Corporate Asset Management Plan (Land and Buildings) 2008-2011

2. Corporate Context

2.1 The Council

The Council as a metropolitan authority carries out the whole range of functions of a statutory unitary authority and as such holds a varied portfolio of land and building assets.

Tameside is made up of 9 towns and their rural hinterland over an area of approximately 100 square kilometres on the eastern side of the Greater Manchester conurbation and including the western slopes of the Pennine moors. The Council came into being in 1974 following local government reorganisation and has been a unitary authority since 1986 when the Greater Manchester County Council was disbanded.

Based on the latest Office of National Statistics mid year estimate for 2005 the estimated population of Tameside is 214,100. Based on ethnicity population estimates, 7.37% are from black or minority ethnic communities. The district has 19 wards represented by 57 elected Members.

As of September 2008 the Council employs 9,366 staff of which 4,737 are based in schools.

In 2008/9 the Council’s gross expenditure budget is £626 million, its net revenue budget is £189 million and the planned capital expenditure is £64 million.

2.2 Corporate Planning, Goals and Objectives

The Council’s overall vision is to maximise the wellbeing of the people in the Borough. 

Based on extensive consultation with local people, businesses and partner organisations the Tameside Strategic Partnership established the key issues affecting the Borough in the future. These are embodied in six themes set out in the Community Strategy 2007-17 as follows:

• Supportive Communities: Promoting a cohesive Borough with strong and positive relationships between people from all backgrounds and cultures and where all people have similar life opportunities.
• A Safe Environment: Reducing crime and improving community safety.
• A Prosperous Society: Improving the local economy through strong sustainable businesses, a skilled workforce and good quality housing.
• A Learning Community: Raising educational achievement and learning opportunities.
• A Healthy Population: Improving health and support for vulnerable people.
• An Attractive Borough: Protecting our environment and creating a cleaner, greener neighbourhood.

The Council has four priorities that directly support the six Community Strategy themes, and reflect our areas of responsibility. The priorities are based upon the issues that local people tell us are most important to them. These ‘People’s Priorities’ are:

• Children and Young People
• Public safety and combating crime
• Stimulating the economy to produce more and better jobs
• The appearance of the borough

2.3 Organisational Framework

The political structure is based on the Cabinet system and is led by the Executive Leader and supported by a First Deputy and eight Cabinet Deputies each with their own Warrant of Office.

The Council’s head of paid service is the Chief Executive. The structure reporting to the Chief Executive involves:

The Director of Pensions

Three Executive Directors leading the following groups of services:

• Economy and Environment
• Children and Young People
• Neighbourhood and Community Services

And Assistant Chief Executives leading under the Deputy Chief Executive the following services:

• Borough Solicitor
• Borough Treasurer
• Executive Support
• ICT and Transformational Services
• People and Performance
• Policy and Performance