The report of the Chief Executive is to follow.

The written report submitted by the Deputy Chief Executive was a compilation of documents and situation reports to give an overview of the recovery work in the city. It included an update on the ‘Our Manchester Strategy’ reset, progress reports on the ‘Residents and Communities work-stream and the ‘Future Council’ work-stream, a summary of the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Summer Statement that had been delivered earlier in July, and a summary of projects that were included in bids for funding.

At the meeting the Director of Public Health reported that the overall situation in the city remained dynamic. The latest figures he had were that 20,174 people in Manchester had contracted the virus, with the latest weekly rate of infection being 22.2 people / 100,000, which was below the rates being experienced in other Greater Manchester boroughs. He stressed that the trends in cases in Manchester was increasing, that the virus had not gone away, and so it was very important to maintain the control measures of social distancing, hand washing, isolation of suspected cases. He also reported that the Council Outbreak Prevention Board had had its first meeting and would now meet regularly to develop the messages and communications with residents on how to control and limit the spread of the virus.

Other members of the Executive then gave updates on matters within their portfolio:

·         the national shielding arrangements were coming to an end but the Council was to continue providing local support to those who needed it, with 1,300 households still being supported across the city;

·         the hospitality industry was beginning to resume and thanks were given to all who had been involved in the planning and preparation for the reopening of those businesses;

·         the Council and Greater Manchester Police were continuing to respond to unlawful social gatherings and raves when they were reported;

·         work was continuing to ensure that victims and survivors of domestic violence still had access to support and help when they needed it;

·         a campaign was underway to encourage people to wear masks when using public transport;

·         it is the Council’s desire to put zero-carbon at the heart of the city’s recovery plans;

·         the work of neighbourhood officers across the city on both recovery and on more routine matters such as the annual student exodus from the city;

·         the work of children’s social services during the pandemic and an increase in referrals that were coming back towards the levels experienced before the virus outbreak;

·         the work that had been done to keep schools open for the children of key workers, and thanks were given to all who had played a part in that;

·         the plans for the reopening of schools in the new term in September including the sending of a ‘transition read’ book to every child that was to start in secondary school in September;

·         95% of play areas in parks had been reopened after safety checks with guidance provided;

·         work was underway to allow leisure centres to reopen safely, and they should start to reopen this week;

·         work on the cultural recovery plan was also reported, and the recent funding announcements from the Arts Council and the Government;

·         109 people who had been supported by the ‘everyone in’ scheme for homeless people had now moved on to more stable and permanent accommodation, and the priority for the service remained for no one to have to return to the living on the streets;

·         It was reported there had been an 89% increase of benefits claimants and it was estimated that a third of the workforce in the city was furloughed or in receipt of self-employment support, and there were concerns for how the situation would change as the furlough scheme was wound-down by the Government;

·         construction activity in the city was still underway which was seen as a good indicator of the future health of the city’s economy; and

·         the Council’s future finances were still of significant concern and it was felt that the risk that the Council would need to issue a Section 114 Notice was increasing. Such a notice would mean that no new Council expenditure would be permitted, with the exception of safeguarding vulnerable people and statutory services.

Decision

To note the report.