(time limit 30 minutes)
Motion 1
Councillor Fielding to MOVE and Councillor Kirkham to SECOND:
Council notes:
· The announcement on 20/07/17 by Conservative Transport Secretary Chris Grayling MP that the electrification of the Sheffield-Kettering, Oxenholme-Windermere and Cardiff-Swansea railway lines will not take place.
· The Transport Secretary’s comments as part of this announcement that electrification of the Manchester-Leeds railway line may be too difficult.
Council further notes:
· The announcement on 24/07/2017 of the approval of the £30 billion Crossrail 2 scheme in London.
· Northern Powerhouse rail, an investment programme which included the now cancelled electrifications and the electrification of the Manchester-Leeds line, was pledged on page 24 of the Conservative Party manifesto for the 2017 General Election.
· Crossrail was not featured at all in the Conservative Party manifesto.
Council supports the electrification of the east-west transpennine railway between Manchester and Leeds. Council recognises the benefits that the electrification of this line, which passes through the Borough of Oldham, would deliver for local people.
Council resolves to:
· Instruct the Chief Executive to write to Transport Secretary Chris Grayling setting out our support for the full electrification of this line.
· Call on our three MPs to lobby the government to deliver the planned electrification as promised.
Motion 2
Councillor Ali to MOVE and Councillor Mushtaq to SECOND:
This Council notes;
1. The rise from 128 households in 2015/16, to 245 in 2016/17 and to 182 to August 2017 receiving a formal decision on homelessness from Oldham Council
2. The rise in the number of households placed in temporary accommodation, including in Bed and Breakfast
3. The reducing number of social housing lettings year by year
We recognise that the causes of homelessness can be complex and that one response is the new Homelessness Reduction Act which places new duties on Local Authorities to prevent homelessness, however additional steps and funding are needed to tackle the growing problem of homelessness in Oldham.
This Council believes that this latest increase in homelessness is directly linked to the government’s austerity policy: the squeeze on the incomes of the working poor and welfare reform have combined to increase mortgage repossessions and evictions due to rent arrears while reducing benefit support for housing costs, particularly for younger people. The roll out of the Universal Credit Full Digital Service increases rent arrears and homelessness as Universal Credit is paid up to 10 weeks in arrears and landlords can start the eviction process once tenants are eight weeks in arrears.
This Council calls on government to take an integrated approach to homelessness and to rethink welfare policies which exclude younger people from housing support, make housing unaffordable for large families and lead to evictions due to built in delays in payments.
This Council resolves to
1. Work with partners in Oldham to implement the new Housing Reducation duties as effectively as possible
2. continue to do all it can to mitigate the impact of government policy e.g by supporting Oldham Nightstop and Oldham Reconnect to help young people
3. Investigate ways of increasing housing supply e.g. by improving access to private sector tenancies
4. Campaign for: changes to Universal Credit to get payments started as soon as a successful claim has been made; to reinstate support for housing costs for 18-21 year olds and to ensure that Universal Credit meets the cost of temporary accommodation including for households in bed and breakfast
5. Instruct the Chief Executive to wrote to the borough’s three MPs outlining our concerns and asking them to do all they can to achieve changes outlined above
Motion 3
Councillor Roberts to MOVE and Councillor S. Bashforth to SECOND:
This council notes that:
1. DEFRA published the policy paper ’Air Quality Plan for nitrogen dioxide’ in July 2017 which sets out the Government’s strategy to reduce nitrogen dioxide pollution and promises to make the UK a global leader in air quality
2. Evidence from the World Health Organisation, Public Health England and the Royal College of Physicians outlines the damaging impact of poor air quality on our health, disproportionally affecting children, older people, people with pre-existing heart conditions and people on lower incomes
3. Oldham has been designated as “urban with major conurbation”, which puts us in the top 23% most urban Local Authority Districts. DEFRA has also placed Oldham within the “above the legal limit but no feasibility study needs to be done” category for air pollution, showing that Oldham’s urban nature affects the levels of pollution within the area.
4. Oldham’s nitrogen dioxide level is above the legal limit
5. Oldham is making progress towards reaching the legal limit and is expected to achieve this by 2021, however more can be done
This council welcomes the Air Quality Plan as far as it goes, but believes that action needs to be taken at a local, Greater Manchester and national level to increase the rate of progress and keep levels to the legal limit in the future.
This council resolves
1. To ask the Health and Well Being Board’s Air Quality Sub Group to move as quickly as possible to produce an Air Quality Improvement Scheme for Oldham which should include what we as individuals can do, as well as action by Oldham Council and by Greater Manchester bodies
2. To press Transport for Greater Manchester and Greater Manchester Combined Authority to develop a more inclusive approach to improving air quality including
a. Improving orbital public transport links
b. Improving connectivity between city centres e.g. by revising the Low Carbon Strategy to include measures which will help Oldham
c. Investing in cycling lanes and facilities in the outer boroughs
3. To inform and support the Greater Manchester bid for the maximum possible funding from the Clean Air Fund to support local action
4. To support the wider use of low emission vehicles e.g. by encouraging the installation of charging points for electric cars
Minutes:
Motion 1
The Chief Executive had been notified that Councillor Kirkham was unable to attend the meeting to second the Motion and notice had been given that Councillor Goodwin would second the motion in her absence which was AGREED.
Councillor Fielding MOVED and Councillor Goodwin SECONDED the following motion:
“Council notes:
· The announcement on 20/07/17 by Conservative Transport Secretary Chris Grayling MP that the electrification of the Sheffield-Kettering, Oxenholme-Windermere and Cardiff-Swansea railway lines will not take place.
· The Transport Secretary’s comments as part of this announcement that electrification of the Manchester-Leeds railway line may be too difficult.
Council further notes:
· The announcement on 24/07/17 of the approval of the £30 billion Crossrail 2 scheme in London.
· Northern Powerhouse rail, an investment programme, which included the now cancelled electrifications and the electrification of the Manchester-Leeds line, was pledged on page 24 of the Conservative Party manifesto for the 2017 General Election.
· Crossrail was not featured at all in the Conservative Party manifesto.
Council supports the electrification of the east-west transpennine railway between Manchester and Leeds. Council recognises the benefits that the electrification of this line, which passes through the Borough of Oldham, would deliver for local people.
Council resolves to:
· Instruct the Chief Executive to write to Transport Secretary Chris Grayling setting out our support for the full electrification of this line.
· Call on our three MPs to lobby the government to deliver the planned electrification as promised.”
Councillor Sykes spoke in support of the motion.
Councillor Ali spoke in support of the motion.
Councillor Hewitt spoke in support of the motion.
Councillor Roberts MOVED and Councillor Ali SECONDED that the motion be put to the vote.
Councillor Fielding exercised his right of reply.
A vote was then taken on the MOTION.
On being put the VOTE, the MOTION was CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
RESOLVED that:
1. The Chief Executive be instructed to write to the Transport Secretary Chris Grayling setting out the Council’s support for the full electrification of this line.
2. The three MP’s be called on to lobby the government to deliver the planned electrification as promised.
Motion 2
Councillor Ali MOVED and Councillor Mushtaq SECONDED the following motion:
“This Council notes:
1. The rise from 128 households in 2015/16, to 245 in 2016/17 and to 192 to August 2017 receiving a formal decision on homelessness from Oldham Council
2. The rise in the number of households placed in temporary accommodation, including in Bed and Breakfast
3. The reducing number of social housing lettings year by year
We recognise that the causes of homelessness can be complex and that one response is the new Homelessness Reduction Act which places new duties on Local Authorities to prevent homelessness, however additional steps and funding are needed to tackle the growing problem of homelessness in Oldham.
This Council believes that this latest increase in homelessness is directly linked to the government’s austerity policy: the squeeze on the incomes of the working poor and welfare reform have combined to increase mortgage repossessions and evictions due to rent arrears while reducing benefit support for housing costs, particularly for younger people. The roll out of the Universal Credit Full Digital Service increases rent arrears and homelessness as Universal Credit is paid up to 10 weeks in arrears and landlords can start the eviction process once tenants are eight weeks in arrears.
This Council calls on government to take an integrated approach to homelessness and to rethink welfare policies which exclude younger people from housing support, make housing unaffordable for large families and lead to evictions due to built in delays in payments.
This Council resolves to
1. Work with partners in Oldham to implement the new Housing Reducation duties as effectively as possible
2. Continue to do all it can to mitigate the impact of government policy e.g by supporting Oldham Nightstop and Oldham Reconnect to help young people
3. Investigate ways of increasing housing supply e.g. by improving access to private sector tenancies
4. Campaign for: changes to Universal Credit to get payments started as soon as a successful claim has been made; to reinstate support for housing costs for 18-21 year olds and to ensure that Universal Credit meets the cost of temporary accommodation including for households in bed and breakfast
5. Instruct the Chief Executive to wrote to the borough’s three MPs outlining our concerns and asking them to do all they can to achieve changes outlined above”
Councillor Ali did not exercise his right of reply.
A vote was then taken on the MOTION.
On being put the VOTE, the MOTION was therefore CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
RESOLVED that:
1. The Council work with partners in Oldham to implement the new Housing Reduction duties as effectively as possible.
2. The Council would continue to do all it could to mitigate the impact of government policy, e.g. by supporting Oldham Nightstop and Oldham Reconnect to help young people.
3. The Council would investigate ways of increasing housing supply, e.g. by improving access to private sector tenancies.
4. The Council would campaign for changes to Universal Credit to get payments started as soon as a successful claim had been made, to reinstate support for housing costs for 18-21 year olds and ensure that Universal Credit met the cost of temporary accommodation including households in bed and breakfast.
5. The Chief Executive be instructed to write to the borough’s three MPs outlining the Council’s concerns and ask them to do all they could to achieve the changes outlined above.
Motion 3
The Mayor informed the meeting that the time limit for this item had expired and Councillor Roberts as Mover of the Motion and Councillor S. Bashforth as Seconder of the Motion requested the Council permit the following Motion be rolled over for discussion at the next Council meeting.
“This council notes that:
1. DEFRA published the policy paper ’Air Quality Plan for nitrogen dioxide’ in July 2017 which sets out the Government’s strategy to reduce nitrogen dioxide pollution and promises to make the UK a global leader in air quality
2. Evidence from the World Health Organisation, Public Health England and the Royal College of Physicians outlines the damaging impact of poor air quality on our health, disproportionally affecting children, older people, people with pre-existing heart conditions and people on lower incomes
3. Oldham has been designated as “urban with major conurbation”, which puts us in the top 23% most urban Local Authority Districts. DEFRA has also placed Oldham within the “above the legal limit but no feasibility study needs to be done” category for air pollution, showing that Oldham’s urban nature affects the levels of pollution within the area.
4. Oldham’s nitrogen dioxide level is above the legal limit
5. Oldham is making progress towards reaching the legal limit and is expected to achieve this by 2021, however more can be done
This council welcomes the Air Quality Plan as far as it goes, but believes that action needs to be taken at a local, Greater Manchester and national level to increase the rate of progress and keep levels to the legal limit in the future.
This council resolves
1. To ask the Health and Well Being Board’s Air Quality Sub Group to move as quickly as possible to produce an Air Quality Improvement Scheme for Oldham which should include what we as individuals can do, as well as action by Oldham Council and by Greater Manchester bodies
2. To press Transport for Greater Manchester and Greater Manchester Combined Authority to develop a more inclusive approach to improving air quality including
a. Improving orbital public transport links
b. Improving connectivity between city centres e.g. by revising the Low Carbon Strategy to include measures which will help Oldham
c. Investing in cycling lanes and facilities in the outer boroughs
3. To inform and support the Greater Manchester bid for the maximum possible funding from the Clean Air Fund to support local action
4. To support the wider use of low emission vehicles e.g. by encouraging the installation of charging points for electric cars”
RESOLVED that the Motion be rolled over to the Council meeting to be held on 8th November 2017.