Issue - meetings

(Time limit 90 minutes)

Leader and Cabinet Members to present their reports

Non-executive members may ask questions.

a.    Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Reform and Regeneration – including the Minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held 13^th November 2023, 11^th December2023 and 22^nd January 2024; urgent decisions made during 2023/24; and the meetings of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority held 24^th November 2023, 15^th December 2023, 26^th January 2024 and 9^th February 2024

b.    Deputy Leader and Housing and Licensing Portfolio

c.    Deputy Leader and Children and Young People’s Portfolio

d.    Education and Skills Portfolio Holder

e.    Health and Social Care Portfolio Holder

f.     Communities and Culture Portfolio Holder

g.    Neighbourhoods Portfolio Holder

h.    Business, Employment and Enterprise Portfolio Holder

i.      Finance and Corporate Resources Portfolio Holder

Council agreed that the Council Procedure Rules would be varied so that there would be 10 minutes for questions to the Leader from Group Leaders and 10 minutes for the section on portfolio responsibilities.

Councillor Sykes, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group

Question 1: Environmental Services

Councillor Sykes noted that it was proposed that 30 posts were to be cut from the Council’s Environmental Services, despite the Council’s poor record in environmental enforcement. He asked what impact this will have, if any, on front-line services? Therefore, he asked, does the Leader still stand by the proposed staffing cuts and will the public be affected by this proposal?

Councillor Shah, Leader of the Council, replied that the Liberal Democrat group had not objected to this proposal at the Budget Council meeting on 28^th February 2024 and had not put forward any viable alternate options. The Leader of the Council noted that the austerity measures that had been forced onto the Council by central government, since 2010, had resulted in the Council having to make difficult decisions.

Question 2: Public Space Protection Orders

Councillor Sykes stated that several Public Space Protection Orders (PSPO), that were in place to protect some of the Borough’s most valued open and public spaces, had been allowed to lapse, such as Crompton Moor, which had expired in November 2023. The failure to have a PSPO in place left these spaces vulnerable to damage and vandalism. Councillor Sykes asked who in the Labour administration would be held accountable for the failure to renew the PSPOs that had lapsed? Are there other, similar, Orders that have not been renewed?

Councillor Shah, Leader of the Council, replied that the PSPOs were currently being reviewed by the Council and further discussions thereon would be held in due course.

Councillor Sheldon, Leader of the Conservative Group

Councillor Sheldon stated that in 2022/23 only about 94% of Council Tax monies in the Borough had been collected and that not once, since 2014, had the collection rate reached 95%, which equated to about £30 million of lost income. Councillor Sheldon asked if the Council was actively seeking to reclaim this money and what plans were in place to seek an improvement in future years.

Councillor Shah, Leader of the Council, replied that the Oldham’s Council Tax collection rates were in the top three for Greater Manchester authorities. 

Councillor Hobin, Leader of the Failsworth Independence Party

Councillor Hobin referred to recent successful resident well-being events that Failsworth Independence Party members had been promoting, which had seen the funding of porojects in green spaces, in Failsworth, via Section 106 funds. A wellbeing market was due to be held in Failsworth and Councillor Hobin asked if the successful template for these types of events could be rolled out across the Borough.

Councillor Shah, Leader of the Council replied, commending the work of the Failsworth Independence Party members in this regard and she agreed with Councillor Hobin’s suggestion. 

Councillor Ghafoor Leader of the Oldham Group

Councillor Ghafoor  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9