had been targeted. He said that democratic approval would be provided as the report had been considered by all six scrutiny Committees and the final OMS would be subject to formal approval by the Executive and Council.

 

Decision

 

The Committee recommend that the Chair of the Communities and Equalities Scrutiny Committee considers including an item on their work programme that considers community engagement with African and Pakistani communities and those of the Muslim faith in Manchester.

 

Supporting documents: