Agenda and minutes

There were no apologies for absence received.

The Chair agreed to accept an Item of Business, Establishment of the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership Board as a matter of urgency in accordance with S.100 B (4) of the Local Government Act 1972; Urgent Cabinet approval was required to enable the Council to have representation on the Integrated Care Partnership Board.

The Item was considered at Item 10 of the agenda.

Councillors Brownridge and Jabbar declared and other registerable interest in Items 8 and 12 by virtue of their Council appointment to the Northern Roots Board. They left the room for consideration of those items and did not take part in the discussion or voting thereon.

Two public questions were received form Syed Maruf Ali.

1. Have all the recommendations been implemented of The Oldham Education and Skills Commission report?

Will the officers revisit the report and evaluate what progress has been made?  

Based on the data I have obtain the current admissions criteria for accessing good/outstanding attainment School favours the white British community and people from affluent area especially people with Cristian faith when the over subscription criteria is applied.  

Can the cabinet members please discuss this and outline how this can be addressed?

Oldham council has built Saddleworth School, Royton and Crompton School and Crompton School.  

Why can’t OMBC build a School for Hathershaw?  

This year Hathershaw School had one of the best results in Oldham.

2. Can the cabinet members analyse the data from Blue Coat School, Crompton House and Saddleworth School. What percentage of pupils are on Pupil Premium compared with Town Centre ward School?

Oldham council has giving grants and funding for Blue Coat School and Crompton House for them to expand and have new building. Has their PAN number increased since the expansion, so more pupils from Oldham can access their School? What percentage of pupils from out of Oldham attends Blue Coat and Crompton House? Was there an equality assessment carried out when funding was allocated?

Oldham council has built Saddleworth School and Royton and Crompton School and given grants for other School to expand. Hathershaw School has good OFSTED report and this year it has got the second best results when it comes to progressing their pupils. Why are cabinet members and officers reluctant to find grants and funding and build a brand new school for Hathershaw? If a brand new School is built they can increase PAN and serve the community.

Councillor Ali, Cabinet Member for Education and Early responded;

I would like to thank Mr Maruf for his questions and thank officers for the written responses that they have provided to him on some of the matters raised.

The recommendations of the Oldham Education & Skills Commission were implemented from 2016-2021 by the Oldham Education Partnership. From 2017-2022 the borough also received investment as an Opportunity Area. A review of this programme by DfE is due to evaluate the progress that has been made. Both OEP and OA were influential in the formation of the Oldham Learning partnership which now has school leaders working alongside Council officers to implement sector-led approaches to education improvement.

Although there has been progress in improving Oldham pupils’ achievement, we recognise that there is still a way to go until we achieve the ambition of closing the attainment gap to national averages. To this end, the council is supporting the sector to develop and deliver an Education Improvement Strategy to ensure that all pupils receive a great education.

Admissions criteria for state-funded schools do not have weighting that is determined by race or affluence; however faith schools are able to set criteria that are weighted towards faith such as Christianity.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 17^th October 2022 be approved.

Consideration was given to a report of the Assistant Chief Executive which sought approval a review of the Local Improvement Fund (LIF) 2022/23 and update Cabinet on the proposals to provide £400,000 for larger capital projects in line with previous years and £100,000 revenue funding for smaller projects worth £500 to £3,500 responding to needs in local areas.

The Local improvement fund was established in 2019 with the aim of supporting districts to improve the quality of life in local areas, to improve community buildings, equipment and other facilities and engage with residents to prioritise schemes that matter to them.

It was proposed that for 2022/23 the LIF should be adapted to support the larger local capital projects and also boost funds for smaller interventions in wards to see improvements in the area quickly.

The £400,000 element of the fund would be distributed through a similar process as in previous years, through expressions of interest for projects over £10,000 and would be assessed by a cross party advisory panel, 2 Labour councillors, 1 Liberal Democrat and 1 Conservative councillor. Recommendations from the panel would be considered by the LIF Cabinet-Subcommittee for final approval.

The remaining £100,000 revenue funding will be available for buds of £500-£3,500 would be assessed at a monthly meeting of the Cabinet sub-committee.

Options/alternatives considered

Option 1 – Do nothing.

Option 2 – Review the proposed approach and agree to proceed with the LIF

RESOLVED – That the proposals for the Local Improvement Fund 2022/23 and the process for allocating the funding be approved.

The Cabinet gave consideration to a report of the Director of Finance which provided details of the performance of the Treasury Management function of the Council for the first half of 2022/23 and a comparison of performance against the 2022/23 Treasury Management Strategy and Prudential Indicators. 

The Council was required to consider the performance of the Treasury Management function in order to comply with the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) Code of Practice on Treasury Management. This report set out the key Treasury Management issue for Members information and review and outlined:

An economic update for the first six months of 2022/23.;

• A review of the Treasury Management Strategy Statement and Annual Investment Strategy;

• The Council’s capital expenditure, as set out in the Capital Strategy, and prudential indicators;

• A review of the Council’s investment portfolio for 2022/23;

• A review of the Council’s borrowing strategy for 2022/23;

• Why there has been no debt rescheduling undertaken during 2022/23; and

• A review of compliance with Treasury and Prudential Limits for 2022/23.

Option/alternatives considered

In order that the Council complies with the Chartered Institute of Public Finance Code of Practice of Treasury Management the Council has no other option but to consider and approve the contents of the report.

RESOLVED – That:

1. That Cabinet approves and commends to Council the:
2. The Treasury Management activity for the first half of the financial year 2022/23 and the projected outturn position be approved and commended to Council.
3. Amendments to both Authorised Limit and Operational Boundary for external debt as set out in the table at Section 2.4.5 of the report be approved and commended to Council.
4. Amendments to the Capital Financing Requirement (CFR) as set out in the table at section 2.4.5 of the report be approved and commended to Council.

Councillor Brownridge and Jabbar declared an other registerable interest in this item, by virtue of their Council appointment to the Northern Roots Oldham Ltd board, left the room and took no part in the discussion and voting thereon.

Consideration was given to a report of the Executive Director, Place and Economic Growth which sought approval of the procurement approach for the next phase of the Northern Roots Visitor Centre and external works following completion of the stage 3 design.

It was reported that the proposals before Cabinet included, following successful procurement, a preconstruction services agreement would be awarded to the contactor submitting the most favourable bid, the extension of the existing appointment of JDDK Architects and sub-consultant team to complete Royal Institute of British Architects stage 4 design to provide construction and buildability advice to the eventual contactor during the preconstruction services agreement and the preferred contactor, Bike Track Limited as the Council’s preferred contractor for the specialist mountain bike and pump track. 

Options/alternatives considered

Option 1 – Agree the approach and progress the Northern Roots visitor Centre external works and Bike Hub projects including the appointment of the consultant team set out in the report.

Option 2 – Do not agree the proposal in the report and reprofile the allocated funds form the Town Deal allocations.

RESOLVED – That the Cabinet would consider the commercially sensitive information contained in the report at Item 12 before making a decision.

Consideration was given to a report of the Director of Environment which sought approval to purchase new vehicles for the next three financial years (2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25).

A review of the Council’s fleet was undertaken in May 2022 and this identified a number of amendments which were required to the agreed content of the last Cabinet approved Fleet Replacement report. The amendments detailed in the report before Members provided an accurate forecast of vehicle purchasing requirements for the remainder of 2022/23 and the next three financial years and if approved would superseded the last Fleet replacement Programme agreed in 2019.

The Fleet management service had identified the remaining spend on vehicles for 2022/23 and the total spend over the next three financial years.

The report also sought approval to design and implement appropriate procurement strategies for the sourcing of the required vehicles and sought authority for the purchases to be approved by the Director of Environment in consultation with the Commercial Procurement unit.

Options/alternatives considered

Option 1 – to approve the purchase of new vehicles for the remainder of 2022/23 and the next three financial years (2023/24, 2024/25 & 2025/26) as detailed in this report and to delegate authority to design and implement appropriate procurement strategies for the sourcing of the required vehicles to the Director of Environment in consultation with the Commercial Procurement Unit so that the FMS can purchase vehicles over the next three financial years without referring back to Cabinet. On approval, the FMS will undertake all subsequent procurement and approval processes in line with the Council’s Procurement Processes

Option 2 – to delay replacing vehicles within the fleet replacement programme. Whilst this may save money in terms of delaying initial purchasing costs, the potential risk of repair and breakdown costs must be factored in. Due to the nature of work and the large majority of the council’s vehicle fleet (i.e., waste collection vehicles, highway repair), any vehicle that break downs has the potential to require a hired vehicle replacement. Hiring vehicles, to replace a current fleet vehicle, has a significant impact on service budgets as they are an additional and often unaccounted costs.

Option 3 – to look at other FRP models such as leasing and hiring. When the Council introduced its original FRP strategy in 2012/13, it was done to replace the leased and hired vehicle models which existed at the time. The current FRP strategy is based on the economical and management benefits gained from ownership of the vehicle. The FMS has worked to this strategy for the past ten years.

RESOLVED – That the Cabinet would consider the comerically sensitive information contained in the report at Item 13 before making a decision.

The Chair agreed to accept an Item of Business, Establishment of the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership Boards a matter of urgency in accordance with S.100 B (4) of the Local Government Act 1972; Urgent Cabinet approval was required to enable the Council to have representation on the Integrated Care Partnership Board.

Consideration was given to a report of the Deputy Chief Executive, which sought approval of the establishment of the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership (GM ICP) as a joint committee and outlining the terms of reference for the GM ICP.

The ICP was one of two statutory components of an Integrated Care System, alongside the Integrated Care Board (ICB).

ICPs have a statutory duty to create an integrated care strategy to address assessed needs, such as health and care needs of the population with the Integrated Care Board’s area including determinants of health ad wellbeing such as employment, environment and housing and to prepare an integrated care strategy.

The minimum core membership would consist of 10 representatives from the 10 districts and a member of the ICB.

Options/alternatives considered

Option 1 – For Oldham not to agree to the establishment of the Integrated Care Partnership.

Option 2 – To agree to the establishment of the Integrated Care Partnership as a Joint Committee and appoint member representation with a substitute.

RESOLVED- That;

1.    Approval be given to the establishment of the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership as a joint committee of the Integrated Care Board and the ten Greater Manchester local authorities.

2.    The Terms of Reference of the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership be noted.

3.    Councillor Barbara Brownridge be appointed as a member of the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership and Councillor Amanda Chadderton as the substitute member.

That, in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they contain exempt information under paragraph(s) 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, and it would not, on balance, be in the public interest to disclose the reports.

RESOLVED - That, in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they contain exempt information under paragraphs 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, and it would not, on balance, be in the public interest to disclose the reports.

The Cabinet gave consideration to the commercially sensitive information in relation to Item 8 Northern Roots:  Visitor Centre, External Works & Bike Hub.

RESOLVED – That;

1.    The approach to progress the Northern Roots Visitor Centre and external works project, including the appointment of the consultant team as set out in the report be approved.

2.    Authority be delegated to the Director of Economy to develop, consult, procure and arrange for the execution by the Director of Legal Services of any relevant contracts and incidental and ancillary documentation with the Northern Roots projects to be funded by the Towns Fund and Sports England.

The Cabinet gave consideration to the commercially sensitive information in relation to Item 9 – Fleet Replacement Programme.

RESOLVED – That:

1.    The purchase of new vehicles as detailed within the report for the next three financial years, 2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25) be agreed.

2.    Delegated authority be given to the Director of Environment to sign off and approve the resulting vehicle procurement process.