Agenda item

(time limit 20 minutes):-

a) 24^th August 2015

b) 21^st September 2015

The Cabinet Minutes for the meetings held on 24^th August 2015 and 21^st September 2015 were submitted. The Mayor reminded the meeting that, as previously agreed by Council, the last eight minutes of this section would be reserved for observations on responses received and responses to observations.

Questions were raised by the following Councillors on the Cabinet Minutes as detailed below:

Councillor McCann – Cabinet meeting – 21^st September, Item 10, page 45, Oldham Coliseum Theatre and Heritage Centre, accepting that there may be a commercial sensitivity factor in the reply, could the relevant Cabinet Member advise him of any major revisions or changes that were required, and confirm that financial controls would remain at a high and strict level as they had been with other schemes? Would risk evaluations remain at a high professional level? He accepted this was long-term project and wished for further guidance given the number of changes that seemed to be happening.

Councillor McMahon advised that there had been no material changes. Numbers had moved around, partly because of a significant third-party donation that had been taken into account. The report was largely about scheduling because the funding required that the Council moved quickly on the Heritage Centre element, which meant the fund-raising period for the Coliseum Theatre element would not be sufficient to raise the funding required. The project had therefore been separated into phases. The first phase was to get the Heritage Centre built with the money that had been gifted and to then fund-raise to allow the Theatre to be built. There would also be an opportunity to look at the wider town centre as there had been buildings vacated with no plans for their future use that had deteriorated quickly. It had been agreed with Heritage England, the Arts Council and Heritage Lottery that the project would be widened to consider heritage assets across the town centre. What the Council wanted to do was work with private building owners as well as with buildings in its ownership, to make sure there was a viable use for them going forward. This was an exciting time where the Council was confident to invest in flagship schemes, like the old Town Hall, Princes Gate and the Heritage Centre, and there were a number of private investors that wanted to invest in Oldham. He would soon being forward plans that would deal with the Conservative Club. He would look to do more work with the private sector and with investors outside the Council to ensure that the heritage buildings that were found other uses. It was not viable for the Council to do this, with its budget cut so significantly.

He indicated that he would be happy, where matters were commercially confidential, to meet privately with Members of other parties to go through them.

Councillor Blyth – Cabinet meeting – 21^st September, Item 10, page 45, Oldham Coliseum Theatre and Heritage Centre, what will happen to the old Theatre? Historically it was the heart of the theatre in Oldham, that was where it always was and many stars of TV had performed there. What was the Council going to do with it, to preserve the heritage at the top of the town and still let people know that that was where the theatre was?

The other buildings referred to had been vacant for some time and would cost a great deal to do them up. If the Council could not find the money, it needed to be found elsewhere. His main question was what would happen to the old Coliseum?

Councillor McMahon advised that the report did not focus on one building and aimed to get a single plan for the whole town centre and the conservation area. This would make sure there was a joint plan with Heritage England, Heritage Lottery, the Arts Council and other funders to have a long-term plan for use. There had to be a plan for the whole of the town centre, working with people who knew about heritage to make sure the mistakes of the past were not made again with buildings demolished because they had gone too far. The old theatre was different because the new developments would bring significant footfall. There may be another commercial use for the old theatre where it remained as a venue. There were not yet plans in place and they were being developed. He was happy to sit down on a private basis and share the plans as soon as they were ready to be shared.

There were no observations on the Minutes.

RESOLVED that:

1.               The minutes of the Cabinet meetings held on 22^nd June 2015 and 20^th July 2015 be noted.

2.               The questions on the Cabinet Minutes be noted.