Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, Civic Centre, Oldham, West Street, Oldham, OL1 1NL. View directions

Contact: Constitutional Services 

Items
No. Item

1.

Formal Election of Vice-Chair - 2021-22

The Committee is requested to elect a Vice-Chair for 2021-22.

Minutes:

As the previous meeting held on 15th June 2021 had been informal, the Committee was requested to formally nominate a Vice-Chair for the duration of the Municipal Year 2021/22.

 

RESOLVED that Councillor Brownridge be elected Vice-Chair of the Policy Overview and Scrutiny Committee for the duration of the Municipal Year 2021/22..

 

2.

Apologies For Absence

To receive apologies for absence.

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Alyas.

3.

Declarations of Interest

To Receive Declarations of Interest in any Contract or matter to be discussed at the meeting.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest received.

4.

Urgent Business

Urgent business, if any, introduced by the Chair

Minutes:

There were no items of urgent business received.

5.

Public Question Time

To receive Questions from the Public, in accordance with the Council’s Constitution.

Minutes:

No public questions had been received.

6.

Minutes of Previous Informal Meeting held on Tuesday, 15th June 2021

The Minutes of the informal meeting held on Tuesday, 15th June 2021 will be presented to the meeting to be held on Tuesday, 27th July 2021.

Minutes:

The Committee was advised that the minutes of the previous informal meeting held on 15th June 2021 would be submitted to the meeting of the Committee scheduled on 27th July 2021.

7.

Exempt from call in decision - Local Covid Support Grant Funding Allocation pdf icon PDF 285 KB

The Committee to note that The Chairman of the Policy Overview and Scrutiny Committee has agreed to this item being exempt from call in because it is important that the Council does not delay in mobilising financial support to vulnerable residents during COVID.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

A report was submitted advising the Committee of a decision that had been made on 6th July 2021 which had been exempt from call in (Local Covid Support Grant Funding Allocation).

 

Grounds for the decision being exempt from call in were outlined within the report.

 

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

8.

Exempt from call in decision - Local Covid Support Grant Funding Allocation pdf icon PDF 314 KB

To consider the recommendations

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report and presentation submitted jointly by Elizabeth Dryden-Stuart and Councillor Hannah Roberts, Cabinet Member for Housing, providing an update on the Places for Everyone Publication Plan 2021: A Joint Development Plan Document for 9 Greater Manchester Local Authorities (Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan), in advance of consideration at a meeting of the Cabinet scheduled on 26th July 2021 and Full Council on 28th July 2021 to consider the joint development plan document for approval, publication and submission to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

 

The following in relation to Places for Everyone was outlined to the Committee within the presentation and report:

 

·         What it is and the legal obligation on Greater Manchester Mayor

·         Places for Everyone and the Local Plan

·         Process to date

·         Content and struct of Places for Everyone

·         Key messages for Oldham, benefits, and risks

·         Timetable for next steps

·         How to comment

·         Local Plan Issues and Options consultation

·         Local Development Scheme and Statement of Community Involvement  Updates

 

A copy of the plan was attached to the report at Appendix 1. 

 

The Committee was advised that upon approval of the publication draft of the plan by the nine local authorities, consultation on the Places for Everyone Publication Plan 2021 would commence not earlier than the 9th August for a period of eight weeks.

 

When it has been adopted, Places for Everyone would become part of the development plan for Oldham.  It would replace parts of Oldham’s Core Strategy and change the Proposals Map.  A list of Core Strategy policies that would be replaced by Places for Everyone was detailed in the report.

 

The Committee was requested to recommend approval of the Places for Everyone Publication Plan 2021 to Cabinet and Full Council.

 

A discussion took place in which the following issues and responses were made:

 

·    If it is later considered that we don’t need that much land or we need more, is there room for flexibility?  The Committee was advised that monitoring had been built into the process and that if necessary or required, changes would be made implemented via this process.

 

·    What if things become out of sync, or if someone does not have a plan?  The Committee was advised that there was a timetable and in Oldham we are “twin tracking” and that the Local Plan would be required to conform with this.

 

·    What happens if the 9 Districts to do not approve?  The Committee was advised that if there was not full agreement, the consultation process would not be carried out.

 

·    Infrastructure, can we deliver?  The Committee was advised that alongside Places for Everyone, was the Local Implementation Plan which set out how we deliver.  The Masterplan for each allocation includes requirements to ensure education and health provision.

 

·    Contributions from developers, what confidence do we have? The Committee was advised that there is an obligation in the Local Plan to ensure infrastructure and delivery of that infrastructure.

 

·    How do we  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

9.

Statement of Community Involvement 2021 pdf icon PDF 110 KB

To consider the recommendations

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report providing an update on the Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) 2021 which was attached to the report at Appendix 1.

 

The Committee was advised that the SCI sets out how Oldham Council would involve the community in the preparation and the revision of planning policy such as the Local Plan, together with the consideration of planning applications.

 

The Committee was further advised that this SCI was as per the adopted SCI 2020 version but with references to Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF) amended to refer to Places for Everyone Joint Development Plan Document.

 

The Committee was recommended to endorse approval of the SCI 2021 to Full Council and upon adoption to make it available to view alongside the Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) 2020.

 

The Committee and Councillor Roberts thanks officers commenting that it was a very thorough and well written document.

 

RESOLVED – That the Policy Overview and Scrutiny Committee recommend approval of the SCI 2021 for consideration at Full Council and upon adoption to make it available to view alongside the Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) 2020.

10.

Local Development Scheme 2021 pdf icon PDF 138 KB

To consider the recommendations

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report to provide an update on the Local Development Scheme (LDS) 2021 a copy of which was attached to the report at Appendix 1.

 

The Committee was reminded that the Council was required to prepare a Local Plan to ensure that there was an up-to-date and comprehensive planning framework to support the Borough’s economic, environmental and, social objectives.  THE LDS was the project plan for the Local Plan and set out details and timetables about the planning documents that would be prepared, including:

 

·         Oldham’s Local Plan (incorporating site allocations); and

·         Places for Everyone Joint Development Plan Document for 9 Greater Manchester Local Authorities (Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Tameside, Trafford, and Wigan)

 

It was reported that the update had been prepared to amend references from GMSF to Places for Everyone (PfE), reflect the revised timeline for PfE and the review of Oldham’s Local Plan.  The proposed timetable for the remaining stages of the PfE Joint DPD were set out in the LDS and detailed within the report.  Details of the consultation process were also outlined within the report.

 

The Committee was requested to recommend approval of the LDS 2021 for consideration at Cabinet and for publication upon adoption.

 

RESOLVED – That the Policy Overview and Scrutiny Committee recommend approval to Cabinet of the LDS 2021 and for publication upon adoption.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11.

Presentation - Clean Air Plan pdf icon PDF 520 KB

Committee to receive a presentation on the Clean Air Plan

Minutes:

The Committee received a presentation updating on the Greater Manchester Clean Air Final Plan detailing the process as follows:

 

·         Responses to consultation (8th October 2020 – 3rd December 2020) including the current position in relation to Minimum Licensing Standards

 

·         Covid-19 impact on air quality in Greater Manchester.

 

Key elements of the proposed and the final proposed GM Clean Air Zone were highlighted within the presentation, support measures, Governance process and the proposed forward timeline.

 

A discussion took place in which the following issues and responses were made:

 

·         If Government funding is not made available, do we still have to go ahead with the measures?  The Committee was advised that central government have stated that funding would be made available in November 2021, subject to approval from all 10 Local Authorities and then central Government. 

 

·         Do the standards apply on the Highways Agency? Is there any indication that there will be a legal obligation?  The Committee was advised that this was an ongoing debate by the Highways Agency and that monitoring would still be carried out across Greater Manchester by the use of diffusion tubes to ensure compliance is achieved on the Strategic road network managed by the Highways Agency.

 

·         Is the Clean Air Zone (CAZ) a temporary measure? Is there a time-line?  Do we know when we will be able to come out of it? Can charging continue if we fall below the WHO limit? The Committee was advised that this question would be put to the Steering Group and a response communicated to Committee Members. The response indicated that the CAZ will be operational until at least 2026 and then progress reviewed to ensure NOx levels are reduced over a longer period.   

 

·         Roadworks – Will there be a limit to the number of roadworks that cause blockages to the flow of traffic?  The Committee was advised that this is considered as part of the permissions and planning process by TfGM but they have limited powers.

 

·         Charging points – Have they been included?  The Committee was advised that charging points and the infrastructure is provided from a number of different funding sources that complement the Clean Air Plan.

 

·         Can we include the installation of Charging points from domestic and business proposals in the planning process?  The Committee was advised that it was hoped that this would be included in the planning process.

 

·         Following enquires around the consultation process, in relation to Minimum Licensing Standards (MLS), the Committee was advised that Oldham had received the lowest returns response to the consultation process which had not been supportive of the proposals due to fears of the effects.  The public had been supportive of the proposals.

 

·         Checks on taxis etc, will they take place?  It was confirmed that subject to funding, checks will be in place.

 

·         Why wait until November 2021?  Is there any way that the Council could fund and then reclaim as, there will be end of life vehicles coming off the road currently?  It was suggested that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.