(time limit 15 Minutes)
Minutes:
The Mayor advised that the next item on the agenda was Public Question Time. Questions had been received from members of the public and would be taken in the order in which they had been received. Council agreed to suspend Council Procedure Rule 10.4 so that the questions would be shared on the screen rather than be read out.
The following questions were submitted:
1. Question received from Anita Lowe:
Why did O.M.B.C/Legal Services feel the need take it upon themselves to personally attempt an injunction on a citizen of Oldham - Mrs Deborah Barrett-Cole on 11th December 2020 at Manchester Civil Justice Centre.
Please could you explain the reasons for serving this injunction?
Councillor Fielding, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Economy and Skills, responded that it was considered appropriate to issue legal proceedings in this matter to prevent harassment and disturbance of individuals affected by the conduct.
2. Question received from Lewis Quigg:
I would like to ask the Council and relevant cabinet member:
· That Oldham is open to all businesses and employers whether foreign or domestic?
· That the Council condemns attacks on local businesses that involve criminal damage and in particular on the Elbit factory in Clarksfield?
· Does the Council agree that attacks on businesses sends the wrong message to employers, and in particular the defence industry which employs many skilled workers in the United Kingdom and in a Borough such as Oldham where we should be looking to increase employment?
· Will the Council ask Greater Manchester Police to provide all necessary support to local businesses to make sure they are safe and secure employment spaces for their workers?
Councillor Fielding, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Economy and Skills, responded that the Council welcomed investment from all businesses into the Borough and strived to be a place where businesses and enterprise could thrive. As could be seen within the Oldham Plan, the Council promoted an inclusive economy and would continue to stimulate inward investment.
The Council condemned any form of criminality and would encourage businesses and employers to report such behaviours to Greater Manchester Police at the earliest opportunity. All businesses and individuals in Oldham should feel safe and secure and the Council worked in partnership with Greater Manchester Police and other enforcement authorities to ensure offenders were brought to justice.
Should any employer require any further information on business security, they could contact Greater Manchester Police for support and advice on 101 or via www.gmp.police.uk
3. Question from Mick Harwood:
I would like to ask a question on behalf of Friends of Tandle Hill Country Park.
Visitors to Tandle Hill Country Park are becoming increasingly worried about an increasing amount of litter, not just there but also in other local parks.
I feel that an effort to encourage people to take their rubbish home would help
Would the council be willing and supportive of a “take your rubbish home” campaign?
Councillor Brownridge, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Culture responded that the Council was aware of the significant increase in visitors to the parks and with it the noticeable increase in litter. With this in mind, Tandle Hill park was now receiving attention 7 days per week and hopefully a significant improvement would have been seen. This week the council agreed to plans to install new wheelie bin type street bins that could also be used for dog waste. These bins had almost three times the capacity of the older style bins and gave people no excuse but to dispose of their litter in the correct manner. However if bins did get full, which it was appreciated would happen from time to time, people were encouraged through the ‘Love Where you Live’ campaign to respect their environment and if needs arose take their litter home with them.
The Council was always happy to discuss with residents any campaigns that aimed to improve the local environment, as long as resources permitted.
4. Question from Glynn Williams:
A figure of £68million was recently quoted in the press regarding the level of intended spend on projects relating to Spindles. Can the relevant Cabinet Member advise if this figure is correct, where the money is coming from, and clear up why spending on Spindles does not come at the expense of frontline services and jobs in Oldham?
Councillor Fielding, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Economy and Skills, responded that the proposal to redevelop the Spindles and Towns Square Shopping Centre formed part of the Council’s £285m Creating a Better Place programme, which provided a strategic framework for economic recovery by creating homes, jobs and skills development opportunities for residents.
The Council was working hard to ensure the borough’s town and district centres could reopen safely after what had been an horrendous twelve months for our communities and local businesses. A variety of options were currently being considered for the redevelopment of the Town Centre, to help bring forward brownfield sites for development of much needed homes and to ensure there were places for people to work, visit and enjoy family time in open green spaces.
There was no specific approval for the figure of £68m that had been quoted in the press - as the redevelopment options were still being considered following the recent engagement activity, with a view to including as many of the great ideas submitted by our communities as possible. The final cost to the Council would depend on which redevelopment option was selected and the outcome of bids for external grant funding.
As this project was a key part of the Creating a Better Place programme, this would complement the Council’s plans for wider regeneration linked to rationalising the Council’s corporate estate. This programme had been tested and reviewed to ensure alignment with economic recovery after the CV19 pandemic, and it would contribute to the achievement of significant budget savings that were approved as part of the Revenue Budget 2021/22 and Medium Term Financial Strategy 2021/22 to 2023/24.
5. Question from Dave Arnott:
I have been approached by a number of concerned residents regarding litter and the general state of maintenance of Tandle Hill Country Park.
I’m sure that you would agree that the park could be considered a “jewel in the crown” of our Borough, and as such, should be maintained to the highest possible standard for the benefit of visitors from across Oldham and residents of the local area.
Concerns range from a build up of litter at the approach to the park, a shortage of large litter bins, very little tree management, limited toilet facilities, paths and steps in a dangerous condition etc.
I understand that a Council employee is now present in the park to collect litter on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, but given the thousand of visitors that are using the area, this is proving to be insufficient to address the litter problem itself, let alone other issues.
Would the Leader of the Council undertake to ask the relevant Council Member to investigate the maintenance of the park, and explore the possibility of utilising some of the grants and funding that have been made available to local government for the improvement of communities, to carry out some much needed upgrades and improvements to one of our most pleasant and popular parks.
Councillor Brownridge, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Culture responded that further to the complaint from Mr Arnott, he should be reassured that the Council understood the current pressures being faced at the majority of the greenspaces it provided and Tandle Hills was no different. The park was now covered 7 days a week to deal with the litter that had become an issue during the restrictions currently in place and it was hoped that this had been noticed. There were a number of bins in Tandle Hill park and they continued to be emptied as frequently as possible, but it was also the responsibility of the public not to pile waste upon waste when a bin was full.
The Council had just approved a replacement bin programme which over the coming months would see the introduction of wheelie bin type street bins which held approximately 3 times the capacity of existing bins, a significant investment in what were very challenging financial circumstances.
The trees in Tandle Hills were regularly inspected and work was programmed in to ensure they remained as safe as possible.
The increased wear and tear had created issues with paths in the park and these would continue to be addressed alongside all other paths across Oldham in a timely manner.
At this stage there were no immediate plans to increase the number of toilets in the park, but all facilities were continually reviewed and where opportunity and funding arose improvements were sought. Mr Arnott should be reassured that the Council sought additional funding at every available opportunity and would continue to do so.
6. Question from Eamonn Keane
This question relates to the proposed admission arrangements for the new Brian Clarke academy
Depending on where in Oldham you live, you can be ineligible for up to 90% of the places available, unless your parents profess a faith, and they are vouched for by a religious minister.
Does the Council support this discriminatory policy?
Councillor Mushtaq responded that it was not a question of whether the Council supported what was described as a discriminatory policy, the Bryan Clarke Academy was a faith-based school and was lawfully allowed to select on faith, like a grammar school could select on ability. The Section 10 consultation was currently ongoing and parents were encouraged to take part in this and contribute their views. The Bryan Clarke Academy had worked closely with the Council to ensure it would not be a mono-cultural school and would be open to the local community as much as possible. The best option for parents at this time was to take part in the consultation and make thei rviews apparent.
At this point in the meeting the Mayor advised that all of the submitted questions had received a response.
RESOLVED that the questions and responses provided be noted.