Leader to address Council
Minutes:
The Leader of the Council, Councillor Arooj Shah, delivered her Annual Statement.
The Leader reminded the Council of her priorities, as set out in May 2023, when she first assumed office and highlighted work that had been done and wjich was still being done to improve Oldham, to retain a resident focused approach and to provide high quality services for local people.
The Leader noted a significant change in that there had recently been a change of government and that Oldham Council was looking forward to embracing a new relationship with central government.
The latest financial forecasts were predicting that there is a nearly £ 6 billion nationwide 'black hole' in local government finances, which, predictably, hits boroughs like Oldham with higher needs and lower council tax revenues the hardest.
It was added that there was a need to reset how the Council provides services, collaborates and cooperates with other groups and individuals to deliver change, and once more champion that sense of pride in Oldham and the wider Borough.
The Council was launching a renewed and collaborative Oldham Plan. Much has changed since the last one. A global pandemic, rampant inflation, a cost-of-living crisis and Brexit have impacted the borough. It was therefore felt to be the right time to reset our shared plan for the borough, which we will bring before the Council in November for ratification.
Part of that plan will be to set clear priorities which impact and improve the lives of Oldhamers every day. One of the most important responsibilities any Council carries is to protect the most vulnerable in our community. Today, Oldham is experiencing very high demand for its health and care services. This is particularly prominent in acute care and children's services. When the free market model for social care fails, as it did with the collapse of Acorn Lodge, this Council stepped up and secured the protection of its 70 residents and the rights of the care staff.
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The leader stated that the Council was resetting care for our youngest residents as well. The Leader stated that she was pleased that, following a recent Ofsted Inspection, our Children's Services had been rated 'GOOD' in all areas – an outstanding achievement for everyone involved – but there is more we can do. Post-inspection action plans are already underway to drive further improvements over the next 12 months. One area everyone is particularly focused on is child safeguarding. Last month the Department for Education commissioned a project to build a detailed understanding of how to support Safeguarding Partnerships in response to serious incidents, improve practice and better protect children. Oldham Council is participating in this review, and we will shape and adopt the best practices it develops to further improve our safeguarding.
The Council currently supports more than 600 households living in temporary accommodation. Nearly 6,500 households on the housing register are also waiting for social housing. Last year, only 1,211 homes became available for let - that's simply not enough. Every Council across the country should be putting housing at the forefront of their minds – this Labour administration is. We're committed to finding a local solution to this national crisis.
The other part of this is about the Council being bold and doing its bit like our commitment to build 500 new truly affordable homes over the next five years. There was a commitment, as part of the GM Places for Everyone programme, to build a further 11,000 new homes in the Borough.
The Council had recently signed a strategic partnership with the developer MUSE, which will deliver this Labour administration’s plan for 2,000 new homes right here in the town centre. The public consultation has been strong and robust for this with lots of locals giving their views online and in person.
In Broadway Green, 138 more homes will be delivered in addition to the 332 already built. In Fitton Hill, 365 mixed tenure homes are planned on brownfield land which had been derelict for more than 20 years, and in Derker, planning permission for 132 low and zero-carbon housing on brownfield land, which include a mix of affordable rent homes, shared ownership, and private sale has been secured.
There was a shortage of supply, but in too many cases, the quality of private rental accommodation falls well short of the standards we should expect. The Council was determined to improve our housing stock over the longer term and will continue to hold bad landlords to account and make it easier for residents to report bad practices.
Resetting how we care for our most vulnerable residents, building new homes, and renewing our town centres are big-ticket items that catch headlines, debates, and discussions in this chamber.
The Council collects waste from almost 100,000 residential properties and more than 1,900 businesses throughout the borough, collecting about 3,000 tonnes of general waste and 775 tonnes of recycling waste every month.
Cracking down on fly-tipping, litter and vandalism are also priorities we all share.
In Oldham, residents are especially proud of our parks and outdoor spaces.
As well as creating new green spaces in the Town Centre as part of the on-going redevelopment, play areas including Waterhead Park, Salmon Fields and Royton Park are scheduled to undergo improvements, while new changing rooms, gym equipment and sports courts are taking shape at Clayton Fields, Churchill Playing Fields and Dunwood Park amongst others.
The Council is also committed to improving the green environment by planting 650 trees across the borough this autumn and winter. There are plans to add 2.5 hectares of new woodland in the coming twelve months.
Pride in Oldham is also about making our town a place to visit, spend leisure time, and interact with friends, family and neighbours.
Last month, the Council and its partners successfully delivered Festival Oldham which more than 6,000 local residents and visitors. Earlier in the Summer, The Tour of Britain Women's Race saw the world's top female riders go head-to-head racing in front of record crowds through the borough's many beauty spots.
In response to public demand, the Council announced its decision to retain the Coliseum Theatre on Fairbottom Street, which will reopen for Panto in 2025. To ensure the future of theatre for Oldham we have also been working with various cultural groups and partners to co-design and co-create a new future for the building and a new co-operative, more supportive and sustainable future for art and performance in Oldham.
The Council and residents can also take pride in our town's sporting successes too. As well as the Roughyeds winning promotion back to the championship, Oldham Council's Active Through Football program took a team to the Greater Manchester Refugee World Cup. Without losing a game, they won the tournament beating 16 other teams in the process.
Also, working in partnership with Nike, Manchester F.A, Oldham Athletic Community Trust and Shree Swaminarayan Mandir Oldham, the Council supported a women's only football project which has been recognised by the US sportswear giant as exemplary and will feature in a video promoting the team and the program.
The Leader stated that the Council should reset its ambitions for the future of our residents. That means building on the welcomed improvements in OFSTED scores across our borough's primary schools and secondary schools. Across Oldham more than 90% of primary schools and 60% of secondary schools are now rated good or outstanding.
The Council had recently welcomed the Children’s Commissioner for England, Rachel De Souza to Oldham to congratulate the council and its schools on our partnership work to improve school attendance, an issue where we are leading nationally. The Council’s support for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities is improving. With the support of the Department for Education and NHS England, we have been able to recruit new staff to support schools and families across a range of areas such as early language support, preparation for adulthood, and early access to mediation.
Since being launched a decade ago, the Get Oldham Working team have helped find work for more than fourteen thousand residents - over ten thousand full time jobs, over one and a half thousand apprenticeships, 367 Traineeships, and 1,667 Work Experience placements. As work patterns continue to shift, the Council's support for startups and entrepreneurs continues, such as with the opening of The Hive, a dedicated space in the Spindles Shopping Centre supporting social enterprises and start-up businesses.
The Leader asked that Council joins with her in championing Oldham in every forum, continuing to play an active part in the economic regeneration of our town by offering support, assistance and encouragement to businesses and employers looking to grow or expand in our borough. With a renewed pride in Oldham, a set of shared ambitions, and a commitment to collaborate, cooperate and face challenges together - we can make a difference. We have so much happening, so much to look forward to. Oldham’s time is now.
Resolved:
That the Leader’s Annual Statement be noted.