Agenda item

Time limit 90 minutes

Leader and Cabinet Members to present their reports.

Non-executive members may ask questions.

 

a.    Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Building a Better Oldham – including the Minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held 2^nd December 2024, 16^th December 2024, 20^th January 2025 and 3^rd March 2025; urgent decisions made during 2024/25; the minutes of meetings of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority held 29^th November 2024, 13^th December 2024, 31^st January 2025 and 7^th February 2025; and the minutes of the meetings of the AGMA Executive Board held 7^th February 2025.

b.    Deputy Leader and Decent Home Portfolio Holder

c.    Deputy Leader and Value for Money and Sustainability Portfolio Holder

d.    Children and Young People’s Portfolio Holder

e.    Education and Skills Portfolio Holder

f.     Enterprise Portfolio Holder

g.    Adults, Health and Wellbeing Portfolio Holder

h.    Don’t Trash Oldham Portfolio Holder

i.      Thriving Communities and Culture Portfolio Holder

In respect of this agenda item Councillor Woodvine MOVED and Councillor Lancaster SECONDED that Council Procedure Rule Part 4a, section 2.1.3 be suspended to permit Councillor Woodvine to ask a question to the Leader of the Council, if time runs out on this item. On being put to the vote, the Motion was LOST.

 

The Mayor invited the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Members to present their reports and further invited non-executive members to ask questions thereon, as follows:

 

a.    Councillor Shah, Leader and Building a Better Oldham Portfolio – including the Minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held 2^nd December 2024, 16^th December 2024, 20^th January 2025 and 3^rd March 2025, Urgent Decisions taken during 2024/25, the Minutes of the meetings of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority held 29^th November 2024, 13^th December 2024, 31^st January 2025 and 7^th February 2025 and the minutes of the meeting of the AGMA Executive Board held 7^th February 2025.

 

Councillor Sykes, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group

Question 1: Labour’s Austerity Politics

Thank you, Mr Mayor. The new Labour Government has been in office for nearly a year now.  Let’s have a look at their record so far.
Labour started by refusing to lift the two-child cap on universal credit.  A measure that would have taken more than 11,000 children in our Borough out of poverty.

Next, they plunged 85% of pensioners in our Borough into uncertainty by announcing cuts to winter fuel payments, including nearly 8,000 pensioners who are over the age of 80.

Then came the hike in National Insurance tax for employers.  One of the side effects has caused the cost of social care services to rocket in our Borough.  And put a real squeeze on small businesses. We also have the scandalous cuts to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) – which is a lifeline for so many people across our Borough.  It’s there for a reason, to support people who can’t work because they have health conditions that aren’t going to get better, like Parkinson’s and MS!
Labour nationally have also abandoned their support for WASPI Women.

My question for the Leader is a simple one. Nearly a year into this Labour Government. Almost a year of Austerity with a red rosette… is this what she thinks people voted for?

Councillor Shah, Leader of the Council, replied that the government had only been in office, so far, for nine months and had inherited a very bad situation from the outgoing Conservative government. The country’s economic outlook was much more serious than first anticipated. Councillor Shah added that the current administration was committed to providing proper levels of support for the residents of the Borough of Oldham.

Question 2: Getting the Basics Right

Thank you, Mr Mayor,

The most common issues that fill our inboxes are to do with potholes, overgrown footpaths, blocked drains or the state of our local parks and green spaces. 

These are the basics.  And if my inbox is anything to go off… Oldham Council is dreadful at getting the basics right.  

In July 2023, Oldham Labour voted down a Liberal Democrat Motion which aimed to improve basic frontline services through cross party working. 

In fact, for many years now, Oldham Labour have consistently voted against plans put forward by the Liberal Democrats to invest more in roads, footpaths, parks and green spaces. 
Worse still… Labour have cut environmental services staff which will mean the basics will get worse not better across the Borough. 

That’s certainly true when it comes to the state of the gullies and pavements. 

For months now, the council’s fleet of six small sweepers has been consistently breaking down and, on some days, there has been no functioning sweeper at all.  I understand there might be some light on the horizon but why have we waited for our fleet to be clapped out and broke before we start to replace it?

Meanwhile, littering and dog-fouling offences continue unabated, with the Council failing to issue Fixed Penalty Notices with any meaningful consistency or to come up with stronger solutions to tackle the issue. 
Oldham Borough is deemed to be one of the fly-tipping hot-spots of the North-West.

Does the Leader accept that this Council is failing to get the basics right? 

And does she agree with me that a real way to show Leadership would be to make these basic services the subject of a Scrutiny Review this summer so that councillors of all parties and none can get involved and drive improvements together for the benefit of the citizens we all serve? 

 

Councillor Shah, Leader of the Council, replied that the responsibility for the reduced levels of service, referred to in the question, rests with the former Conservative government, that consistently reduced local government funding during the years that they were in power from 2010 until their defeat at the 2024 General Election.

 

b.    Councillor Taylor, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Decent Homes

Councillor Taylor presented her report.

Councillor Woodvine referred to the reply from the Secretary of State Housing, Communities and Local Government, which rejected Oldham Council’s request to withdraw from the Places for Everyone scheme, further to the joint letter of the Leader and Chief Executive, which had sought withdrawal from the scheme, following the extraordinary Council meeting held on 6^th March. Councillor Woodvine suggested that the joint letter did not fully represent the wishes of the Council that had voted to withdraw from Places for Everyone.

Councillor Taylor replied, rejecting Councillor Woodvine’s comments, adding that the Council had sought independent legal advice which had found that there was no justification for the Borough of Oldham withdrawing from Places for Everyone.

 

Question from Councillor Akhtar, which welcomed the recent announcement from the Cabinet Member regarding £3 million investment to tackle the Borough’s housing crisis, seeking confirmation that a previous commitment to establish a cross-party working group to look at this still applied.

Councillor Taylor undertook to provide a written answer to Councillor Akhtar.

 

Question from Councillor Arnott – the old Oddies Bar in Royton was, he believed being converted into a hotel as was another former bar/public house in Royton, close by. Councillor Arnott asked, if there were any plans to use either, or both, of these premises, to house asylum seekers?

Councillor Taylor replied that she would meet with Councillor Arnott, in the near future, to discuss this matter with him.

 

Question from Councillor Al-Hamdani - the Housing Act 2004 clarifies the definition of a house in multiple occupation (HMO), replacing the definition under the Housing Act 1985. The definition of an HMO is found in Part 7 of the 2004 Act. There are three tests that can be carried out to see if a building is an HMO: the standard test for HMOs; the self-contained flat test; and the converted building test.

How many buildings has Oldham Council defined as an HMO, by year, excluding those which are defined as such by licensing or by planning, since 2020?

Councillor Taylor undertook to provide Councillor Al-Hamdani with a written answer to his question.

 

Question from Councillor Nasheen - The Labour Government removed the need for Secretary of State approval of wider Selective Licensing schemes last December. What plans does the Council have to use this new freedom to improve private sector standards across the borough?

Councillor Taylor replied that having secured additional funding from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Oldham Council is looking to expand the selective licensing scheme in conjunction with the Greater Manchester Mayor.

In order to ensure guidance is followed and the scheme is correctly applied, a research exercise has been commissioned to determine the extent of the areas that will fall within a selective licensing scheme.

We anticipate that this exercise will be completed later this year and in accordance with the guidance, the scheme will come into effect in early 2026.

In the meantime, the private sector housing team continues to respond to a range of issues raised by tenants in Oldham and uses a range of legal powers to ensure compliance and property standards.

 

c.    Councillor Jabbar, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Value for Money and Sustainability

Councillor Jabbar presented his report

Question from Councillor Quigg - Oldham Councillors voted to sell shares in the Greater Manchester Councils Pension fund because they invest in British defence, fuel and mining companies that may sell goods to and in Israel.

Companies like BAE systems help keep Britain's Armed Forces equipped. They help keep the Royal Navy afloat, Trident Nuclear submarines deployed and the RAF in the sky. At this time of global threats should this Council not be proudly investing in British defence companies?

Can the Cabinet member responsible clarify:

1.         ?What discussions were held before the vote or after the vote to sell holdings in perfectly legal British companies, and whether a valuation has been carried out on the sale of existing shareholdings and the value such as sale would have on staff pensions and what the cost would be to sell this many shares in fees, commission and tax due to the sale of existing holdings?

2.         Given it concerns staff pensions can they confirm what legal advice was provided and why no impact report was provided to advise members on the implications of such a decision?

3.         Will the Council be demanding that Oldham erase its proud history with BAE systems who once provided hundreds of skilled jobs,?and does Oldham Council not want Boeing and Honeywell, Shell, BP and Glencore to bring jobs and investment to Oldham all to appease those who hate Britain? 

Councillor Jabbar replied stating that be believed that Cllr Quigg had fundamentally misunderstood what the motion passed at Council called for. 

The motion in question asked that GMPF outline a divestment plan from fossil fuels and arms to ensure that members pensions are aligned with Oldham’s and GMCAs climate goals. 

In short: 

1.         No such discussions were held as the motion did not mandate the sale of shares in any companies. It requested that GMPF begin a process of divestment. The Pension Fund can choose not to do so. 

2.         Impact reports are not usually provided on motions to Council, unless they specifically ask for it. 

3.         No of course not, this is performative nonsense once again from Cllr Quigg. To suggest that wanting ethical investments is paramount to hating Britain is shameful.

 

Question from Councillor Al-Hamdani - recent years, the Council has been using local small businesses to pay out Household Support Vouchers, who then claim the money back from the Council.

I have been approached by a number of businesses who have found the very small payments available for managing the scheme not worth the amount of time it takes. They are faced by hostile claimants, and they have to keep cash on site which makes them vulnerable, and they have to wait to get the money back once they have paid it out.

I have also been told – but not yet had verified – that there have been some businesses who have been charging claimants an administration fee for processing the claim.

Will the Cabinet Member consider finding an alternative way to manage providing this money to residents?

Councillor Jabbar replied, thank you for sharing the feedback from the businesses you have spoken to. We were advised by our supplier that the outlets were provided 1½ weeks' notice to prepare for issuing the cash. The method of payment was identified for residents to access the monies locally. We hope that the additional footfall to the outlets supported local businesses.

For any potential future schemes, we will assess whether additional measures are required, such as improving communication with residents and considering alternative payment methods to support a cash first approach wherever possible.

 

d.    Councillor Mushtaq, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People

In the absence of Councillor Mushtaq the report was moved by Councillor Mohon Ali, with a request that any specific questions arising from the report be submitted in writing to Councillor Mushtaq.

 

e.    Councillor Mohon Ali, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills

Councillor Mohon Ali presented his report.

Question from Councillor Bishop - Schools will be receiving only a 0.7% rise in funding. This is below inflation and will nowhere near cover the rising costs. Many local councils are in a deficit in terms of high needs funding and Oldham council has just gone into this category. Thanks to inaction by government, SEND funding continues to be a ticking time bomb and with spending reviews like this so will school funding overall.

Will the cabinet member be lobbying his colleagues in government to fund schools properly and to address the SEND funding crisis?

Councillor Mohon Ali replied that there was significant financial pressure on schools generally and specifically in relation to services for children with SEND.  As stated in my council motion, I welcome the steps being taken by this Labour Government to finally review and reform the SEND system in England.  Additionally, however, I can assure the Cllr that I, along with all my fellow cabinet members, will continue to ask government, as part of its comprehensive spending review, to address the deficit in High Needs Spending by Local Authorities and put spending to support children with SEND on a sustainable footing. 

 

Question from Councillor Iqbal – I think Oldham Virtual School supports the education of children looked after, as well as the initiatives in the report can the Cabinet Member outline what else this service delivers?

Councillor Mohon Ali replied that Oldham Virtual School supports the education of children looked after and has recently extended its duties for children previously looked after and those in kinship care. Education is monitored through Personal Education Plans and there is an extensive programme of Raising Aspirations. Examples include courses in skills like cookery and university visits. More details are available in the Virtual School Annual Report which was presented to the Corporate Parenting Panel in January 2025.

 

Question from Councillor Davis - It is great to see that the NEET figures are dropping thanks to targeted intervention. Is this something that will continue to be a priority for the council or are we at risk of this figure creeping back up?

Councillor Mohon Ali replied that The Council is focussed on supporting young people to progress into education, employment and training. For instance, we have recently worked hard to attract both the YMCA and North Lancs Training back into Oldham.  This means we now have more training opportunities available for our young people.  We continue to work hard with our commissioned partners, Positive Steps, to support all our young people into employment and training opportunities.   Our ambition is to build upon this positive trend with the development of the Government’s Get Britain Working Youth Guarantee when it is rolled out.

 

f.     Councillor Fida Hussain, Cabinet Member for Enterprise

Councillor Fida Hussain presented his report

Question from Councillor Quigg - : Can the relevant Cabinet member please confirm: - If background checks (including criminal record checks for fraud and criminality) are completed on those who use the HIVE in the Spindles?

•           If any elected members have any conflict of interest with any business that uses the HIVE in the Spindles?

•           If the Council is permitting use of the HIVE in the Spindles to be used as a registered business address?

Councillor Fida Hussain replied that the Hive co-working space is managed by Upturn Enterprise and is open to any business to join as a member, with access levels of daily, weekly and monthly membership. Oldham Council is not involved in assigning co-working space.

We’re proud to work in partnership with Upturn who have an amazing track record in supporting Oldham businesses. 

We’re sure that Upturn would be more than happy to show councillors around The Hive and demonstrate how valuable the space is to Oldham’s business community.

 

Question from Councillor Kenyon - as the UK copes with the impact of Trump’s 10% tariffs on exports to the US, does the Cabinet Member have any idea how many Oldham and Greater Manchester businesses and jobs are reliant in on trading with the US?

What is the council and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority doing to help them? What is the council’s assessment of President’s Trump’s actions?

Councillor Fida Hussain – that the recent announcements from the United States are a concern for the UK and we are working with our partners across Greater Manchester to assess and understand potential impacts on our businesses.

We are mindful that with the tariffs in the UK being lower than those imposed on other areas including the EU at 20% and many Asian countries also being much higher, there may also be new opportunities for UK businesses to compete including local businesses, and we are keen to ensure our business community are prepared to seize any opportunities that might emerge.

We are echoing the advice of the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, by asking that our local companies proactively assess how they will be impacted across supply chains, understanding rules of origin and putting in place a duty management plan.

Business can contact us via invest@oldham.gov.uk and we can connect them with specific support at this time.

 

Question from Councillor Sajed Hussain - I’m delighted to see in the report that good, skilled jobs are coming to Oldham with the opening of a facility in Fitton Hill by Cygnet Health Care. Are there other opportunities that the council is pursuing to ensure that more good jobs come into the borough?

Councillor Fida Hussain replied that the investment by Cygnet Health Care and their collaboration with the Get Oldham Working team has meant that Oldham residents secured 61% of the jobs created.

As a Council we are committed to creating jobs through our Creating a Better Place strategy and through the development of new areas for businesses, such as Atom Valley.

 

Question from Councillor Woodvine – has the Council undertaken equality impact assessments, in respect of recently introduced government policies designed to facilitate economic growth, to help to safeguard local businesses?

Councillor Fida Hussain replied that, whilst he was aware that the number of businesses operating in Oldham had recently increased by around 15%, he would present Councillor Woodvine with a detailed written answer to his question.

 

g.    Councillor Brownridge, Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Wellbeing

Councillor Brownridge presented her report.

Question from Councillor Harrison, the report highlights the ongoing consultation on the NHS plan – what examples of good practice from Oldham can be included to help improve the NHS more widely?

Councillor Brownridge replied that she was pleased to be able to say that Oldham is already well ahead of the Government on this agenda.

Our integrated care partnership is the style of model the 10 Year Plan is likely to advocate.

This is enabling us to work collaboratively to shift activity out of hospitals and closer to communities.

Our Community Diagnostic Centre is one example of this. With the Council working to unlock planning, the NHS committing to Capital development we now have one of the most envied CDCs in the region which means people are now accessing diagnosis tests for things like cancer much faster and closer to where they live.

 

Question from Councillor Harkness – I have been contacted by a long-standing community campaigner and former parish councillor in Saddleworth around the topic of loneliness.

He has produced a document with significant amount of work in this area and has asked questions of the council, such as how can lonely individuals readily gain information about organisations that help the lonely – especially with access to digital services?

Are hard copies of helpful information available? Or PDF versions that could be shared?

Through the Health & Wellbeing Board, would the council consider conducting an assessment into existing schemes and services targeting loneliness and isolation across the borough?

Identifying any examples of ‘good practice’ and establish a plan of promoting and enabling these to work.

Councillor Brownridge replied that there are a wide range of social activities available in communities locally. Action Together, our local infrastructure organisation for the voluntary and community sector, have a searchable database of community activities on their website. There are also a range of activities hosted in local libraries and leisure centres, information is available in those centres and on their respective websites.

The Council commissions a Social Prescribing service which is available to residents experiencing social isolation or loneliness.  Leaflets are available (and can be shared) providing residents with the details of how to access the service directly, or via a referral from their GP, social worker or other professional. The service works with approximately 3,000 residents per year, supporting them to build confidence and access activities and support in their communities.

We will take the item to a future health and wellbeing board for further partnership discussion and will seek to include representation from the ICB who lead on the Living Well Approach - which seeks to help people achieve good mental health in community settings.

 

h.    Councillor Goodwin, Cabinet Member for Don’t Trash Oldham

Councillor Goodwin presented his report

 

Question from Councillor Lancaster which sought clarification on signage on highways relating to the Clean Air Zone – a proposed scheme that was finally dropped in January 2025.

Councillor Jabbar replied to this question, adding that plans were afoot to remove the signage referred to by Councillor Lancaster to be removed.

 

Question from Councillor McLaren - Can you give an update on the council’s road maintenance programme as I saw in the paper that if we don’t demonstrate that we are fixing potholes we might lose some funding?

Councillor Goodwin replied that the approved 2024/25 capital highways programme was completed according to schedule and we are currently putting together the overall capital infrastructure highways programme for 2025/26.  This will include the carriageways programme and details will be shared/approval sought in the coming weeks.

The Council has a team of specialist Highways safety inspectors who constantly carry out inspections across all 800km of the highways network according to planned and risk assessed routes based on national standards. Among other issues, potholes are identified and repaired according to timescales determined by individual risk assessments. Members’ and residents' queries are investigated and actioned in parallel.

As to the government’s recently announced initiative, the reporting required is likely to be much more than simply pothole data – we have provided significant information to central government for many years – as a result of this reporting, Oldham Council has received its full share of capital funding. 

As a result, and although the reporting requirements are changing, details of which are awaited, we do not expect to lose out on additional financial support as we are meeting the existing criteria.

 

Question from Councillor Akhtar which sought clarification as to whether Ward Councillors will be consulted on the borough-wide gulley cleaning initiative?

Councillor Goodwin replied that he had spoken to the Officers responsible for delivering the gulley cleaning scheme and Ward Councillors would be consulted thereon.

 

Question from Councillor Shuttleworth - following the change in October as to which items can now be placed in the brown recycling waste bin, has there been any significant increase in items sent for recycling and a reduction to that which goes to landfill?

Councillor Goodwin replied that the Council recognises the need to improve recycling and help local communities to recycle more by recycling the right objects in the right bins.

The recent changes mean that residents can now recycle plastic pots, tubs and trays – previously, these had to be returned to the store for recycling, and this meant that they were being added to the general waste collections, or they were being thrown in the recycle bin which was contaminating the load.

The new changes mean that less waste is being landfilled or incinerated and it is much easier for residents to know which items can go in which bin. Many of the additional items being recycled are lightweight items, and given the existing volume that re recycle, the overall tonnage of recycling hasn’t increased significantly.

We will continue to work with partners across the region to support greater recycling and will response to changes in policy and practices to support our residents.

 

i.      Councillor Dean, Cabinet Member for Thriving Communities and Culture

Councillor Dean presented his report.

 

Question from Councillor Cosgrove - after Operation Vulcan launched in March, residents have come to me with lots of positive feedback about the action they have seen taking place. Can you give an update on the results that have been achieved and what the long-term plan is for Derker when GMP end the operation?

Councillor Dean replied that he was pleased to hear the positive resident feedback.  I can report in the first month of Vulcan Derker, there has been:

•           A stakeholder launch with over 100 delegates giving commitments to the project.

•           A community launch held in the heart of Derker at Mayfield Primary School involving a presentation on the project, with questions and answers from the residents of Derker.

•           3 days of action with partners

•           5 warrants executed

•           29 stop searches

•           25 arrests

•           2 safeguarding referrals

•           £11,000 cash seized

•           £50,000 worth of class A and class B drugs seized

•           7 weapons seized

•           21 vehicles, including e-bikes seized

Vulcan has a three-strand approach – clear, hold and build. The project is currently in the clear stage with planning starting for the hold and build stages. The Neighbourhood Policing Team will have a continued presence in the area with proactive partnership working continuing when the Vulcan Team move to another location.

 

Question from Councillor Arnott who asked if the Cabinet member will join him in congratulating Oldham Rugby League Football Club on reaching the semi-final of the Challenge Cup, meaning they are just one game away from an appearance in the final at Wembley.

Councillor Dean replied congratulating Oldham Rugby League Football Club on their success and wished them the best of luck for their upcoming semi-final.

 

Question from Councillor Byrne noting the activities being undertaken by community and voluntary organisations across the Borough and asked if the Cabinet Member would support their work.

Councillor Dean replied stating that he was happy to fully endorse and support the work and activities being undertaken by community and voluntary organisations across the Borough.

 

RESOLVED:

1.      That the Leader and Portfolio Holder reports be noted.

2.      That the Minutes of the meetings of the Cabinet held 2^nd December 2024, 16^th December 2024, 20^th January 2025 and 3^rd March 2025; Urgent Decisions taken during 2024/25; the Minutes of the meetings of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority held 29^th November 2024, 13^th December 2024, 31^st January 2025 and 7^th February 2025; and the minutes of the meeting of the AGMA Executive Board held 7^th February 2025, be noted.