Agenda item

(time limit 30 minutes)

Motion 1: Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs)

To be Moved by: Councillor Taylor
to be Seconded by: Councillor Davis

 

This Council notes with concern the increasing number of Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs) in Oldham and the impact this has on local communities, housing standards, and infrastructure. While HMOs can provide an important source of affordable accommodation, their proliferation in certain areas has led to issues including overcrowding, pressure on local services, and a decline in housing quality. In the past 5 years the number of licensed HMOs in Oldham has almost doubled.

 

This Council further notes that current national planning regulations allow certain HMOs (Class C4, up to six residents) to be established without the need for planning permission. This limits the ability of local authorities to manage their spread and ensure they are appropriately located and regulated.

 

This Council welcomes the recent announcement by the Chancellor of an additional £2 billion for social and affordable housing. This funding provides an opportunity to address the shortage of genuinely affordable homes and to ensure that people in Oldham have access to safe, secure, and high-quality housing.

 

This Council calls on the new Labour Government to reverse the changes introduced by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat Coalition Government in 2010 which removed the requirement for planning permission for small houses of multiple occupation.

 

This council further requests that the Chief Executive writes to the borough’s 3 MPs and the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, asking for their support in reversing the aforementioned changes.

 

Motion 2: Special Education Needs and Disabaility (SEND)

To be Moved by: Councillor Mohon Ali
to be Seconded by: Councillor Nasheen

 

This Council notes that In Oldham, as of January 2024, there were 8,694 pupils identified with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). This represents 18.8% of the school-age population in the area. Among these, 6.0% have an Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP), while 12.9% receive SEN support.

 

The positive improvements to services for children and young people with SEND in Oldham continue at pace, led by the SEND Local Inclusion Partnership Executive Board chaired by Dame Christine Lenehan. This new governance structure has improved strategic planning and focused on: improved access to health services; better quality and more timely Education, Health and Care Plans and Annual Reviews; smooth transitions between early years, children’s and adult services. This has been achieved by focusing on co-production with parents, carers, and young people. Our aim is to ensure children with SEND are safe, healthy, happy, and able to achieve their potential

 

The Department for Education has confirmed Oldham has made good progress.

 

There is significant pressure on the services for children with SEND in Oldham and across England, and this Council welcomes the steps being taken by the Labour Government to reform the system put in place in the 2014 Children and Families Act.

 

This Council further notes the launch of ‘Inclusion in practice’ evidence-gathering project to help shape a reformed SEND system that delivers better experiences and outcomes for all children focused on identifying and sharing practical, scalable solutions for inclusion in mainstream schools.

 

This Council welcomes the commitment to a produce a White Paper to overhaul the SEND system with the aims of ensuring: support is put in place far more quickly for children who need additional support; much earlier identification of need; much more timely intervention and support.

 

This Council resolves to:

1.    Encourage Oldham Schools to submit examples of good practice to ‘Inclusion in practice’

2.    Support the LGA’s call for urgent action in the 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.

Motion 1: Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMO’s)

Councillor Taylor MOVED and Councillor Davis SECONDED the following Motion:

 

This Council notes with concern the increasing number of Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs) in Oldham and the impact this has on local communities, housing standards, and infrastructure. While HMOs can provide an important source of affordable accommodation, their proliferation in certain areas has led to issues including overcrowding, pressure on local services, and a decline in housing quality. In the past 5 years the number of licensed HMOs in Oldham has almost doubled.

 

This Council further notes that current national planning regulations allow certain HMOs (Class C4, up to six residents) to be established without the need for planning permission. This limits the ability of local authorities to manage their spread and ensure they are appropriately located and regulated.

 

This Council welcomes the recent announcement by the Chancellor of an additional £2 billion for social and affordable housing. This funding provides an opportunity to address the shortage of genuinely affordable homes and to ensure that people in Oldham have access to safe, secure, and high-quality housing.

 

This Council calls on the new Labour Government to reverse the changes introduced by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat Coalition Government in 2010 which removed the requirement for planning permission for small houses of multiple occupation.

 

This council further requests that the Chief Executive writes to the borough’s 3 MPs and the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, asking for their support in reversing the aforementioned changes.

 

AMENDMENT 1

Councillor Sharp MOVED and Councillor Quigg SECONDED the following AMENDMENT:

This Council will immediately implement a Borough wide Article 4 Direction which would require planning permission for a change of use.

A recorded vote, in line with the Regulations was then taken on AMENDMENT 1 as follows:

 

COUNCILLOR		COUNCILLOR
Adams Christine	FOR	Hussain Junaid	AGAINST
Akhtar Shoab	AGAINST	Hussain Sajed	AGAINST
Al-Hamdani Sam	FOR	Ibrahim Nyla	AGAINST
Ali Mohon	AGAINST	Iqbal Nadeem	AGAINST
Ali Zaheer	ABSENT	Islam Mohammed Nazrul	AGAINST
Arnott Dave	FOR	Jabbar Abdul	AGAINST
Aslam Naseem	AGAINST	Kenyon Mark	FOR
Azad Montaz Ali	AGAINST	Kouser Aisha	AGAINST
Ball Sandra	FOR	Lancaster Luke	FOR
Bishop Helen	FOR	Malik Abdul	AGAINST
Bashforth Marie	AGAINST	Marland Alicia	ABSENT
Brownridge Barbara	AGAINST	McLaren Colin	AGAINST
Byrne Pam	FOR	Moores Eddie (Deputy Mayor)	AGAINST
Charters Josh	AGAINST	Murphy Dave	FOR
Cosgrove Angela	AGAINST	Mushtaq Shaid	APOLOGIES
Chowhan Naveed	ABSENT	Nasheen Umar	AGAINST
Davis Peter	AGAINST	Navesey Lisa	AGAINST
Dean Peter	AGAINST	Quigg Lewis	FOR
Ghafoor Kamran	ABSENT	Rustidge Ken	AGAINST
Goodwin Chris	AGAINST	Shah Arooj	AGAINST
Hamblett Louie	FOR	Sharp Beth	FOR
Harkness Garth	FOR	Sheldon Graham	AGAINST
Harrison Holly	AGAINST	Shuttleworth Graham	AGAINST
Hince Marc	AGAINST	Sykes Howard	FOR
Hindle Neil	AGAINST	Taylor Elaine	AGAINST
Hobin Brian	AGAINST	Wahid Abdul	AGAINST
Hughes Jade	FOR	Wilkinson Mark	FOR
Hurley Maggie	APOLOGIES	Williamson Diane	APOLOGIES
Hussain Aftab	AGAINST	Woodvine Max	FOR
Hussain Fida	AGAINST	Chauhan Zahid (MAYOR)	AGAINST

.

On a recorded VOTE being taken 17 VOTES were cast in FAVOUR of AMENDMENT 1 with 36 VOTES cast AGAINST and there were 0 ABSTENTIONS. AMENDMENT 1 was therefore LOST.

 

AMENDMENT 2

Councillor Al-Hamdani MOVED and Councillor Kenyon SECONDED the following AMENDMENT:

 

This Council notes with concern the increasing number of Houses of

Multiple Occupation (HMOs) in Oldham and the impact this has on local

communities, housing standards, and infrastructure. While HMOs can

provide an important source of affordable accommodation, their proliferation in certain areas has led to issues including overcrowding,

pressure on local services, and a decline in housing quality. In the past 5

years the number of licensed HMOs in Oldham has almost doubled.

 

This Council also notes that:

·         On 1 November 2023, it resolved to direct officers to “collect and

collate evidence on the number of HMOs in each ward across the

Borough, identifying clusters and report back to the relevant cabinet

member if any case can be made for an Article 4 direction”.

·         Current national planning regulations allow certain HMOs (Class C4,

up to six residents) to be established without the need for planning

permission. This limits the ability of local authorities to manage their

spread and ensure they are appropriately located and regulated.

·         No figures are currently available on the number of HMOs in the

borough – only for the number of licenced HMOs (which meet one

definition) or for HMOs which have received planning permission

(which meet a separate definition).

·         There are standard tests which allow the Council to define whether

any building is an HMO, as defined under the Housing Act 2004.

·         Councillors have been told that they cannot be informed of

forthcoming HMOs for licensing, due to data privacy.

·         Councillors have no right to make a representation to the Council on

HMO licence applications and renewals.

·         The Council has let licenses for HMOs lapse on multiple occasions,

sometimes for up to a year.

 

This Council welcomes the recent announcement by the Chancellor of an

additional £2 billion for social and affordable housing. This funding

provides an opportunity to address the shortage of genuinely affordable

homes and to ensure that people in Oldham have access to safe, secure,

and high-quality housing.

 

This Council calls on the new Labour Government to reverse the changes

introduced by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat Coalition

Government in 2010 which removed the requirement for planning

permission for small houses of multiple occupation.

 

This council further requests that the Chief Executive writes to the

borough’s 3 MPs and the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and

Local Government, asking for their support in reversing the aforementioned

changes.

 

This Council calls on the Cabinet Member responsible to provide a report

back to Council at the soonest opportunity on the work that has been

carried out to establish whether a case can be made for an Article 4

direction; to continue efforts to establish that case, and to report back on a

regular basis.

 

This Council will wherever possible ensure that any building being used as

an HMO is defined as such, with a view to ensuring that any work towards

an Article 4 direction is provided with the best available information.

 

This Council will provide information on forthcoming HMO applications,

with any personal information removed.

 

The Council will establish a right for Councillors to make representations to

the Council on HMO licence applications and renewals.

 

A vote was taken on AMENDMENT 2 which was CARRIED.

 

On being put to the vote the MOTION as AMENDED was CARRIED.

 

RESOLVED:

1.    This Council welcomes the recent announcement by the Chancellor of an additional £2 billion for social and affordable housing. This funding provides an opportunity to address the shortage of genuinely affordable homes and to ensure that people in Oldham have access to safe, secure and high-quality housing.

2.    This Council calls on the new Labour Government to reverse the changes introduced by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat Coalition Government in 2010 which removed the requirement for planning permission for small houses of multiple occupation.

3.    This council further requests that the Chief Executive writes to the borough’s 3 MPs and the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, asking for their support in reversing the aforementioned changes.

4.    This Council calls on the Cabinet Member responsible to provide a report back to Council at the soonest opportunity on the work that has been carried out to establish whether a case can be made for an Article 4 direction; to continue efforts to establish that case, and to report back on a regular basis.

5.    This Council will wherever possible ensure that any building being used as an HMO is defined as such, with a view to ensuring that any work towards an Article 4 direction is provided with the best available information.

6.    This Council will provide information on forthcoming HMO applications, with any personal information removed.

7.    The Council will establish a right for Councillors to make representations to the Council on HMO licence applications and renewals.

 

Motion 2: Special Education Needs and Disabaility (SEND)

Councillor Mohon Ali MOVED and Councillor Nasheen SECONDED the following Motion:

 

This Council notes that In Oldham, as of January 2024, there were 8,694 pupils identified with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). This represents 18.8% of the school-age population in the area. Among these, 6.0% have an Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP), while 12.9% receive SEN support.

 

The positive improvements to services for children and young people with SEND in Oldham continue at pace, led by the SEND Local Inclusion Partnership Executive Board chaired by Dame Christine Lenehan. This new governance structure has improved strategic planning and focused on: improved access to health services; better quality and more timely Education, Health and Care Plans and Annual Reviews; smooth transitions between early years, children’s and adult services. This has been achieved by focusing on co-production with parents, carers, and young people. Our aim is to ensure children with SEND are safe, healthy, happy, and able to achieve their potential

 

The Department for Education has confirmed Oldham has made good progress.

 

There is significant pressure on the services for children with SEND in Oldham and across England, and this Council welcomes the steps being taken by the Labour Government to reform the system put in place in the 2014 Children and Families Act.

 

This Council further notes the launch of ‘Inclusion in practice’ evidence-gathering project to help shape a reformed SEND system that delivers better experiences and outcomes for all children focused on identifying and sharing practical, scalable solutions for inclusion in mainstream schools.

 

This Council welcomes the commitment to a produce a White Paper to overhaul the SEND system with the aims of ensuring: support is put in place far more quickly for children who need additional support; much earlier identification of need; much more timely intervention and support.

 

This Council resolves to:

·         Encourage Oldham Schools to submit examples of good practice to ‘Inclusion in practice’

·         Support the LGA’s call for urgent action in the 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.

 

On being put to the vote the MOTION was CARRIED.

 

RESOLVED:

The Council resolves to:

1.    Encourage Oldham Schools to submit examples of good practice to ‘Inclusion in practice’

2.    Support the LGA’s call for urgent action in the 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.