Agenda

Leader to address Council

(time limit 20 minutes)

There is no Youth Councill business

(time limit 15 Minutes)

To receive questions submitted by members of the public.

(time limit 90 minutes)

Leader and Cabinet Members to present their reports.

Non-executive members may ask questions.

a.    Leader and Reform and Regeneration Portfolio – including minutes of Cabinet held on 21 August 2023, 18 September 2023, 2 October 2023, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority held on 28 July 2023 and the minutes of the AGMA Executive Board 30 June 2023.

b.    Deputy Leader and Housing and Licensing Portfolio

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

d.    Education and Skills Portfolio

e.    Business, Employment and Enterprise Portfolio

f.     Neighbourhoods Portfolio

g.    Health and Social Care Portfolio

h.    Communities and Culture Portfolio

i.      Finance and Corporate Resources Portfolio

(time limit 30 minutes)

Motion 1

Battling Oldham’s Housing Crisis

Councillor Taylor to MOVE
Councillor Goodwin  to SECOND

Too many Oldhamers are struggling to afford to keep a roof over their head. Too many Oldhamers live in substandard or overcrowded housing.

There are currently over seven-and-a-half-thousand families on Oldham’s Social Housing Register, with almost eleven thousand applications still being processed. Many of these families have been fruitlessly bidding on properties to no avail through no fault of their own. 

The failure of the housing market is driving some Oldham families to crisis. There are currently 470 households in Temporary Accommodation (TA), the longest being in TA for over 3 years, as they require a 5-bedroom property, and the supply simply does not meet the demand. This number has doubled since the same month in 2021 when it stood at 233 Households. 

In addition, the Local Housing Allowance rates have not been properly reviewed since 2011, despite recent Labour analysis showing that private sector rents have risen by £168 a month in the last two years alone. Therefore, the very safety net that is intended to ensure people can afford decent housing is failing them.

This Council notes:

• That Oldham is in a Housing Crisis.
• Oldham Council has an ambitious Housing Strategy, but we are struggling to cope with the sheer volume of demand.
• That poor quality, insecure and expensive housing can often lead to families in Oldham falling into avoidable crises.

·         The Conservative Government’s failure on housing over the least 13 years, with homelessness continuing to rise and home-ownership falling.

• Comparatively, under the last Labour Government, 2 million homes were built, 1 million more households became homeowners and there was the largest social housing investment in a generation.

This Council further notes

• The cost-of-living crisis has exacerbated this situation, meaning that more Oldhamers are now struggling to afford housing costs (both rental and buying).
• Under this Government, the number of new social rented homes has fallen by over 80%. Consequently, there are now more than 30,000 fewer social rented homes built each year.
• The Council has a moral obligation to ensure Oldhamers do not live in substandard housing. We are committed to working with our partners in the social housing sector and, where possible, private landlords to ensure Oldhamers have decent homes to live in.

This Council resolves:

• To instruct the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) & the Assistant Chief Executive to bring together key partners in Oldham’s housing sector – social housing, private rented and owner-occupiers, stakeholders from the Voluntary, Community, Faith & Social Enterprise sector, and relevant Council Officers and Cabinet Members at Oldham’s Housing Summit at the earliest opportunity.
• To recommit to our Housing Strategy and affirm our ambition that every Oldhamer should live in decent and affordable homes.
• To write to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities seeking far-reaching action to tackle the housing crisis.

This Council further resolves to call on the Government to:

• End rough sleeping within a Parliament and tackle the root  ...  view the full agenda text for item 11.

(Time limit 30 minutes)

Motion 1

Holding Housing Associations Accountable for Damp and Mould Issues

Councillor Wahid to MOVE

Councillor Byrne to SECOND

Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council (Oldham Council) must lead from the front to ensure that our residents benefit from safe and secure housing. As such, OMBC must ensure that housing stock is maintained to the highest quality.

It is especially the case for socially rented properties. There are housing

association properties in the borough that are sadly affected by damp

and mould. This is a silent killer as so tragically seen in the case of Awab Ishak in our neighbouring Rochdale Council. However, the prevalence of such houses suffering with damp and mould is feared to be in the thousands in Oldham. One can only draw their attention to the increasing interest from litigators from the legal industry to appreciate this is potentially a very big problem that requires immediate action.

Housing associations must do more given that they have a duty of care

to the most vulnerable. It is time Oldham Council holds these corporate

landlords to account.

Too often a culture of secrecy and fear surrounds

housing associations and they are seemingly unaccountable to many elected members and residents. We must change that and remind them of the important duty of care that they have to local people. Amongst the damp and mould issues, all too often many residents who have lived in an area for several years and may have started a family are uprooted from that area due to them having a lower priority over others who may have no links to that ward. We believe that having links to a local area is important and that Oldham Council needs to strengthen the local connection test by ensuring that a set number of new build properties are reserved for local people, i.e people who live in Hollinwood get a home in Hollinwood etc.

Temporary accommodation and management of displaced families is in

drastic need of restructure to ensure the most vulnerable in our society

are managed in accordance with Human Rights Act 1998.

It is also important that Oldham Council reiterate its commitment to HM

Armed Forces personnel and ensure that they are always given priority

and services that they need and deserve.

This Council acknowledges:

• The letter written to all Councils by Michael Gove (Secretary of

State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities) to council leaders and social housing providers stating that damp and mould complaints must be handled “with sufficient seriousness” and the deaths, such that of two year old Awaab Ishak must ‘never be allowed to happen again’.

• That under the Housing Act 2004, Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council has a legal duty to review housing conditions in their district, identify actions required to remedy ‘Category 1 Hazards’ and then - “they must take the appropriate enforcement action in relation to the hazard”.

• That under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, mould is designated as a ‘Category 1 Hazard’, meaning  ...  view the full agenda text for item 12.

To consider the report of the Director of Finance.

To consider the report of the Director of Finance.

To consider the report of the Director of Finance.

Council is asked to consider updates on actions from previous meetings.

To consider a report in relation to the recommendations of the Appointments Committee with regard to the appointment of Harry Catherall as Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service.