Agenda item

Time limit 30 minutes

Motion 1: Tackling Fly-Tipping and Exploring Free Bulky Waste Collection to Reduce Costs

To be Moved by Councillor Ghafoor

To be Seconded by Councillor Wahid

Council Notes:

1.    Fly-tipping is a persistent and worsening issue in Oldham, causing environmental damage, attracting anti-social behaviour, and placing a significant financial burden on the Council.

2.    In the last year alone, Oldham Council responded to 5,672 fly-tipping incidents, costing over £600,000 in cleanup and enforcement efforts.

3.    Over 69% of fly-tipping in Oldham occurs in back alleyways (53%) and on highways (16%), with a significant proportion of this waste consisting of bulky household items such as sofas, mattresses, and white goods.

4.    Currently, residents must pay £23 to dispose of up to three bulky waste items, plus £7 per additional item and £10 per fridge/freezer. This financial barrier discourages responsible disposal and contributes to illegal dumping.

Council Believes:

1.    The cost of clearing fly-tipped waste often far exceeds the revenue generated from bulky waste collection charges.

2.    Reintroducing a free three-item bulky waste collection service could significantly reduce the number of items being illegally dumped in alleyways and on highways.

3.    If, for example, 10,000 households accessed the free service annually, the lost revenue would be £230,000 per year. However, if this measure led to a substantial reduction in fly-tipping, it could generate net savings by reducing cleanup and enforcement costs.

Council Resolves to:

1.    Commission an urgent cost-benefit analysis comparing the potential savings from reduced fly-tipping against the costs of reintroducing a free three-item bulky waste collection service for residents.

2.    Explore external funding opportunities or efficiency measures within waste management services to support this initiative.

3.    Request that the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Services reports back to full Council within three months on the financial implications and potential impact of this policy change.

By taking a proactive approach, this Council can tackle the root causes of fly-tipping, keep our alleyways and highways clean, and ensure taxpayers' money is spent more effectively.

Motion 2: Expressing disappointment at government failure to compensate the WASPI Women

To be Moved by Councillor Bishop
To be Seconded by Councillor Sykes

The 1995 and 2011 Pension Acts saw the State Pension age for women rise from 60 to 66 but the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) consistently failed to adequately communicate these changes. As a result, tens of thousands of women were plunged into poverty.  One-in-four affected women struggled to buy food and one third fell into debt.  This was an avoidable scandal. 

A landmark Ombudsman report in March 2024 told the Government to pay compensation and apologise to 3.6 million, women born in the 1950’s who were affected by the lack of communication in relation to their State Pension age.  The report concluded ministers failed to properly notify those impacted by the changes. However, the DWP – under the new Labour Government - has indicated it does not accept the findings of the report.

Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) calls for fair and fast compensation for the financial and emotional hardship caused by DWP failures. WASPI argues for the highest level of compensation for the worst affected, i.e., women who had the shortest notice of the longest increase to their state pension. The worst affected women received just 18 months’ notice of a six-year increase to their state pension age. WASPI continues to call for: All Members of Parliament to support the urgent delivery of fair and fast compensation to all those affected; and compensation scheme proposals should be brought before MPs to vote on as quickly as possible.

This Council notes that more than 11,600 WASPI women across Oldham Borough stand to lose out on compensation after the Labour Government decided to ignore the independent ombudsman’s assessment and go against their long-held policy to support WASPI women.  It is estimated that the compensation owed to impacted women across Oldham Borough would be a minimum of £11,642,500.  

This Council notes that previous Labour Leaders of this Council have referred to the situation facing WASPI women as “an injustice” and as recently as March 2023, Oldham Labour were still campaigning to put that injustice right. 

This Council reasserts its support for the WASPI women and regrets the decision of the Labour government to ignore an independent ombudsman’s assessment that compensation should be paid to them.

Council resolves to instruct the Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Liz Kendall MP asking her to look again at this decision. 

Council further resolves to instruct the Chief Executive to write to the three MPs who represent Oldham Borough as well as the Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, calling on them to publicly support justice for WASPI women.

Motion 3: Local Government Review

To be Moved by Councillor Lancaster

To be Seconded by Councillor Woodvine

Local Government in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham needs to be more democratic, more accountable, and more local.

The cabinet system was imposed on all but the smallest districts under the Local Government Act 2000. The Localism Act 2011 allowed councils to opt for the committee system and created a route for communities to call a referendum on governance arrangements.

Sheffield City Council, Sutton London Borough Council, Kingston-upon-Thames Royal Borough Council, Reading Borough Council, Basildon Borough Council, and Worcester City Council have done this.

We believe that Councillors need to work together and have better decision-making powers.

Therefore, the Conservative Group on Oldham Council request that this Council resolves to:

1)    End the cabinet or strong leader model on the Council and revert to a committee system where all councillors, from all parties, will be represented on the council, and will have to take responsibility for key decision-making.

2)    The Council immediately begins the appropriate processes needed to implement a committee system on Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council.

Motion 4: Council Tax Reduction for Special Constables

To be Moved by Councillor Wilkinson 

To be Seconded by Councillor Ball

The Special Constabulary consists of volunteer officers, who give up their spare time to assist with the policing of Greater Manchester and Oldham, by increasing the effectiveness of local police initiatives. 

Special Constables are considered to be a vital part of the police service, helping to prevent crime and interacting with the diverse communities they serve. Greater Manchester Police are fully supportive of introducing this Special Constable council tax discount.

Noting that in Rochdale, a 50% discount is given and in Trafford a 100% discount is given.

I am aware that there is only Thirteen Special Constables serving in Oldham. If we took an average figure of £2000 per special, then we are only talking of a figure of £26.000 if they claimed the 100%. Of the Thirteen, it may well be that not all of them live in Oldham.

To qualify for this reduction, special constables must meet the following criteria. Liable to pay council tax, live in Oldham, volunteer in Oldham and complete a probation period and complete at least 1 year of service in Oldham. (same criteria as Trafford)

I have received statistics for the last 3 years that Special Constables have worked.

2022- 5696 hours £99.680

2023- 4444 hours £77.770

2024- 3392 hours £59.360

This has been calculated on a 2/3 year pay scale of £17.50 per hour of a full time Police Officer

This Council resolves to:

1.    Request that the Chief Finance Officer produces a report within 28 days for approval to Cabinet to provide a 100% discount from the payment of Council Tax to Special Constables who live and serve in the Borough of Oldham.

2.    The creation of a Section 13A (Local Government Finance Act 1992) policy and procedure to include the discount above, be approved.