Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Fida Hussain.

There were no public questions for this meeting of the Cabinet to consider.

The Minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet, held on 1^st December 2025, are attached for approval.

Resolved:
That the minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 1^st December 2025 be approved, as a correct record.

A report of the Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Wellbeing, seeking approval for the extension of a section 75 agreement with the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust.

The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Public Health which advised members that Oldham Council and the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust (NCA) had an established working arrangement to deliver integrated children and family services under a Section 75 agreement. This agreement has been in place since 1^st April 2022 and was set to run until 31^st March 2026. All elements of the integrated children’s and families service were funded through the Public Health settlement.

The Cabinet was recommended to approve the extension of the section 75 agreement with the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, to enable the continued deliverance of the clinical elements of the integrated children’s and families’ service.

Options/Alternatives considered:

Option 1 (preferred Option) - to approve the recommendations outlined in the submitted report.

Option 2 - Do not continue with a mandated Public Health function of the Healthy Child programme.

Option 3 - To go out to the market and procure a service, via a tendering process.

Resolved

That the Cabinet approves:

1.    The extension of the Section 75 Partnership Agreement with the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, to deliver the clinical elements of the integrated children’s and families service for a period of 2 years with an option to extend by a further 1 year.

2.    To delegate authority to the Director of Public Health, in consultation with the relevant Cabinet Member, to approve any future extensions to the Section 75 agreement where there is budget available.

3.    To delegate authority to the relevant officers to negotiate and execute any revisions of the Section 75 agreement.

4.    To delegate authority to the relevant officers to harmonize the 0-19 specification with Bury and Rochdale to allow for greater consistency, whilst ensuring that an appropriate locality schedule reflects the current delivery model in Oldham.

A report seeking approval to establish new contracts to deliver and facilitate various Planned and Preventative Maintenance requirements.

The Cabinet received a report of the Executive Director of Place/Deputy Chief Executive which sought approval to establish new contracts to deliver and facilitate various Planned and Preventative Maintenance requirements. The previous framework (Construction and Highways Works and Services Framework) ended in October 2024.

A review of the delivery of the Construction and Highways Works & Services Framework had identified that new agreements should be established.

The proposal, detailed in the report was to establish a mix of new contracts that would be required to cover the Council’s Planned and Preventative Maintenance requirements. The Council needed to ensure that all procurement activity was compliant with Oldham Council Contract Procedure Rules and the Procurement Act 2023.

Options/Alternatives considered:

Option 1 - To approve the recommendations in the report thereby allowing Oldham Council’s Procurement team to establish new contracts to cover all Property related Planned and Preventative Maintenance. This will ensure that delivery complies with Oldham Council Contract Procedure Rules and the Procurement Act 2023, whilst also delivering the best value for money.

Option 2 – Not to approve the report, which was not considered to be viable, as, a consequence of this, would leave the Council in breach of Oldham Council Contract Procedure Rules, unless each scheme is individually quoted or tendered for, which is considered an inefficient procurement method, and would not provide best value.

Resolved:

That the Cabinet approves the report, thereby allowing Oldham Council’s Procurement team to establish new contracts to cover all Property related Planned and Preventative Maintenance.

A report of the Statutory Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods that sets out the outcome of the public consultation, summarises the available evidence and, which, as a result, seeks confirmation of the Article 4 Direction, to come into effect on 1^st January 2026.

The Cabinet considered a report of the Executive Director of Place/Deputy Chief Executive which advised members that at an earlier meeting on 22^nd September 2025, Cabinet had agreed to introduce a non-immediate, borough-wide Article 4 Direction to remove the permitted development right allowing the conversion of dwelling houses (Use Class C3) into Houses of Multiple Occupation for up to six residents (Use Class C4). A period of public consultation on the introduction of the Article 4 Direction was to follow for a period of 6 weeks – the consultation ran from 6^th October to 16^th November 2025. The Cabinet had also agreed that a further report be brought back to a future meeting at the earliest opportunity to allow Members to consider the outcome of the consultation and thereafter to determine if the Article 4 Direction should be confirmed and come into effect on 1^st January 2026 or such other later date as considered appropriate.

The submitted report therefore sets out the outcome of the public consultation, summarising the available evidence and, as a result, sought confirmation of the Article 4 Direction, to come into effect on 1^st January 2026.

In considering the report, Cabinet Members were remined that a report detailing the consultation outcome and outlining the next steps involved to seek confirmation of the Article 4 Direction (this report), was presented to and approved by the Council on 10^th December 2025.

Options/Alternatives considered:

Option 1 (preferred Option) - to confirm the Article 4 Direction

The available evidence has shown that there is a need for smaller units of accommodation in the borough, which HMOs can provide. However, there is also a need for larger family homes. The majority of the borough’s existing HMOs are smaller HMOs (C4 use) (only 19% are larger HMOs for 6 people and above). Also, almost half of the borough’s identified HMOs have been converted from C3 Dwellings (single household). This means that family homes have been lost to HMOs. Also, there may be issues of overcrowding and amenity when smaller properties are converted to HMOs, which currently we cannot control with the existing permitted development right.

Option 2 - Do not confirm the Article 4 Direction/No Article 4 Direction

Should the Article 4 Direction not be confirmed, the permitted development right for the change of use from C3 Dwelling house to C4 Small HMO would remain in place. This means that small HMOs would continue to come forward as they do at present as permitted development. The council would therefore have limited control as to how and where these come forward, with the exception of those that are for more than 5 people, which would need to have an HMO Licence.

Resolved:

1.    That the Cabinet notes the evidence presented in the submitted report, including the outcome of the public consultation; and

2.    That the Cabinet confirms the Article 4 Direction to remove permitted development rights for the change of use from Use Class C3 (dwelling houses)  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Enterprise, seeking approval to accept  funding from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) under the Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund, to enable the delivery of the Oldham Digital Futures: Scaling Skills, Access, and Opportunity Project.

The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Education, Skills and Early Years that sought approval for Oldham Council to formally accept £266,084 awarded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), under the Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund, thereby enabling the delivery of the Oldham Digital Futures: Scaling Skills, Access, and Opportunity project.

The funding had to be utilised and delivery completed by 31^st March 2026, and it was operated on a payment-by-results and milestone-based schedule, requiring Cabinet approval being due to the financial and operational implications.

The delivery window was extremely limited — from November 2025 to 31^st March 2026 — meaning only 5 months to fully deliver all funded activity. The funding is payment-by-results, requiring Get Oldham Working (GOW) to deliver at risk ahead of receiving the final tranche of grant payment.

Oldham Council had been successful in securing £266,084 through the national Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund. This short-term, high-impact funding enables GOW and partners to deliver a programme addressing digital exclusion across Oldham, including:

• Establishing two fixed digital hubs
• Creating a mobile digital hub for neighbourhood outreach
• Delivering 150 digital inclusion workshops
• Recruiting and training 30 Digital Champions
• Distributing 300+ devices to digitally excluded residents

Despite the tight delivery schedule, this presents a major opportunity to:

a.     Equip residents with essential digital skills

2. Reduce device and data poverty
3. Improve access to online public services
4. Support people closer to the job market
5. Build a longer-term digital inclusion offer for Oldham

In considering the report, the Cabinet noted that the Chair of the Place, Economic Growth and Environment Scrutiny Board had permitted consideration of the submitted report, at this meeting of the Cabinet, under Rule 13 of the Council’s Constitution. The report had not been placed on the Key Decision Document, but it was still possible to give 5 clear days-notice of the report and the proposed decision to be made. Rule 13 allowed that the decision may be made where the permission had been obtained, in writing, from the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Board, of the matter about which the decision is to be made.

Options/Alternatives considered:

Option 1 (preferred Option) was to accept the grant funding.

Option 2 was to decline the funding.

Resolved:

That the Cabinet –

1.    Approves acceptance of the £266,084 DSIT Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund award.

2.    Approves Get Oldam Working (GOW) to deliver the “Oldham Digital Futures” project within DSIT conditions, including the requirement for delivery by 31 March 2026.

3.    Notes the payment-by-results nature of the grant and the requirement for GOW to deliver at risk until DSIT milestone payments are released.

4.    Delegates authority to the Head of Service – Get Oldham Working to manage delivery, reporting, and compliance with DSIT conditions.

5.    Notes the short timeframe and endorse accelerated recruitment, procurement, and neighbourhood engagement to enable delivery.

6.    Notes the actions of the Chair of the Place, Economic Growth and Environment Scrutiny Board, in permitting this report to be considered, at this Cabinet  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

Report of the Statutory Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods seeking endorsement of the Beal Valley and Broadbent Moss Masterplan and Spatial Design Code.

The Cabinet received a report of the Executive Director of Place/Deputy Chief Executive that sought consideration of the Beal Valley and Broadbent Moss Masterplan and Spatial Design Code, that had been prepared in accordance with Places for Everyone, criteria 1 of JPA 10 Beal Valley and criteria 1 of JPA 12 Broadbent Moss, in light of the Motion agreed at the Council meeting on 10^th December, (“Ensuring Statutory Scrutiny and Enforceability for Places for Everyone Masterplans”), that necessitated the requirement of the preparation of a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) incorporating this Masterplan and Spatial Design Code.

Given the agreement of the Motion “Ensuring Statutory Scrutiny and Enforceability for Places for Everyone Masterplans” at the Council meeting on 10^th December 2025, there was a need to reconsider the recommendations made to Cabinet on the proposed Masterplan and Spatial Design Code in the report on the agenda, and revised recommendations have been proposed in a supplementary report that had been published, to the Council’s website, on 15^th December 2025 and which were now considered by members.

Before officers were able to proceed to prepare the SPD for public consultation, there was a need to seek endorsement from Cabinet that the Masterplan and Spatial Design Code, as prepared by the Developer Consortium with input from council officers, was a suitable basis for the SPD.

The endorsement of the Masterplan in this way was necessary to indicate the suitability of the masterplan as the basis for an SPD to not only avoid consulting on an SPD that the council could not support, but also to inform decision-making should a planning application(s) be submitted for development on parts of the allocations before an SPD has been adopted. 

This would not constitute a non-statutory agreement of the Masterplan (as referred to in resolution 2 of the Motion), but there was a need to provide some kind of basis for officers and Planning Committee to consider planning applications against or else applications could come forward that do not fit together within a wider masterplan of the sites, leading to fractured developments that do not fully meet the infrastructure requirements.  In any event, the fact that there was a masterplan that had been submitted by the Developer Consortium meant that the masterplan would have to be a material consideration in any planning application decision.

The Masterplan and Spatial Design Code were be considered at Place, Economic Growth and Environment Scrutiny Board at the appropriate time in the new year, where members on that Scrutiny Board would be encouraged to provide feedback on what has been prepared by the Developer Consortium so that this can be incorporated into a draft SPD for public consultation.

Resolution 4 of the Motion also agreed for a report on timelines for consultation and adoption of the SPD to be brought to the Cabinet in January 2026. A timetable for the preparation, consultation and adoption of the SPD was considered by the Cabinet.

This timetable was going to be affected  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

Report of the Statutory Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods seeking approval to publicise Saddleworth Neighbourhood Plan and following this submit Saddleworth Neighbourhood Plan for examination in line with The Neighbourhood Planning Regulations (2012).

The Cabinet considered a report of the Executive Director of Place/Deputy Chief Executive that was seeking approval to publicise the Saddleworth Neighbourhood Plan and following this, to submit the Saddleworth Neighbourhood Plan for examination in line with The Neighbourhood Planning Regulations (2012), as outlined in the amended timeline within the submitted report.

Given approval of the Motion “Ensuring Statutory Scrutiny and Enforceability for Places for Everyone Masterplans” at the Council meeting on 10^th December, there was therefore a need to reconsider the recommendations made to Cabinet on the Saddleworth Neighbourhood Plan in the report on the agenda, and revised recommendations were proposed in a supplement to the published agenda (supplement was published on 15^th December 2025).

This was due to the capacity within the team responsible for preparing the Local Plan, the Article 4 Direction for HMOs, and now the Supplementary Planning Document required for the Beal Valley and Broadbent Moss Strategic Location. Therefore, the Saddleworth Neighbourhood Plan would take longer to progress in readiness for consultation and examination.  In this regard, a revised timetable now replaced that within the previously published cabinet report and was detailed in the supplementary report, which the Cabinet considered.

Options/Alternatives considered:

Option 1 (preferred Option) – to approve the recommendations detailed in the revised and updated report.

Option 2 – to refuse the report.

Resolved:

1.    That the Cabinet notes the amended timetable outlined in the addendum report.

2.    That the Cabinet agrees to the publicising of the Saddleworth Neighbourhood Plan, in line with Regulation 16 of The Neighbourhood Planning Regulations (at the appropriate time); and following this,

3.    Submit the Saddleworth Neighbourhood Plan for examination in line with Regulation 17 of The Neighbourhood Planning Regulations;

4.    Grant delegated authority to the Executive Director Place (Deputy Chief Executive) in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, to consider the recommendations made in the Inspectors Report following independent examination of the Saddleworth Neighbourhood Plan and, in liaison with the Peak District National Park Authority, approve what action to take in response to each recommendation in said report in line with Regulation 17A (4) of the Neighbourhood Planning Regulations, and approve publication of the examiner’s report, plan proposal and decision statement as soon as possible after the decision.

5.    That the Cabinet notes that the report will be considered by the Place, Economic Growth and Environment Scrutiny Board at the appropriate time in the new year, and should therefore be exempt from call-in, under Rule 14 of the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules in the Constitution, and the Executive Director Place (Deputy Chief Executive) in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods be given delegated authority to respond to any feedback from scrutiny as part of their consideration of the Inspectors Report referred to in 3 above.

Report of the Statutory Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods seeking approval for the publication of Oldham’s 2025 Brownfield Land Register.

The Cabinet received a report of the Executive Director of Place/Deputy Chief Executive that sought approval for the publication of Oldham’s 2025 Brownfield Land Register.

The Town and Country Planning (Brownfield Land Register) Regulations 2017 requires that each local planning authority in England is to prepare, maintain and publish a register of previously developed (brownfield) land suitable for housing.  The government considers that the purpose of the register is to provide up-to-date and consistent information on sites that local authorities consider appropriate for residential development.

The Brownfield Register update for 2025 includes 190 sites. Further information on which sites are included within the Register were set out in the background to the submitted report.

A Brownfield Register comprised two parts, with Part 2 being a subset of Part 1:

·       Part 1 consists all brownfield sites that the Council has assessed as appropriate for residential development and could include sites with or without planning permission. 

·       Part 2 identifies sites that the local authority has decided should be granted (planning) permission in principle (PiP) for residential development.  PiP is an alternative route to obtaining planning permission which separates “in principle” matters, such as use and location, from technical details, which are left to be agreed later.  The theory is that this will provide greater certainty earlier on in the planning process, making it easier for developers to commit resources to a scheme in the knowledge that the principle of development has already been established and they only need to agree the details. 

As with previous updates of Oldham’s Brownfield Register, it was not proposed to include sites on Part 2 of the Register at this time. Further details regarding this position were provided in the background papers associated with the submitted report. The decision not to progress Part 2 would, however, be kept under review. This was particularly the case given that the Council may, in future, become obligated by the government to start granting PiP.

This was Oldham Council’s 9^th Brownfield Register.

Options/Alternatives considered:

Option 1 (preferred Option) - to approve and publish Part 1 of Oldham’s Brownfield Land Register 2025 in line with the Regulations. Part 2 is not proposed.

Option 2 - to not approve and publish an updated Brownfield Land Register as the 2025 SHLAA already contains all brownfield land considered suitable for housing development. This would not comply with the current Regulations.

Resolved:

1.    That the Cabinet approves and authorizes the publication of Part 1 of Oldham’s Brownfield Land Register 2025 in line with the Regulations.  

2.    That the Cabinet notes the approach to determining sites to include in Part 1 and 2 of the Brownfield Register: namely to approve a 2025 update of the Brownfield Land Register (Part 1 only) for publication; and to delegate authority to make minor amendments and updates to the register throughout the year, if required, to the Executive Director of Place/Deputy Chief Executive.

To seek approval for the publication of Oldham Council’s Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) 2025.

The Cabinet considered a report of the Executive Director of Place/Deputy Chief Executive that was seeking approval for the publication of Oldham Council’s Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) 2025.

The SHLAA was a technical document identifying land that might have potential for housing at some stage in the future. The requirement to undertake a SHLAA was set out in paragraph 72 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

The SHLAA formed a key component of the evidence base underpinning housing policies and land allocations and would help to meet the area’s housing needs. 

The SHLAA assessed the development potential of land that could be capable of delivering homes though an assessment of suitability, availability and achievability (economic viability). It then indicated when it may come forward for development. 

The base date of this SHLAA was the 1^st April 2025. It provided an update to the previous SHLAA (1^st April 2024) published in December 2024. The SHLAA 2025 identified a total housing land supply of 12,848 homes (including allowances) over the short to long term.

More detail on the method used to carry out the assessment, along with the findings of the SHLAA were to be found in the submitted report and its associated appendices.

Options/Alternatives considered:

Option 1 (preferred Option) – to approve and publish the SHLAA 2025 to provide evidence for the housing land supply position, Brownfield Register and Local Plan Review.

Option 2 – to not approve and publish the SHLAA 2025.

Resolved:

That the Cabinet approves the submitted Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) 2025, for publication.

Report of the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, Corporate Services and Sustainability that seeks approval to enter into a call-off contract with Microsoft to provide the ongoing use of Azure Cloud.

The Cabinet considered a report of the Executive Director of Resources that sought authority to enter into a new call-off contract under a procurement compliant framework agreement in accordance with Contract Procedure Rules to support the ongoing use of Microsoft Azure Cloud for three years.

The Council’s current Azure contract had been extended for 90 days pending approval of a new agreement. However, continued use of the cloud environment was considered essential, and therefore a long-term replacement contract should commence immediately upon approval of the confidential report, detailed at item 16.

The report also outlined the progress of the Council's cloud migration strategy, which aligns with Oldham's Corporate Plan "Ready for the Future" (2024-27) and Borough Plan "Pride, Progress, Partnership." These plans emphasised ambition through modernisation, inclusiveness by improving service delivery to all residents, and strength via enhanced resilience, sustainability, and supporting green initiatives like those highlighted in recent Greater Manchester Green City Region Board visits to Oldham.

Phase 1 of the migration was nearing completion, with significant progress in moving servers and storage to Azure.

Phase 2 was forthcoming and would be detailed in a separate paper that will complete the transition, allowing the Council to fully move away from on-premises server rooms, realising cost savings, improved cybersecurity, and operational efficiencies. This approach mirrored successful migrations by other UK local authorities, such as Manchester City Council, Oxford City Council, and Bury Borough Council, which had adopted Azure to modernise infrastructure, reduce costs, and enhance service delivery. Phase 2 would also incorporate the Microsoft Intelligent Data Platform, providing unified data management, real-time analytics, AI integration, and enhanced governance for better decision-making and service delivery.

Options/Alternatives considered:

Option1 – to do nothing

Option 2 – to approve the recommendations, as detailed in the confidential report, detailed at item 16.

Resolved:

That the Cabinet will consider the confidential recommendations, detailed in the report, at minute 16, below.

To consider that the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business, pursuant to Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that discussions may involve the likely disclosure of exempt information, under paragraph 3, as defined in the provisions of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, to the Local Government Act 1972 and public interest would not be served in publishing the information.

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 item of business, on the grounds that they contain exempt information under paragraph 3 Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, and it would not, on balance, be in the public interest to disclose the reports.

To consider confidential recommendations

The Cabinet considered the commercially sensitive information in relation to minute 14, above (Azure Coud Contract).

Resolved:

1.    That the Cabinet approves a direct award Call-Off Contract under Crown Commercial Services, RM6098 Framework Technology Products and Services Lot 2 Software, for a 3-year term, largely on the call-off terms and conditions prescribed by the Framework Agreement and delegate authority to the Director of Legal Services, or his nominated representative, to formalise any relevant legal requirements, including the execution of the Call-Off Contract as a Deed.

2.    That the Cabinet agrees to continue with the cloud migration to achieve full cloud adoption by 2027/28 and enable Microsoft Azure Sentinel.