(15 minutes for public questions and 25 minutes for Councillor questions)
Minutes:
The Mayor advised the meeting that the next item on the agenda 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 screens in the Council Chamber.
The following questions had been submitted.
1. Question received from Catherine Birtles via email:
“I wish to ask a question ‘How can we trust this man’ Councillor Azad has been found guilty of breaking the immigration rules and falsifying paye records. How can this man be trusted to act in a morale manner when he has proved he is willing to break the law.”
Councillor Jean Stretton, Leader of the Council responded that she had responded to previous emails from Mrs. Birtles and that the Council had no powers to force Councillor Azad to stand down. A Councillor was only automatically disqualified if the offence was criminal and a sentence of more than three months was given. She had already assured Mrs. Birtles that she did not condone the breaches of HMRC and Immigration rules referred to. For that reason the Labour party had invoked its own disciplinary procedures and as the process was ongoing, the Leader was unable to provide further detail at this stage.
2. Question asked by Denis Baker:
“I wish to ask this question at Council on 9/11/16. I am not happy about the parking restriction for the houses and flats on Britannia Avenue about supposed charge to parking. Also this consultation is very restrictive in that you need a computer to make your views so I have to let you know my feelings. I do not drive or have a car it is saying I am going to have to pay so I can have Visitors Park outside my house. This is not right. I only have a few people come over the month and now they’ll not want to come because of this fear of having a ticket.”
Councillor Fida Hussain, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services responded that at this moment in time charging for passes in residents schemes was a proposal at consultation stage. The consultation would close on 18 November when all responses would be collated and considered before any final decisions were made. Comments received by letter were also being noted and the points raised by Mr. Baker would be considered as part of this process. When consultation letters were sent out, it would be followed up.
3. Questions received from Melanie Platt via email, Jackie Stanton via email and Dennis Graham via email:
“In the light of the recent announcement can the council confirm that Marks & Spencers are still intending to come to Oldham, and that the store will be opening on time in the early part of 2017? Work does not appear to have commenced on the site and M&S head office have on two separate occasions confirmed to me that they have no plans to open an Oldham store within the next two years.”
“In view of today’s announcement that Marks & Spencer intend closing stores and changing existing stores into food only outlets. How certain is the Leader of the Council and the CEO of the council that Marks & Spencer still intend to build a new store in Oldham.”
“With today’s announcement of the Marks and Spencer store closures, and movement away from clothing retail, to a more foodhall concentrated economy. Would this mean that the new M&S store scheduled for Princes Gate is now in jeopardy, and is it probable that the arrangement could be cancelled completely?”
Councillor Jean Stretton, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Economy and Enterprise responded that the Council and Marks and Spencer had entered into a legal agreement in December 2014 for the delivery of a full range department store at Prince’s Gate. Planning approval was recently granted and tenders for the building works were due to be returned to the Council shortly. Construction was due to commence in Spring 2017 for a late 2018 opening. Officers were in regular contact with Marks and Spencer and their advisors. The Council was confident that there was currently every indication they were fully committed to Oldham. It was not believed that the Marks and Spencer’s announcement over store closures would have an impact on Prince’s Gate as Marks and Spencer were proceeding to open new full line stores in areas where they were under-represented such as Oldham.
4. Question received from Parish Councillor Paul Turner:
“Winter is here could OMBC look at introducing grit bins at key locations in Shaw & Crompton. Where grit wagons fail to get?”
Councillor Fida Hussain, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services responded that as part of the Council’s winter maintenance service the Council supplied self-help grit bins for public use on public roads and pavements. There were currently 637 grit bins throughout the Oldham borough which were located at prominent locations and potentially dangerous road junctions not already treated as part of the primary gritting network. Bins could be requested at specific locations via the Council’s website where all requests were assessed against the Council’s specific criteria.
5. Question received from Susan Butterworth via Facebook:
“Can you enlighten me as too why the refuse bins are not being emptied at the 5 bungalows on violet hill court, we had no problems until we went to 3 weekly collections. I have had to ring up every week but still waiting.”
Councillor Brownridge, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Cooperatives responded that she had asked officers to contact Ms. Butterworth to sort out the problem.
6. Question received from Diane Stokes via Twitter:
“Does the land at Cowlishaw still have OPOL classification? What was the selection criteria for the GMSF sites proposed in the draft plan? Who made the final decision on which sites in the Borough should be allocated for development in GMSF plan?”
Councillor Brownridge, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Cooperatives responded that Cowlishaw remained OPOL land if or until it was amended formally by the GMSF or Local Plan process. The sites firstly had to be of strategic size for consideration as part of the GMSF consultation. Beyond this, the following was taken into account:
· Concentrated new industrial and warehousing development along or close to motorway corridors to make the best use of existing transport infrastructure;
· Choose locations adjacent to the existing urban area where possible, to minimise the effects on open countryside and the green belt;
· Where large sites were necessary, it was preferred where practical Oher Protected Open Land for development rather than Green Belt or choosing areas where Green Belt conditions had changed;
· Ensured that a site would allow a range of housing sites which met a variety of different housing requirements;
· Minimised the effects on strategic green infrastructure;
· Choose sites where physical ownership and viability constraints did not rule out development; and
· Choose sites that could be served by new infrastructure if existing infrastructure was inadequate.
The decision on what would initially be put forward by Oldham was made by a combination of Planning and Regeneration Officers, Councillors and members of the Local Plan Members Group. However, it was asked to be noted that what was put forward were initial thoughts and the sites had not and would not be confirmed unit the views obtained from the GMSF consultation had been properly considered.
7. Question received from Syed Maruf Ali via email:
“I am writing to you about your progress on implementing the adult autism strategy, Fulfilling and rewarding lives, in Oldham Local Authority. The autism strategy, and accompanying statutory guidance, came about as a result of the Autism Act 2009. The strategy sets out key actions and recommendations to be taken forward by local authorities and the NHS in order to improve outcomes for adults with autism, and the support that they and their families receive. I would like to know what is happening in our local authority and what partnership work you are doing with NHS. I would like the local authority to share good practice examples, and you may want to publicise anything positive that you are doing. I would therefore be very grateful if you could answer the following points for me.
Do you have an autism lead, and if not when do you plan to appoint one?
Do you have an autism partnership board or equivalent multi-agency planning group to plan the development of local services? If so, how can People of Oldham find out more about getting involved?
Have you developed a local commissioning plan for services for adults with autism? If so, how can people of Oldham see it?
Do you have a pathway in place for diagnosis and assessment of adults with suspected autism? If not, when will this be developed?
Do you have a plan to specifically include the needs of adults with autism in the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA)?
Have community care assessors been given specific autism awareness training? If not, is there a plan for when this will happen?
Has autism awareness training been included as part of your standard equality and diversity training? If not, is there a plan for when this will happen?
Have you completed the Department of Health’s local self-assessment framework?
I would grateful if you could tell me the answers to these points.”
Councillor Harrison, Cabinet Member for Social Care and Safeguarding responded that there was a Head of Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism. Autism Way Forward was Oldham’s Partnership Board and was well publicised through various parent/carer forums. More information was available by contacting Claire Hill. The final draft of the Autism Strategy was going to Cabinet for approval on 19th December 2016. Following approval, it would be published on the Council’s website and shared as widely as possible. There was a diagnosis and post-diagnosis support work stream which was outlined in the strategy. This was chaired by a Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) commissioner who were the lead in the pathway and had good engagement. The JSNA were not currently included but enquiries would be made. Work was ongoing with the GM Autism Consortium to provide training to staff. It was not confirmed what there was currently but enquiries would be made and should be embedded as part of the intention to make Oldham an Autism Aware Borough. It was confirmed that the Department of Health’s local assessment framework had been completed.
At this point in the meeting, the Mayor advised that time limit for this item had expired.
The Mayor reminded Members that the Council had previously agreed that questions would be taken in an order which reflected the political balance of the Council. The following questions were submitted by Councillors on Ward or District Matters:
1. Councillor Williams asked the following question:
“Can the relevant cabinet member provide an update as to progress on house building schemes in my Hollinwood ward?”
Councillor Brownridge, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Cooperatives responded that two major residential developments were in progress in the Hollinwood Ward which included Rowan Tree Road/White Bank Road where Keepmoat were on site building 135 two, three and four bedroom homes for private sale and Durban Mill, Colenso Street where Countryside homes had received planning permission to build two, three and four bedroom houses for private rent and were due to start on site shortly.
2. Councillor Garry asked the following question:
“As Chair of the Failsworth and Hollinwood District Partnership, may I take this opportunity to congratulate our District Team on their nomination for the Pride of Oldham Award? It is wonderful to see residents taking the time and effort to thank them for their tireless work they do through out the year.”
Councillor Brownridge, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Cooperatives responded by thanking Councillor Garry for highlighting the nomination. It was great to see that residents appreciated the work the District team did throughout the year and was sure that members would agree that all the District teams did a wonderful job in working with members, residents, officers and partners for the improvement of neighbourhood working across the borough.
3. Councillor Toor asked the following question:
“The winter season is approaching very fast and its’s getting dark very quickly. I have noticed that it is becoming very difficult to read road signs because they are not very visible due to lots of dirt on them and lack of natural light or event street lights doesn’t help either. They need a good clean. There are also lots of fallen autumn leaves, they look beautiful but this time of the year that’s a very dangerous beauty to admire, especially if they are wet or have a bit of frost on them, they can become very slippery and dangerous to walk or drive on them. Or even dangerous for wheel chair or push chair users as well as elderly people or people with visual problems. To avoid the possibility of any accidents, can relevant cabinet member gives us the possible time scale when this will all be actioned.”
Councillor Fida Hussain, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services responded that during the Autumn season the Council switched from a normal sweeping schedule to Operation Leaf fall which allowed for the concentration of resources on tree lined stretches of roads that had higher concentrations of detritus and leaves. Council operations continued seven days a week and would only revert back to normal schedules when the leaves were largely cleared. Road signs were designed to reflect light either by the light attached to the signor the reflective material used to produce the sign. Councillor Hussain requested specific locations for investigation.
4. Councillor Gloster asked the following question:
“My ward colleagues and I have been contacted by local residents to say that when they are putting their bins out for collection, as per the recycling/refuse removal dates provided to them by this Council, they have found that neighbours on the same collection route have been given information that is at odds with each other i.e. grey bin/blue bin on same date. I am worried that any confusion will not help foster community co-operation in achieving the recycling rates that we all wish to see so can I ask the Cabinet Member responsible how this has occurred and how the issue is to be rectified?”
Councillor Brownridge, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Cooperatives responded that with the collection change there had been one or two hiccups, but the changeover had been as smooth as it could have been. Residents could check collection dates on the website using their postal code and she asked members to pass that information along. The error had been resolved. Some residents had referred to old calendars. The Cabinet Member encouraged members that if there were any issues to get in touch with her in order for them to be investigated. There had been a reduction in residual waste since the introduction of the new scheme.
5. Councillor G. Alexander asked the following question:
“Could the relevant cabinet member look into why the contractors have not completed roads on Sholver and Derker to the standard required by the council – they have left grids protruding out of the roads?”
Councillor Fida Hussain, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services responded that he had asked officers to visit the areas where the works remained outstanding or were not completed to standards. He confirmed that appropriate action would be taken and asked for details of the affected streets.
6. Councillor McLaren asked the following question:
“Residents of Chadderton Central Ward are becoming increasingly concerned regarding the condition of the water in the Rochdale Canal, residents regularly report signs of oil and a large amount of algae. Could the relevant Cabinet Member please advise what steps are being taken to alleviate this situation?”
Councillor Brownridge, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Cooperatives responded that the responsibility lied with the Canal and River Trust and that officers had reported it.
7. Councillor Moores asked the following question:
“I am sure that you will all be aware that Mr Hardial Heyer, Headteacher of The Radclyffe School, was recently presented with the Pearson’s Secondary Headteacher of the Year Award. Will the cabinet member for education join with me in congratulating Mr Heyer.”
Councillor Chadderton, Cabinet Member for Education & Early Years responded that that this was the best question ever received and took pride that Mr. Heyer had been awarded Headteacher of the Year. Mr. Heyer was the longest serving headteacher. He had taken the Ofsted report outcome personally and did not hide but had come out fighting. This was the second outstanding school in Oldham and it was an immense achievement. Chadderton members had been heavily involved. She personally offered her congratulations on the achievement.
8. Councillor Harkness asked the following question:
“Street lighting maintenance – under the PFI Street lighting scheme new street lights are now maintained by EON. I am sure the cabinet member, like all of us, is well aware of the difficulties that occurred during the installation process. The problem now turns to maintenance. Under the contract, EON claim that the new lights automatically notify of defects and then they will act upon them. Can the cabinet member confirm whether this is taking place? The action, clearly is not however because I have noticed a number of lights out in my ward and reported them yet a considerable time later they remain defective. These are not in areas where there are just sheep but residential areas. As I had feared, the transfer of maintenance seems to be leading to a less satisfactory service. Can I therefore have the assurances from the cabinet member that the company are being scrutinised closely and financial penalties are imposed against the contractor when the response time is not in accordance with the PFI contractual agreement?”
Councillor Fida Hussain, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services responded that in the month of October the service provider attended to 347 street lighting faults where it had taken an average of 2.69 days to repair and it was assured that performance was monitored, however, it was appreciated that some faults were attributed to other factors such as electrical supply faults. Although the service provider was aware, they were reliant on third parties to carry out repairs which could sometimes extend the time for the fault to be repaired. Should there be any specific faults which caused concerns, it was requested that the street lighting team be advised who would investigate and make the necessary arrangements for the repairs to be carried out or advise on the current status of the fault.
9. Councillor Haque asked the following question:
“The junction of Middleton Road, Garforth Street and Peel Street in Chadderton has been the scene of a number of road traffic accidents. Ward Councillors were previously assured that traffic lights would be installed. Could the relevant Cabinet member please update on the progress so far?”
Councillor Fida Hussain, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services, responded that funding had been allocated and a scheme had been designed which addressed the road safety issues at the Middleton Road, Garforth Street and Peel Street junction in Chadderton. The measures would be introduced as part of a larger highway improvement scheme which included the full signalisation of the adjacent Middleton Road/Lansdowne Road Junction. The measures at the Garforth Street/Peel Street junction involve making Peel Street “One Way” away from Middleton Road thereby reducing the number of turning manoeuvres at this location. Traffic that wished to enter Middleton Road from Peel Street would be diverted toward Lansdowne Road where all turning manoeuvres and pedestrian facilities would be managed by new traffic signals. The works were programmed to start early in the New Year.
10. Councillor Roberts asked the following question:
“I am sure the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods will join me in condemning the thoughtless and selfish people who set fire to the children’s slide in Dogford Park in Royton North. Can she inform us of progress in replacing the slide so children can continue to enjoy the play area?”
Councillor Brownridge, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Cooperatives responded that she also condemned those individuals responsible. In order to minimise future problems, the slide would be replaced by a metal one. The slide would be a bespoke design and additional work would be required with the manufacturer. It was hoped to have the slide replaced before the Christmas break.
11. Councillor Shuttleworth asked the following question:
“Taking into consideration the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework proposals, would the relevant Cabinet Member advise how many house building protects, given planning permission within the borough during the last three years, have yet to see a spade dug in the ground.”
Councillor Brownridge, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Cooperatives responded that the total number of residential applications over the last three years was 229. The total number of these sites which had commenced was 58. Therefore, 25% of the development on sites which had residential applications approved over the last three years had commenced.
12. Councillor Sheldon asked a question which regarded the possibility of the post office in Greenfield closing due to post office reinvention. Councillor Sheldon assured members that the post office was a busy place, especially with banking services. There was a lack of alternative premises. Councillor Sheldon had spoken to the sub-postmaster and the paper shop may be able to take over. Tesco did not want it. In the event of the paper shop being unable to take over, he asked if the Council would be able to put some persuasion to speak to Tesco to take over the post office in the future?
Councillor Brownridge, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Cooperatives responded that the issues had been raised by local ward members and former Councillor Richard Knowles who had made representations to the Post Office and she would do the same. She shared the concerns of the loss of the post office in the village which should be protected. She was not sure of any influence with Tesco but may have influence with the Post Office. Representations would be made to ensure a post office presence in the village.
13. Councillor Briggs asked the following question:
“I have noticed a large number of street lights which are illuminated during daylight hours, in my ward and elsewhere in the borough. I have reported many, however, the faults have not been rectified. Can the Cabinet Member responsible take action to ensure that this problem is rectified as soon as possible?”
Councillor Fida Hussain, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services responded that the Street Lighting PFI core investment program had recently been completed which had seen over 23,000 new assets installed through the Borough which had the functionality to dim the lighting which had been utilised and had seen a marked reduction in energy consumption and CO2 emissions, however, there had been some technical issues on setting the apparatus on the remote monitoring system during the replacement program, the project had entered into the maintenance period where faults of this nature had been prioritised and the service provider currently had two dedicated teams rectifying the faults which had seen a significant reduction in the number of day burning lights where progress was being monitored on a weekly basis. Should there be any specific faults which caused concern, it was requested that the street lighting client team be advised who would investigate and make the necessary arrangements or the repairs to be carried out or advise on the current status of the fault and feedback on completion.
14. Councillor Malik asked the following question:
“Can the relevant cabinet member update us about any development plan for the on derelict land on Ellen Street, it has been in private ownership for considerable length of time and it is a eyesore for residents and for visitors to Oldham using the bypass.”
Councillor Brownridge, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Cooperatives responded that officers had been in contact with the owners to bring the site forward for development.
15. Councillor Qumer asked the following question:
“Can the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Cooperatives comment on the implementation of the new bin collection rota, and in particular any issues arising in St Mary’s Ward?”
Councillor Brownridge, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Cooperatives responded that the roll out of the new collection system had been as smooth as it could have been. There was good news in that there had been a drop in the grey bin waste collected of over 850 tonnes and a significant improvement in recycling. This had been demonstrated by the number of requests for bigger recycling bins. There was a commitment by the public to make this work. Householders were in the main putting bins out on the correct days. Where this was not the case, households were being communicated with through bin tags and collection calendars. This had been the pattern in St. Mary’s as well, the vast majority of residents were putting the right bins out and there were no issues of note. The Cabinet Member reiterated that if residents were unclear to check the website and if there were any issues to please report them to her.
16. Councillor Blyth asked the following question:
“Illegal containers at the Wrens Nest – can the Cabinet Member please provide me with an update on Council action to remove the illegal containers stored at the Wrens Nest site adjacent to the car wash, which has now put in a retrospective planning application for its use?”
Councillor Brownridge, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Cooperatives responded that the application for the vehicle car sales use of the site did not affect the containers which were currently located on the site. However, the application proposed to place cars on display for sale on top of the containers which enabled the stock to be viewed from Milnrow Road. The containers were existing below ground level, not visually obtrusive and had been in this location for some time. It was difficult to provide grounds for the Council to justify planning enforcement for their removal. However, planning officers would make every effort to work the applicant to improve this aspect. Councillor Brownridge added that as she did not know the site, if this response was not satisfactory to let her know.
At this point in the meeting, the Mayor advised that time limit for this item had expired.
RESOLVED that the questions and the responses provided be noted.