Issue - meetings

1.

Title of Item/Report

Pride in Place - Central Stockton and Portrack - Update

2.

Record of the Decision

Consideration was given to a report on Pride in Place - Central Stockton and Portrack.

In the summer of 2025 Central Stockton and Portrack was announced by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) as one of 284 communities across the country to be part of the Pride in Place (PiP) Programme.  The report updated Cabinet on the work undertaken to date and details the next stages of the development of the programme. 

PiP a new Govt funding programme aimed at putting power into the hands of local people to shape their communities. Central Stockton and Portrack was one of 284 PiP neighbourhoods across the country. The Programme would provide access to £19.6M (over 10 years) to spend on projects that would make a real difference to local people and the neighbourhood. The programme was intended to be flexible, supportive, community led and have a focus on long-term sustainability.

A requirement of PiP funding was the need to establish a Neighbourhood Board which would be responsible for producing a 10-year vision for their place, supported by interventions which were set out in a Regeneration Plan. The Council were the accountable body for the programme. To achieve the strategic objectives of the programme, the Board would need to consider the 3 overarching PiP aims:

•         Stronger communities

•         Thriving communities

•         Communities taking back control

MHCLG guidance stipulated the need for the programme to be driven by the Board and that the Board must be drawn from those who predominantly live and work in the neighbourhood and should also include the local ward councillors and MP.

An initial step for the programme was to appoint a Chair of the Board, through an open and competitive process. This opportunity was advertised through the Council’s social media channels and partnership networks and newsletters throughout March 2026. The selection process, carried out by the Council and Chris McDonald MP was almost complete and would be shared on the PiP pages of the Council website and through the Council’s communication channels shortly. The Chair, supported by the Council would then be responsible for appointing and convening the remaining board members by the end of July 2026.  The programme allowed for board members to claim reasonable expenses, to ensure that all members of the community could become board members and have access to attend meetings.

Ipsos had been commissioned by MHCLG to pilot a range of consultation techniques.  Working with 20 local authorities with PiP neighbourhoods this would form part of a PiP Local Authority good practice engagement toolkit. SBC was one of these authorities.  Working with Ipsos launched the PiP consultation with sessions with year 5 primary school pupils within the Central Stockton and Portrack neighbourhood.  The Council heard enthusiastically about what these young people loved about living in  ...  view the full decision text for item 8.