Agenda item

The views and insights of the Committee to inform further development of a new Oldham Plan and a new Corporate Plan were sought, prior to the submission of the Plans to the Full Council later in the year.

The current Oldham Plan ran from 2017 to 2022 and provided an action statement for the Oldham Partnership, setting the Borough’s overarching goals and activities, enablers, and short to medium-term outcomes.  As the Plan was due to expire, a new long-term vision was being developed to give the Oldham Partnership a shared sense of direction for the years ahead.  The Council’s last Corporate Plan had run from 2017 to 2020 and established the Council’s values and behaviours, and the co-operative approach to working with residents.  This Plan expired at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic at which point it was decided that it would be more appropriate to produce a Covid Recovery Strategy as a roadmap to supporting residents in response to the pandemic. This Covid Recovery Strategy was due to expire later in the year.

The extensive consultation and engagement with residents, councillors, senior teams at a range of Oldham partners, and with Council staff was advised.  The new Plans were being developed in parallel to ensure that the Council’s priorities over the next two years aligned as well as possible with the Partnership’s broader vision for the future.  The Committee noted that the draft Plans as presented would be subject to substantial amendment before final approval, the draft Oldham Plan returning to partners for further consideration and revision while the Corporate Plan, having been considered at a departmental level would be reviewed again by the Cabinet before being presented at full Council.

In consideration of the draft Plans, the Committee considered the following matters -

Place Based Working – a Member suggested there was not enough focus on place-based working in the Plans, considering how to get services into neighbourhoods and how to reach residents.  It was further suggested that the recent redrafting of area boundaries had not worked.  It was noted that residents’ requests for neighbourhood services was backed up by a reported generally expressed view that fewer but local services would be preferred over a broader range of services in the town centre.

Health Inequalities – a Member suggested that Public Health needed emphasising in the Plans, given the variances from one area to another, the impacts of austerity in Oldham and the reductions in dedicated Public Health staffing over time.

Addressing inequalities – a Member highlighted difficult decisions to be made, noting that to reduce inequalities might need more investment in certain areas over others which might not be appreciated in those areas receiving less support.  The Committee was advised this issue would be further considered, noting that under the Oldham Plan’s ‘uplifting every resident’ approach different areas may have differing priorities to address than others.

Civic pride – Noting references to pride in the draft Plans, a Member suggested that people wanted to be proud but did not feel proud.  The Committee was advised that consultations indicated there was a core pride theme but a feeling that such pride had been shaken, and further noted that while people liked their local centres such as Royton or Uppermill, this was not replicated with Oldham town centre.

Oldham town centre – several issues related to the town centre as referenced in the draft Oldham Plan were considered.  A Member commented on the current market and markets being at the heart of a city/town centre, and queried how businesses and people could be attracted back to the town centre.  The Committee was advised that while the aspiration for the new market was to provide an effective space for businesses to operate from compared to the current market which was passed its design life, when asked about shopping and leisure there were consultation responses indicating preference for on-line shopping and town centre bars and restaurants.  While this was not for everyone, it showed a clear shift to online and out of town shopping that was unlikely to be reversed.  

The Committee considered how to attract people to the town centre and what could make it different to other locations.  It was noted that Oldham could not compete with regional centres like Manchester, but that venues like the Coliseum presented different types of show to those in Manchester, and that Oldham might be attractive to the creative industries on a cost basis.  A Member commented that the ambitions of regeneration projects like the Heritage Centre, leisure walls, Spindles and Town Square appeared to have been overlooked by many.  The implications of trams running through to Manchester were noted by a Member, and comment made that there were no attractions where trams stopped and no signage to the town centre.  In this regard it was advised that funding for signage and the street scene had been secured and that while partners have considered concerns about safety to be as much about perception as reality, it was acknowledged that street lighting, open pathways etc were important.

A query was raised as to the numbers of First Choice Homes customers interviewed in the consultation and this would be advised.  In response to a further query, discussions held with other local authorities, or reference to other similar Plans, in development of the Oldham Plans documents were advised.

The importance of communicating the Plans to residents to ensure that they were understood was stressed by a Member: the best Plans would be worthless unless the changes contained in those Plans was communicated.  The Committee was also advised that the language in the Plans would be revised to remove jargon and technical terms.  The suggested enhancement of the Oldham Partnership was welcomed as having good partnership arrangements would better deliver the Oldham Plan.

The Chair noted that the Committee appeared to be broadly supportive of the direction of travel in respect of the Plans but that it was difficult to do justice to them in one Committee session, suggesting that a workshop might be held on key themes with partners.  With the intention to seek as many views of Councillors as possible, and the comments made concerning place based working and neighbourhoods, it was proposed that the drafts could be submitted to the District Forums for discussion.  It was further noted that the Poverty Truth Commission was due to report and may identify themes which could be of significance for the Plans, while it was suggested there was not much content in the drafts related to the voluntary sector.  Given the current financial position, it may be that the voluntary sector might be able to access funds the public sector could not.  The need for Members to engage positively and to not express negative views about Oldham was noted, but there was a communications issue to address to counter negative views.

The submitted report had asked questions of the role overview and scrutiny could play, and task and finish group around themes had already been suggested.  The Chair further advised he was to meet with the Deputy Chief Executive to discuss place-based working, with a task and finish group already having been a suggested means of progressing this issue.

RESOLVED – that

1.         the considerations of the Committee be forwarded for consideration in the development of the draft Oldham Plan and draft Corporate Plan;

2.         it be recommended that the draft Plans be considered at District Forum meetings;

3.         further inputs of the Committee into the development of the draft Plans be considered by the Chair in consultation with the relevant Officers.