Agenda item

Question 1

 

The following question was submitted by Cllr Sufi Mubeen:

 

“The Home Office developed Clear, Hold, Build, as a framework for tackling serious and organised crime at a neighbourhood level, involving partners and the community in delivering and sustaining reductions in serious organised crime, related crime, and Anti-Social Behaviour.

 

In 2023 this Labour led council adopted this strategy in the Stockton Town Centre and Ropner Ward’s. Moving forward the strategy was headlined under the Project Harmony and Operation Nightfall banners.

 

Can the Cabinet Member please update members as to the progression of these initiatives?”

 

The Cabinet Member for Access, Communities and Community Safety (Cllr Norma Stephenson) responded with:

 

“Since adopting the Home Office Clear, Hold, Build framework in 2023, the Council and partners have delivered Project Harmony and Operation Nightfall in Stockton Town Centre and Ropner Ward with clear success. The initial Clear phase focused on disrupting organised crime through arrests, enforcement activity and high visibility patrols, led by Cleveland Police with strong Council support. This moved into the Hold phase, maintaining a sustained multi-agency presence, challenging inappropriate HMOs and licensing applications, and embedding community engagement. The Build phase then strengthened community resilience through residents’ groups, Family Hub drop ins, environmental improvements and targeted community investment. These initiatives have resulted in significant and sustained reductions in crime and anti-social behaviour, and by late 2025 the programme transitioned from an intensive project into business as usual, with key elements such as Operation Nightfall patrols, Family Hub engagement and councillor walkabouts continuing into 2026.”

 

Cllr Sufi Mubeen asked the following supplementary question:

 

“Would the Cabinet Member agree that in reality incidents of anti-social behaviour, including rape and violence are on the increase in Ropner and other town centre wards despite promises by the Council to make these areas safer and that the Council is giving tax payers’ money to street workers?”

 

The Cabinet Member for Access, Communities and Community Safety (Cllr Norma Stephenson) responded with:

 

“The answer to the first part of the question is no and the Council is not providing money to street workers; refreshments are being provided by A Way Out and Change Grow Live.”

 

Question 2

 

The following question was submitted by Cllr Nathan Gale:

 

“Could the Cabinet Member outline what actions Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council is currently taking—and plans to take—to increase the uptake of Supported Internships for young people with special educational needs and disabilities, including how the Council is working with local employers, education providers and support organisations to expand opportunities and improve outcomes?”

 

The Cabinet Member for Children and Young People (Cllr Clare Besford) responded with:

 

“Thank you Mr Mayor and Cllr Gale.

 

I am proud to speak about the ambitious work we are delivering to create a more inclusive future and expand opportunities for young people across Stockton-on-Tees—particularly for those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

 

At the heart of our approach is a simple but powerful belief: every young person, regardless of their background or needs, deserves the chance to thrive, to contribute, and to build a meaningful future. Inclusion is not an add-on—it is a foundation for stronger communities and a healthier local economy.

 

That is why we are delivering a bold programme to expand and improve Supported Internships across the borough. These internships provide young people with SEND the invaluable opportunity to gain real-world experience, build confidence, and move towards sustainable employment.

 

To accelerate this work, we have appointed a dedicated Supported Internship Coordinator within our SEND Service for the next 18 months. This role is already playing a vital part in strengthening partnerships, increasing capacity, and ensuring that our offer is both inclusive and impactful.

 

But we know that real change requires planning ahead. That is why we are now identifying and supporting young people from as early as Year 9—gathering data, understanding their aspirations, and forecasting future demand. By doing this, we can better design clear, structured pathways into Supported Internships and beyond, ensuring no young person is left behind or overlooked.

 

Crucially, we are also working to grow opportunities across our local economy. We are collaborating with employers within our own organisation and with major partners such as Amazon, Asda, and our local primary schools. Alongside this, we are strengthening ties with the Employment Hub, the Tees Valley Combined Authority, and our voluntary sector partners. Together, we are opening up a wider, more diverse range of job roles—reflecting the talents and ambitions of the young people we support.

 

This work is not just about creating opportunities—it is about ensuring they are meaningful and of high quality. We are improving consistency across our Supported Internship programmes through regular review meetings with employers, education providers, careers services, and social care partners. This joined-up approach ensures that every young person receives the support they need to succeed.

 

We are also enhancing how we communicate these opportunities. We are finalising a strengthened Local Offer and refreshing the marketing and branding of Supported Internships, making it clearer, more accessible, and easier for families and young people to navigate.

 

And importantly, we are celebrating success. We have already held a Supported Internship Marketplace and a regional celebration event. I’m looking forward to the graduation event in June which is one of my favourite events. It’s a great opportunity to shine a spotlight on the achievements of our young people and the commitment of our partners.

 

All of this work is driving towards a shared goal: widening employer choice, improving programme quality, and providing clear, joined-up information. Most importantly, it ensures that more young people with SEND can access Supported Internships and progress into paid employment or other positive next steps.

 

Because inclusion is not just about access—it is about opportunity, dignity, and aspiration.

 

If we get this right, we are not only transforming individual lives—we are strengthening our communities, enriching our workforce, and building a borough where everyone has the chance to reach their full potential.”

 

Question 3

 

The following question was submitted by Councillor Tony Riordan:

 

“Will the Cabinet Member join me in recognising the excellent work of our HR Team, particularly the People and Talent Acquisition Manager, who recently led the successful in-house recruitment process for the Director of Neighbourhoods role with professionalism, energy and positivity, delivering a service that not only surpassed previous external agency exercises, but also secured a significant saving to taxpayers at a time of tight financial pressures?”

 

The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Resources and Regeneration (Cllr Paul Rowling) responded with:

 

“Thank you, Councillor Riordan.

 

I am very happy to join you in recognising the excellent work of our People and OD team in delivering the recent recruitment process for the Director of Neighbourhoods.

 

Having been directly involved, I saw first-hand the professionalism, organisation and attention to detail that underpinned the exercise from start to finish. A great deal of work went into ensuring that the process was not only robust and well managed, but also gave Members the confidence to make such an important senior appointment.

 

It is fair to say that Members involved were impressed with both the quality of the arrangements and the way the process was conducted.

 

What this demonstrates very clearly is that we have strong capability within our own organisation. The People and OD team have shown that we do not need to rely on costly external support to deliver complex senior recruitment. We can do it ourselves, and we can do it well.

 

The campaign attracted a strong and credible field of candidates, which speaks to both the quality of the role and the reputation of the Council as an employer. That is important, because attracting high calibre leadership is critical to delivering the services and outcomes our residents expect.

 

Just as importantly, this approach delivered a significant saving when compared to the use of an external executive recruitment agency. At a time when every pound of public money must be spent wisely, this is exactly the approach we should be taking, driving value for money while maintaining high standards.

 

This is not just about one appointment. Building and retaining this expertise within our People and OD team strengthens the Council as a whole. It puts us in a better position to respond to a challenging and competitive labour market, and to ensure we can recruit the skilled and committed workforce we need across all of our services.

 

As a Council, we are ambitious for our communities, and that ambition depends on the people we employ. It is therefore vital that we continue to present ourselves as a modern, inclusive and forward-looking organisation, and one that offers real opportunities to build a meaningful career in public service.

 

I would encourage anyone who wants to make a genuine difference in their community to consider Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council as an employer of choice.

 

Finally, I would like to place on record my thanks to everyone involved for their hard work, their professionalism, and the positive and determined way in which they represented the Council throughout this process.”

 

Cllr Tony Riordan asked the following supplementary question:

 

“Thank you for your response.

 

Moving forward, will the Cabinet Member agree with me, and the long-standing position of the Conservative Group, that the recent in-house recruitment exercise highlighted the many opportunities that are available within Stockton Borough Council to trade our services, such as recruitment, HR, etc, to other local authorities and businesses in the local and regional areas, and as such will they now commit to joining the Conservative Group position in exploring those openings as part of the transformation programme going forward?”

 

The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Resources and Regeneration (Cllr Paul Rowling) responded with:

 

“Although recruitment is a fluid area, I agree that this is something that could be explored provided that there is capacity to do this and it would not impact on what the team was employed to do.”

 

Question 4

 

The following question was submitted by Councillor Niall Innes:

 

“Can the Cabinet Member provide an update on the 1st Month of the new bin collection regime?”

 

The Cabinet Member for Environment, Leisure and Culture (Cllr Nigel Cooke) responded with:

 

“The Council has launched the most significant changes to waste collection services in over 20 years which has seen the launch of the nationally mandated weekly food waste collections, as well as a shift to fortnightly refuse collections alongside a move to weekly dry recycling collections. This service has already seen a significant improvement in recycling rates and we expect Stockton will move swiftly up both regional and national league tables in relation to the redirection of waste from traditional disposal methods.

 

As expected, the first month has not been without challenge, although collection rounds have largely been delivered as scheduled, with the majority of properties receiving their collections on the correct day. Some initial disruption was experienced during the first week as crews adapted to the new collections and tipping arrangements at our new waste transfer station and our residents have also needed to get used to a change in collection arrangements although this has bedded down in recent weeks.

 

As a direct consequence of all the national changes for food waste and the impact on vehicle manufactures to supply all English councils with new vehicle at around the same time, we have not yet received our full allocation of new recycling vehicles which has resulted in us needed to use some of our existing recycling and flatbed vehicle to supplement the new fleet – it anticipated that all of our new fleet will be delivered by early June. 

 

The biggest positive is the level of participation by the residents and how well they have responded to the new collection arrangements, with resident participation being monitored at around 80% in the first 6 weeks after the new services launched – this is based on resident engagement participation modelling over a 3 day period although more statistically meaningful data will follow over the next 6 month period. .

 

As a result of the overwhelming levels of participation by residents, we have seen a reduction in general waste which would have ordinarily been disposed of at the Energy from Waste facility (EFW) of over 30%.

 

Overall, while there were the expected teething problems associated with a significant service change in week one, collections since then across both waste and recycling services has been excellent and staff across Community Services have delivered an outstanding service in a very short space of time.”

 

Cllr Niall Innes asked the following supplementary question:

 

“All Councillors have a heavy casework, but we have seen this increase with complaints about missed collections and rats. Would you agree that the changes have caused inconvenience to residents and have caused more problems than they have solved?”

 

The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Resources and Regeneration (Cllr Paul Rowling) responded with:

 

“We recognise that issues such as rats are not new and are experienced widely, although this is something we take seriously. We are approaching the introduction of food waste collections in a measured and considered way, as many other councils have done successfully over a number of years.

 

Some of the challenges experienced to date have been linked to the availability of a full fleet, and it is worth noting that other Local Authorities have encountered similar issues during implementation. As an interim solution, certain collections have been co-mingled and then separated at a later stage. Once the full fleet is in place, we will return to the original operating model.

 

We would like to commend both Community Services and the engagement team for their work throughout this process. We also recognise and thank residents across the Borough, as this has required a significant change in behaviour, and they have risen to it.

 

We will have a clearer indication of the long-term success of these changes over time.”