Agenda item

Questions to Cabinet Members from the public and Councillors on ward or district issues

(15 minutes for public questions and 25 minutes for Councillor questions)

Minutes:

The Mayor advised the meeting that the first item on the agenda in Open Council was Public Question Time. The questions had been received from members of the public and would be taken in the order in which they had been received. Council was advised that if the questioner was not present, then the question would appear on the screen in the Council Chamber. The following public questions had been submitted: (15 mins)

 

1.               Question from Leonie Kirkbride via email

 

“I wanted to ask a question about the new Royton swimming Baths. Why does the water have to be so cold and sitting on the side be so hot that we are sweating. I find Chadderton baths just right. The water is not that cold. Kids in the swimming lesson yesterday took longer to get in the pool because it was freezing. I was told it's the right temperature. Why so cold. Is there anything you can do about it. Also can I mention again about Roman Road the parking is horrible. People with prams can not get past so they go in the road. Kids coming from school have to walk in the road. Do you want an accident. Why Don't you put double yellow lines on the bit were you have to walk in the road. That would make it safer”.

 

Councillor Barbara Brownridge, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Co-Operatives, responded that all Main Pools were set at 27 - 29 degrees Celsius, the learner pools were 30 - 32 degrees Celsius.

Royton's Main pool had consistently been between 28.5 - 29 degrees C, purposely set it to the higher range so it did not feel cold. There should be no difference between Royton or Chadderton. The learner pool has always been around 31 degrees C. Poolside air temps should be 1 degree above the pool water and Royton's is consistently around 30 degrees C.

 

Councillor Hibbert, Cabinet Member for Housing, Planning and Highways, added that Roman Road, already had some waiting restrictions in place and dedicated mandatory School Keep Clear markings.  There was a layby near the school which some parents used to drop children off.  Parking around schools and at school time peaks caused problems across the borough.  It was not effective to implement waiting restrictions for this type of situation which occured over a relatively short period of time, as the drivers were with the vehicles enabling them to move off if enforcement were carried out.

He had asked for an increased presence by the school safety vehicle to try to encourage appropriate parking behaviour in the area.

 

2.               Question from Yvonne Farrand via email

 

“I would like to ask if the road closure arrangements for Shaw market are permanently in place or if they are just a trial.

My reason for asking, is because of the absolute traffic chaos I experienced on Thursday last week. A journey which should have taken me only 10 minutes there and back, took more than three quarters of an hour, resulting in my having to run round doing my urgent shopping at breakneck speed so I was not late to collect my daughter from school. 

The roads around the town centre were absolute gridlock. No one could move anywhere, buses having to negotiate roads not designed for through traffic, cars unable to turn out of side streets blocking the roads with others unable to turn in even to get into car parks. Queues and queues of standing traffic, inching its way round back streets! Whilst I was sat in standing traffic, I could clearly see that the market was devoid of shoppers as was Asda when I finally got there, their car park virtually empty. 

I am hoping that this is only a trial and that someone will realise that moving the market is actually counterproductive, reducing the number of shoppers in Shaw rather than increasing them. 

I will be avoiding Shaw in a Thursday in future”.

 

Councillor Hibbert, Cabinet Member for Housing, Planning and Highways, responded that there had been a ten-week trial to test out how Shaw market and local businesses performed with the market held on Market Street. During the trial, highways officers monitored traffic both on Thursdays and also on other days of the week to ensure the Council had full comparisons. The trial was considered to be successful and Shaw market was granted a permanent licence to be held on Market Street by the Licensing Panel on the 2nd November.

The Council was not aware of any specific traffic related issues on the afternoon of the 22nd October. However, highways officers had made full assessments of the suitability of the diversions for buses and large delivery vehicles and were satisfied that the temporary diversions in place on market day were safe and enabled traffic to flow.

Monitoring of traffic had taken place both before and during the trial period, including monitoring of the traffic queues on Eastway when the pedestrian crossings were in use. There were no unacceptable traffic flow issues noted during monitoring. There had been regular consultation with the bus companies, the local mail order companies, the emergency services and the larger supermarkets. There had been no negative reports from any of these organisations.

The evidence showed that the market was very well used, with a significant rise in footfall and consultations with local businesses and local residents indicated that there was a majority in favour of the on street market.

He would be keeping an eye on the situation and was confident the local ward Councillors would keep him fully informed of any problems that occurred.

 

3.               Question from Bradley Hardacre via email

 

“The report that was presented to the Licensing Panel on Monday last (2nd November) about the Shaw ‘On Street’ Market trial contains some comments of real concern from local traders affected adversely by the new arrangements.

These comments relate to takings being significant down - “one of the lowest trading days” and worse still “a disaster…with takings so bad they did not even cover the pay for one wage”; problems with deliveries – “the closure of Market Street will not allow me to load and unload items for my business, which I need access to at all times”; and traffic disruption – “the extra traffic on Eastway is causing inconvenience” and “The ambulance could not get near where it was needed”.

Given that these comments come from some of the more well-established businesses on Market Street, I would like to ask the Cabinet Member under whose remit responsibility for markets lies whether they share my concern that the continuation of an on-street market could in the long-term affect the viability of these businesses and what this Administration intends to do to address these issues?”

 

Councillor Moores, Deputy Cabinet Member for Economy and Enterprise, responded that, on the 2nd November the Licensing Panel considered a full report which detailed feedback from local businesses, members of the public and market traders regarding the request to give Shaw market a permanent licence to operate on Market Street.

Whilst, there were a number of local people and local businesses who did not agree with relocating the market to Market Street, the weight of evidence from the formal consultation with local businesses on Market Street and the open public consultation with residents suggested that there was a clear majority in favour of the move. Many local businesses had commented that their trade had increased and were supportive of the move.  Almost 60% of local people preferred the on street location and 68% said that they thought the new location would have a positive impact. There had been a marked increase in footfall which was reflected in the feedback from the market traders, who all reported a major rise in their takings.  

A thriving market encouraged more footfall which would help other Market Street businesses to thrive. The purpose of moving the market on street was to encourage new customers who used the supermarkets to come into the heart of the District Centre. For the first time, there was a waiting list of new market traders keen to trade in Shaw. There would be a wider variety of stalls which would encourage even more new customers and also give the existing loyal customers a much better market than they had had for the last 5 years.

He understood that the move had meant that local businesses themselves had to make adjustments. Many local businesses had been able to make alternative arrangements for their deliveries. Some businesses were accessible from the rear of their premises and some businesses had changed their delivery arrangements by changing the day or time of their deliveries.

There had been formal monitoring of the changes to traffic flows and so far there had been no evidence of any unacceptable traffic disruption. The Council had been in regular contact throughout the ten weeks trial with the bus companies, the local mail order companies, the major supermarkets and the emergency services. None had reported any issues. On the one occasion when an ambulance was called, it was fully able to get to the patient who was sitting near the Iceland store. The markets staff had waited at the barriers and moved them as soon as the ambulance arrived and the NW Ambulance Service had not reported that access or egress was a problem.

 

4.               Question from Mark Brooks via email

 

“Oldham Council will be funding the works associated with the highways and access requirements for the proposed new Saddleworth School in Diggle.

Would the Council therefore please state the current total cost estimate for all the highway and infrastructure improvements necessary in relation to the Saddleworth School project”.

 

Councillor Hibbert, Cabinet Member for Housing, Planning and Highways, responded that the Council had been designing a highways scheme associated with the proposed Saddleworth School development in Diggle, working closely with Ward Councillors. There were two reasons why he could not currently disclose the estimated cost of the scheme.

Firstly, some elements of the scheme would require planning consent to go ahead and would be subject to statutory consultation with the public and statutory consultees. The scheme could therefore be subjected to change. This may increase or decrease the estimated costs.

Secondly, the Council would not disclose the estimated cost of the scheme prior to going out to tender for the works because this would let contractors know how much to charge, and might prevent the Council from achieving best value for the contract and best value for the council tax payers of Oldham.

The costs of the highways scheme would be disclosed in the future, once any tendering process has been completed.

 

5.               Question from MetroMeerkat via Twitter

 

“Why did council let @MCRMetrolink@OfficialTfGM

 downgrade service to single peak trams with ridiculous overcrowding?

 

Councillor Hibbert, Cabinet Member for Housing, Planning and Highways, responded that the Metrolink tram system was managed by Transport for Greater Manchester and there was a need to manage competing demand across a very complex network. However, recent discussions had led to a proposal to increase the frequency of the service in the near future which should relieve any pressure at peak times. Much information had been published in newspapers and on the TfGM website about the improvements in service due in December.

 

6.               Question from HomehaterMarcus via Twitter

 

Can we get a resident only car park marked out because the parking standard is appalling. 11 cars fit but only room for 7. It is the residents only car park at Britannia Avenue Shaw”.

 

Councillor Hibbert, Cabinet Member for Housing, Planning and Highways, responded that the Britannia Avenue residents parking area had been introduced as a zone scheme which meant that bays were not marked on the street. It was the responsibility of the permit holders to park responsibly in the zone area.

A traditional residents parking scheme, with the provision of marked bays, was considered at the time the scheme was being designed, but this type of scheme would have also required the introduction of yellow lines to be introduced in areas considered not suitable for parking, which would have reduced the space available for permit holders.

When this was initially discussed with residents through the consultation process, the consensus of opinion was for a zone scheme to be introduced.

 

7.               Question from Alison Hulme-Weakley via Facebook

 

Are there any plans on installing much needed CCTV on Ashton Road?”

 

Councillor Barbara Brownridge, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Co-Operatives, responded that the Council in the past had invested in updating and installing new public space CCTV cameras across the Borough, but there were currently no plans for further investment due to the cost associated with installation and upkeep.

 

8.               Question from Mr Fitzpatrick via email

 

“Amid much fanfare you announced that £4million of inducements were on offer to Mono Pumps of Tameside to encourage them to move their operation to Oldham, and they were going to come here.

Can you please tell me when they will be arriving”.

 

Mr Fitzpatrick asked his question.

 

Councillor McMahon, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Economy and Enterprise responded that they were there and had been there since September 2014.

 

At this point in the meeting the Mayor advised that the time limit for this item had expired. 

 

The Mayor reminded Members that the Council had previously agreed that, questions would be taken in an order which reflected the political balance of the Council. The following questions were submitted by Councillors on Ward or District Matters: (25 mins)

 

1.               Councillor Fielding to Councillor McMahon

 

“The car park at Failsworth District Centre is widely regarded by many people in Failsworth as poor quality.
Whilst some work has already been undertaken to create safer routes for pedestrians, there remain a number of other items of poor finish that would be relatively simple and quick to put right, including:
-Poor quality and misleading signage.
-Faded road markings.
-Bent or damaged street furniture.
-An unpaved footpath leading to the canal.
Would the relevant cabinet member agree to address these issues with officers, and if necessary arrange a site meeting to come and view some of the outstanding problems?”

 

Councillor McMahon responded that, as a resident of Failsworth and a local shopper, he fully understood how hazardous the car park was. The Ward Councillors have been working very hard with Brook House and Tesco to make the car park safer. If you were a pedestrian trying to get from Tesco to the Health Centre, you had to navigate a car park, through traffic, really poor signage and white-lining works. He suggested that Councillor Moores would take up with officers any operational issues around town centres, and that a meeting would be held with Brook House and Tesco to try to bring a resolution to this.

 

2.               Councillor Bashforth to Councillor Hibbert

 

“In my ward in Royton I have a number of housing estates where the road was never adopted for various reasons and one particular street where street lamps have not been installed. Some residents have recently paid to have new lamps fitted by themselves.

Could the relevant Cabinet Member work with me or let me know if, as these people are paying council tax, which includes an element for street lighting, he could ask the Authority and/or EoN to replace these lamps on a regular basis and set the timers on the lamps so they come on at the correct times”.

 

Councillor Hibbert responded that he understood the concerns raised and had asked that officers give priority to following up on adoption of both highways and street lighting on new developments. However, there were significant financial implications to the Council adopting street lamps at risk including, not least, the costs of the remedial work to bring the lighting up to the required standard. The Council was therefore committed to ensuring that developers did not leave residents in this difficult position and going forward would take whatever action was deemed necessary to resolve the issue. He spoke from personal experience in his Ward of a road that took ten years to resolve and he committed to work with Ward Councillors, whichever Ward and whichever political party they belonged to.

 

3.               Councillor Garry to Councillor Hibbert

 

“I recently had the misfortune to travel shortly after 5 o clock on the Manchester to Rochdale tram. 

To say the journey to Failsworth was unpleasant, overcrowded and dangerous is an understatement. Far too many people were crushed inside the carriage, in a bid to get home from work. Unbelievably, even more people got on at Monsall, which left many of us with nothing to hold on to for safely, should the tram have to stop suddenly. 

If any of the passengers on board would have fainted, had a epileptic fit or a diabetic hypo then mayhem would have ensued, as they could not have been placed in the recovery position.  

Surely, for health and safety reasons someone should be monitoring the amount of people who are on the tram at any one time”.

 

Councillor Hibbert responded that the Metrolink was extremely popular and extremely busy at peak times. The tram system was managed by Transport for Greater Manchester. They recognised that many parts of the Metrolink system would benefit from additional capacity and they were constantly looking at ways to increase capacity on the network, particularly at peak times. The tram fleet was set to grow to 120-strong, which would provide the opportunity to increase capacity and frequency on the most popular services. He believed Oldham’s service was one of the most popular. More trams would be running between Shaw and Crompton and the city centre from December. There was no exact date yet, however it was expected to be before the Christmas peak shopping time. In the case of an emergency the driver would stop at the next stop and an ambulance would be called if necessary. The Cabinet Member recognised the potential for problems, as raised by Councillor Garry and that currently the peak time tram ride may not be a very pleasant experience.

 

4.               Councillor Harkness to Councillor Akhtar

 

“Mr Mayor, the Cabinet Member will be aware that I and my fellow Liberal Democrats are fully committed to providing a new secondary school for the children of Saddleworth despite attempts by some to delay and delay to the point that we no longer get a new secondary school.

Recently a new consultation process has begun relating to planning and environmental factors. I fully support the principle of public consultation however I am concerned that yet another delay, which in parts repeats what has already taken place, means that the project is around 18 months behind schedule whilst the fabric of the current building continues to deteriorate.

My concern is that there are many schools on the North West waiting with bids and are happy to jump in with a late bid and take up the offer of a new secondary school.

The nightmare scenario which no one will want is a situation in which there is no secondary school in Saddleworth in a few years’ time and local children are being dispersed by bus to school places around the borough. Children in Saddleworth would have to travel all around the Borough to schools when the current site inevitably closes

So can I please seek assurances that the Cabinet remains fully committed to building a new secondary school in Saddleworth at the earliest possible time and that it will fight tooth and nail to ensure that funding does not get pulled?”

 

Councillor Akhtar, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, responded that the Council was equally committed to ensuring that it had a brand new Saddleworth School that provided a modern environment that enabled and supported quality teaching. The new Saddleworth School was well beyond the bidding stage and was included in the Education Funding Authority’s approved Priority Schools Building Programme and all partners had invested a great deal of time and effort in getting to this stage.

Whilst it had taken a long time to date to develop the project, it was important to note that the Council now had to play its part as the Local Planning Authority and that this was a legal process which needed to be carried out in a robust way. The additional public consultation which had been announced would go over some old ground, but residents would be better informed by a single environmental statement which covered all four planning applications, including the highways works which had not yet been the subject of public consultation.

The Council was working closely with the Education Funding Authority to ensure that they were fully and regularly briefed on the reasons for and the progress of the additional planning process.

 

5.               Councillor Qumer to Councillor Hibbert

 

“Waterloo Street at its point outside the shops where it turns into one lane needs urgent repairs. This has been reported and I have been told the paving bricks have been ordered. Can you please tell me and the residents of St Marys when the work is going to be carried out?”

 

Councillor Hibbert responded that the area in question had been made safe so although at this point it might not be aesthetically pleasing the area was safe, which was the main thing.  Engineers were considering the design issues with the blocks and future maintenance. Improvement of the area would be carried out when appropriate funding becomes available. Following his conversation earlier with Councillor Qumer, there would be further investigation and Councillor Qumer would be kept fully informed. 

 

6.               Councillor Price to Councillor McMahon

 

“Could the Cabinet Member give me an update on the proposed development of the former Counthill School site”.

 

Councillor McMahon responded that the developer was due to be appointed in the New Year. It was hoped that work would start on site in September next year. The anticipation was that there would be between 80 and 90 units built on the site, with estimated completion for May 2017.

 

7.               Councillor Ahmad to Councillor Akhtar

 

Clarksfield School is in great need of replacing, as it is very poor condition, and fails to give pupils and staff a suitable environment to work in. We regret the Government rejected funding last year to replace it. Could the Cabinet Member advise me of any progress on this matter?”

 

Councillor Akhtar responded that the condition of elements of the electrical services and remedial repairs to the roof and brickwork pointing had been included in the 2015/16 Council’s Backlog Maintenance Programme for consideration. Just after the meeting to agree the backlog maintenance programme, the school was put forward to the Education Funding Agency to seek funding for a replacement school, but unfortunately the bid was unsuccessful.

The condition of Clarksfield Primary School had, and continued to be, raised as part of the discussions with regard future capital works strategies, but until the Council could reconcile the difficult budget position, it was unable at this moment in time to decide on what future course of action to take.

 

8.               Councillor Williamson to Councillor Stretton

 

“After months of speculation and denials from North West Ambulance Service, my ward colleague Cllr Dave Murphy has finally received confirmation that Crompton Ambulance Station is closed and has been since the summer.

I understand one of the reasons for the closure was because there had been a number of targeted acts of vandalism and crime.  Obviously North West Ambulance Service needs to look after their staff and I support that.

North West Ambulance are looking at possibly relocating to the Royal Oldham Hospital and my concern is that this will add another three minutes or so on to the response time for those needing an ambulance living in and around the Shaw and Crompton side of the borough, putting more lives at risk.

The letter received states that “we will inform stakeholders such as yourself as to what the final outcome will be”. Therefore can the relevant cabinet member please put pressure on North West Ambulance to keep to their commitment and ask them to reconsider the closure of Crompton Ambulance Station?”

 

Councillor Stretton responded that obviously this was not a service that the Council had control over, but clarification had been sought because this affected Oldham residents.No decision had yet been taken on the future of the Crompton Ambulance Station.

North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) Trust launched a Trust-wide comprehensive estates review in 2012. The remit of the review was to assess whether each site within their estate portfolio was viable operationally and financially, and whether a refurbishment was required.

The Crompton station had been the victim of vandalism, and the decision was taken by NWAS to temporarily relocate the service from Crompton Station to the Oldham Ambulance Station. The move was brought about by concerns for staff safety following a number of targeted acts of vandalism and crime, although there was now reason to believe that these concerns had been alleviated due to a recent conviction. There had been no negative impact in the service Oldham residents had received from NWAS since this temporary relocation began.

Whilst the Crompton site was vacant, NWAS decided to begin the review process of the Crompton Site. When a decision was made, the decision and reasons for it would be communicated to the local MP, Oldham Health & Wellbeing Board and Oldham Healthwatch.

The Council was advised that there had been no public consultation on the matter as there was to be no withdrawal of a service – people in Oldham would still receive an ambulance when they called for one, no matter the outcome of the review.

Officers from NWAS had offered to meet with Council representatives to discuss the review and possible outcomes for the Crompton site (as well as any other Oldham sites) and both organisations would provide mutual support and jointly plan any future communications where possible. The Cabinet Member would ask officers to ensure that representatives from the Shaw Ward and the Crompton Ward were involved in any meeting.

 

9.                Councillor McLaren to Councillor Hibbert

“Residents on Denton Lane and adjoining streets have expressed some concern about the general condition of the carriageway on Denton Lane. Is it possible to provide any information regarding the future maintenance of Denton Lane and whether there might be any possibility of the carriageway being resurfaced in the future?”

 

Councillor Hibbert responded that a Highways Engineer had undertaken a detailed walked visual inspection on the 25th September this year, to ascertain a general condition of the carriageway along Denton Lane. Any repairs deemed necessary would continue to be logged, however the standard of the carriageway meant that it was not currently included in the resurfacing programme.

 

10.     Councillor Ali to Councillor Hibbert

 

“The issue is in relation to road safety in Chadderton North. I am concerned that the junction of Garforth St and Middleton Road is increasingly difficult to negotiate when travelling by car. This is a busy junction and poses a risk to both commuters and pedestrians. I was wondering if the relevant Cabinet Member can advise if there is any possibility of measures being taken to improve road safety for all users”.

 

Councillor Hibbert responded that he knew the junction very well, knew there were difficulties there and had discussed this with officers. A scheme had been proposed and would be considered within available funding.  The proposal under consideration was to install traffic signals with pedestrian crossing facilities at this junction.

 

11.     Councillor A Alexander to Councillor Hibbert

 

“I have been asked by the residents of Old Mill House, Hood Square and local householders about whether there is a possibility of a traffic island on Oldham Road Springhead, opposite the bus stops, to help the elderly in crossing this part of the road safely.

I know these are hard times due to this governments cuts in all departments but is there some kind of hope I can give residents because I am led to believe there isn’t any funding for this kind of work?”

 

Councillor Hibbert responded that a full study was required to assess if it was viable to install a pedestrian refuge at this point, as the road was quite narrow and there was a natural bend. A feasibility study was essential to determine the most appropriate solution and the District Executive had received a fee proposal to carry out this study. He had questioned the amount of that fee proposal and was talking further with officers, doing his best to achieve a positive outcome on this issue.

 12.    Councillor Sheldon to Councillor Hibbert

 

“Would the Cabinet Member consider improving the safety of pedestrians on the roads in Saddleworth and also in the Borough, by improving the lighting. The new lighting columns around the Borough have much improved the road carriageway and will save on the running costs now and in the future. The design of the new columns often cause the road to be well-lit, but the footpaths are often in the shade caused by trees and shrubs at the side of the road. At this time of the year, with the loss of the tree leaves, there is less of a problem, but this may be the best time to prune back the hedges and tree branches. The problem will increase again in the spring. I believe a well-lit area is often a safer area”.

 

Councillor Hibbert responded that he had met with Councillor Murphy and gone through the local transport plan. Councillor Murphy was satisfied that all the work proposed was shared as evenly as possible across the Borough. The Council was doing as much as it could to make all junctions as safe to use for pedestrians as drivers. As regards light, if Councillor Sheldon could give him a clearer indication of where he was referring to, he would make sure they were investigated. When lights were first installed, it took a while to adapt to the computer timing system, so it could take a week or two before the lights starting lighting up in co-ordination with others in the area. Things could go wrong and, if Councillor Sheldon could tell him where they had gone wrong, he would do his best to resolve it.

 

13.     Councillor Judge indicated he wished to withdraw his question as it had already been dealt with.

 

14.     Councillor Ames to Councillor Hibbert

 

“Can the Cabinet Member for Housing and Highways investigate why there is delay in resolving why four newly completed properties remain empty whilst the other houses on the site were let some months ago? The homes are 17, 19, 21 and 23 Hollins Rd, Hollinwood”.

 

Councillor Hibbert responded that there was a crash barrier across the front of the properties which was introduced as part of the works to enable the M60. 

Officers would be going back to the developer this week to progress this further and find out exactly what was going on.

 

15.     Councillor Chadderton to Councillor Hibbert

 

“There is a large dip that has formed on the road on the hill between Low Crompton Road and Linkside Avenue, the dip is getting slightly bigger and slightly deeper as the weeks pass. Can the relevant Cabinet Member tell me when this will be resurfaced”.

 

Councillor Hibbert responded that investigations were ongoing regarding the cause of the subsidence in this area. The area was being made safe while these investigations progress. The surface would only be permanently repaired once the cause of the subsidence was resolved.

 

16.     Councillor Sedgwick to Councillor Brownridge

 

“My question relates to incidents of anti-social behaviour outside Lees Library.

The Library has a Wi-Fi facility. Unfortunately this is not turned off at times when the Library is closed and crowds of young people gather round the building at night as they are able to access the facility on remote devices outside it.

The situation is leading to the Police being called out on a regular basis in response to complaints from local residents about the noise.

Please can I ask the Cabinet Member if it is possible for the Wi-Fi facility to be turned off outside Library opening hours so residents can get some peace?”

 

Councillor Brownridge responded that the answer was yes. She had a similar situation at the Gallery and had asked Unity to turn the connection off when the Gallery was not open. She had asked them to extend that to Lees library also.

 

At this point in the meeting the Mayor advised that the time limit for this item had expired.

 

RESOLVED that the questions and the responses provided be noted.