Agenda item

(time limit 30 Minutes)

1.            Question from Karl Bardsley

I would like to ask the relevant cabinet member, how much of the £3 million cost of living package announced by the council leader on 21^st September 2022 has gone towards the heating of the town’s libraries/warm banks?

 

Councillor Chadderton, Leader of the Council, replied that in Oldham we have 37 warm banks across the borough, including 11 council-owned libraries. No additional funding has been allocated to Oldham's libraries as the warm banks have been run during normal opening hours, which include evening and weekends. 

In addition to the 11 library warm banks, we have also helped 26 community groups to establish warm banks, making support much more accessible for our residents. Approximately £40k has been allocated to support the running costs of these community facilities, paying for heating, lighting, staffing and refreshments. The support of our voluntary and community sector has been fantastic, with many warm banks put in place quickly to support Oldham's response.

 

2.            Question from Tia Henderson

As an Oldham care-leaver and ex youth mayor of Oldham, I recently found myself classed as "intentionally homeless" due to a rat infestation in my home and not accepting the emergency accommodation as it didn't take pets and I have a dog and a ferret. My circumstances led to me being homeless for 6 months so I would like to know what is being done in Oldham to ensure that pets are not a barrier to anyone needing emergency accommodation due to being homeless as a result of unsuitable accommodation, domestic violence, mental health or anyone who is struggling financially?

 

Councillor Chadderton, Leader of the Council, replied that Great Places and Wates, who are responsible for providing housing management services to Tia, have fully accepted that they failed to provide an immediate response to the rat infestation which resulted in Tia being unable to continue to live in her home. Great Places and Wates have apologised to Tia and have implemented measures to ensure tenants do not suffer similar circumstances in the future.   

The majority of Oldham Council’s emergency accommodation is supplied via contracts between Oldham Council and hotels or third party providers. It is for the owners of the hotels or third party providers to agree if pets can be accommodated, in accordance with providers’ own policies regarding pets. We have tried to source accommodation providers who will take pets however to date have been unsuccessful. We continue to seek accommodation providers that will take pets and also meet the specified accommodation requirements.  

Oldham Council gives careful consideration to the Homelessness Code of Guidance and looks to direct households, to pet boarding charities and where they are unable to help, support households to arrange kennelling where needed.

 

3.            Question from Janet Hargreaves

I understand that Mulberry Homes has gone into administration.
Can you tell me what therefore is happening to the construction of these homes in Shaw? There has been no building here for at least 12 months. We are in desperate need of housing. 
This abandoned site is adding to the general scruffiness of the area. What is now planned for this part of Shaw and for these partly built houses?

 

Councillor Chadderton, Leader of the Council, replied that Great Places Housing Association own the site. Great Places are aware of the sites condition and are working expediently to get things moving again. They have been updating the Council regularly and we supported them to secure Brownfield Funding from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to accelerate their endeavours.  

Great Places are now in the advanced stages of negotiation with a new contractor to enable them to deliver much needed Shared Ownership and Affordable Rented Homes. We are expecting announcements at any time with the new contractor starting on site before the end of March, and expectations that the first new homes will be ready later in 2023.

 

4.            Question from Josh Charters

I attended the consultation for the proposed new homes in Derker which was held in December by Hive Homes, and I wanted to ask the relevant cabinet member when we will see these new affordable homes delivered in Derker. Can they also provide an update on the accessible homes being built on Flint Street and when they will be available for those in need of these vitally important homes?

 

Councillor Chadderton, Leader of the Council, replied that Hive Homes have already started pre-construction works in preparing the area for building works, and the legal contracts between Hive and the Council have been exchanged.  We anticipate that the main construction works will start within the next two months.    

The Wheelchair Accessible homes proposed for Flint Street form part of a programme on small sites across the borough.  We are working closely with partners to access how best to deliver these much-needed homes and expect to make an announcement in the near future?      

 

5.            Question from Michael Harwood

Please could I ask for an update on the position at the Coliseum following withdrawal of Arts Council England funding and what can the council do to help?

 

Councillor Taylor, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure replied that like many people across Oldham, I was devastated by the news that the Coliseum decided to close its doors at the end of March.

It is clear that their financial situation since they lost Arts Council funding is incredibly challenging and that they are having to make some tough decisions about their future. As an independent organisation we cannot control their decisions or speak for them but we can, and have, supported them during their difficulties.

The Coliseum have recently appointed new Board members who are leading work on the organisations’ future. We are in discussion with these Board members about their future plans, as well as plans for investment in arts and culture in the borough.  

Oldham has such a rich cultural heritage and we recognise the value this brings to the town.    

That’s why we have committed to building a new theatre on Union Street. Plans for this new building are being finalised ahead of planning application being submitted in Summer. We continue to work with the Coliseum Board to shape what their role might be in that new theatre and hope a way forward can be found that protects the artistic legacy of the Coliseum company.   

 

6.            Question from Vikki White

Parking around schools at the start and end of the school day is a problem in Chadderton – residents complain about people parking across driveways, on corners making it hard to see oncoming traffic and ignoring requests to move their cars causing obstruction and preventing residents getting to their homes.

Are there any plans to find ways of improving the situation, making it safe for children to walk to school and bearable for residents?      

 

Councillor Roberts, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, replied that as more and more children are now driven to school, parking concerns in local communities have increased significantly at school drop off times, and particularly at pick up times.  

Communities are reporting that parents and guardians continue to park as close as possible to the school gates and increasingly have little or no regard for other motorists, residents and pedestrians, never mind the residents who live near schools. Unfortunately, the issues described in Vikki’s question are not uncommon on streets located within the vicinity of most schools across the borough.  

I am aware that there are two camera enforcement cars who visit every school frontage on rotation, but they can only enforce the School-Keep-Clear Markings and bus stop clearways. Any other parking restrictions have to enforced by an officer on foot. What we find is often the case with patrol officers, is that parents wait in their cars and then when Enforcement Officers are seen, they simply drive away for a short period of time, making enforcement very difficult.  

The legislation is complicated when it comes to issues and concerns outside schools, which doesn’t help – for example, if there are vehicles causing an obstruction, blocking a driveway for example, where there are no parking restrictions in place, this can only be enforced by the Police. 

We understand the frustrations and increasing concerns from local communities and from schools themselves, given the increased levels of road rage and safety concerns outside their gates, therefore the Council is supporting a School Streets programme. With these projects, the Council works with communities, partners, schools and local business to explore a range of initiatives which might help to encourage children to choose to walk or cycle to school (active travel initiatives) and in turn reduce the dependency on the car for what are often very local school journeys.      

 

Question from Jayson Pape-Jones

The Egyptian Room at the old Town Hall is unique. I’m a bit anxious about the work just starting even though it will be good to have the space used  and more food choices in Oldham Town Centre – can the Leader assure me that the refit will preserve the historic features that give the room its name? And how long will the work take?

 

Councillor Chadderton replied that the fitout of the Egyptian Room has been granted with full Listed Building Consent which involved architects working closely with the Council’s conservation officers. This work has been developed to specifically ensure the fit-out works preserve and do not adversely affect any heritage or historic features.  

The plans for the food hall fitout can be viewed online on the Council's planning portal.  

The contract was awarded to the Hub Contractors and with works already started, they are scheduled for completion later this year, subject to everything proceeding as planned.  

 

8.            Question from Jodie Entwistle

Can the Cabinet Member for Finance explain how Council Tax works and why a house in Band D has a much lower Council tax in the City of Westminster?

Councillor Jabbar, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Low Carbon, replied that Council Tax is a property-based tax and one of the ways in which local authorities raise funds to pay for the services it provides to its residents. It also helps to fund our two Parish Councils: the Mayoral Police and Crime Commissioner and the Mayoral General Precept (including Fire Services). How much you pay in council tax depends on several things, such as the council tax band set for your home, (based on its value on 1 April 1991 and set by the Valuation Office Agency); your personal circumstances and how much money the council, and the other bodies mentioned, need to raise for their budget requirements, considering income from all other sources.

Although places like Westminster have some of the most expensive properties in the UK, they have some of the lowest levels of council tax primarily due to a large proportion of properties being in the higher Council Tax Bands (in Oldham, the highest proportion are in the lower Bands) but also through gaining more revenue from other sources such as parking charges.

 

9.            Question from Thomas Yarwood

How will we be able to tell if Oldham has levelled up?

 

Councillor Chadderton, Leader of the Council, replied that this was a simple question with a potentially complicated answer – but Oldham will have levelled up when our residents are able to access better paid jobs, having accessed good education and skills provision, leading to a better quality of life for all. This will require numerous changes across the system and will take time to embed.  

By working collaboratively with partners on a resident first methodology we can drive up the all the key drivers, that were set out in the Levelling Up White Paper, but we need to be clear about the routes to funding.

Our Regeneration programme is delivering new education, health, employment and housing sites. Successes include the new diagnostics centre in Royton, new schools in Saddleworth and in the town centre, and the successful Levelling Up bid for Green Tech. We are excited to be working with Rochdale and Bury to deliver the Atom Valley Development Zone which will boost jobs and business opportunities for our residents but this needs investment in transport and skills capital. 

The Oldham Economic Review set out recommendations which will help us grow the right skills for the new opportunities which include roles in the Green Tech sector, Health and Social care. 

Working with Innovation GM the Council is supporting innovation companies to thrive and new ones to invest e.g. JD Harrison, Innovative Technologies and the ambition to develop jobs in sustainable materials linked to Electric Vehicles. 

Oldham has huge social capital, but it is disconnected from financial capital following 13 years of austerity. The borough needs proper investment. We have a strong sense of identity and will grab the opportunity, but this Government insists on short term funding, being competitively won in an ad hoc manner. We were one of just 3 local councils to win anything in the second round of levelling up funding. This meant we were competing with our neighbours when we should be collaborating like we are with Bury and Rochdale with Atom Valley. 

 

10.         Question from Megan Birchall

Oldham’s Cabinet has approved a new Transport Strategy for Oldham which aims to increase active travel and get more people walking and cycling. How is the Council going to convince people to agree to the changes in the way roads are used and to reduce car journeys to be able to make this work? And what difference will the Strategy make for people living in Saddleworth?

 

Councillor Chadderton, Leader of the Council, replied that the recently approved Transport Strategy aligns with both national and regional policy and unlocks funding streams which aim to move journeys away from the private car to walking, cycling or public transport, where possible.  

At a local level, the ambitions in the Transport Strategy look to make the borough a healthier place where people want to live, work and visit.  

However a pipeline of schemes is in development across the borough, so all areas can benefit, that help make walking and cycling an easy, safe, and appealing option. Schemes will vary in their size and nature, and some may look to change the way our roads are used.  

The Transport Strategy is just as much about changing people’s behaviour as it is about physical works on the ground and we welcome involvement from all our communities to make Oldham safer, less congested and better connected.  

 

11.         Question from Usman Latif

Could you please explain as the council of Oldham, how are you supporting the local area with the cost of living? Secondly, once the price cap runs out in April. Can you confirm if people will still have the support of the council in regard to gas and electricity payments?

 

Councillor Chadderton, Leader of the Council, replied that To help those who need it most, we have invested more than £3 million to provide funding for energy, food and childcare, as well as extending the range of existing support available such as the Citizens’ Advice service and community engagement teams, who go door-to-door checking on people’s welfare and helping them access the support they are entitled to. We have also put in place ‘warm banks’ in every District, open to anyone who needs a warm, inviting space through the colder months.  

As part of the £3 million invested to support our residents, we are currently extending the Warm Homes Team to provide additional support to residents of Oldham, providing telephone advice and home visits to support residents in understanding how to reduce energy usage and therefore their utility bills. 

 

12.         Question from Junaid Hussain

With central Manchester booming in the technology sector, it would be good to see the tech start-ups and smaller tech businesses locate into Oldham. It’s an opportunity to attract businesses who may not want to be the higher operating costs in central Manchester but still want to stay close. Not discounting the excellent transport links Oldham has to offer.

This would not only help Oldham grow economically but also create opportunities for Oldham residents and local entrepreneurs.

Does the council have any future prospects for such investments.

Can Oldham Council request funding through the Northern Powerhouse initiative?

 

Councillor Akhtar, Cabinet Member for Employment and Enterprise, replied thank you for your question. Oldham is already home to a number of brilliant tech businesses such as Koderly, Sudlows, Innovative Technology and Needi and we want to build on this.   

Encouraging businesses to start-up, grow and relocate to the Borough is a key priority for the Council and as such we do have several prospects in development. 

Through the Levelling-up Fund the Council secured £20m, £8.8m of which will be used to create a green tech enterprise centre helping to support the start-up and growth of businesses in that sector.  The Green Shoots Enterprise Centre will be located in Oldham town centre at Rhodes Bank.  It will provide managed workspace as well as a location for green tech businesses.  It will also provide a space for businesses to collaborate, innovate and support to help them grow.  We are expecting the centre to be operational by March 2025.   

Money has also been secured via the Future High Street Fund to transform the derelict Prudential building on Union St, Oldham to create an incubator facility for start-up businesses focussing on the digital, media and creative sectors.  The aim is to turn the 19^th century building into a vibrant and modern workplace that will attract young and upcoming tech businesses.  The building will be refurbished to create private and open co-working spaces, an event space a café and a lounge.  We are hoping that the “Pru” will be operational by March 2025.   

Finally, a new enterprise space known as the Hive is also being created as part of refurbishing the upper mall areas of the Spindles Shopping Centre. Building on a legacy of excellent enterprising businesses here in Oldham, the Hive will provide a focus of activity for new and budding entrepreneurs - it will be a hub to link together different resources and social enterprises with other entrepreneurial activities, as well as creating opportunities for collaboration and co-working by providing a space for businesses to meet, hot-desk and co-locate. The Hive is expected to be open in later this year to kick start the ambitions for new business growth and social enterprise here in Oldham.

 

13.         Question from Bibi Khan

What will happen when the current Don’t Trash Oldham campaign comes to an end?  What will the Council be doing to tackle the fly tipping issues we face daily? And how will not only the hotspots, but the whole borough kept clean and tidy please?  

 

Councillor Roberts, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods replied, thank you for your question. Dealing with environmental crimes and fly tipping will remain a priority for Oldham Council once the current Don’t Trash Oldham campaign comes to an end later this year – following two years of dedicated activity in every ward across Oldham.    

Looking ahead, we will need to re-focus resources to deal with persistent offenders and those who are illegally collecting and disposing of waste. In addition, we will continue to engage with residents and communities, we will continue to provide advice and education on how to dispose of waste, and we will continue to ensure strict legal action is taken where evidence is available.  

 

14.         Question from Pat Highley

I wish to ask the Council if there are any plans to respond to the Government’s advice that more CPADs(Community Public Access Defibrillators)should be made available throughout the town.

Defibrillators could be placed in areas where they are most needed, such as places with high footfall, vulnerable people, rural areas or due to the nature of activity at the site.

Examples could include community buildings, local shopping centres, post offices and local parks, to ensure defibrillators are evenly spread throughout communities and easily accessible if someone is experiencing an unexpected cardiac arrest. A cardiac arrest can happen to anyone regardless of age. It is not a heart attack.

I also want to ask the Council if there are any grants towards buying defibrillators and if bought by fundraising in public areas owned by the council will they be responsible for the maintenance of these? Oldham is sadly lacking in CPADs.

 

Councillor Brownridge, Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, replied thank you for the question on defibrillators. We know how important and lifesaving it is for communities to have access to a defibrillator when experiencing cardiac arrest. We are already in the process of reviewing the process in place to make sure we have a consistent and equitable policy across the borough.

 

15.         Question from Charlotte Watson-Lister

I would like to ask the following questions of the Full Council on the 15^th March please- Can you retract the comment that the current Coliseum building is dangerous, as mentioned by Councillor Mushtaq at the last meeting? If it is dangerous why have audiences been allowed in? (I gather the level of asbestos that remains is small, and the building is safe for audiences and will remain so going forward, if repaired and maintained correctly.) What evidence have you got that the theatre is ''at the end of its lifespan", is "no longer fit for purpose'' as mentioned by Councillor Chadderton at the same meeting?

Can we please see the 2 building surveys the council has had done on the Oldham Coliseum theatre please, one from around 2012 I believe, and one in January 2023? to see evidence of the above. 

Have you had repairs for the Coliseum, to future proof it, costed? (Surely this would be cheaper than the £24.5 m you are planning to spend on a new Coliseum?)

Are the plans for the new Coliseum final? Can you promise that the new Coliseum is actually going to be built, and you are aiming for completion 2026?

There is £1.845m available from the Arts Council, can you confirm that you have been banned by the Arts Council from using this to fund the Oldham Coliseum theatre company, to allow them to carry on performing, in whatever venue? If so, can you give any other funds to the Oldham Coliseum theatre company please, to allow them to survive? They will probably need a lot less money than £1.845m to survive. You mentioned at the last meeting the Coliseum has been offered a new events space in Spindles which will have a capacity of 750. When will this be ready, and will it be capable of being used as a theatre? And will it be free? 

Are there any other venues you could please offer to the Coliseum to use for free, for example: the Queen Elizabeth Hall?

I look forward to having the above questions addressed at the meeting?

 

Councillor Taylor, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure replied, many thanks for your questions Charlotte – let me take each one in turn.

Regarding the building being dangerous - there are a number of matters which the Coliseum Management team are aware of that need addressing urgently to ensure the property remains safe for members of the public. The Coliseum team themselves have flagged issues including water pipe bursts, damp and mould, and wall instability.  All of which are currently in hand with no risk to staff, performers, or audiences. 

With regards to the asbestos – I can confirm that this remains an issue throughout the building, and while it is safe while undisturbed, it would cause additional issues and costs should we look to refurbish or renovate the current building. 

Regarding the future of the current building both the Coliseum and the council have long acknowledged the need for a new theatre building. It has a long list of maintenance issues but outside of those the site itself – its size and location – isn’t ideal for the type of theatre the Coliseum, or any producing theatre, needs for the future. All parties have long agreed that a new build theatre was the best solution – and those views haven’t changed, despite recent speculation and discussion.   

The costs associated with rebuilding, repairing and reinvesting in the existing site are significant and would be more than a new theatre but also would make it difficult to meet the needs of a modern theatre.

In terms of whether the plans for a new theatre are final, no, the plans for the new theatre building were discussed at the recent Cabinet meeting on 27 February, where it was agreed that continued consultation and engagement with theatre specialists would help to finalise the plans ahead of a planning application being submitted later this year with the theatre due to open in 2026.  

With regard to the £1.8 million of Arts Council funding for the borough – we don’t have the ability to transfer this wholly to the Coliseum to replace their lost funding but we are continuing conversations with a range of arts organisations including the Coliseum about how we might use that money to ensure we have continued performance in Oldham.

Regarding other venues available to the Coliseum earlier conversations about capacity at the new theatre did include an offer for the Coliseum to use the larger event space where needed, for example, for the pantomime. This would have been available from 2025.

The unfortunate and sad facts are that the Coliseum, as an independent organisation, have decided to close their doors in March and have taken steps to do so. We have not removed any council funding, nor have we refused any asks for funding or access to other venues. We continue to have conversations with their Board to see how we can best support them at this challenging time but questions about their future as a business are best answered by that Board.

 

Several questions, submitted by members of the public, remained unanswered at the end of the allotted 30 minutes period for this matter. The Mayor advised that the unanswered questions would be published to the Council’s website, with written answers, in due course.