(time limit 30 minutes – maximum of 2 minutes per question and 2 minutes per response)
Minutes:
The Leader of the Main Opposition, Councillor Sykes, raised the following two questions:
Question 1:
“My first question tonight concerns the latest developments or lack of them at Princes Gate. When plans for this site at Oldham Mumps were first unveiled in November 2014, former Council Leader Jim McMahon described them as a ‘game-changer for the new Oldham’.
Now we are three years on and we have yet to hear the details of who will replace Marks and Spencer as the flagship retailer on this gateway site. Embarrassingly there are still many graphics in the town centre and elsewhere on display showing Marks and Spencer at the heart of this development.
This saga seems to be lasting as long as Game of Thrones – but it is not so captivating, bloody or exciting. Businesses in the area, local residents and many others want and need to know what is happening – the silence is deafening.
Earlier this year we were promised an announcement in the near future and that was five months ago. Has a commercial deal been struck? Did Cabinet approve a deal for Princes Gate in June? So why such a long delay in making an announcement? Now five months on from the Cabinet meeting earlier this year and still now news. I am sure lots of people in our Borough will be keen to hear what is going on and what the plan is? It is long overdue some ‘game-changing’ on this site started to happen would the Leader of the Council agree.”
Councillor Stretton, Leader of the Council, agreed that it needed to happen soon. It needed to be understood that whilst deals may have been struck, there were formal commercial arrangements which had to be put in to place before formal announcements could be made. As soon as formal announcements were able to be made, they would be.
Question 2:
“For my second question tonight I would like to turn to another issue that is currently of great public interest and concern. I am sure that colleagues in this chamber will have been as unsettled as I was to hear news of seemingly widespread instances of sexual harassment in Parliament.
Such reprehensible behaviour will bring Parliament further into disrepute; something we as Councillors should very much regret as this will also further undermine the electorate’s overall faith in the functioning of any aspect of British democracy – including that of local government.
Prime Minister Theresa May has indicated that she will be instituting a new code of conduct in Parliament and we must hope that this will help address the issue. Tonight I would like to ask the Leader for reassurance that here at Oldham Council we are one step ahead of the crowd in having robust and exemplar policies regarding sexual harassment in place. Policies that enable and encourage those amongst our staff, or indeed our elected officials, who suffer this indignity to report such incidents. That we have a support network in place for victims. All such reports will be rigorously investigated. Offenders will be swiftly disciplined. But we also provide protection from malicious allegations.
Apparently in Parliament an idea is being explored that staff will be able to report concerns to an external, independent body. I would suggest to the Leader that perhaps to make our own procedures even more robust this might be worthy of consideration? But above all, I would like the Leader tonight to strongly affirm that we at Oldham Council have a policy of zero tolerance for such behaviour, whether it is by an employee, senior officer, contractor, partner or councillor.”
Councillor Stretton, Leader of the Council, agreed for the measures to be in place. The Leader agreed and reassured that policies and procedures were in place and was happy for these to be re-examined to ensure that they were fit for purpose. A commitment was given to speak to the Chief Executive about arrangements in place and to take on board the suggestion of reporting to an external body. The range of issues which could occur included cases of harassment and sometimes malicious allegations being made. The Leader was committed that the Council was a place where people were treated fairly whether they be victims or falsely accused. The matter would be taken seriously.
Councillor Sheldon asked a question related to staff sharing. Councillor Sheldon asked if would it be possible to offer the assistance of District Partnership staff to ease other departments under pressure. For example the following is such a case where secretarial staff could speed up necessary work. Flooding at Arthurs Lane Greenfield caused problems to residential properties and Shaw Street School. The cause had been identified by the highways team as a major drain which needed replacing. The funds were likely to be available from the EA, but this required a comprehensive report which lists in detail those affected, the solution and costing for such work.
With secretarial help this report could have been completed months ago and the work possibly completed. To date the report had not been filed with the EA. Councillor Sheldon had great admiration for the work staff carried out, but he did think some jobs could be speeded with a little help.
Councillor Stretton, Leader of the Council, requested that Councillor Sheldon provide details of the root of the issue in order to ask senior officers to review what could be done.
The Mayor reminded the meeting that Council had agreed that, following the Leaders’ allocated questions, questions would be taken in an order which reflected the political balance of the Council.
1. Councillor Toor asked the following question:
“Young people sitting their GCSEs this summer coped with big changes including a new marking method – how confident is the Cabinet Member for Education that examiners understood the new system and were fully trained in the new marking to ensure our children’s hard work has not gone to waste? Can she tell us if there are any plans to evaluate this change?”
Councillor Chadderton, Cabinet Member for Education and Early Years responded that that the local authority was not responsible for assuring the quality of national examinations. The role was undertaken by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) which regulated qualifications, examinations and assessments in England. Councillor Chadderton understood that examiners were evaluated every summer to ensure there were not many variances.
2. Councillor Ali asked the following question:
“I have been contacted by parents who have been rejected home to school transport. It is likely that stringent criteria have been put in place to meet allocated budget costs. This clearly denies a lot of parents that essential service. These are families who are under immense pressure from all angles. I would be interested to know, how much budget is allocated to this service; and if consideration can be given in reviewing the criteria and hopefully increasing the budget so that more families can benefit from this essential service.”
Councillor Chadderton, Cabinet Member for Education and Early Years responded that the current overall budget was set at £1,636,670 which was forecast to overspend. The service supported 510 children and young people. There was no proposal to review the policy as a full review had been carried out last year and agreed at Cabinet. There was an appeals process in place for those whose applications were rejected. Applicants had an opportunity to present their case in person to members.
3. Councillor McLaren asked the following question:
“Could the Cabinet Member for Social Care and safeguarding, please tell us how many LAC Champions we currently have in Oldham and describe the impact that they are having on the lives of some of our most vulnerable young people. Could they also advise us how the Champions are recruited and what training they receive prior to taking up the role?”
Councillor Harrison, Cabinet Member for Social Care and Safeguarding responded that the Children’s Champion scheme had been in existence for approximately 4 years. The aims of the Children’s Champions Scheme were:
· Senior Decision Makers (Champions) within Oldham Council and our partners to gain a greater understanding of the needs of Looked After Children and care leavers
· Young people to build positive and meaningful relationships with Champions that supported the achievement of positive outcomes
· Young people to be given the opportunity to gain work experience
· Young people to be provided with an advocate who could champion a quality experience from services provided for Looked after Children and care leavers.
There were currently 14 champions within the scheme which included officers from Oldham Council, Elected Members, Police and Health. Champions were recruited via the manager’s brief, corporate parenting panel and information passed to senior officers in partner agencies. Interested people put in an expression of interest and undertook a one-to-one induction training meeting with the participation officer. Sixteen young people had benefitted from the scheme in the last two years. Outcomes for champions included an improved knowledge and understanding of how the care system worked, the ability to gain a better understanding of Looked After Children and care leavers needs and experiences, the ability to create a rewarding and meaningful relationship with a young person and a rewarding and enriching experience. Outcomes for young people included the development of positive relationships with trusted adults who were role models, support and guidance on a range of issues, new opportunities and experiences and development of confidence and self-esteem. Specific outcomes for individual young people had included gaining an apprenticeship, gaining work experience opportunities, support with placement moves, support to move from unsuitable accommodation, successful appeal for a secondary school placement and attendance at events.
4. Councillor Murphy asked the following question:
“At the same time that this Administration is talking about the upsurge in trade in the Independent Quarter and the possibility of an enhanced retail offer at Princes Gate, Lendy, an investment loans company published research in August showing Oldham as having the largest decline in retail planning applications last year, being the last of 339 local authorities in the UK. Lendy said that Oldham Council received only four retail planning applications in the year to March 2017, down 87 percent from 30 the previous year. If true this is worrying news and hardly an encouragement to prospective retailers thinking of locating to our borough. Can the Cabinet Member please confirm what the figures for 2016/17 were and how they compare to 2015/16?”
Councillor Stretton, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Economy and Enterprise responded that the information on Oldham’s retain performance was inaccurate. There were 36 applications which involved retail (Class A1) accommodation that were determined between 1st April 2016 and 31st March 2017 in the borough. Of these, 23 were granted permission, 11 were refused and 2 were withdrawn. It was clear that retail conditions across the country were challenging, the number of retail applications in Oldham actually increased compared to 2015/16.
5. Councillor Fielding asked the following question:
“The Psychoactive Substances Act came into force on 26 May 2016. Could the relevant Cabinet member please tell us if the legislation brought about any significant impact on the distribution and use of Psychoactive Substances in Oldham?”
Councillor Moores, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing responded that the Psychoactive Substances Act had had a significant impact on the visible distribution of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) across Oldham borough. Prior to the Act a number of shops (Head Shops) were openly selling NPS to members of the public. Since the implementation of the Act, all of these premises had shut down or ceased to trade visibly. The Psychoactive Substances Act’s main intention was to shut down shops and websites that had traded in ‘legal highs’ and although this had partially achieved its aim with retailers, the sale of NS on the internet was still easily accessible. Once of the most contentious issues was the sale of Nitrous Oxide by retailers. Recent work had been conducted in partnership with Community Safety Services, Trading Standards and Police. Known retailers were targeted and visits conducted to ensure they were aware of their responsibilities under Home Office guidance. This would be further reviewed in the near future and further action taken as necessary. At the recent meeting of the Oldham NPS Steering Group, partners described a changing picture in the community and in prison establishments. It was felt that the use of NPS substances that mimicked the effects of cannabis ‘Spice’ and ‘Mamba’ had reduced significantly in Oldham. It was recognised that there were more localised problems across Greater Manchester or with certain demographics of the population. Information provided by OASIS (Young Peoples Substance Misuse Service) and One Recovery (Adult Substance Misuse Service) indicated that the number of clients entering treatment and specified NPS use were less than 1% of all new treatment journeys recorded between April 2016 to March 2017 and this was in line with the national average. Oldham Council was working with partners for the development of a new Psychoactive Substances action plan for the borough.
6. Councillor Roberts asked the following question:
“Oldham’s under 5s have some of the worst teeth in the country – this means children are in pain, get abscesses and in many cases need to have their teeth taken out. Oldham Council and NHS have tried hard to get children to brush their teeth regularly and to reduce sugar in their diet. Scientific data tells us that fluoridation of the water supply significantly reduces tooth decay – can the Cabinet Member tell us whether there are any current discussions at a Greater Manchester level about fluoridation to help our children have better teeth?”
Councillor Moores, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing responded that community water fluoridation schemes were first introduced in the US in 1945. Following successful trials in the UK in the 1950’s, Birmingham led the way in the UK in 1964 by implementing water fluoridation and this was quickly followed in the 1960’s by some other local authorities. Many cities and areas across the world had introduced fluoride to water supplies. All water contained the mineral fluoride naturally in varying amounts. Water fluoridation involved adjusting the fluoride level in drinking water supplies. Other sources of fluoride for dental health included toothpaste and professionally applied fluoride varnish. Water fluoridation had an effect over and above that achieved by these methods. United Utilities was the main operator of the water distribution system in Oldham and across the North West. Therefore, any feasible fluoridation scheme would need to be undertaken with United Utilities for Greater Manchester and the North West. There were no plans for the introduction of water fluoridation across Greater Manchester. A new Greater Manchester oral health strategy would be developed in 2018 which provided an opportunity to consider the priorities for action in improving oral health of children and adults. Oldham Council would contribute to the development and shaping of this strategy. The Council acknowledged the poor health of children in Oldham and the impact it had on children’s lives. Oldham had been identified as one of 13 high national high priority areas for oral health and in 2018 an expanded programme of oral health for all 0 – 5 year olds would take place. This included oral health advice and free toothbrushes and toothpaste for all children from Health Visitors, supervised toothbrushing schemes in early years settings and encouragement to visit a dentist by the age of 1 year.
7. Councillor Goodwin asked the following question:
“Following the recent Bonfire Night and seeing the vast number of incidents responded to by our Fire & Rescue Service, I'd like to take this opportunity to offer my thanks to our brave firefighters who responded professionally to every incident, including one in my ward of Chadderton South where it was reported a woman was injured after a firework was thrown into a shop causing serious damage. Can I ask the Leader if she would be willing to discuss with the Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, how local authorities and the combined Authority can act to curtail the number of incidents occurring due to irresponsible individuals lighting bonfires, setting bins, cars or premises on fire and using fireworks dangerously?”
Councillor Stretton, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Economy and Enterprise responded that the Community Safety and Cohesion Partnership shared the serious concerns about the behaviour of individuals both in Oldham and across Greater Manchester during the Bonfire period. In Oldham a dedicated partnership operation ‘Treacle’ was undertaken with officers from the Council and Greater Manchester Police working together with the Fire and Rescue Service. The operation involved the delivery of key safety messages, community engagement and regular liaison with retailers selling fireworks. The behaviour of a number of individuals had been completely unacceptable and had endangered the lives of others. A full review of what had occurred over the period was being undertaken by the Partnership and work was ongoing to identify the persons responsible in order that appropriate action could be taken. The incidents that had occurred over the period across the entire conurbation would be reviewed in detail by the Greater Manchester ABS Group and a full report would be provided to the Mayor’s office with a request for an action plan to be developed with the objective of preventing a recurrence of the behaviours in the future. A meeting had been requested between the Leader and the Chief Executive and senior police officers to be followed by an all member meeting with police in attendance for wider concerns about policing to be discussed.
8. Councillor Murphy asked the following question:
“I am sure that the Cabinet Member for Environmental Services will be aware that there is currently ?no budget to repair or replace Vehicle Activated Speed signs, which means there are a number of signs that are not working at all or are faulty throughout the Borough. I understand that a review is currently being conducted as to whether these signs should be repaired or replaced. I hope that the review will recommend that they are repaired and maintained as they make a significant contribution to road safety. This review is now also holding up other much needed road safety measures in Shaw and Crompton. Could the Cabinet Member please tell me when this review will be complete, if the signs will be repaired and maintained, and therefore when locally in Shaw and Crompton we can get on with other much needed road safety improvements?”
Councillor F. Hussain, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services confirmed that work was being undertaken to examine the condition of each of the Vehicle Activated Signs, a number of which had been installed at members’ discretion. The report would identify those where data and evidence supported their retention saving, saving the cost of repairs where such evidence did not exist. However, members would also be able to use local budgets to support repairs which fell outside the criteria should they choose.
At this point in the meeting, the Mayor advised that the time limit for this item had expired.
RESOLVED that the questions and responses provided be noted.