Agenda item

(time limit 30 minutes)

Councillor Sheldon, Leader of the Conservative Group

 

Question 1: GP Surgeries

There is a stark contrast when comparing the number of General Practitioner (GP) surgeries in Oldham and the wider greater Manchester region. In the Borough of Oldham there were, as at August 2022, 88 qualified GP’s in the Borough, which was exactly the same figure as reported in September 2015. In this regard Oldham was the only Borough, in Greater Manchester, not to see a rise in the number of working GP’s. during the same period Manchester had seen a rise of 74, there were 65 extra GP’s in Stockport and 51 in Wigan. Councillor Sheldon added that since 2016 health and social care is a function that has been devolved to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Therefore will the Leader of the Council put pressure on the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to see Oldham as a more attractive place for GP’s to work?

 

The Leader of the Council replied that the recruitment and retention of NHS staff was not a function that had been devolved to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

 

Question 2: Levelling Up

Councillor Sheldon commended the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, for his Budget proposals, that were announced to Parliament earlier in the day. Councillor Sheldon stated that included measures that will be beneficial for the residents of the Oldham Borough. This includes additional support with the ‘cost-of-living crisis’, energy costs and prices, additional funds for repairing potholes on the Borough’s roads and additional funding form the Levelling Up Partnership Scheme that is targeted at regeneration and infrastructure projects. Therefore, will the Leader of the Council join him in congratulating the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the announcements made in his Budget speech earlier today?

 

The Leader of the Council replied that she always welcomed additional funding for the Borough of Oldham, from which ever source it came from.  

 

Councillor Sykes, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group

 

Question1: Roadworks

Next week more 25 streets have programmed works then there will be the emergency ones or late notice on top of that.
Our roads are in a crumbling state of neglect.  Because of this, emergency repairs are often needed and even though these can be disruptive, I think most people in Oldham accept that they are necessary.

What people are sick and tired of Madam Mayor, is what is now becoming known as the March Month of Madness on our roads.

Every year it seems to get worse and worse.  Jobs that could have been prioritised are just rolled into March and the result it is mayhem on the roads. 
Is it because we aren’t taking the utility companies to task?

When, instead of applying for permits to do planned work they lazily say the work is deemed an emergency repair and get on with it when it suits them and their shareholders, not when it suits the people who rely on those roads every day?

The council also does a disproportional amount of work towards the end of the financial year in rush to spend up.

So, when you add UU, Gas, Electric, broadband, and Council you get road works everywhere.  This is not just an Oldham problem.

It impacts on all road users, bus timetables become meaningless. 

The road works that impact around Oldham town centre is worth a special mention for the chaos they cause and continue to especially at peak times.
There must be a better way of doing this. 
Does the Leader agree that we need a proper enforceable licensing approval scheme in place? 

And will she start to take a tougher approach with utility companies to ensure that works are carried at the earliest opportunity and for the benefit of people who use the roads, rather than being crammed into March – which has become the Month of Madness on our roads?

 

The Leader of the Council acknowledged that there was a large amount of roadworks around the Borough at the present time but that there were some factors that were contributing to additional hardship for motorists not least delays caused by the ongoing regeneration work in Oldham town centre which, whilst difficult at present, would, in the long term, see lasting benefits for the Borough’s citizens. In addition there were problems caused by a burst water main on Lees Road which had left electricity cables exposed.

 

Question 2: Clean Air Zone (CAZ)

After nearly two years, three Prime Ministers and countless back-and-forth exchanges between the Manchester Mayor and the government.  We are now told that the Clean Air Zone will only be a charging zone in Manchester and in Salford. 

At least £3.3 million has been spent on signage across all Greater Manchester, including across Oldham Borough.  A scandalous example of reckless spending.
We’ve had the creation of a new clean air committee across Greater Manchester.  You would think after the farce they made of the Clean Air Zone, Labour would want this to be a truly cross-party and collaborative committee.
But no.  It’s not politically balanced and you need three members to agree a call-in.  So, nothing will happen on this new committee unless Labour say so.  

One thing that should concern us in Oldham is the use of the cameras that have been put up across our borough for the enforcement of the original clean air zone. 
These cameras are no longer needed for their original purpose.

So, what will they be used for?  Are they going to be turned over to Greater Manchester Police?  Is there going to be any public consultation on their use?
We already have more CCTV cameras per head of population than any other democratic country Madam Mayor.  And Greater Manchester is the second city after London by number of cameras

Is all of this helping GMP catch criminals?  Not with 96% of burglars going uncharged in 2022 Madam Mayor.  So does the Leader agree with me that the future usage of these cameras must not be decided in a back room somewhere. What is her position on the future use of these cameras? And if we need these cameras at all, will she make sure that the people of Oldham and Greater Manchester are consulted on their use?

 

The Leader of the Council replied that she, personally, was opposed to the introduction of a charging zone and was concerned at the numbers of cameras that were in place in Oldham and the wider Greater Manchester region. Councillorr Chadderton undertook to be clear and transparent with the public about the role of the cameras, why they were being erected where they were and what they were being used for.

 

Councillor Hobin, Leader of the Failsworth Independent Party

 

Councillor Hobin asked if all people who were due to be moved into the Spindles shopping centre, as part of the relocation of staff and organisations as a result of the regeneration of Oldham town centre, had been properly informed and were being taken care of, including voluntary groups and organisations, such as Oldham Community Radio?  

 

The Leader of the Council undertook to find appropriate office space for Oldham Community Radio in the Spindles shopping centre following their planned relocation from Oldham Market Hall.

 

Question from Councillor McLaren

During Covid-19, the swings in Chadderton Hall Park were removed, unfortunately not all the swings have been reinstated. Could the relevant Cabinet Member please tell us why the swings have not been put back and if it is intended for them to be put back?

 

Councillor Roberts, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods replied that the works had now been carried out. The delays had been caused by a shortage of spare parts that had now been addressed.

 

Question from Councillor Islam

Residents in Chadderton and across the borough, have raised concerns regarding the impact of tele communications masts boxes being erected close to their homes, they raise concerns about the impact on health, the loss of visual amenity and the lack of consultation. Could the relevant Cabinet Member, please tell us what powers the Council have in deciding where these masts are placed? 

Councillor Chadderton, Leader of the Council, replied that the erection of most forms of telecommunications equipment are usually ‘permitted development’ given provisions made by the Town and Country Planning - General Permitted Development in England Order from 2015.  Essentially, this means the principle of their installation is already accepted, and the Council cannot prevent that.   

For certain types of telecommunications equipment (such as masts, and cabinets over 2.5m³ in volume) the permitted development is subject to a condition that the operator applies to the Council as Local Planning Authority for what is known as ‘prior approval’.  Only the subject matters of ‘siting’ and ‘appearance’ of the equipment can be considered as part of this process and no other issues can be considered.   

The circumstances for each location might therefore be different depending on the purpose of the apparatus being installed and its size, but the very limited ability for the Council to refuse prior approval means the Council has limited ability to prevent the erection or general location of most forms of telecommunications equipment.

 

Question from Councillor Ibrahim

Can the Leader or Cabinet Member for Finance update us on the impact that the Council’s We Can Help programme has had on struggling families across the Borough?

 

Councillor Chadderton, Leader of the Council, replied that the ‘We Can Help’ programme continues to provide vital support for residents across the borough, helping them to face the impact of the cost-of-living crisis, but also helping with issues like personal debt, finding a job, heating your home, and feeding your family.  

We Can Help is fundamentally about supporting residents in immediate need, but it’s also about working with those residents to build their financial resilience to avoid the need for future crisis support. We have invested £3 million to support our residents during the cost-of-living crisis, strengthening the advice and support we offer and providing essential grants and support to struggling families.   

Since the launch of the We Can Help campaign we have seen a real increase in the take up of Healthy Start Voucher; in January Oldham’s take-up was the highest in GM at 67%. We have also seen a significant increase in the number of families accessing funded early education places, with 87% of the families of eligible 2-year-olds taking up a place. This is much higher than the England benchmark of 62%.   

Since the start of the campaign, we have also answered 7,646 helpline calls from residents requiring urgent support, held 10,962 doorstep conversations to provide advice and guidance, provided over £130k of Warm Homes related support, distributed 5,462 foodbank vouchers, established warm banks in every district with over 5,000 residents visiting a warm bank in February alone, delivered poverty proofing training in several schools, invested nearly half a million pounds in funding for charities to support their communities, reaching around 3,800 at risk households across the borough, and provided over 500 winter warm packs to struggling families.  

 

Question from Councillor Kenyon

Despite this council passing unanimously in July last year a motion to require this council to measure the impact of its decisions on local spending and safety to children, neither of these measurements were included in the budget reduction proposals put first before cabinet members and then before this council.

 In the case of local spending, which means local job creation…. This meant that when cabinet members were considering the raft of eyewatering cuts put before them, they were unable to see in Section B of each of the proposals where it discusses the impact of the decision, members were unaware if their proposed cut would have the consequence of reducing investment in the local economy. In fact the phrase “local spending” is only mentioned three times in the entire budget report….and that’s in the liberal democrat budget amendment.

Can the cabinet member concerned explain why the instructions of this full council were so casually ignored and reassure us all that the motion will be complied with in future and that these two important considerations will appear front and centre in the main pages of the decision documents?

 

Councillor Jabbar, Cabinet Member for Finance and Low Carbon, replied that the Council report template has been amended to include details of Equality Impact Assessments, including the safeguarding of children and that all Members of the Council have been notified of this development.

 

Question from Councillor Byrne

The Local Improvement Fund Bidding process for 2023 has been interesting to say the least.

Based on the hard work of the Advisory Committee who I understand met several times in late 2022 and early 2023.

I would like to thank them for their time and input in the process.

However, there are lingering questions as to the way the Cabinet Sub-Group has pulled bids out of the hat whilst discarding well received and well-placed bids as that in my own Ward in Dobcross, which met the relevant criteria but were subsequently not funded.

 

Councillor Chadderton, Leader of the Council replied that it was important to recognise that the Local Improvement Fund is a competitive process. We received over £700k of applications for capital funding in the latest funding round, but only had £400k available. This means that some projects will not receive funding. 

The purpose of the Advisory Panel is to make recommendations to the LIF Cabinet sub-committee – they are there in an advisory capacity. Whilst the Advisory Panel have no formal decision-making power and are not able to approve or fund applications to the LIF, their advice to the Cabinet Sub-Committee does carry a lot of weight.

I think it’s worth pointing out that the advisory panel did not recommend that the bid in Dobcross Cllr Byrne mentions be funded, and for the most part the Cabinet sub-committee agreed with the recommendations of the advisory panel.

 

Question from Councillor M. Bashforth

Due to the disastrous Tory cost-of-living crisis we’ve unfortunately had several small businesses in Royton close their doors, can the relevant cabinet member explain what support is available for SMEs in Oldham?

 

Councillor Akhtar, Cabinet Member for Cabinet Member for Employment and Enterprise, replied that the Council was working with local businesses based in the Borough to mitigate against the worst effects of the cost-of-living crisis but was fearful for future developments bearing in mind that the energy relief scheme was due to finish in a few weeks and that the Chacellor of the \exchequer, in is Budget announcements earlier in the day, had not indicated that this will be extended.