Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Curley, Harkness, Malik and Qumer.

There were no public questions received.

The minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Performance and Value for Money Select Committee meeting held on 8^th March 2018 are attached for approval

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Performance and Value for Money Select Committee meeting held on 8^th March 2018 be agreed as a correct record.

The minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Board meetings held on 16^th January and 6^th March 2018 are attached for noting

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Board meeting held on 16^th January 2018 and on 6^th March 2018 be noted.

The Committee is asked to nominate a Vice-Chair for the duration of the Municipal Year 2018/19

The Committee was asked to nominate a Vice-Chair for the duration of the current Municipal Year.

RESOLVED that Councillor Stretton be elected Vice-Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Performance and Value for Money Select Committee for the duration of the Municipal Year 2018/19.

For noting

A training session on the framework for Overview and Scrutiny at Oldham Council took place before the commencement of today’s meeting. Members and Substitutes of the Select Committee attended the training session. The Overview and Scrutiny Toolkit was used as main reference for the training.

RESOLVED that the Overview and Scrutiny Toolkit be noted.

Consideration was given to a report of the Director of Environmental Services on the Council’s position on replacing street lighting with LED. The report sought to address the issues raised through the motion agreed at the meeting of full Council on 13^th December 2017. The motion had highlighted the potential to achieve significant savings in the Council’s budget, to reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide and to decrease light pollution via switching to LED street lights.

The report was presented by the Joint Authority Private Finance Initiative (PFI) Project Manager who also addressed the enquiries of the Select Committee.

It was explained that the Council had undertaken a high level review on the current energy efficient apparatus as against replacing all apparatus with LED which would require a capital investment of £6.5 Million. The payback period on the investment would be 15 years. As detailed in the report, this option would not be financially feasible and it would bring with it significant risk/liability on the part of the Council with regard to the running of the PFI contract.

Members were informed that the existing PFI contract terms included the replacement of lanterns at no additional cost for the Council. The service provider was already planned to replace 20% of the lighting estate using LED lanterns in 2023/24. This represented the preferred way forward that involved a step by step approach to the replacements of lanterns with LED.

Members sought and received clarification / commented on the following points:

-       Who sustained the cost of street lighting energy consumption? – It was explained that it was Council’s responsibility.

RESOLVED that:

1.    The content of the report be noted;

2.    The Select Committee support the current approach to replace street lighting with LED as part of the ongoing maintenance programme which had been negotiated within the current PFI contract arrangements.

That, in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they contain exempt information under paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, and it would not, on balance, be in the public interest to disclose the reports.

RESOLVED that, in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they contain exempt information under paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, and it would not, on balance, be in the public interest to disclose the reports.

Consideration was given to a report of the Strategic Director of Reform on the current performance of Oldham Community Leisure Limited (OCLL). The Head of Service Public Health, Youth and Leisure and the Chief Executive of OCLL attended the meeting to present the information and address the enquiries of the Select Committee.

Members sought and received clarification and commented on some aspects of the report.

RESOLVED that:

1.    The content of the report be noted;

2.    Option 3 as outlined at paragraph 2.17 of the report be endorsed;

3.    A progress report be presented in 2019.