Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Brownridge.

The Leader of the Council read out the follwing statement.

“I have been notified of only one piece of urgent business to make Cabinet aware of, regarding a Delegated Executive Decision on the delivery of the National Careers Service Contract by Get Oldham Working.

For the last 5 years the Get Oldham Working programme has been delivered the NCS contract as a subcontractor of the GM Growth Company, with the Council delivering 50% of the contract via Get Oldham Working and GM Growth Company delivering 50%.

In June 2022 the Council was notified that the then prime contractor (GM Growth Company had lost the contract and the education and skills funding agency had chosen Seetec, an employee-owned public sector service provider as the new prime contractor for the North West.

Seetec offered Get Oldham Working the opportunity to deliver 100% of the Oldham NCS contract as a sub-contractor. The Council believes this exclusivity is likely to provide better outcomes for our residents and partners as the service is already embedded in Oldham and highly regarded by residents across the Borough.

The Delegated Executive Decision was taken to comply with signing the contract as soon as possible, otherwise we risked jeopardising Oldham Council and Get Oldham Working being the preferred delivery provider for Oldham.”

There were no public questions received.

RESOLVED – That the amended minutes as cirucalted of the Cabinet meeting held on 25^th July 2022 be approved.

The Cabinet gave consideration to a report of the Leader of the Council which provided details of the Council’s Corporate Plan 2022-2027.

Oldham Council’s last Corporate Plan expired in 2020, being replaced by a Covid Recovery Strategy to focus the Council’s resources as the borough responded to the pandemic. As the Council now looked to the future, a new Corporate Plan enabled the strategic use of resources to support the policy and operational priorities of the administration. The new Corporate Plan 2022-27 sets out these priorities for the next five years, with specific deliverables for the next three years.

Oldham Council’s Corporate Plan 2022-27 described how the Council would maximise the impact of our efforts and resource to improve the lives of residents in the borough over the next five years. The plan, which aligned with the Oldham Partnership’s vision document (Our Future Oldham), focused specifically on the impact of our work on children and young people. It acknowledged the present and future challenges created by the cost of living crisis, and described how services across the Council would be improved for residents.

The plan set out five policy priorities: healthy, safe and well supported residents; A great start and skills for life; Better jobs and dynamic businesses; Quality homes for everyone; A clean and green future. The Council’s four operational priorities are: Resident focus; Place-based working; Digital; Working with communities to reduce need.

Options/Alternatives considered

Option 1 - Approve the Corporate Plan 2022-27 and allow it to proceed to Full Council for consideration.

This option was recommended as it would allow the Council to proceed most efficiently and effectively, delivering on the Administration’s priorities and focusing on the needs of residents, whilst contributing to the overall vision for Oldham set out in Our Future Oldham.

Option 2 - Reject the Corporate Plan 2022-27 as drafted, proceeding without a Corporate Plan until amendments can be made.

RESOLVED – That:

1.    The contents of the Corporate Plan 2022-27 and the outcomes it commits the Council to delivering over the next three years be noted.

2.    The Corporate Plan 2022-27 be approved and recommended to Council on 7^th September 2022 or consideration.

Consideration was given to a report of the Leader of the Council which amended the Council’s Local Development Framework Scheme of Delegation to ensure the decision making process was up to date and to reflect recent legislative changes.

The current Local Development Framework Scheme of Delegation was adopted 14 September 2011 to reflect changes in the procedures to be followed in relation to the production of development plan documents, following amendments to the Town and Country Planning (Local Development) (England) Regulations 2004.

Since the Scheme of Delegation was last updated legislative changes have taken place, including:

·         The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 as amended;

·         The Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012; and

·         The Town and Country Planning (Brownfield Land Register) Regulations 2017

As such, changes needed to be made to the existing Local Development Framework Scheme of Delegation in relation to the following in particular:

·         Terminology (such as replacing references to the Local Development Framework);

·         References to regulation stages within the decision-making procedures; and

·         Decision making processes for Neighbourhood Planning.

There may be further changes as a result of the recently announced Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill. Any changes needed to the Scheme of Delegation would be considered at the appropriate time once further guidance and legislation has been published.

Options/alternatives considered

Option 1 – To approve and adopt the revised levels of decision-making in respect of local planning. This would reflect the latest terminology and regulations and provide greater clarity when making decisions in respect of local planning.

Option 2 – Not to approve and adopt the revised levels of decision-making in respect of local planning. This would result in thecontinued use of an out-of-date scheme of delegation and a lack of clarity. 

RESOLVED - That the revised Local Planning Scheme of Delegation be approved and adopted.

Consideration was given to a report of the Director of Finance which provided the Cabinet details of the Treasury Management Review 2021/22.

The Council was required by regulations issued under the Local Government Act 2003 to produce an annual treasury management review of activities and the actual prudential and treasury indicators for 2021/22. This report met the requirements of both the CIPFA Code of Practice on Treasury Management (the Code) and the CIPFA Prudential Code for Capital Finance in Local Authorities (the Prudential Code).

During 2021/22 the minimum reporting requirements were that the full Council should receive the following reports:

·         an annual treasury strategy in advance of the year (approved 4^th March 2021)

·         a mid-year (minimum) treasury update report (approved 15^th  December 2021 )

·         an annual review following the end of the year describing the activity compared to the strategy (this report)

The regulatory environment places responsibility on Members for the review and scrutiny of treasury management policy and activities. This report was therefore important in that respect, as it provided details of the outturn position for treasury activities and highlights compliance with the Council’s policies previously approved by members.

The Council confirmed that it had complied with the requirements under the Code to give prior scrutiny to the treasury strategy and the mid-year update. The Audit Committee was charged with the scrutiny of treasury management activities in Oldham and reviewed the content of this annual report at its meeting of 21 June 2022 prior to its consideration by Cabinet. The Committee was content to commend the report to Cabinet (to ensure full compliance with the Code for 2020/212). 

RESOLVED – That-

1. The actual 2021/22 prudential and treasury indicators presented in this report be approved.
2. The annual treasury management report for 2021/22 be approved.
3. The report be commended to Council.

Consideration was given to a report of the Director of Finance which provided Cabinet with an update on the Council’s 2022/23 forecast revenue budget position at Annex 1 and the financial position of the capital programme as at 30 June 2022 (Quarter 1) together with the revised capital programme 2022/23 to 2026/27, as outlined in section two of the report at Annex 2.

The current forecast outturn position for 2022/23 was a projected deficit variance of £5.833m after allowing for approved and pending transfers to and from reserves. The position included additional costs and pressures that have been identified by the Authority in this financial year as a direct result of the lasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

There are two areas which continued to endure significant pressures attributed to the ongoing impact of the Pandemic; Community Health & Adult Social Care was reporting an adverse variance of £7.582m and Children’s Social Care was recording £4.137m.

These pressures were being offset against a corporate provision of £12.000m COVID-19 Legacy funding which was set aside during the 2022/23 budget setting process.

An update on the major issues driving the projections was detailed at Annex 1 to the report.

The report outlined the most up to date capital spending position for 2022/23 to 2026/27 for approved schemes. The revised capital programme budget for 2022/23 was £88.075m at the close of Quarter 1, a net increase of £2.073m from the original budget of £78.695m. Actual expenditure to 30 June 2020 was £6.787m (8.62% of the forecast outturn). Without doubt the forecast position would continue to change throughout the year with additional re-profiling into future years.

RESOLVED – That:

 1. Forecast revenue outturn for 2022/23 at Quarter 1 being a £5.833m adverse variance having regard to the action being taken to manage expenditure be approved.

2. Forecast positions for both the Housing Revenue Account, Dedicated Schools Grant and Collection Fund be approved

3. Use of reserves as detailed in Appendix 1 to Annex 1 be approved.

4. Revised capital programme for 2022/2027 as at Quarter 1 be approved.

Consideration was given to a report of the Deputy Chief Executive which sought approval of the award of a call off contract to deliver the Council’s Early Payment Scheme.

The Council had offered an early payment scheme to suppliers since 2012. The scheme allowed invoices to be paid earlier than the starnard30 days payment terms in exchange for a percentage rebate of the total invoice.

The scheme had 375 signed suppliers and earnings of the financial year 201/22 were £211,603 averaging out at £17,663 per month.

The current contract with Oxygen Finance was due for renewal and a desk top exercise was carried out to identify potential solutions.

Option 1 – To engage Oxygen Finance Ltd in a 5 year call off contract under the NEPO Early Payment Services Framework.

Option 2 – To undertake an open tender process further exploring the other option within the market.

Option 3 – Cease the Early Payment Scheme.

RESOLVED – That the Cabinet would consider the commercially sensitive information contained at Item 12 of the agenda before making the decision.

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 10 - Approval to Award the Contract for the Delivery of the Early Payment Scheme.

RESOLVED - That a call off contract with Oxygen Finance Ltd for a period of 5 years under the NEPO Early Payment Services framework be awarded and approved.