(time limit 30 minutes)
Motion 1
Councillor Garry to MOVE and Councillor McMahon to SECOND:
That in the month of International Women's Day this council reflects on the leading role women have played in fighting for equality and fairness for all.
The council notes the importance of promoting women in public life and celebrates the fact that two of the three borough Members of Parliament are women as are the Leader, Chief Executive and the Borough Treasurer of the Council in addition to the majority of the senior management team.
The council also reflects on the remarkable life of Annie Kenney, the Springhead born millworker who went on to be a pioneering suffragette. With others she secured the right for women to vote.
The council also looks forward to 2019 when the borough will mark the 200th anniversary of the Peterloo Massacre where four of the fifteen killed were women.
The council notes that while progress has been made much more is needed to realise full equality.
This council commits to:
1). Supporting the idea of and investigating funding sources for a permanent memorial to Annie Kenney in the town centre.
2). Supporting the idea of and investigating funding sources for a permanent memorial to those killed and injured at Peterloo at Cheapside (outside the civic centre tower) near where the Oldham contingent gathered before marching to Manchester, and that the proposed memorial ideally be in place to mark the 200th anniversary of the massacre.
3). Placing on record its thanks and appreciation to the organisers of events across the Borough which were held to mark International Women's Day.
Motion 2
Councillor Dearden to MOVE and Councillor Moores to SECOND:
This Council notes with alarm, the recent statement from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) confirming that new guidelines are to be introduced which will curb councils’ powers to divest from or stop trading with organisations or countries they regard as unethical. Council further notes that the new guidelines, which will amend Pensions and Procurement law, follow on from the government’s announcement made at the beginning of October 2015 that it was planning to introduce new rules to stop “politically motivated boycott and divestment campaigns” (Greg Clarke, Secretary of State for the Department of Communities and Local Government).
Oldham Council is proud of its commitment to human rights and to putting this into practice through such measures as an ethical approach to its relationship with business. Council believes that the proposed measures now being outlined by the DCLG will seriously undermine the Council’s ability to implement its commitment to ethical procurement and pensions investments.
Council also notes that the new guidelines represent a further, serious attack on local democracy and decision-making through a further restriction on councils’ powers. This is directly contrary to the government’s own stated commitment to the principle of localism, given a statutory basis by the Localism Act of 2011, which holds that local authorities are best able to do their job when they have genuine freedom to respond to what local people want, not what they are told to do by government.
This Council resolves to:
1). Instruct the Chief Executive to write to Greg Clarke, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to express Council’s unequivocal opposition to the proposed changes.
2). Write to Debbie Abrahams MP, Angela Rayner MP and Jim McMahon MP to ask them to use any parliamentary means available to oppose these proposals.
Motion 3
Councillor Roberts to MOVE and Councillor Dearden to SECOND:
This Council notes the significant increase in demand for school places in Oldham and welcomes the necessary actions already taken including:
1. Setting up a better forecasting method looking at all available data on births, housing and new arrivals to enable forward planning.
2. Implementing an expansion programme to provide extra capacity. That includes plans to boost primary places with a new three-form entry school on the former Grange School site, plus the expansion of places in Failsworth, Hollinwood and Lees. A proposed new Saddleworth School will increase pupil numbers from 1,350 to 1,500 - and plans are also about to go out to statutory consultation to double the capacity at Greenfield primary with a new build two-form entry school.
Oldham Council will continue to work with the whole of the school sector including academies and free schools, however the range of providers makes planning school places much more challenging. Under the Government's rules, all new schools to help cope with this demand must be "free schools", created outside of local authority control.
There are now fewer and fewer schools under the direct control of councils. This council believes that local authorities are well placed to act to ensure school places can be created on time - and in the right places.
This Council supports the LGA's call for councils themselves to be able to open new schools, and to require academies to expand to meet local demand, where necessary.
Council also resolves to instruct the Chief Executive to:
1) .Write to the Secretary of State for Education to urge her to change the rules to allow Local Authorities to open new schools and to require academies to expand to meet local demand
2) .Write to the three borough MPs to inform them of the council’s position and request that they use whatever parliamentary means available to raise this matter with government
Minutes:
Motion 1
Councillor Garry MOVED and Councillor McMahon SECONDED the following motion:
“That in the month of International Women’s Day this council reflects on the leading role women have played in fighting for equality and fairness for all.
The Council notes the importance of promoting women in public life and celebrates the fact that two of the three borough Members of Parliament are women as are the Leader, Chief Executive and the Borough Treasurer in addition to the majority of the senior management team.
The Council also reflects on the remarkable life of Annie Kenney, the Springhead born millworker who went on to be a pioneering suffragette. With others she secured the right for women to vote.
This council also looks forward to 2019 when the borough will mark the 200th anniversary of the Peterloo Massacre where four of the fifteen killed were women. The council notes that while progress has been made much more is needed to realise full equality.
This council commits to:
1). Supporting the idea of and investigating funding sources for a permanent memorial to Annie Kenney in the town centre.
2). Supporting the idea of and investigating funding sources for a permanent memorial to those killed and injured at Peterloo at Cheapside (outside the civic centre tower) near where the Oldham contingent gathered before marching to Manchester, and that the proposed memorial ideally be in place to mark the 200th anniversary of the massacre.
3). Placing on record its thanks and appreciation to the organisers and events across the Borough which were held to mark International Women’s Day.”
AMENDMENT
Councillor Williamson MOVED and Councillor Sedgwick SECONDED the following amendment:
“Remove the wording in Lines 7 to 9 and replace this with the following wording:
‘This Council reflects on the remarkable lives of:
- Lydia Becker, born in Chadderton, who founded the most popular publication relating to women’s suffrage in 19th-century Britain, the Women’s Suffrage Journal, and who fought successfully to secure votes for women in the Isle of Man in March 1881.
- Annie Kenney, the Springhead born millworker, who went on to be a pioneering suffragette and the first female delegated to the Oldham Trades Union Council. With others she secured the right for women to vote in mainland Britain.’
Insert in Line 15 after ‘funding sources’ the following grammar and words:
‘, primarily private donations and / or a public subscription,’
Insert in Line 16 after ‘to’ the following words ‘Lydia Becker and’
Insert in Line 17 after ‘funding sources’ the following grammar and words:
‘, primarily private donations and/or a public subscription,.”
Amended motion to read:
“That in the month of International Women’s Day this council reflects on the leading role women have played in fighting for equality and fairness for all.
The council notes the importance of promoting women in public life and celebrates the fact that two of the three borough Members of Parliament are women as are the Leader, Chief Executive and the Borough Treasurer of the Council in addition to the majority of the senior management team.
The Council also reflects on the remarkable lives of:
- Lydia Becker, born in Chadderton, who founded the most popular publication relating to women’s suffrage in 19th-century Britain, the women’s Suffrage Journal, and who fought successfully to secure votes for women in the Isle of Man in March 1881
- Annie Kenney, the Springhead born millworker who went on to be a pioneering suffragette and the first female delegate to the Oldham Trades Union Council. With others she secured the right for women to vote in mainland Britain
The council also looks forward to 2019 when the borough will mark the 200th anniversary of the Peterloo Massacre where four of the fifteen killed were women.
The council notes that while progress has been made much more is needed to realise full equality.
This council commits to:
1). Supporting the idea of and investigating funding sources, primarily private donations and / or a public subscription, for a permanent memorial to Lydia Becker and Annie Kenney in the town centre.
2). Supporting the idea of and investigating funding sources, primarily private donations and / or a public subscription, for a permanent memorial to those killed and injured at Peterloo at Cheapside (outside the civic centre tower) near where the Oldham contingent gathered before marching to Manchester, and that the proposed memorial ideally be in place to mark the 200th anniversary of the massacre.
3.) Placing on record thanks and appreciation to the organisers of events across the Borough which were held to mark International Women’s Day.
Councillor McMahon spoke against the amendment.
Councillor Bates spoke in support of the amendment.
Councillor Garry exercised her right of reply.
Councillor Williamson exercised her right of reply.
A vote was then taken on the AMENDMENT.
On being put to the vote FIFTEEN VOTES were cast in FAVOUR of the AMENDMENT with FORTY-ONE VOTES cast AGAINST and NO ABSTENTIONS. The AMENDMENT was therefore LOST.
Councillor Mushtaq spoke in support of the motion.
Councillor Dearden spoke in support of the motion.
Councillor Stretton spoke in support of the motion.
Councillor Roberts spoke in support of the motion.
Councillor Garry exercised her right of reply.
A vote was then taken on the MOTION. On being put to the vote FIFTY-FIVE VOTES were cast in FAVOUR of the MOTION with NO VOTES AGAINST and ONE ABSTENTION. The MOTION was therefore CARRIED.
RESOLVED that:
This council committed to:
1). the idea of and investigating funding sources for a permanent memorial to Annie Kenney in the town centre being supported.
2). the idea of and investigating funding sources for a permanent memorial to those killed and injured at Peterloo at Cheapside (outside the civic centre tower) near where the Oldham contingent gathered before marching to Manchester, and that the proposed memorial ideally be in place to mark the 200th anniversary of the massacre being supported.
3). its thanks and appreciation to the organisers and events across the Borough which were held to mark International Women’s Day being placed on record.
Motion 2
The Mayor informed the meeting that the time limit for this item had expired and Councillor Dearden, as Mover of the Motion, and Councillor Moores, as Seconder of the Motion, requested that Council permit the following Motion to be rolled over for discussion at the next Council meeting:
“This Council notes with alarm, the recent statement from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) confirming that new guidelines are to be introduced which will curb councils’ powers to divest from or stop trading with organisations or countries they regard as unethical. Council further notes that the new guidelines, which will amend Pensions and Procurement, follow on from the government’s announcement made at the beginning of October 2015 that it was planning to introduce new rules to stop “politically motivated boycott and divestment campaigns” (Greg Clarke, Secretary of State for the Department of Communities and Local Government).
Oldham Council is proud of its commitment to human rights and to putting this into practice through such measures as an ethical approach to its relationship with business. Council believes that the proposed measures now being outlined by the DCLG will seriously undermine the Council’s ability to implement its commitment to ethical procurement and pensions investments.
Council also notes that the new guidelines represent a further, serious attack on local democracy and decision-making through a further restriction on councils’ powers. This is directly contrary to the government’s own stated commitment to the principle of localism, given a statutory basis by the Localism Act of 2011, which holds that local authorities are best able to do their job when they have genuine freedom to respond to what local people want, not what they are told to do by government.
This Council resolves to:
1). Instruct the Chief Executive to write to Greg Clarke, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to express Council’s unequivocal opposition to the proposed changes.
2). Write to Debbie Abrahams MP, Angela Rayner MP and Jim McMahon MP to ask them to use any parliamentary means available to oppose these proposals.”
RESOLVED that the Motion be rolled over to the next Council meeting.
Motion 3
Councillor Roberts MOVED and Councillor Dearden SECONDED the following motion:
“This Council notes the significant increase in demand for school places in Oldham and welcomes the necessary actions already taken including:
1. Setting up a better forecasting method looking at all available data on births, housing and new arrivals to enable forward planning.
2. Implementing an expansion programme to provide extra capacity. That includes plans to boost primary school places with a new three-form entry school on the former Grange School site, plus the expansion of places in Failsworth, Hollinwood and Lees. A proposed new Saddleworth School will increase pupil numbers from 1,350 to 1,500 – and plans are also about to go out to statutory consultation to double the capacity at Greenfield primary with a new build two-form entry school.
Oldham Council will continue to work with the whole of the school sector including academies and free schools, however the range of providers makes planning school places much more challenging. Under the Government’s rules, all new schools to help cope with this demand must be “free schools”, created outside of local authority control.
There are now fewer and fewer schools under the direct control of councils. This council believes that local authorities are well placed to act to ensure school places can be created on time – and in the right places.
This Council supports the LGA’s call for councils themselves to be able to open new schools, and to require academies to expand to meet local demand, where necessary. Council also resolves to instruct the Chief Executive to:
1). Write to the Secretary of State for Education to urge her to change the rules to allow Local Authorities to open new schools and to require academies to expand to meet local demand
2). Write to the three borough MPs to inform them of the council’s position and request that they use whatever parliamentary means available to raise this matter with government
Without debate the Council moved to the vote on the MOTION.
On being put to the vote FIFTY ONE VOTES were cast in FAVOUR of the MOTION with FIVE ABSTENTIONS. The Motion was therefore CARRIED.
RESOLVED that:
1. The Council support the LGA’s call for councils themselves to be able to open new schools, and to require academies to expand to meet local demand, where necessary.
2. The Chief Executive be instructed to write to the Secretary of State for Education to urge her to change the rules to allow Local Authorities to open new schools and to require academies to expand to meet local demand.
3. The Chief Executive be instructed to write to the three borough MPs to inform them of the council’s position and request that they use whatever parliamentary means available to raise this matter with government.