Agenda and minutes

(15 minutes for public questions and 25 minutes for Councillor questions)

The Mayor advised the meeting that the first item on the agenda in Open Council was Public Question Time. The questions had been received from members of the public and would be taken in the order in which they had been received. Council was advised that if the questioner was not present, then the question would appear on the screen in the Council Chamber. The following public questions had been submitted: (15 mins)

1.       Question from Wayne Ankers via Twitter:

“Could cllrs look at introducing traffic calming or one way system on chamber road in Shaw. Cars too fast and too many”.

Councillor David Hibbert, Cabinet Member for Housing, Planning and Highways responded that various possibilities had been investigated previously for Chamber Road, none of which were supported at this time.  Officers would carry out a review, to identify if there had been any change to the use of the road since the previous investigations, to inform future decisions.

2.       Question from Joanne Keight via Twitter:  

“In light of current & continuous staff cuts -will there be a review of the number of councillors that represent each ward?”

Councillor Arooj Shah, Cabinet Member for Performance and Corporate Governance responded that the Council had considered a proposal to reduce the number of councillors at a recent budget meeting. The Council considered that, for a borough with our population, there would be a democratic deficit if a reduction was introduced. The Council was not aware of any similarly sized Greater Manchester metropolitan authorities who were proceeding with a proposed reduction. If the Council agreed to reduce the numbers, the matter was not solely in the Council’s control. A review would be required to be carried out by the Local Government Boundary Commission, who would consider and identify the appropriate number of Councillors for each ward.

3.       Question from sarahlawstudent via Twitter:

“I'd like to ask whether the council will be joining other LAs in calling on the PM to support additional refugees.”

Councillor Brownridge, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Co-operatives responded that the Leader of the Council would be making a statement on this issue later in the meeting as an item of urgent business.

The Borough had a proud history of supporting people seeking asylum from persecution, and continued to do so. There were almost 700 asylum seekers living in Oldham, some of whom were from Syria. The Council was committed to playing its part in enabling more asylum seekers to find refuge in Britain in response to the current humanitarian crisis, but it was essential that the government recognised help was needed make this happen by reforming the asylum system. Local services needed to be properly resourced to meet the costs of this and every part of the country needed to shoulder the responsibility for supporting people seeking asylum. The distribution was not equal across the country.

Local communities also had a part to play. In line with its co-operative values, the Council had put information on the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Moores, Salamat and Blyth

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 15^th July 2015 be approved as a correct record, subject to the inclusion of the actual motion at Item 12, Motion 2, page 21.

In accordance with the Code of Conduct, Councillor Wrigglesworth declared a personal prejudicial interest in Item 8, Outstanding Business from the Previous Meeting, by virtue of being a Rail Track tenant.

Councillors McCann, Harrison, Chauhan and G Alexander declared a personal interest in Item 15b – Minutes of the Oldham Care and Support and Oldham Care and Support At Home Company, by virtue of their appointment to the Board.

Councillors Ahmad and Dearden declared a pecuniary interest in Item 13 – Notice of Administration Business Motion 1, by virtue of being magistrates.

The Mayor informed the meeting that no items of Urgent Business had been received.

The Mayor advised the meeting that he had received a letter from the Leader in relation to the humanitarian crisis in Syria and indicating the Leader would be convening a meeting of Group Leaders of the Council to discuss the detail of a collective response. The letter was circulated to all Members and the Mayor read the letter to the meeting.  

The Mayor advised that one petition had been received for noting by Council.

RESOLVED that the following petition received since the last meeting of the Council be noted:

Neighbourhoods and Cooperatives

Duchess Street Experimental TRO Order (received 15 July 2015) (78 Signatures) (Ref 2015-16)

(time limit 15 minutes).

Councillor Moores to MOVE and Councillor Hibbert to SECOND:

This Council was dismayed to hear, that Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin had announced that electrification work on the Transpennine route between Leeds and Manchester was being "paused".

This Council is extremely concerned that any delay in progressing plans for electrification and the introduction of faster and more reliable trains linking Manchester and Leeds will hamper economic recovery. Transport connections and infrastructure are the foundation on which an economy is built; the north already loses out substantially in terms of investment, now it will see this vital project fall even further back in the queue. This decision is bad for regional growth and jobs. How can the government expect to build a northern powerhouse if it is unwilling fund vital transport links and infrastructure? This decision is another example of the inequality that exists when it comes to regional investment, it will have a negative impact on the residents of Oldham.

This Council resolves to instruct the Chief Executive to write to Patrick McLoughlin, Transport Secretary and Hon George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, asking them to remove the “pause” that was placed on the electrification of the TransPennine route between Manchester and Leeds.

Also to write to Debbie Abrahams MP, Angela Rayner MP and Michael Meacher MP to ask them to support the motion and to use any other parliamentary means available to remove any further delay to the electrification of the TransPennine route between Manchester and Leeds. 

The Mayor informed the meeting that there was one item of Outstanding Business from the last Council meeting.

Councillor McLaren MOVED and Councillor Hibbert SECONDED:

“This Council was dismayed to hear, that Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin had announced that electrification work on the Transpennine route between Leeds and Manchester was being "paused".

This Council is extremely concerned that any delay in progressing plans for electrification and the introduction of faster and more reliable trains linking Manchester and Leeds will hamper economic recovery. Transport connections and infrastructure are the foundation on which an economy is built; the north already loses out substantially in terms of investment, now it will see this vital project fall even further back in the queue. This decision is bad for regional growth and jobs. How can the government expect to build a northern powerhouse if it is unwilling fund vital transport links and infrastructure? This decision is another example of the inequality that exists when it comes to regional investment, it will have a negative impact on the residents of Oldham.

This Council resolves to instruct the Chief Executive to write to Patrick McLoughlin, Transport Secretary and Hon George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, asking them to remove the “pause” that was placed on the electrification of the TransPennine route between Manchester and Leeds.

Also to write to Debbie Abrahams MP, Angela Rayner MP and Michael Meacher MP to ask them to support the motion and to use any other parliamentary means available to remove any further delay to the electrification of the TransPennine route between Manchester and Leeds”. 

AMENDMENT

Councillor Harkness MOVED and Councillor Sykes SECONDED:

“Insert after the word “paused” in paragraph one, the following wording and paragraphs:

‘Less than half of the British rail network is electrified. Since 1997 roughly 60 miles of existing track were electrified; 50 of them during the period of the 2010 – 15 Coalition Government.

The Coalition Government supported the electrification of the Transpennine line as Government technical reports estimated that electrification would be “self-financing, paying for itself through lower train maintenance, leasing and operating costs. This means that this investment can take place without reducing already planned infrastructure enhancement work”.’

Original second paragraph becomes fourth paragraph.

Insert after “Oldham” in the fourth paragraph, the following wording and paragraphs:

‘In March 2015 the North of England Electrification Task Force published its final report. This identified the electrification of this line as bringing ‘Tier One’ economic benefits to the region (i.e. the highest possible).

‘In a 2009 Network Rail report, electrification was described as having a “significant role to play in reducing carbon emissions. Electric vehicles, on average, emit 20 to 30 percent less CO2 emissions than diesel counterparts and tend to be quieter in operation”.

Council therefore believes that the decision to “pause” the work by the new Conservative Government is illogical on:

-        Finance

-        Economic and

-        Environmental grounds’

Original third paragraph becomes eighth paragraph.

Original fourth paragraph becomes ninth paragraph”

Councillor  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

In delivering his Annual Statement the Leader of the Council, Councillor McMahon stated that staff had worked incredibly hard in the past year to make a difference to people’s lives.

He reflected on the eventful year the Council had had and the many challenges that lay ahead at local, regional and national levels – whether that was cuts to Council funding, Greater Manchester devolution or the state of the economy and the new measures introduced in the recent Emergency Budget. The Council had undertaken a huge amount of work in the past twelve months to help ordinary residents deal with the issues that affected them.

A number of significant projects had been undertaken during the last year and the Leader highlighted the following:

·       Oldham Foodbank, which had provided food for 3,716 adults and 1,620 children.

·       Investment in the Welfare Rights Service ahead of the implementation of Welfare Reform.

·       Get Oldham Working campaign had created 3,025 opportunities, including 1,672 jobs and 475 apprenticeships.

·       Introduction of the Living Wage at Oldham Council, which had given five hundred and forty employees a new £7.86 minimum hourly rate from April 1.

·       Signed up businesses to the Fair Employment Charter.

·       Embedded ‘Social Value’ into all of the Council’s activity.

·       Launched Our House in June: the country’s first-ever payment store run by a not-for-profit business.

·       Introduced a licensing scheme for private landlords

·       Warm Homes Oldham, had lifted more than 1,900 people out of fuel poverty in its first two years.

·       Put plans in place for thousands of aspirational homes to be built here that would give real choice and variety to communities.

·       Activated dormant trust funds in excess of £1 million, to let them be used for grassroots activities to improve neighbourhoods.

·       Delivered the Oldham Youth Guarantee.

The Leader referred to the strategy for Oldham to ‘invest to grow’ and businesses were hugely important partners in all the plans.

Successful regeneration and a growing economy would mean that more businesses would be paying business rates and more residents in work would be paying Council Tax. This would help protect frontline and vital services that people depended on.

The Leader gave some examples of how the Council was helping local firms, which included:

·       Warehouse to Wheels - more than 50 of the first trainees had graduated from this scheme.

·       Independent Quarter - the scheme had been so successful that it was now being rolled out to help revive district town centres in Failsworth, Shaw and Lees.

·       Oldham Enterprise Fund - had processed more than 90 applications and given a range of practical funding help and expert support to start-ups and existing businesses.

The Leader reflected that, last October, the Council had spun out its Adult Social Care operation into two services. Oldham Care and Support delivered adult care services bought by the Council on residents’ behalf and Oldham Care and Support at Home was actively taking on and competing with private sector companies in the home care and personal assistance market.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

(time limit 20 minutes)

Inhumane, discriminatory and ineffective… The ‘Mosquito Device’ is an alarm that emits a high-frequency sound that can only be heard by people under the age of 25. We believe that the mosquito device should not be used against young people and believe that its use should be prohibited.

Mosquito alarms are strategically placed outside of buildings where anti-social gatherings are known to take place. The purpose of its presence is to disperse groups of young people and to prevent loitering around buildings.

It has come to our attention that there is a mosquito device in operation in the Shaw and Crompton ward. Its presence has been highlighted to the Youth Council directly from young people and has been an issue that has been raised on social media.

We believe these devices are unjust as they specifically target young people regardless of their behaviour. It therefore threatens the fundamental human rights of young people and in our opinion, alongside that of the Council of Europe, we believe the use of the device also breaches the UN Convention on the Rights of a Child ‘Article 37’ (Inhumane Treatment and Detention)¹

The device is incapable of differentiating between those who are anti-social and those who are not, causing a breach of ‘Article 15’ of the UN Convention on the Rights of a Child (Freedom of Association)². The right entitles children and young people to assemble freely and without restriction if doing so peacefully, which the mosquito alarm prohibits without inflicting “torture”³.

We understand that anti-social behaviour is an issue that should always be challenged; we also know that young people are not the only demographic who are involved in anti-social behaviour. Using these devices is not a proportionate response to loitering as groups causing a nuisance can simply move somewhere else. The use of the device doesn’t effectively tackle the issue, it simply moves it elsewhere. There are other more effective interventions that can have a longer term impact.

We understand that Oldham Council already has a framework in place to control the use of these devices however we propose that this is reviewed and a policy agreed to reduce the risk of discrimination of young people.

Appendix:

1)    Article 37:

States Parties shall ensure that:

(a) No child shall be subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

(Neither capital punishment nor life imprisonment without possibility of release shall be imposed for offences committed by persons below eighteen years of age)

(b) No child shall be deprived of his or her liberty unlawfully or arbitrarily. The arrest, detention or imprisonment of a child shall be in conformity with the law and shall be used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time;

(c) Every child deprived of liberty shall be treated with humanity and respect for the inherent dignity of the human person, and in a manner which takes into  ...  view the full agenda text for item 10.

Youth Councillors TJay Turner, Saadiqah Begum and Marouf Ahmed

spoke on the following Motion:

“Inhumane, discriminatory and ineffective… The ‘Mosquito Device’ is an alarm that emits a high-frequency sound that can only be heard by people under the age of 25. We believe that the mosquito device should not be used against young people and believe that its use should be prohibited.

Mosquito alarms are strategically placed outside of buildings where anti-social gatherings are known to take place. The purpose of its presence is to disperse groups of young people and to prevent loitering around buildings.

It has come to our attention that there is a mosquito device in operation in the Shaw and Crompton ward. Its presence has been highlighted to the Youth Council directly from young people and has been an issue that has been raised on social media.

We believe these devices are unjust as they specifically target young people regardless of their behaviour. It therefore threatens the fundamental human rights of young people and in our opinion, alongside that of the Council of Europe, we believe the use of the device also breaches the UN Convention on the Rights of a Child ‘Article 37’ (Inhumane Treatment and Detention)¹

The device is incapable of differentiating between those who are anti-social and those who are not, causing a breach of ‘Article 15’ of the UN Convention on the Rights of a Child (Freedom of Association)². The right entitles children and young people to assemble freely and without restriction if doing so peacefully, which the mosquito alarm prohibits without inflicting “torture”³.

We understand that anti-social behaviour is an issue that should always be challenged; we also know that young people are not the only demographic who are involved in anti-social behaviour. Using these devices is not a proportionate response to loitering as groups causing a nuisance can simply move somewhere else. The use of the device doesn’t effectively tackle the issue, it simply moves it elsewhere. There are other more effective interventions that can have a longer term impact.

We understand that Oldham Council already has a framework in place to control the use of these devices however we propose that this is reviewed and a policy agreed to reduce the risk of discrimination of young people.

Appendix:

1)     Article 37:

States Parties shall ensure that:

(a) No child shall be subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

(Neither capital punishment nor life imprisonment without possibility of release shall be imposed for offences committed by persons below eighteen years of age)

(b) No child shall be deprived of his or her liberty unlawfully or arbitrarily. The arrest, detention or imprisonment of a child shall be in conformity with the law and shall be used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time;

(c) Every child deprived of liberty shall be treated with humanity and respect for the inherent dignity of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

The Leader of the Opposition, Councillor Sykes, raised the following questions:

1.       OFSTED Children’s Services Report

“My first question to the Leader tonight concerns the recent report by OFSTED about the performance of our children’s services department and the Safeguarding Board.

In 2012, when OFSTED last published a report on these services they were judged to be Good.  In the August 2015 report they were deemed to be Requiring Improvement – a significantly worsened position.

Mercifully, in the report, OFSTED affirms positively that the four children’s homes operated by the local authority “were judged to be good or outstanding in their most recent Ofsted inspection” and that “There are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm”.

I am sure that this news will at least be a relief to all members in this chamber given recent tragedies involving vulnerable children and young people elsewhere; tragedies that I have previously raised in questions to the Leader.

But the report also states damningly that “The authority is not yet delivering good protection and help for children, young people and families” and that it is “not yet delivering good care” for looked after children and young people.

OFSTED also states that “Leadership, management and governance require improvement” and that “the characteristics of good leadership are not in place”.

I am sure that like me the Leader will share the expectation of OFSTED that “all children and young people in Oldham receive the level of help, care and protection that will ensure their safety and help prepare them for adult life”.

Certainly this was an expectation that we always worked to meet during my administration and this was why the Leader was able to inherit a Good rating in the last report.

So can he therefore now tell me what plan will be put in place to ensure that our Children’s Services will be improved and our leadership, management and governance structures made fit for purpose, so that we may avoid another such damning verdict in future?”  

Councillor McMahon, Leader of the Council, responded that this was an important question and it was right to flag up the issue. Whilst the Ofsted report was not what was wanted, it was not unexpected. The Council’s budget had been cut in half, which affected the Council’s ability to reward and retain qualified staff. Staff had to do more and their casework loads were significant, complex and stressful, with referrals being up by a third. This was a national crisis in social care, with 5000 vacancies across the country for qualified social workers and new social workers needed time to develop. It was accepted the Council would have to make difficult decisions in the future. The Ofsted report was fair, though the review could have been fuller on political leadership. The Council had a plan in place to rebuild and improve.

2.       Elder Abuse

“My second question concerns another group of vulnerable people – this time elderly  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

(time limit 20 minutes):-

a) 22^nd June 2015

b) 20^th July 2015

The Cabinet Minutes for the meetings held on 22^nd June 2015 and 20^th July 2015 were submitted. 

Observations were raised by the following Councillors on the Cabinet Minutes as detailed below:

1.     Councillor McCann – Cabinet meeting - 15^th July, Item 15, page 39, Acquisition and Disposal of Land at the Former Westhulme Hospital, Chadderton Way, Oldham – welcomed that the site was to be redeveloped after so many years and congratulated Councillor Hibbert, as the relevant Cabinet Member. The extra parking was excellent news for hospital staff and users, and those who lived around the hospital, as it would alleviate parking problems.

2.     Councillor Hibbert responded that he was sure Councillor McCann’s congratulations extended to all the other Cabinet Members involved.

RESOLVED that:

1.               The minutes of the Cabinet meetings held on 22^nd June2015 and 20th July 2015 be noted.

2.               The observation on the Cabinet Minutes be noted.

(time limit 30 minutes)

Motion 1

Councillor Mushtaq to MOVE and Councillor Ball to SECOND:

This Council notes with considerable concern that the Secretary of State for Justice has announced the closure of a number of courts in the country including Oldham County Court and Oldham Magistrates Court. The closures in a borough like Oldham will have a much more profound effect than other areas particularly when combined with other policies and ‘tough decisions’ taken by the government.

Access to justice is one of the fundamental freedoms we all enjoy but the impact of this decision will affect local residents in a number of ways including:

•           Increased travel times and cost associated with accessing the courts and justice system.

•           Residents potentially being denied justice given the out of touch guarantee that residents will be able to access a court in one hour, by car should their local court be closed.

•           Potential relocation of law firms from Oldham due to the adverse impact on their business with the knock on effect on Oldham’s provision and economy.

The list could go on but the underlying theme is an inaccessible justice system and an attack on the fundamental rights of everyone in the borough.

The Council resolves to:

Instruct the Chief Executive to write to Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Justice, to ask him to reconsider the decision to close the County Court and Magistrates Court in Oldham. To note the impact the cuts have already had on the regions ability to deliver justice for its residents and to refrain from targeting boroughs such as Oldham as an easy first option when making ‘tough decisions’.

Also to write to Debbie Abrahams MP, Michael Meacher MP and Angela Rayner MP to ask them to support the motion and to use any other parliamentary means available to achieve the same outcomes.      

Motion 2

Councillor Jabbar to MOVE and Councillor Fielding to SECOND:

This Council notes the passing of this Tory Government’s Welfare Bill in the House of Commons.

The bill will cut away another £12 Billion from the welfare budget, hitting the most vulnerable in our society the hardest, the poor, the jobless, the sick to name a few. This Tory Government seems to be hell bent on attacking towns like Oldham in its cuts to Local Government funding, and now it is taking aim at families who can’t make ends meet.

This bill moves to cut tax credits and housing benefit, measures which we believe will lead to increases in child poverty, this is despite the Conservatives pledging the opposite in their manifesto – a promise not kept.

Indeed, the House of Commons Library has put the average household loss at £1350 a year because of this regressive bill.

This Council resolves:

·         To instruct the Chief Executive to write to the appropriate government minister, expressing this council’s concern over measures in the Welfare Bill and that an assessment be made of its impact on Oldham should it become law.  ...  view the full agenda text for item 13.

Motion 1

Councillor Mushtaq MOVED and Councillor Ball SECONDED:

“This Council notes with considerable concern that the Secretary of State for Justice has announced the closure of a number of courts in the country including Oldham County Court and Oldham Magistrates Court. The closures in a borough like Oldham will have a much more profound effect than other areas particularly when combined with other policies and ‘tough decisions’ taken by the government.

Access to justice is one of the fundamental freedoms we all enjoy but the impact of this decision will affect local residents in a number of ways including:

·                 Increased travel times and cost associated with accessing the courts and justice system.

·                 Residents potentially being denied justice given the out of touch guarantee that residents will be able to access a court in one hour, by car should their local court be closed.

·                 Potential relocation of law firms from Oldham due to the adverse impact on their business with the knock on effect on Oldham’s provision and economy.

The list could go on but the underlying theme is an inaccessible justice system and an attack on the fundamental rights of everyone in the borough.

The Council resolves to:

Instruct the Chief Executive to write to Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Justice, to ask him to reconsider the decision to close the County Court and Magistrates Court in Oldham. To note the impact the cuts have already had on the regions ability to deliver justice for its residents and to refrain from targeting boroughs such as Oldham as an easy first option when making ‘tough decisions’.

Also to write to Debbie Abrahams MP, Michael Meacher MP and Angela Rayner MP to ask them to support the motion and to use any other parliamentary means available to achieve the same outcomes.”   

Councillors Chauhan, Gloster, S Bashforth, Turner, Wrigglesworth, Fielding, Rehman, Brownridge and Judge all spoke in support of the motion.

Councillor Mushtaq exercised his right of reply.   

On being put to the VOTE, the meeting UNANIMOUSLY voted IN FAVOUR of the MOTION, which was therefore CARRIED. 

RESOLVED that:

1.       The Chief Executive be instructed to write to Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Justice, to ask him to reconsider the decision to close the County Court and Magistrates Court in Oldham. The impact the cuts have already had on the regions ability to deliver justice for its residents should be noted and he should refrain from targeting boroughs such as Oldham as an easy first option when making ‘tough decisions’.

2.       The Chief Executive be instructed to write to Debbie Abrahams MP, Michael Meacher MP and Angela Rayner MP to ask them to support the motion and to use any other parliamentary means available to achieve the same outcomes

Motion 2

Motion 2 was carried over to the next meeting.

(time limit 30 minutes)

Motion 1

Councillor McCann to MOVE and Councillor Sedgwick to SECOND:

This Council notes that:

·         Many people beyond the age of 50 are denied the opportunity to participate in employment  on the grounds of age

·         10.2 million people in the UK are aged between 50 and the state pension age, yet 2.9 million (or 28%) are out of work

·         People continue to lead full and productive lives well beyond state pension age, and this can include a desire to participate in paid employment

·         Denying work on the grounds of age to people who wish to do so has a deleterious effect on their well-being and upon the economy

·         Its responsibility, as a leading employer in the borough, to have a diverse workforce, including an age-diverse workforce, to reflect the community it serves

This Council further notes:

·         The report ‘A New Vision for Older Workers: Retain, Retrain and Recruit’ published  by Dr. Ros Altmann CBE, the Government’s Business Champion for Older Workers, in which recommendations of good practice are made to employers, including:

-       Monitoring and promoting age diversity in the workforce

-       Carrying out audits to identify skill shortages when older workers leave

-       Ensuring training remains available to employees over 50

-       Offering mid-life career reviews to employees over 50

-       Retaining older employees as mentors, rather than forcing them to retire

-       An alumni programme for retired staff

-       Making flexible working arrangements available so that older employees who care for others or who have  a health condition can continue to work

-       Providing Gap Breaks and Family Crisis leave, especially for carers, to help retain older staff

-       Establishing ‘age-blind’ recruitment processes

-       Valuing the experience of job applicants as much as the possession of a degree whenever possible in the selection process

-       Creating Mature Apprenticeships and work experience opportunities for applicants over 50

This Council also notes the welcome expansion of the Council’s Traineeship scheme to applicants of all ages.

This Council:

·         Requests the relevant Cabinet Member carry out an audit of the Council’s current practices to ensure that these follow best practice as identified by Dr Altmann in her report, and bring a report back to Council on this issue.

·         Requests the relevant Cabinet Member actively promotes the Traineeship scheme to applicants who are 50 or over

·         Requests the relevant Cabinet Member give consideration to creating Mature Apprenticeships and work experience opportunities for older applicants within the Council as part of the ‘Get Oldham Working’ offer and that he urges other progressive employers within the borough to also do so.

Motion 2

Councillor Heffernan to MOVE and Councillor Sykes to SECOND:

Council notes that:

·         Today (September 9^th 2015) marks the date upon which Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second has become Britain’s longest serving Monarch. Her Majesty has so far reigned for 23,226 days.

·         A role model for her subjects and a steadfast rock for our country, our Queen has unfailingly honoured the promise she made at  ...  view the full agenda text for item 14.

Motion 1

Councillor McCann MOVED and Councillor Sedgwick SECONDED:

“This Council notes that:

·       Many people beyond the age of 50 are denied the opportunity to participate in employment  on the grounds of age

·       10.2 million people in the UK are aged between 50 and the state pension age, yet 2.9 million (or 28%) are out of work

·       People continue to lead full and productive lives well beyond state pension age, and this can include a desire to participate in paid employment

·       Denying work on the grounds of age to people who wish to do so has a deleterious effect on their well-being and upon the economy

·       Its responsibility, as a leading employer in the borough, to have a diverse workforce, including an age-diverse workforce, to reflect the community it serves

This Council further notes:

·       The report ‘A New Vision for Older Workers: Retain, Retrain and Recruit’ published  by Dr. Ros Altmann CBE, the Government’s Business Champion for Older Workers, in which recommendations of good practice are made to employers, including:

-        Monitoring and promoting age diversity in the workforce

-        Carrying out audits to identify skill shortages when older workers leave

-        Ensuring training remains available to employees over 50

-        Offering mid-life career reviews to employees over 50

-        Retaining older employees as mentors, rather than forcing them to retire

-        An alumni programme for retired staff

-        Making flexible working arrangements available so that older employees who care for others or who have  a health condition can continue to work

-        Providing Gap Breaks and Family Crisis leave, especially for carers, to help retain older staff

-        Establishing ‘age-blind’ recruitment processes

-        Valuing the experience of job applicants as much as the possession of a degree whenever possible in the selection process

-        Creating Mature Apprenticeships and work experience opportunities for applicants over 50

This Council also notes the welcome expansion of the Council’s Traineeship scheme to applicants of all ages.

This Council:

·       Requests the relevant Cabinet Member carry out an audit of the Council’s current practices to ensure that these follow best practice as identified by Dr Altmann in her report, and bring a report back to Council on this issue.

·       Requests the relevant Cabinet Member actively promotes the Traineeship scheme to applicants who are 50 or over

·       Requests the relevant Cabinet Member give consideration to creating Mature Apprenticeships and work experience opportunities for older applicants within the Council as part of the ‘Get Oldham Working’ offer and that he urges other progressive employers within the borough to also do so”.

Councillors Akhtar, Chadderton and Mushtaq spoke in support of the motion.

Councillor McCann exercised his right of reply.

On being put to the VOTE, the meeting UNANIMOUSLY voted IN FAVOUR of the MOTION, which was therefore CARRIED. 

RESOLVED that:

1.     The relevant Cabinet Member be requested to carry out an audit of the Council’s current practices to ensure that these follow best practice as identified by Dr Altmann in her report, and bring a report back  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.

(time limit 8 minutes):-

To note the Minutes of the following Joint Authority meetings and the relevant spokespersons to respond to questions from Members

Minutes of the Joint Authorities were submitted as follows:

There were no questions or observations.

RESOLVED that:

The minutes of the Joint Authorities as detailed in the report be noted.

(time limit 7 minutes)

Minutes of the Partnership Meetings were submitted as follows:

There were no questions or observations.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Partnerships as detailed in the report be noted.

A hard copy of the appendices to the report will be available to view at Access Oldham, Civic Centre Oldham, the Civic Entrance, Civic Centre Oldham and the Groups rooms.

Consideration was given to a report of Councillor Jabbar, Cabinet Member for Finance and Human Resources, which informed Members that the Council’s accounts for 2014/15 had been audited, approved and published, on 19^th May 2015. Cabinet had recommended that the Final Accounts 2014/15 and the external audit (Grant Thornton) reports for 2014/15 be recommended to Council for noting.

Councillor Jabbar MOVED the report, which was SECONDED by Councillor McCann.

Councillor McMahon made an observation on the report.

RESOLVED that the final accounts, the audit reports and the items referred to in the report be NOTED.

Consideration was given to a report of Councillor Jabbar, Cabinet Member for Finance and Human Resources which reviewed treasury management activities compared to the actual prudential and treasury indicators for 2014/15.

Councillor Jabbar MOVED the report, which was SECONDED by Councillor Chadderton.

RESOLVED that:

1. The actual 2014/15 prudential and treasury indicators as detailed in the report be approved.
2. The annual treasury management report for 2014/15 be approved.

Consideration was given to a report of Councillor McMahon, Leader of the Council, which requested that the Council consider whether it agreed to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) becoming a full Member of the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA).

Councillor McMahon MOVED the report, which was SECONDED by Councillor Sykes.

RESOLVED that:

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority becoming a full member of the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities, as per Clause 18 of the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities Constitution, be approved.

Consideration was given to a report of Councillor Stretton, the Deputy Leader of the Council. The annual report, which provided the finance statements that had been publicised on the Charity Commission website for the year ended 31^st March 2015, was detailed for Members. The Oldham Distress Fund was a registered charity operated by Oldham Council, with the terms of reference to relieve poverty and hardship of people living in the Borough of Oldham.  In 2012 it was used in response to the gas explosion that occurred in Shaw in June 2012.

Councillor Stretton MOVED the report, which was SECONDED by Councillor Sykes.

RESOLVED that: the Oldham Distress Fund Annual Report, including the Financial Statement, be noted.

Consideration was given to a report of the Director of Legal Services which informed members of actions that had been taken following previous Council meetings and provided feedback on other issues raised at the meeting.

Councillor McMahon MOVED the report, which was SECONDED by Councillor Sykes.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.