(15 minutes for public questions and 25 minutes for Councillor questions)
Minutes:
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 screens in the Council Chamber.
The following questions had been submitted:
1. Question received from Syed Maruf Ali via email:
“What duties do Oldham authorities have to children and young people with SEN/Disabilities? I would like to know how many EHC needs assessments have been carried out by the Oldham Authority? How many young people in Oldham has been referred for EHC plan but the panel decided not to assess for EHC plan? How many has been successful in getting a EHC plan? What percentage of young people in west oldham area are on EHC plan compared to other wards? Can you please break this down by age, gender and ethnicity. Once special educational provision has been specified in an EHC plan, the LA has a legal duty to provide it. This cannot be overruled by the LA’s SEN funding policy or internal funding arrangements including banding, matrixes, or notional SEN spending levels such as £6,000 or £10,000. Can you please share with the public the amount of resources/monies spent/used in west oldham compared with other wards in Oldham?”
Councillor Chadderton, Cabinet Member for Education and Early Years responded that under Part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014, legal duties were placed on Local Authorities (LAs) to identify and assess the special education needs (SEN) of children and young people for whom they were responsible. This, together with the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014 provided the legal framework for Oldham Council and partners in respect of Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND). Since September 2014, 716 assessments had been carried out, 151 had been referred for EHC plan which were not progresed and 705 had been successful in getting an EHC plan. The local authority did not currently collect data in a way that would allow comparisons between wards on EHCP data, resources or monies. The matter would be kept under review and reconsidered in the light of efficient use of resources and usefulness of the comparator data.
2. Question received from Paul Turner via email:
“I was shopping late last week in Shaw when the temperature was below zero and noticed a poor soul sleeping in a doorway on Market St. After buying food for him asked if he could not find shelter he told me he didn't know anywhere. Does OMBC have shelters & are they advertised?”
Councillor Brownridge, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Cooperatives responded that the Council did not have any specific shelters within the borough but did have cold weather provision in place for people who were sleeping rough in Oldham. During periods of very cold weather, short term accommodation would be provided to people who were at risk of sleeping rough. Threshold and Depaul UK, who were the supported accommodation providers in Oldham, were part of these arrangements. The commitment included the provision of somewhere to sleep along with food, warm drinks and access to washing and laundry facilities. Where people could not be placed into supported accommodation due to risk or any other issues, they would be placed by the Oldham Housing and Advice Service into bed and breakfast accommodation. The Oldham Housing and Advice Service, which included the Council’s Homelessness Services, was delivered by First Choice Homes Oldham in the centre of Oldham and anyone who was homeless or at risk of homelessness was encouraged to contact this service. The service was open Monday to Friday between 10.00 am and 5.00 p.m. and could be contacted on 0161 393 7117 and there was also an emergency 24-hour telephone line on 0800 988 7061for households to access homelessness services which included temporary accommodation outside of office hours.
Government guidance advised that Severe Weather Emergency Provision arrangements were triggered when the night time temperature was predicted to be zero degrees or below for three consecutive nights. In Oldham, Cold Weather Provision arrangements had always been slightly more generous and were based on any night that the temperature in Oldham was anticipated to drop to zero degrees or below.
3. Question received from Ann Coggan via Twitter:
“Those huge fireworks caused hundreds of pounds worth of damage to my car. Could have been worse! Organised displays only? Can those big rockets be banned?”
Councillor Brownridge, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Cooperatives responded that the Council encouraged everyone to enjoy Bonfire Night and attend organised events and displays only. Over the past few years the Council had organised its own large bonfire and fire work display and this had been very well attended. The Council was not in a position to ban the sale of fireworks.
4. Question received from Gareth Evans via email:
“Could you please ask the following on behalf of Hollinwood FC and Oldham Girls Football League Regarding Chapel Road at the next full meeting. We were originally told back in August Chapel Road was to shut and we expressed an interest in taking over the management of the site as a community club and football league. We were originally told that the tender process would be put out with the criterion to be agreed by Mid October and we would be informed by the council by email or phone call of the criterion. The deadline passed and after chasing up Mr Consterdine at the council we were informed that the criterion still hadn't been agreed but would be out early November. We have chased it up again in the middle of November and still no Criterion. We are now in December nearly 2 months past the original deadline and was wondering if the full council could please give us any idea when this criterion will be agreed. We are conscious that time is passing another season will soon be passed and the venue not manned could fall into disrepair with Vandalism etc. We are constantly be asked if you can hire the facility it which further proves it is a viable site.”
Councillor Moores, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing responded that the release of the Chapel Road synthetic pitch to the market had taken longer than originally anticipated and the Council was working through a number of issues which included the use by a local school. The Council would like to ensure that all of the issues were worked through beforehand in order not to delay the process longer term. The Council was keeping all those who had expressed an informal interest in the site up to date of the situation. The use of the pitch at the weekend including Hollinwood FC and the Girls league would continue and the site would continue to be maintained. A new timetable would be developed in January and be communicated to those who had expressed an interest.
5. Mr. Peter Brown asked the following question:
“What should a member of the public expect from Oldham Council and its Councillors, and what should Oldham Council and Councillors give back to the members of the public?”
The meeting was adjourned at 18.17 and reconvened at 18.32.
Councillor Bates was given a warning as to his conduct.
Councillor Stretton, Leader of the Council, responded to the question as submitted. The roles and functions of elected members were set out in Article 2 of the Constitution which was available online. Section 2.3 set out the roles and functions. Key roles included that all councillors collectively be the ultimate policy makers, carry out strategic and corporate management functions, represent their communities and bring their views into the Council’s decision making process, contributed to the good governance of the area and actively encourage citizen involvement in decision making, deal with individual casework and act as an advocate for constituents and effectively represent the interests of their ward and of individual constituents.
6. Question received from Susie McConnell via Twitter:
“Do those of us not having our steep lanes not gritted this winter (as advised by highways) receive a rate reduction? When will OMBC start recycling a wider variety of plastic? Plastic is killing our planet.”
Councillor F. Hussain, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services responded that it was not possible to treat every road on the network, however, the Council did have six primary gritting routes that covered over a third of the total highway network. These routes comprised the most heavily trafficked roads in the Borough. In general, they included classified “A” roads, the most important “B” roads, key bus routes and important local roads which served local communities. The Council had treated country lanes where possible over the last seven days and if Ms. McConnell could forward the location of the lane to which she was referring officers could be asked to advise specifically. However, the Council was not in a position to offer any rate reduction.
In response to Plastic recycling, there were really good reasons why only plastic bottles could be recycled in Greater Manchester. Manufacturers that make new products demanded high grade plastics. Plastics like yoghurt pots, margarine tubs and plastic trays were low grade plastics and manufacturers did not want these. The sorting machines could not sort between plastic pots, tubs and trays and plastic bottles and the low grade plastic contaminated the high grade plastic bottles. During the recycling process the plastic was melted. A plastic pot, tub and trays melted at different temperatures which mean the pots, tubs and trays contaminated the bottles and the batch could not be used to make new products. Other areas may collect plastic pots, tubs and trays, but currently very little was being recycled with most of it being turned into green energy. The low grade plastic pots, tubs and trays did not go to waste. Residents were asked to put them in their general rubbish bin and they were turned into green electricity.
7. Question received from Andy Hunter Rossall via email:
“Every year over 9 million tons of plastic is dumped in our oceans. By 2050 there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish. Much of this plastic is only used by humans for a few minutes before being binned or littered. Once in our oceans, plastic waste can injure and kill fish, seabirds and marine mammals, and some of the chemical additives can enter the food chain, ultimately ending up on our plates. What is the council doing to reduce the use of unnecessary Single Use Plastics (SUPs) in Oldham? Will the council commit to phasing out the use of unnecessary SUPs in its buildings and supply chains? Will the council write to the Environment Secretary, Michael Gove MP, and ask that he sets up a national plastic bottle deposit scheme? Will the council commit to supporting local businesses and individuals to reduce their use of SUPs?
Councillor Brownridge, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Cooperatives referred to the response to the previous question. The Council was also in constant negotiation with supermarkets and manufacturers with regard to single use plastics and talk about the general reduction of all sorts of packaging. There was no reason why a letter could not be sent to the Environment Secretary about a deposit recycling scheme as he had said recently that it seemed a good idea. No scheme had yet been introduced as it had not stacked up financially. If the Government got behind the scheme the Council would be happy to participate. The Council was doing what it could for the reduction of packaging within its gift and keep its own to a minimum.
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 Mushtaq asked the following question:
“The Gemini short breaks service in Netherhay Street is a service delivered jointly with Rochdale Council, can the relevant Cabinet Member outline the progress of this venture?”
Councillor Harrison, Cabinet Member for Social Care and Safeguarding responded that Gemini house was a short term respite provision for children and young people with disabilities and complex needs. In December 2015, the service had become a joint venture between Oldham and Rochdale Councils with a number of staff joining from Rochdale to provide a service for Oldham and Rochdale families. The service was Ofsted regulated and had a judgement of ‘Good’ in January 2016, however, over the summer period issues had arose regarding the amalgamation of the two teams which impacted directly on the delivery of the service. In October 2016, Ofsted inspected Gemini House and downgraded the judgement. Oldham Council immediately put an action plan in place that ultimately resulted in a change in management and staffing. It was necessary for the service to close to families for a period of 4 weeks to allow the manager and the staff to work together as a team for the issues highlighted by Ofsted to be resolved. The staff were committed to making the improvement for the children and families and as a result of the implementation of the plans, Ofsted revisited in January 2017 and graded the service as ‘Good’ in every judgement category. The service and staff team continued to strengthen the quality and care provided and were far more engaging of parents in the service. More recently Ofsted had revisited and the service continued to be judged as ‘Good’.
2. Councillor Iqbal asked the following question:
“Fly tipping in Werneth has increased recently, in particular in the Coppice neighbourhood, including 20 black bin bags dumped in the alleyway behind the mosque on Stuart St. Could the relevant Cabinet Member please give an update on the roll out of mobile cameras that have been piloted in some wards across the Borough to tackle this issue?”
Councillor Brownridge, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Cooperatives responded that the incident was investigated the same day and evidence was discovered in the black bags which resulted in a fixed penalty notice being issued to the culprit. Where flytipping happened regularly, officers gave consideration to the installation of deployable cameras, however, this was on a case-by-case basis and depended on the infrastructure being available in the neighbourhood. The Council had also introduced an online reporting service for flytipping which enabled the public to report an incident online and receive email updates that detailed the progress and when the flytipping had been removed.
3. Councillor McLaren asked the following question:
“On Broadway in Chadderton, close to The Henry Newman College there is a pedestrian crossing. I have received many complaints regarding this crossing, firstly that there is no audible signal when it is safe to cross and this is obviously an issue for those who have a visual impairment. It was also brought to my attention that this type of crossing (PUFFIN) utilises a system that senses when a pedestrian is waiting to cross, residents have raised the issue that on one side of the crossing the system is not picking up pedestrians unless they are stood very close to the carriageway. Could the cabinet member responsible for highways please address the concerns of residents using this very busy crossing?”
Councillor F. Hussain, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services, responded that traffic signal installations were the responsibility of Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) who had confirmed that audible signals could only be introduced at signal installations where pedestrians cross on an all red phase. If audible signals were introduced at installations where crossing was permitted at different times on different arms they could become confusing to pedestrians if they heard a signal for a different arm of the junction. Rotating cones had been provided for the blind/partially sighted which indicated when that particular arm of the junction could be crossed. With regards to the pedestrian detectors, TfGM had suggested that there was a problem with the kerbside pedestrian detectors for the crossing across Broadway. The matter had been reported to TfGM’s contractor who would check the operation and area of detection.
4. Councillor Murphy asked the following question:
“Drainage on Grampian Way has proven to be hydraulically inadequate the issue of raw sewage on especially rainy days has been ongoing for a number of years, in fact the road collapsed just a little way down due to a collapse in the drainage system.
In the last 14 months or so United Utilities have met with Oldham Council Officers - could the Cabinet Member for Environmental Services please update Crompton ward as to the outcome of this meeting?”
Councillor F. Hussain, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services responded that the Council had been leading the investigation and responsibilities lied between United Utilities (UU) and/or the private Riparian owner. UU were instructed to investigate the integrity of their assets at this location and they had confirmed that their assets had not defects. As such, it was concluded that surface water flooding was primarily a private issue and the responsible owner was advised to investigate and maintain their assets. The foul sewer flooding on Cotswold Way was a separate UU issue which occurred during a severe weather event. Unity would take up the issue with UU since the ‘continuing’ flooding had now been brought to the Council’s attention, however, again it was primarily a private issue between UU and the land owner.
5. Councillor Roberts asked the following question:
“Environmental Services have recently begun enforcement action against unauthorised signs on council and highway land outside Thornham Mill, however, it is proving difficult to proceed against signs on the mill itself as departments have differing views about who is responsible for taking action. Please could the relevant Cabinet Member sort out which council department has the responsibility to get these unauthorised signs removed? This lengthy saga highlights a wider issue about the proliferation of advertising signs across the borough and I wonder if it is possible to make business owners more aware of their responsibilities regarding this?”
Councillor F. Hussain, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services responded that planning enforcement action had been taken recently following a complaint regarding advertising boards as a number of businesses had erected signs on the public green space at the junction of Oozewood Road and Rochdale Road in Royton without planning permission. The wider issues regarding unauthorised advertising were recognised, however, the enforcement officer responsible had recently left the Council and recruitment of his replacement was currently underway. When the team was fully staffed, further work to make business owners more aware of their responsibilities on this point could be undertaken as suggested. More specifically, where reports of advertising boards were affecting the use of pavements, i.e. the public highway, were received, then control would fall to the Licensing team.
6. Councillor Larkin asked the following question:
“Royton North is badly served by public transport and I welcome the decision of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) to instruct TfGM to prepare an assessment of a Bus Franchising scheme and compare it to other options which include creating partnerships with operators. The assessment will enable the elected Mayor to make an informed decision on future reform of the bus market and whether to opt for a franchising scheme. Could the relevant Cabinet member assure me that the assessment will include criteria which will improve bus services for Royton residents such as integration of different modes of transport (so that Royton residents can get to the tram), direct services between Royton and Oldham Town centre, and value for money?”
Councillor F. Hussain, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services responded that the Bus Services Act 2017 granted the mayoral combined authority new options to improve bus services for passengers. On behalf of GMCA, TfGM was currently exploring new options to improve bus services and the creation of an integrated network, with a simplified fares system, offering great customer experience and value for money for the city region. This included the preparation of an assessment for a franchising scheme for Greater Manchester, and working with Greater Manchester’s bus operators to explore partnership options. The assessment of the franchising scheme currently being developed aimed to improve bus services by better meeting local demand to travel, whilst ensuring good access to town centres and local amenities such as housing, education, jobs and shopping. Better integration between bus services and other modes of travel such as the Metrolink and local train services was a key consideration. Work was also underway to develop a simpler fares and ticketing system. Greater Manchester’s proposals would be independently audited and subject to review by GMCA. Any future changes to the way the bus market in Greater Manchester was managed would be subject to a wide-ranging public consultation where passengers, residents, businesses and stakeholders would be asked to share their views on the proposals before the Mayor made a decision on how to proceed.
7. Councillor McCann asked the following question:
“I am delighted to see that the Police will once more have a zero tolerance campaign with regard to illegal, obstructive or dangerous parking in Uppermill this December. I can say that all of the Ward Councillors support this. Could the Cabinet Member confirm that as private hire cars continue to cause problems by parking on the High Street, including occupying disabled parking spots on occasion, that the Licensing Authority will support the Police initiative by taking action against offending drivers and notifying other local authorities, such as Tameside, where taxi drivers that are registered there cause problems here in Saddleworth?”
Councillor F. Hussain, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services confirmed that Licensing Officers from the Council were supporting the Police and had recently been working in the Saddleworth area to address these issues. This work would continue during December and where offenders were found, the relevant action would be taken. Other neighbouring local authorities had also been notified of the ongoing work.
8. Councillor Goodwin asked the following question:
“Because of the Rose Mill Development in Chadderton South, the development of two high quality playing fields has begun ?nearby off Granby Street. This was to compensate for the loss of the lower quality playing field which was incorporated as part of the housing development. Can I ask when the new high quality fields will be completed and brought into use and when the changing facilities will also be completed?”
Councillor Brownridge, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Cooperatives responded that work to lay the new pitches was completed in September 2017. However, the pitches playing surface now needed to bed-in. As such, they would be ready for use in September 2018. The changing facilities were to be tendered in January 2018. Only once this process was completed, would a timetable for their use be established.
9. Councillor Moores asked the following question:
“A new DPD Express Courier depot is currently under construction on the former BAE Systems site in Chadderton Central Ward. Could the relevant Cabinet Member please update us on progress so far and tell us when the facility will be open for business, how many people will be employed there and how many new jobs will be created?”
Councillor Stretton, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Economy and Enterprise responded that the site would be operational late Spring 2018. The development would initially create over 230 jobs (34 jobs based at the site with more than 200 drivers – with an expectation of rising to 64 site based workers by 2026). It was believed most were new jobs. The Get Oldham Working team would be meeting DPD in late January to develop a recruitment plan.
10. Councillor Malik asked the following question:
“Retiro Street in Oldham Town Centre is a one-way street running from Union Street to Yorkshire Street. Yorkshire Street is a one-way street running east from its junction with Saint Marys Way, and it is not permitted to turn left from Retiro Street onto Yorkshire Street. Unfortunately, many drivers are ignoring the ‘no left turn’ signs on Retiro Street to take a shortcut to Saint Marys Way. The actions of these inconsiderate drivers are inexcusable, and we are very fortunate that there has not been a serious accident. Could the Cabinet Member responsible for highways please tell us what action is being taken to protect pedestrians and innocent drivers?”
Councillor F. Hussain, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services responded that the Council was aware of the contravention problems currently being experienced at Retiro Street and consequently a scheme had been designed which would see the reversal of the one way working along Retiro Street and Queen Street to stop the contravention of the one way order along Yorkshire Street. As part of the one way reversal, Retiro Street was to be refurbished which had given the Highways Team an opportunity to redesign the footways along the street. The redesign would result in a wider carriageway width which meant larger vehicles would no longer need to mount the footway to gain access along the street. There were some formalities to be approved with Transport for Greater Manchester and the Police, but all being well the scheme would be implemented early in the New Year.
11. Councillor Sheldon asked a question related to the Saddleworth Sports Facility in Uppermill. Two large recycling bins had been removed that were located on the sports centre car park which had originally been located at the museum. Would the bins be replaced?
Councillor Brownridge, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Cooperatives responded that she would find out and let Councillor Sheldon know.
12. Councillor Chauhan asked the following question:
“Recent weather has caused significant problems for travellers and several Alexandra Ward residents have raised concerns about gritting. Could the relevant cabinet member explain the criteria used to decide priority routes?”
Councillor F. Hussain, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services, responded that he was not aware of any significant disruption to travel in the Oldham area during the recent cold weather. It was not possible to treat every road on the network, however, the Council did have six primary gritting routes that covered over a third of the total highway network. These routes comprised the most heavily trafficked roads in the Borough. In general they included the classified “A” roads, the most important “B” roads, key bus routes and important local roads serving local communities. The gritting teams had worked continuously since Thursday of the previous week and had received a significant number of positive comments from both the public and elected members. Councillor Hussain congratulated the team for the hard work being done in dangerous conditions.
13. Councillor McLaren asked the following question:
“The Ancora car park adjacent to the Crossley playing fields, is heavily used by local football teams on match days. Unfortunately not all of our residents appreciate this facility, the car park is constantly subject to fly tipping and ASB and this is a grave concern for local residents. Could the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, please tell us what if any action is being taken to prevent fly tipping and ASB in this area?”
Councillor Brownridge, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Cooperatives responded that a partnership meeting had been held on 28th November to discuss the issues occurring upon the car park, which was Council owned. A number of environmental measures were now being considered to secure the area. This included fencing of the area of concern and a lockable gate. It was proposed that the gate would be locked during the week and only opened at weekends for defined periods of time to allow access for those engaged in football activity. The installation of knee high fencing on the grassed area was also being considered to prevent vehicular access and associated damage being caused.
14. Councillor Dean asked the following question:
“Could the Cabinet member responsible for Education , update me on the governance arrangements for Clarksfield School, and any changes envisaged in the near future.”
Councillor Chadderton, Cabinet Member for Education and Early Years responded that Clarksfield Primary School was placed in Special Measures in May 2017. The Governing Body was deemed to be ineffective and an Interim Executive Board (IEB) had been put in place in order to enable the school to improve as quickly as possible. As the school was placed in Special Measures, it was a statutory requirement that Clarksfield became a sponsored academy. Discussions were ongoing with the Oasis Academy Trust with a view to Clarksfield to joining that trust in 2018. No exact timescale had yet been set for the date of the conversion. At the point of conversion, it was for the academy trust to determine any governance arrangements.
15. Councillor Gloster asked the following question:
“Will the Cabinet Member join me in condemning the apparent new craze in Shaw of truck surfing, whereby young people are jumping onto the rear of articulated goods vehicles in Shaw Town Centre and riding along until the vehicle comes to a halt again. This practice is highly dangerous not only to the young people involved but also to other road users who may have to react to avoid a collision. Can I ask the Cabinet Member if he is willing to engage with the police, youth service ?and local haulage companies to explore what outreach work can be done to nip this in the bud before a tragedy occurs?”
Councillor Brownridge, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Cooperatives likewise condemned the new craze and responded that road safety bulletins were being undertaken with both primary and secondary schools by the Casualty Reduction Team. She also responded that the Detached Youth Team had been asked to include road safety within their work and to reinforce the message about the dangers. Officers from the Council would continue to work with Greater Manchester Police and action would be taken as appropriate against any person identified as being involved. It was recognised that the opportunity for young people to jump onto the trucks had arisen due to the level of traffic congestion at peak times in the area. A longer term response to the congestion issue was being considered with ongoing dialogue occurring between officers from the Highways Team and Elected Members.
At this point in the meeting, the Mayor advised that the time limit for this item had expired.
RESOLVED that the questions and the responses received be noted.