Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Ghafoor and Hince

The Minutes of the Place, Economic Growth and Environment Scrutiny Board held on 8^th November 2023, are attached for approval.

Resolved:

That the Minutes of the meeting of the Place, Economic Growth and Environment Scrutiny Board, held 8^th November 2023, be approved as a correct record subject to the following amendment that the…. ‘Scrutiny Board agreed to establish a Task and Finish Group to examine Homelessness comprising Councillors McLaren, H. Harrison, Ghafoor and Surjan.’

Councillor Shah, Mr. D. Benstead (Chair of the Oldham Economic Review Board) and the Director of Economy presented an update on the Oldham Economic Review (OER).

The Board were given a summary of six recommendations to advance the levelling up of Oldham.

1.    The Long Game

2.    Economic Purpose

3.    Business and Innovation

4.    Institutions

5.    Skills and Jobs

6.    Civic Pride and ‘A Sense of Place’

The Oldham Economy Board (OEB) had been established to drive the OER and were taking an ‘Action focused’ approach to levelling up. Officers gave some insight into the work already being done with STEM Programmes being rolled out to Oldham Schools, business support with The Hive due to complete in January 2024 and the first two district plans were scheduled to start by March 2024.

The Board stressed the importance of education and suggested this be a starting point. They also advised that the process of obtaining funding needed further coordination as their current approach seemed fragmented.

The Board support efforts by the OEB to boost the economy. The Scrutiny Board feel that they can assist the OEB to develop a more robust economic strategy for the economy.

Resolved:

1.    That report and presentation are noted and welcomed.

2.     The Chair agreed to arrange a further meeting with key officers to agree a framework for to assist with the development of the Borough’s economic strategy.

The Deputy Chief Executive (Place) provided the Scrutiny Board with an overview of the Council’s Emergency Plan. Feedback and comments on the report were welcomed in addition to advice on how to raise both engagement with members and awareness of Emergency Plan Training, that was scheduled to be held in January 2024.

This annual report provided an update on the current emergency response on-call structures and potential areas to review. The keys areas reviewed include Emergency Planning Structure, current on call structures for Gold, Silver and Bronze Officers, possible changes to Gold, Silver and Bronze Structures from January 2024, a summary of incidents in 2023, completed training 2023 and planned training 2024.

Members of the Board noted that a training session was scheduled for early 2024. The Chair suggested that training on Emergency Planning be made mandatory for all members.

Resolved:

1.    The Scrutiny Board note the Emergency Plan.

2.    The Board recommend that Emergency Plan Training be made mandatory to all members.

The Scrutiny Board considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) which sought permission to approve the publication and consultation of the draft version of a new Local Plan for Oldham (referred to as the Draft Local Plan in the report).

The council was required to prepare a Local Plan to ensure that it has an up-to-date and comprehensive planning framework to support the borough’s economic, environmental and social objectives. Oldham’s Local Plan will guide development in the borough up to 2039. Once adopted, it would replace the current Local Plan (the Joint Core Strategy and Development Management Policies DPD) which was adopted in November 2011 and any saved older planning policies from the Unitary Development Plan (UDP) 2006.

The Draft Local Plan follows on from public consultations that were carried out on the Issues and Options for a new Local Plan in Summer 2021. It builds also upon the comments the authority has received and has been informed by on-going studies and pieces of evidence that have been completed since the Issues and Options consultation. The Draft Local Plan is accompanied by an Integrated Assessment (IA), which incorporates the Sustainability Appraisal and Strategic Environmental Assessment, an Equalities Impact Assessment (EqIA) and Health Impact Assessment (HIA), and by a Habitat Regulations Assessment. The Draft Local Plan and associated appendices, IA, IA Scoping Report Update, HRA, Consultation Statement and Issues and Options Comments and Response Schedule are attached at Appendix 1 to 8. Approval is sought to publish and consult on the Draft Local Plan and supporting documents, with consultation commencing no earlier than 10 January 2024 for six weeks. Note, following approval there may be further formatting amendments made to the documents to address accessibility requirements prior to publication for consultation.

The Scrutiny Board in considering the report noted that Cabinet would be discussing the matter at the Meeting on 11^th December 2023.

Resolved:

1.    That the Cabinet be requested to support the recommendations in the report that the Draft Local Plan and supporting documents, including the Integrated Assessment and Habitat Regulation Assessment, be approved for publication and consultation commencing no earlier than 10^th January 2024 for six weeks.

2.    That a progress report on the Draft Local Plan be presented to the Scrutiny Board in approximately six months (June 2024).

The Scrutiny Board received a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) which provided Scrutiny of Corporate Performance Aims, in respect of the Place Directorate which aimed to provide assurance that the Council’s corporate priorities were aligned to the needs of residents (resident focus).

The report highlighted that the Council’s services were good and were on track to achieve objectives. Any services that were not on track, or had been identified risks, were being supported or challenged to rectify this. The purpose of this report was to provide an overview of corporate performance against agreed service business plan measures for the Q2 period. The current reporting format has been developed as an interim solution, with a view to bringing more mature performance reporting online once the BIPS Programme and Digital Services Foundation Project had been completed.

The report referred to a new software system (Locata) which assisted with the effective delivery of the housing register and allocation service and a member requested training on the software system.

Members requested that Key Performance Indicators be numbered in future reports.

Resolved:

1.    The Scrutiny Board note and welcome the report.

2.    That Members be provided with training on the Locata software system.

To consider the Scrutiny Board’s Work Programme 2023/24

The Board considered its Work Programme for 2023/24.

The Board confirmed that a Task and Finish Group has been established comprising Councillors McLaren, H. Harrison, Ghafoor and Surjan to examine homelessness.

Resolved:

1.    That the Place, Economic Growth and Environment Scrutiny Board’s Work Programme 2023/24 be noted.

2.    That a Task and Finish Group be established, comprising Councillors McLaren, H. Harrison, Ghafoor and Surjan, to examine the issue of homelessness.

The Board considered the Key Decision Document, which records key decisions that the authority is due to take.

Resolved: That the Key Decision Document be noted.

To consider any rule 13 or 14 decisions since the previous meeting.

The Chair reported that there was nothing to report under this heading.