Agenda item

(time limit 30 minutes)

Councillor Sheldon, Leader of the Conservative Group

Question 1: Oldham Elections

Councillor Sheldon referred to the election performance of the Oldham Labour Party whereby they had lost a total of 14 seats in the last three municipal elections, asking if he felt this trend would continue?

Councillor Shah, Leader of the Council, expressed her confidence that Labour would retain its current seats and make gains in forthcoming municipal elections.

Question 2: Carjackings

Councillor Sheldon referred to a spate of carjackings that had been occurring across the Borough of Oldham in recent weeks and months. There were instances of men, armed with weapons, threatening motorists until they surrendered their vehicles. Councillor Sheldon referred to such carjacking incidents that had taken in Saddleworth, Failsworth and Shaw, including one particular incident where a female motorist was threatened by men, one armed with a machete, near a local beauty spot in Diggle. He asked what local councillors could do to combat this growing and dangerous threat?

Councillor Shah, Leader of the Council, replied sharing Councillor Sheldon’s concerns at such blatant criminal activity. Councillor Shah suggested that the Leaders of the Council’s political groups could jointly meet with the Council’s Community Safety team and with Greater Manchester Police to look at ways of combatting this growing problem. Councillor Shah also suggested that the Council could engage in a public campaign to raise public awareness.

Councillor Sykes, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group

This Council currently has a host of vacancies to fill at the senior and management level.Over the last few years there has been an alarming level of turnover in the senior positions.There has also been several key people leave or in the process of leaving as they approach retirement. 
This puts Oldham Council and Oldham in a precarious position.  This crisis of senior leadership retention is bad for continuity at the top… it also effects the delivery of frontline services and the performance of staff at every level, and across every department.It also creates a disconnect or no connect, between senior officers and elected members of this Council.  

At the induction event held for new members after the local elections, none of the senior executive team were present as promised.  Not one. And no alternative has been put in place or even suggested to my knowledge. 

The relationship starts off on the wrong foot… and then it gets worse.  Because the turnover in the top jobs creates unstable working practices. There are meetings which change times and dates with no rhyme or reason given.  Staff do not know who their line mangers are and are not being developed, supported, and managed as they should be.

We talk about staff being our biggest asset the reality is very, very different.

This is a cultural problem that we must get to grips with, it is residents who suffer from a Council which is constantly at odds with itself and fails to function to its best ability.

So, my question is this…. what is the Administration going to do about retention and recruitment for senior officers and in fact all staff? And will they also commit to collaborating with elected members right across this chamber to ensure that we foster the right relationship between officers and elected members, for the benefit of the people we are here to serve? 

Councillor Shah, Leader of the Council replied that there was already a cross-party approach to the recruitment of senior staff, with members from a cross section of the Council’s political groups on selection panels. Recruitment to vacant senior positions within Oldham Council was underway and had attracted a good response, thus far, with a high calibre of candidates. The levels of vacancies was not necessarily indicative of a culture problem at Oldham Council, as some of the vacancies are due to retirement and others to natural churn and turnover.   

Question from Councillor S. Bashforth:

Following on from residents' concerns across the Borough and indeed across the Northwest regarding the activities and business practices of IX Telecom. Can the leader please update me on the outcome of talks held between IX and leaders of GM councils?

Councillor Shah, Leader of the Council replied, thank you for your question and thank you for the lobbying you have done on behalf of your residents.

As Leader, I have met with IX Wireless, together with Jim McMahon MP and our Chief Executive, to contribute to the ongoing discussions that council officers are also having regarding their proposals across the borough.  We know that people take pride in their areas and don’t want any views to be blighted by these masts. There does need to be a balance and compromise of providing a service but locations need to be sensitively handled.

During our meeting with IX Wireless, we secured a commitment from them to hold resident forums where they will act and take on board feedback. If people are troubled or have concerns where they are if they can write to into us we will share their concerns directly with IX Wireless.

I do think that it’s important to state that IX Wireless are one of many new operators across the country rolling out new broadband infrastructure, enabled by national legislation designed to increase the future capacity of broadband infrastructure and introduce more competition, and cheaper broadband prices, into the market.  To enable this, much of the new communications infrastructure (such as the telegraph poles) can be installed by operators under national permitted development rights, and so the Council has very limited, or no, control over that infrastructure delivery.

I cannot speak for other GM Leaders, as to what contact they have had with IX Wireless, but I do know that the GM Authorities are working towards having a joined-up and consistent approach to communications operators, and these conversations continue to happen amongst relevant officers.

Question from Councillor Charters:

We have seen a number of Road Traffic Accidents on Vulcan Street in my ward of St James, where recently a young boy was hospitalised after being struck by a car, and there has also been significant damage to properties on this road through collisions. Residents across Derker have been asking for traffic calming measures and a reduction in speed limits, and this still hasn’t happened. Can the relevant Cabinet Member tell me what progress is being made to address speeding in Derker and what support residents can give to the council to protect pedestrians?

Councillor Taylor, Statutory Deputy Leader and Cabinet member for Housing and Licensing replied, Thank you for your question. The current speed limit on Vulcan Street is 30mph and the traffic counts undertaken previously show that: in 2015 – average speed was 22.5 mph; and in 2021 – the average speed was 23.0 mph. Therefore, from the evidence collected, while driving behaviours might feel different on the road, the actual speeds being recorded for the majority of vehicles are within suitable limits.

However, as we have recently received increased numbers of complaints about speeding, and given the last evidence collected was in 2021, we have requested new speed surveys be undertaken (Automatic Traffic Counts) on Vulcan Street to establish if the situation has changed. 

Due to the relatively low number of injury collisions and overall general compliance with the speed limit, Vulcan Street is not considered a high priority route for highway safety measures. The available budget for such measures is very limited and is used to target sites and routes with proven high collision rates and vehicle speeds.

Within the last year, the Traffic Team have supported new “SLOW” road markings being implemented on the carriageway adjacent to the existing School warning signs associated with Willow Park Primary School, to help raise awareness for drivers and to encourage them to slow down at specific locations.

 The redevelopment of previously demolished housing stock sites on Vulcan Street and throughout Derker will involve the implementation of possible new highway measures from developer contributions. These funds will be used for targeted local highway improvements including appropriate road safety measures if this is confirmed as necessary.

Question from Councillor Holly Harrison:

I understand that some changes have been made to the way in which private hire taxi companies now display their taxi logos. Can the Cabinet Member for Licensing please explain the rationale for these changes and provide reassurance that this will lead to a safer and more robust system for users and drivers?

Councillor Taylor, Statutory Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Licensing, replied, thank you for your question.

Following consultation in Spring 2023, the Licensing Committee implemented a number of changes to our taxi policy last month (in June this year).

Some of the changes support local residents feedback about wanting to see more taxi’s licenced in their home authority and not elsewhere in the country.  Other changes are following trade feedback, supported by government guidance, which includes the removal of the front licence plate and door operator signs, instead being replaced with smaller council issued door signage and a window disc.

This will make drivers feel less like targets in their vehicles from anti-social behaviour aimed at them and in turn will ensure passengers are less likely to suffer injury or distress from such actions. Initial feedback has been very positive on this policy change which will bring a welcome boost to the local economy.

Councillor Hobin, Leader of the Failsworth Independent Party

Councillor Hobin felt that a number of questions that were asked earlier in the meeting, during the time set aside for Public Questions, were either unanswered by the Leader or Cabinet Members or were only partially answered.

Councillor Shah, Leader of the Council, replied that she and her Cabinet members were always prepared to answer questions, including difficult ones. The Council encouraged the submission of public questions and made sure that they were all answered. Unasked questions were given written answers, which are published on the Council’s website a short time after the meeting.

Councillor Hince, Leader of the Independent Group

Councillor Hince asked if the Leader of the Council, the Mayor and Councillor Mushtaq would be attending the Oldham Pride Event in 2023?

Councillor Shah, Leader of the Council replied confirming that the Mayor would be attending the event.

Question from Councillor Jennifer Harrison:

I understand that some changes have been made to the way in which private hire taxi companies now display their taxi logos. Can the Cabinet Member for Licensing please explain the rationale for these changes and provide reassurance that this will lead to a safer and more robust system for users and drivers?

Councillor Taylor Statutory Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Licensing replied, thank you for your question. Following consultation in Spring 2023, the Licensing Committee implemented a number of changes to our taxi policy last month (in June this year).

Some of the changes support local residents feedback about wanting to see more taxi’s licenced in their home authority and not elsewhere in the country.  Other changes are following trade feedback, supported by government guidance, which includes the removal of the front licence plate and door operator signs, instead being replaced with smaller council issued door signage and a window disc.

This will make drivers feel less like targets in their vehicles from anti-social behaviour aimed at them and in turn will ensure passengers are less likely to suffer injury or distress from such actions. Initial feedback has been very positive on this policy change which will bring a welcome boost to the local economy.

Question from Councillor Birch:

Could the relevant Cabinet Member please provide an update on the status for the recruitment of the Director of Finance given that this is a statutory role?

Councillor Jabbar, Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Resources, replied that it is with sadness that I answer this question as it is only necessary due to the impending retirement of our current Director of Finance, Anne Ryans after 17 years’ service to Oldham Council. Recruitment to the position of Director of Finance is currently underway with the advert due to close this week. We are hoping to be in a position where we make an offer to a successful candidate by the end of this month – this will allow time for a reasonable handover to take place.

Question from Councillor Lancaster:

I understand that the Council has previously declined to seek Community Safe Scheme Accreditation for its staff, but will the Administration now revisit that decision, with a view to pursuing this Accreditation?

It would not be a silver bullet and further powers may still be wanted outside those awarded under this Accreditation. However, it would be a step in the right direction with more weapons in the arsenal, so to say, such as the ability for Enforcement Officers to issue Fixed Penalty Notices for littering. In their campaign to combat fly-tipping, the National Farmers’ Union are strongly encouraging all local authorities to pursue Community Safe Scheme Accreditation, and Oldham should meet that ask.

Furthermore, apart from this Accreditation, can I invite the Administration to pursue all other actions to strengthen the powers available to its staff responsible for community safety? This is an important statutory duty of the Council, and no stone should be left unturned in improving delivery of that duty.

Councillor Taylor Statutory Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Licensing replied, thank you for your question. The accreditation scheme has been considered previously; however, it was determined that the accreditation would not be pursued, and this remains the Councils view at this time as the Council already has a significant number of powers which are used effectively.

Officers in the Environmental Health team are already delegated to issue Fixed Penalty Notices for fly-tipping or littering offences where the investigations carried out warrant that action. 

Key to the decision is the fact that without the additional power to demand names and addresses, the delegation of more police related enforcement powers which the accreditation would bring, would not bring any added value. There is also the lack of the power to detain a person who fails to provide their name and address, so an individual can simply refuse or run off. Council colleagues are not equipped to detain persons, so even if these powers were introduced through accreditation, in reality they would not be actionable.

We need to manage the expectations of residents and it would not be fair to our residents if they thought that the Council could respond to a presenting situation instead of the police, when in reality we would not have the full powers and resources that we would need to do this.

The ongoing changes to the policing model to reduce the number of PCSOs and increase the number of PCs is indicative of the recognition that Police Officers need to be the immediate front-line response to most community safety/crime and disorder related matters in their capacity as fully warranted and specially trained Officers. We will of course always support police colleagues where we are able to do so with follow on action, using the tools and powers that we have at our disposal.