Agenda item

(time limit 15 minutes)

Council was requested to note the minutes of the following Joint and Partnership meetings and the relevant spokesperson to respond to questions from members.

The minutes of the Joint Authorities and Partnerships were submitted as follows:

Members raised the following questions:

Councillor H Gloster–

“GMCA minutes 12^th February 2021 – GMCA 37/21 – GM Brownfield Housing Fund – Additional Award of Funding from MHCLG –“Over £81m had been awarded to Greater Manchester to support Housing Development projects on Brownfield land sites.  Please can the Cabinet Member tell me how much of this money has been awarded for Brownfield developments in Oldham and how many extra new homes can now be built on Brownfield instead of on Green Belt sites as a result.  Is there any estimate as to how much more money would be needed in Oldham to build all the new homes proposed for the Borough in the Places for Everyone plan solely on Brownfield sites.”

Councillor Hannah Roberts, Cabinet Member, Housing responded:

“I am delighted to confirm that Oldham has been successful in securing a provisional allocation from the fund for just over £8m across four sites to deliver up to 551 new homes.  Unfortunately, no estimate exists of how much it will cost for all Brownfield sites in Oldham to be built on, however I can assure you that we will continue to do everything that we can to make sure that we bid and are successful in bidding for housing development on Brownfield sites and to maximise the funding opportunities that will support this approach.  We have discussed this before at Full Council.  The flexible housing fund exists to help us do that.  I would also note that it is not possible to meet the Tory housing need target.  There just aren’t enough of them despite all of our efforts scouring the Borough for any sites that may become available, developing the mill strategy and significant increasing the number of homes planned for the town centre.”

Councillor Al-Hamdani

“GMCA 33/21 – Climate Emergency – 6-month update – Over £10m of Green Homes Grants have been awarded or energy efficiency and over £80m of funds secured to retrofit public buildings in Greater Manchester, with an additional £15m of grants anticipated to be made available this year.  Can the Cabinet Member tell me how much of that money has been brought into Oldham?  How many homes in the Borough have received energy efficiency upgrades and which specific public buildings have been retrofitted as a result of this investment.”

Councillor Roberts, Cabinet Member, Housing responded:

 “I think we have reported to Council before about Oldham leading on delivery of the public sector section of the green homes grants programme and we have been able to bid for upgrades for housing that we own in the Borough through that programme.  Thirty homes in Oldham have received energy efficiency upgrades between the 1^st March and the 31^st May 2021 funded by £130,000 from the Green Homes Local Authority delivery scheme.  Further installations are in progress and will continue until the end of the year and that includes doing wall insulation and solar panels.  Referrals can still be made at www.eonenergy.com/greenhomesgrants.  £94,000 has been allocated from the public sector decarbonisation fund from LED Lighting scheme at Oldham Leisure Centre”.

Councillor Mark Kenyon

“GM Health & Care Board minutes 31^st January 2020.  Please can someone tell me why it has taken 18 months for these minutes to be presented to a meeting of Oldham Council for Scrutiny?”

Councillor Zahid Chauhan, Cabinet Member, Health and Social Care responded:

Thank you Cllr Kenyon for your question.  There was no meeting of the GM Health and Care Board between 31^st January and 26^th March 2021.  The minutes of the meeting of 31^st January 2021 were not approved until the meeting in March 2021 and therefore could not be presented to the Full meeting of the Council before that date.”

Councillor Hamblett

“Peak District National Park minutes – 19^th March 2021 Climate Change Member Task Group Annual Report.  This week we have heard the wonderful news that a baby beaver has been born on Exmoor for the first time in 400 years.  Beavers are a force multiplier for good in the fight against climate change.  Martin Viarley from the Cheshire Wildlife Trust described the new little guy as a super-hero who can create decarbon capturing landscapes and reduce the impact of floods, droughts and wildfires and looks really cute into the bargain.  Plans are now also underway to introduce beavers in Cheshire, Cumbria, Shropshire, Staffordshire and Yorkshire.  In part because of the project funded by the Peoples Post Code Lottery.  Please can I ask our representative on the Peak District National Parks Authority Board if the climate change Member Task Group discussed reintroducing beavers in any part of the Peak District and if he does not have that information to hand if he can please explore this exciting prospect at the next meeting of the Board?”

Councillor Colin McLaren

“I can advise that the Lead Officer for the Member Climate Change Task Group can confirm that the Task Group has not considered beavers at all in their work so far.  However, the National Environment Rural Economy team Manager is able to offer some further information.  The National Park Authority currently has no firm plans to introduce beavers to the Peak District, nor is this a topic which has been considered by the Climate Change Member Task Group since in the Peak District there are other measures such as Moorland restoration and Woodland creation which are likely to have a far greater impact on climate change.  We are however aware that a partnership organisation is currently considering the introduction of beavers to their land in the national park.  We are broadly supportive of this proposal subject to further evaluation of the habitat suitability and potential impacts.  The authority is currently in discussion with partners about producing and implementing a nature recovery plan for the Peak District.  As part of this, consideration will be given to the role of reintroduction of relevant species including beavers might play in.  Any reintroduction would need to follow appropriate guidelines and consider both potential positive and negative impacts and would need to have support from landowners and need to be adequately resourced.  The Peak park is certainly considering it but would want this to be done within the context of other nature conservation and climate change priorities.  A proposed nature recovery plan would provide exactly that opportunity and this work will be shared with partners over the coming 12 months.”