Agenda item

(time limit 30 minutes)

Motion 1

Reputation of Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council At An All Time Low

Councillor Sharp to MOVE and Councillor Arnott to SECOND:

Oldham is a town made up of decent hard-working people. There is an untapped potential which is yet to be unleashed. Sadly, the same cannot be said of Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council (OMBC).

OMBC is dragging our Borough down, due to poor leadership and mismanagement of our history, assets and services.

The failure of OMBC to deliver the best possible services that many residents rely on and pay for, is one of the key reasons why this administration is failing this Borough. It is not the hard-working frontline staff that are to blame, they have been dealt a bad hand, it is the lack of leadership and responsibility at the top. There is an iron law at the top of OMBC; which is that it is run in the interests of those who run it, instead of those who pay for it.

Driven by the next press release or headline, OMBC and this administration is failing to manage the numerous town centre focused projects properly, such as the thirty-two million pound overspend on the Cinema, the failed ‘Hotel Future and Conference Centre’ that was never built, two Coliseum theatre plans that were scrapped, Marks and Spencer’s, Lidl and a ‘Budget’ Hotel at Princes’ Gate scrapped and failing to materialise.

It is no wonder residents fear the costs of the Spindles/Town Centre project running over budget by tens of millions of pounds given the Councils track record.

The bunker mentality that exists within the administration and leadership of OMBC is damaging this Borough. The failure by the administration to attract the right investment and failure to deliver on existing projects is damaging the prospects of our Borough. The failure to attract the right talent starts and ends with those at the top.

In 2012 Oldham Council was runner up in the prestigious most improved council award and in 2014 Oldham was ‘highly commended’ at the LGA Council of the Year Awards. Since that high water mark things have gone very wrong and it is clear radical measures need to be taken to restore the confidence of our residents, our business community, and our workforce.

Now more than ever we need to restore pride in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham.

It is clear this Council’s strengths are; spending millions of pounds of resident’s hard-earned money and throwing it away on failed scheme after failed scheme. It is clear this Council does not have the experience to manage the Borough’s finances and is incapable of bringing regeneration schemes to fruition in Oldham.

If Oldham is to have any chance of rebuilding residents trust, incentivising people to stay or move into the area with their families and offering a full rounded living experience, then there needs to be massive change at this Council. Sadly this administration is not fit for purpose and nor is the leadership at the top of OMBC.

This Council therefore resolves to:

• Admit that it is currently out of its depth and is incapable of building Oldham back up again without the necessary help and expertise.
• To write to the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, noting that Oldham needs to seek professional support from external bodies in writing achievable funding bids for future projects and to ask for Oldham to be provided with extra support and guidance on how to run a local authority.

Motion 2

Removing Oldham Borough from Places for Everyone

Councillor Al-Hamdani to MOVE and Councillor H Gloster to SECOND:

This council notes that:

In December 2022, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities made a statement in the House of Commons in relation to an update on the Levelling up Bill.

This statement effectively represented a move away from top-down, mandatory housing targets.

The Secretary of State further added it will be up to Local Authorities, working with their communities, to determine how many homes can actually be built, taking into account what should be protected in each area, be that in our precious Green Belt or National Parks.

The Secretary of State further outlined how those local authorities with local plans at an advanced stage of preparation who will not benefit from these provisions can take advantage of transitional arrangements to produce plans that are compliant with the new guidance.

It has always been the position of Oldham Council that Places for Everyone (and the Green Belt development therein) was only necessary because of the top-down, mandatory housing targets that the government was imposing on local authorities.

This council believes that:

Although this Council is part of the Places for Everyone submission, we have no adopted local plan.

As such the housing need calculation made within Places for Everyone is now obsolete and not in line with national guidance.

Tackling the housing crisis is essential, in order to provide fairer futures for the next generation; and that a plan that works for all of Oldham Borough is best developed in Oldham Borough, by this Council and in consultation with the people we represent.

This council resolves to:

1. Withdraw Oldham Council from the Places for Everyone Plan as an immediate priority.

2. Develop a joint approach to calculating housing need though community consultation; with a reinforced brownfield first policy and a focus on ex-industrial clean up and repurposing of Oldhams industrial legacy buildings.

3. Reaffirm our commitment to the preservation of Green Belt and the places of natural beauty that make Oldham Borough unique.

4. Failing the above the Council seeks an urgent review of housing allocations in Places for Everyone Plan, to ensure the numbers are reduced and are reduced specifically on green sites in Oldham.

5. Write to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to request a national brownfield first policy along with the funding to enable decisions to build the houses we need to be made, in the places we need with the infrastructure we need such as health services, schools and transport.

Motion 1 – Reputation of Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council At An All Time Low

Councillor Sharp MOVED and Councillor Quigg SECONDED the following Motion:

This Council notes that:

Oldham is a town made up of decent hard-working people. There is an untapped potential which is yet to be unleashed. Sadly, the same cannot be said of Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council (OMBC).

OMBC is dragging our Borough down, due to poor leadership and mismanagement of our history, assets and services.

The failure of OMBC to deliver the best possible services that many residents rely on and pay for, is one of the key reasons why this administration is failing this Borough. It is not the hard-working frontline staff that are to blame, they have been dealt a bad hand, it is the lack of leadership and responsibility at the top. There is an iron law at the top of OMBC; which is that it is run in the interests of those who run it, instead of those who pay for it.

Driven by the next press release or headline, OMBC and this administration is failing to manage the numerous town centre focused projects properly, such as the thirty-two million pound overspend on the Cinema, the failed ‘Hotel Future and Conference Centre’ that was never built, two Coliseum theatre plans that were scrapped, Marks and Spencer’s, Lidl and a ‘Budget’ Hotel at Princes’ Gate scrapped and failing to materialise.

It is no wonder residents fear the costs of the Spindles/Town Centre project running over budget by tens of millions of pounds given the Councils track record.

The bunker mentality that exists within the administration and leadership of OMBC is damaging this Borough. The failure by the administration to attract the right investment and failure to deliver on existing projects is damaging the prospects of our Borough. The failure to attract the right talent starts and ends with those at the top.

In 2012 Oldham Council was runner up in the prestigious most improved council award and in 2014 Oldham was ‘highly commended’ at the LGA Council of the Year Awards. Since that high water mark things have gone very wrong and it is clear radical measures need to be taken to restore the confidence of our residents, our business community, and our workforce.

Now more than ever we need to restore pride in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham.

It is clear this Council’s strengths are: spending millions of pounds of resident’s hard-earned money and throwing it away on failed scheme after failed scheme. It is clear this Council does not have the experience to manage the Borough’s finances and is incapable of bringing regeneration schemes to fruition in Oldham.

If Oldham is to have any chance of rebuilding residents trust, incentivising people to stay or move into the area with their families and offering a full rounded living experience, then there needs to be massive change at this Council. Sadly, this administration is not fit for purpose and nor is the leadership at the top of OMBC.

This Council therefore resolves to:

• Admit that it is currently out of its depth and is incapable of building Oldham back up again without the necessary help and expertise.
• To write to the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, noting that Oldham needs to seek professional support from external bodies in writing achievable funding bids for future projects and to ask for Oldham to be provided with extra support and guidance on how to run a local authority.

A vote was taken on the MOTION which was LOST

Motion 2 – Removing Oldham Borough from Places for Everyone

Councillor Al-Hamdani MOVED and Councillor H Gloster SECONDED the following Motion:

This Council notes that:

In December 2022, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities made a statement in the House of Commons in relation to an update on the Levelling up Bill. This statement effectively represented a move away from top-down, mandatory housing targets. The Secretary of State further added it will be up to Local Authorities, working with their communities, to determine how many homes can actually be built, taking into account

what should be protected in each area, be that in our precious Green Belt or National Parks.

The Secretary of State further outlined how those local authorities with local plans at an advanced stage of preparation who will not benefit from these provisions can take advantage of transitional arrangements to produce plans that are compliant with the new guidance.

It has always been the position of Oldham Council that Places for Everyone (and the Green Belt development therein) was only necessary because of the top-down, mandatory housing targets that the government was imposing on local authorities.

This council believes that:

Although this Council is part of the Places for Everyone submission, we have no adopted local plan. As such the housing need calculation made within Places for Everyone is now obsolete and not in line with national guidance.

Tackling the housing crisis is essential, in order to provide fairer futures for the next generation; and that a plan that works for all of Oldham Borough is best developed in Oldham Borough, by this Council and in consultation with the people we represent.

This council resolves to:

1. Withdraw Oldham Council from the Places for Everyone Plan as an immediate priority.

2. Develop a joint approach to calculating housing need though community

consultation; with a reinforced brownfield first policy and a focus on ex-industrial clean up and repurposing of Oldham’s industrial legacy buildings.

3. Reaffirm our commitment to the preservation of Green Belt and the places of natural beauty that make Oldham Borough unique.

4. Failing the above the Council seeks an urgent review of housing allocations in Places for Everyone Plan, to ensure the numbers are reduced and are reduced specifically on green sites in Oldham.

5. Write to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to request a national brownfield first policy along with the funding to enable decisions to build the houses we need to be made, in the places we need with the infrastructure we need such as health services, schools and transport.

A recorded vote was taken on the MOTION as follows:

On a recorded VOTE being taken, 17 VOTES were cast in FAVOUR of the MOTION with 30 VOTES cast AGAINST and 0 ABSTENTIONS.

The MOTION was therefore LOST.