Agenda and minutes

The Worshipful the Mayor welcomed everyone and outlined the arrangements for the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest.

To approve the minutes of the last meeting held on 23 July 2025.

Consideration was given to the minutes of the meeting held on 23 July 2025.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 23 July 2025 be confirmed and signed by the Worshipful the Mayor as a correct record.

Question 1

The following question was submitted by Paul Frank:

“Is there a plan to house migrants (with or without criminal records) above any existing shops in Billingham Town Centre, and will the people of Billingham living close to the Town Centre be consulted and informed if or when such a plan comes to light by the Council?”

The Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Housing (Councillor Richard Eglington) responded with:

“There is not now, nor has there ever been any plan to house anybody above the shops in Billingham Town Centre. The residential units above shops in Billingham town centre are owned by Evolve and do not form part of the area that the Council has discussed purchasing, nor do the council own any residential units in Billingham Town Centre.

Future plans for the town centre as set out in the Billingham masterplan show that there is a general need for housing in Billingham same as the need across the Borough. Further consultation on the regeneration of the town centre has always been envisaged once we take an ownership of elements of the town centre. It is now some time since the original consultation on all our town centres took place and its now approaching the time when we have control of the assets and can have a meaningful dialogue with residents to understand their views, needs, desires and to explore how we meet these needs in a comprehensive deliverable and financially sustainable way. I have asked officers to prepare a plan to undertake a full community engagement exercise to ensure we have a clear mandate from local people to shape their town centre for the future.”

Question 2

The following question was submitted by Paul Frank:

“When can the people of Billingham expect to see actual progress made in the redevelopment of Billingham Town Centre?”

The Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Housing (Councillor Richard Eglington) responded with:

“I am happy to confirm to Mr Frank that actual progress is already being made to redevelop Billingham Town Centre. The detail of legal agreements between the Council and the centre owners, Evolve that will enable the purchase and development of parts of Billingham town centre have progressed over the summer, following confirmation of LUF funding in April. We anticipate agreements being concluded in the coming weeks enabling the first phase of demolition (Queensway South building) to begin with parts of the centre already being stripped out prior to demolition which we anticipate will commence early in the new year.

The existing owners have already made plans to or relocated existing businesses to concentrate commercial activity into a smaller and more sustainable footprint, with a number of agreements in place, subject to contracts being finalised.”

Question 3

The following question was submitted by John McDermottroe:

“Given that Stagecoach are currently introducing 67 Electric buses locally, which are much heavier than their diesel predecessors, were any surveys carried out to determine their impact on the Boroughs already badly, potholed damaged roads?”

The Cabinet  ...  view the full minutes text for item COU/49/25

Consideration was given to a report seeking a change to the Council’s representation on the Cleveland Police and Crime Panel.

RESOLVED that Councillor Ann McCoy replace Councillor Paul Rowling on the Cleveland Police and Crime Panel.

Consideration was given to a report seeking approval of the Stockton-on-Tees Youth Justice Plan for 2025/26.

Local authority partnerships had a statutory duty to submit a Youth Justice Plan relating to their provision of youth justice services (YJSs). Section 40 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 set out the youth justice partnerships responsibilities in producing a plan. It stated that it was the duty of each local authority, in consultation with partner agencies, to formulate and implement an annual youth justice plan, setting out how YJSs in their area would be provided and funded, how they would operate, and what functions would be carried out.

RESOLVED that the Stockton-on-Tees Youth Justice Plan for 2025/25 be approved.

Consideration was given to a report seeking changes to the terms of reference for the Health and Wellbeing Board.

Since spring 2024, alongside developing the new Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy, the Health and Wellbeing Board had undertaken a structured development programme to review its purpose, role, responsibilities, and effectiveness. This process had generated a set of recommendations which had directly informed the revised Terms of Reference for the Board.

RESOLVED that the revised Terms of Reference for the Health and Wellbeing Board be approved and adopted.

It was proposed by Councillor Ted Strike, seconded by Councillor Tony Riordan and unanimously

RESOLVED that

Council welcomes the Leader’s recent announcement confirming that the Shambles will continue to be used for its existing small businesses, and that Cabinet will bring forward plans to further support local independent retailers in the town centre.

Council further notes the historical and cultural significance of the Shambles. Built in 1825 as a covered market hall, the Grade II listed building stands immediately south of the Town Hall and Market Cross at the heart of Stockton High Street. With its Flemish bond brickwork, arched windows and decorative cornice inscribed “Erected A.D. 1825, John Wilkinson Esq Mayor”, the Shambles has for two centuries provided a distinctive civic and commercial landmark for the town centre. This year we rightly celebrate Stockton’s historic role as the birthplace of the railways, but we should also not forget our other cultural assets of equal age, such as the Shambles, which continue to play an important role in the identity and vitality of the town centre.

Council recognises that maintaining accessible and high-quality facilities within the building is important both for the businesses who trade there and for the visitors who generate essential footfall in the heart of the town centre.

Council therefore requests that Cabinet gives further consideration to whether:

·         refurbishment and upgrading of the existing toilets within the Shambles could provide a more effective solution than the development of a separate new facility in Waterfront Park; and

·         investment in the Shambles building itself could be prioritised to strengthen its role as a central part of the town centre offer.

It was proposed by Councillor Niall Innes, seconded by Councillor Tony Riordan and unanimously

RESOLVED that

Council notes that:

Under the Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations 2014, filming, photographing and making an audio recording of all public meetings is permitted.

Council meetings are public meetings. Elected representatives and council officers acting in the public sphere should expect to be held to account for their comments and votes in such meetings. The rules require councils to provide reasonable facilities for any member of the public to report on meetings. Councils should thus allow the filming of councillors and officers at meetings that are open to the public.

Stockton Council has spent £9000.86 of public money on the installation of 2 Cameras in the council chamber.

Council believes that:

In the interest of transparency and openness, the council should ensure that its public meetings, which includes Committee Meeting’s, Cabinet and Full Council should be fully recorded and where possible live streamed to allow our residents to fully engage in local democracy.

The cost associated with the installation of the cameras can only be justified, if they are there to aid residents in viewing proceedings. Furthermore, the recording of proceedings will ensure an accurate account to be taken of the meeting and assist with accurate minutes.

Council resolves:

·         That all Council meetings held in the Council Chamber that are open to  ...  view the full minutes text for item COU/53/25

Question 1

The following question was submitted by Councillor Jack Miller:

“Following the recent and damning investigation report by the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman in which this council was found to have sent nearly 100 mendacious letters to the families of vulnerable children, saying review meetings regarding their Educational, Health and Care Plans had taken place, when the council were aware that they had not, the Ombudsman made several recommendations, one of which was,

•           The Council should consider the report at its full Council, Cabinet or other appropriately delegated committee of elected members and we will require evidence of this. 

Why did the leader decide that the report should be considered by the Cabinet, rather than the full Council?”

The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Resources and Transport responded with:

“Thank you, Councillor Miller, for your question. Just to be very clear: this was not a decision made by [me / the Leader]. The Ombudsman’s correspondence is drafted in broad terms—referring to ‘full Council, Cabinet, or another appropriately delegated committee’—to reflect the wide range of governance models and functions that exist across local government.

However, the Monitoring Officer has advised that, in councils like ours which operate under executive arrangements, the law is clear: reports of this nature, where they concern an executive function such as this, must be reported by the monitoring officer to the Executive. For Stockton, that means Cabinet.

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities fall within the scope of executive functions, and there’s a clear logic to the requirement—if fault has been found, it is the Executive that holds the authority to make the decisions necessary to improve matters.

Members already have access to the Ombudsman’s report, and it is publicly available. The next step is simply to follow the legal process: Cabinet will consider the report, as required by law.”

Councillor Jack Miller asked the following supplementary question:

“Thank you for the technical response. I and many others look forward to reading the report to Cabinet. One issue is openness and a lack of scrutiny. Will the Leader or Cabinet do the right thing and make a full apology?”

The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Resources and Transport responded with:

“We are following a legal process. An apology has been made and there has been a statement issued from the Director of Children’s Services. We are looking at learning and a report will be presented to Executive Scrutiny Committee so they can scrutinise what is being done.”

Question 2

The following question was submitted by Councillor Tony Riordan:

“Stockton Globe Theatre recently installed a retractable floor. The revolutionary new flooring allows the auditorium to seamlessly transform from traditional tiered seating to a completely flat space, opening up possibilities for even more live experiences such as seated gala dinners and conferences. 

Can the Leader confirm that the new retractable flooring system was not funded by the local taxpayer?”

The Cabinet Member for Environment, Leisure and Culture responded with:

“The Council did not fund  ...  view the full minutes text for item COU/54/25

Colleagues, it is good to welcome you back to this Chamber.

Since we last met in July, Cabinet met again on 18 September. The minutes from that meeting will be online shortly. Looking ahead, the next Cabinet is on 16 October. On the agenda are important items: new therapeutic residential care for children in crisis, and a new strategy for outdoor play. Both speak to our ambition to give every child the best possible start in life.

In October, we will also consider the Ombudsman’s report on SEND. This is a serious matter. We must learn from it — and we will. Our focus is clear: to strengthen support for children with special educational needs and disabilities, and to give families confidence in the services they rely on.

This weekend Stockton takes centre stage in the S&DR200 celebrations. Two hundred years ago, the world’s first passenger train ran from Shildon via Darlington to Stockton.

And unlike when the Beatles played the Globe in 1963 — I don’t think even our longest-serving Members will remember the arrival of Locomotion No.1 the first time around.

This weekend, we will re-create that journey. The spectacular Ghost Train: The Arrival is expected to draw significant crowds and will be one of the largest outdoor events our Borough has ever staged. It is more than a celebration of history. It shows that Stockton’s pioneering spirit is still alive — and that our future will be shaped by creativity, innovation, and community spirit. That ambition runs through everything we do. We are creating places people are proud of: transforming town  centres, strengthening culture, and giving residents the right support at the right time.

The consultation on car parking in Stockton and Yarm is now live. We really want to hear your views. Please encourage residents and businesses to take part.

At the heart of this is our message. Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council aims to be a bold, brave, and innovative council — one that makes this Borough a fair, equal, and proud place to live and work, by reducing inequalities and creating a future for all residents.

I look forward to seeing many of you at the festival this weekend, and again at our next Council meeting on 19 November.