Agenda item

Question 1

The following question was submitted by Councillor Ted Strike:

“On Saturday 20th June I attended the opening of the Riverside Urban Park. I would like to congratulate everyone involved from the Funding Grants to the team working on the design and the contractors as well as SBC Officers.  This is a wonderful area and hopefully it will be well used and increase footfall into Stockton High St and lead to new businesses opening in the empty shops.

I would like to encourage the cabinet members to go even further.

 My question to the cabinet member for regeneration is:

Will Cabinet look into the feasibility and costings of relocating the Police Station onto the High Street on the SBC owned land where The Post Office and The Mall were located?  I believe this will encourage more people to come to the High Street as the Police presence will remove the fear many currently have of coming to the High Street, especially on an evening.

If they will not relocate the Police station here can you please advise me what the cabinet intend to do with this large piece of land?”

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

“I would like to thank Councillor Strike positive words about the waterfront development, even in the short time it has been open it is clear it is going to have a huge impact on the High Street, riverside and the wider central Stockton and North Thornaby area.

On his specific point regarding the police station in Stockton, I’m sure he appreciates that this not decision for this Council but rather one for Cleveland Police themselves. We are, however, working closely with the police on the future use of their assets across the Borough including the current police station which is already situated very close to the High Street and waterfront development

From a community safety perspective, Stockton Town Centre has seen significant improvements in recent years through the delivery of Operation Shield, a highly successful partnership initiative between Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council and Cleveland Police. Through targeted enforcement, visible patrols, intelligence-led activity and problem-solving interventions, the operation has delivered substantial reductions in crime and anti-social behaviour within the town centre. This work has played a key and important role in changing public perceptions of the High Street and strengthening confidence in the town centre as a safe and welcoming place to live, work and visit.

The successful opening of the Waterfront Urban Park has been supported by this strong partnership approach, with robust operational plans in place to ensure the park remains a safe, attractive and well-used space. Looking ahead, the Council and Cleveland Police will continue to build on the success of Operation Shield through the delivery of priorities set out within the Community Safety Strategy, including further work to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour, enhance feelings of safety, and support the continued regeneration of Stockton Town Centre over the coming years

In terms of the land in question, the Council has been reviewing its assets within the Town Centre to understand how they can be best used to deliver the objectives of the Central Stockton and North Thornaby Blueprint. This land will form a key part of the areas future so it is important that any development aligns with our objectives and we have already seen interest as a result on initiatives like the Care & Health Innovation zone and the waterfront development. In due course Cabinet will receive a report and will consider the future of the site.”

Councillor Ted Strike asked the following supplementary question:

“Having spoken with my fellow Ingleby Barwick North Ward Councillor to the Police a number of years ago, they advised me that the current Police Station is about three times bigger than their needs. If they were to relocate that would release a prime piece of land right on the riverside front, which would be ideal for redevelopment. If that were to happen, would Cabinet consider going into a partnership with a builder to build high quality apartments and split the profits 50-50 to bring money into the Council.”

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

“The estate of the police is ultimately theirs to consider. Like many public sector organisations, their requirements have changed over the years, but ultimately, it is a decision for them. We are, however, a willing partner and work very closely with Cleveland Police.

From our perspective, we will always do whatever we can to facilitate them being in the correct location. And that just doesn't mean Stockton Town Centre, that means all of our town centres across the Borough. In terms of your specific request, if you look at the Central Stockton and North Thornton blueprint, you will see what our long-term aspirations are and in due course, you will see reports coming to Cabinet about those. Ultimately, in terms of the Stockton Police Station that is a police asset, and it is up to them what they do with it.”

Question 2

The following question was submitted by Councillor Marcus Vickers:

“How many tree-related issues or service requests were reported to the council during the last financial year 2025/26 and what is the exact number of outstanding or backlogged tree maintenance requests currently on file?”

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

“Our records indicate that in financial year 2025/2026, we received a total of 552 tree related service requests and currently have 136 requests pending. The Arboriculture team prioritise urgent, weather related and other works associated with the health of the tree initially although are also busy working their way through service requests and other works which have arisen as part of our tree inspection regime which is on a 1-3 year frequency depending upon location.”

Councillor Marcus Vickers asked the following supplementary question:

“I am sure all Members regularly get many concerns raised by residents. Therefore, would the Council commit to reviewing its tree management policy again to ensure it is effectively addressing resident concerns and reducing response delays?”

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

“Like all policies of the Council, there are natural points when these are reviewed, and amended, if needed. My personal view is that there is not too much wrong with the current policy. Like Councillor Vickers, and probably every other elected member in this chamber tonight, we all get our share of emails with regard to tree related issues.

There are currently 136 pending requests; this is made-up of works deemed appropriate and those works picked up through the programmed inspections. I think that's something that that we should be really pleased with. We do have a small team of staff, and the service has been the subject of a scrutiny review in the past two years. That scrutiny review did not flag any major areas of concern. We do receive a high number of requests for work, many of which come from ward members for non-actionable works, such as shade, overhanging and satellite signal interference. These do not meet the criteria for intervention.”