Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Moores and Sharp.

There were no public questions received.

The Minutes of the meetings of the Place, Economic Growth and Environment Scrutiny Board held on 21^st January 2025 (to follow) and of the extraordinary meeting held on 27^th January 2025, are attached for approval.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 27^th January 2025 be approved as a correct record.

Corporate Performance Report 2024/25 – covering Quarter 3 (1^st October to 31^st December 2024)

The Scrutiny Board considered a report of the Assistant Director of Strategy and resources which provided an overview of corporate performance against agreed service business plan measures for the 2024/25 Q3 period (1^st October- 31^st December 2024).

The report provided scrutiny of corporate performance and aimed to provide assurance that:

a. Services were aligned to corporate priorities the needs of our residents (resident focus)

b. That the Council’s services were good or were on track to be good.

c. That any services which were not on track, or had identified risks, were being supported or challenged to rectify this.

d. That any demand indicators or resource pressures were being noted and service provision was being re-assessed accordingly.

e. That the Council had robust performance management processes in place.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

Report and presentation updating Members on the Oldham Green New Deal

The Scrutiny Board received a report which provided an update on the Oldham Green New Deal delivery programme and in particular the Oldham Green New Deal Delivery Partnership initiative – only the third local authority initiative of its type in the UK and the first to combine a Strategic Energy Partnership approach with the delivery of a heat network zone and Community Led Energy Planning.

The report gave an update on the following Green New Deal activities:-

·         Oldham Green New Deal Delivery Partnership

o   Procurement of Oldham Green New Deal Delivery Partner

o   Oldham Green New Deal Delivery Group

o   Anchor project: Oldham Low Carbon Heat Network and Heat Network Zone

o   Potential Council-led pipeline projects

o   Expansion of Community Led Energy Planning approach and design of Community Partnership

o   Oldham Economic Vision Outcomes Framework and draft Oldham Green New Deal Council spend analysis

·         Wrigley Head Solar Farm

·         Net Zero Spindles

·         Area-Based Housing Retrofit scheme for the Able to Pay sector

·         Training for Council staff

RESOLVED that the progress and Oldham’s leading position both regionally and nationally be noted.

A report that briefs Members on the Creating a Better Place Programme

The Scrutiny Board received a report which provided a bi-annual update on the Creating a Better Place Programme. Cabinet approval was first obtained in January 2020 for the Council’s ‘Creating a Better Place (CaBP)’ strategic framework and capital regeneration programme. Regular updates had been provided to the Place Scrutiny Committee for monitoring and oversight.

The programme remained on track to deliver new homes, create jobs and delivers against our Green New Deal commitments that ensured Oldham was a great place to live, work and visit with lots of family friendly and accessible places to go. The report provided Place Scrutiny with an update on the strategic progress of the Creating a Better Place regeneration programme, including external funding opportunities secured, benefits realised, and the associated Social Value generated to Build a Better Place.

The Scrutiny board were advised that a walking tour would be held for Members to visit the sites in the regeneration programme in June 2025.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

Report of Deputy Chief Executive (Place) – to accept grant funding.

The Scrutiny Board received a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) which sought approval for the acceptance of £20,100,000 (twenty million, one hundred thousand pounds) from the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) on behalf of national government following receipt of grant notification on 21 February 2025.

Members recalled announcements about Oldham being included in the Levelling Up Partnership on behalf of national government. The notification had also confirmed that the programme had changed its name to the Oldham Community Regeneration Partnership. Within MHCLG, a sub-team called the Communities Delivery Unit (CDU) had led the work which began in April 2024, and included community engagement and, data insight and assessments to assess the “need” for Levelling Up Oldham. The CDU had undertaken further scoping work, desk-based research, literature reviews and work with analysts to develop an evidence base on the opportunities and challenges for Oldham.

Due to the timing of the General Election, the programme was paused from June to November 2025; however, all the work then resumed and informed a cross-government process to develop a long-list of policy options and interventions, as set out in this report. The finalised selection of projects / list of interventions was developed and confirmed by the CDU in February 2025, following ministerial sign off and approval, the detail of which were set out in the report.

The Scrutiny Board were advised that on acceptance of the grant, the Council and the MHCLG would form the Oldham Community Regeneration Partnership, and after reviewing the identified programme, the proposals were fully aligned with the Oldham Plan and Creating a Better Place framework to create jobs, build homes, and enhance buildings and communities across the borough.

RESOLVED that the recommendations as contained in the report be agreed.

The Scrutiny Board considered its Work Programme for 2024/25.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

Key Decision Document for the Cabinet meeting on 7^th April 2025

The Scrutiny Panel gave consideration to the Key Decision Document which outlined key decisions that the Cabinet were due to take at its meeting on 7^th April 2025 and at future meetings.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

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

The Chair advised that there was nothing to report in relation to this agenda item.