Agenda item

The Scrutiny Board is requested to note the Call-in request and to consider the recommendations, in the report, that were approved by Cabinet on 24^th March 2025 (minute 11 refers) and which were subsequently called-in by Councillors Kenyon and Al-Hamdani.

The report considered by the Cabinet on 24^th March, the associated appendices and the Call-in form received from Councillors Kenyon and Al-Hamdani are attached.

The Chair reported that the purpose of this report was to consider an item of Called-in business, from the Cabinet’s meeting held on 24^th March 2025. Councillors Al-Hamdani and Kenyon, in accordance with the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules had called-in Minute 11 taken from the proceedings of the Cabinet’s meeting held on 24^th March 2025 ‘Complying with the Biodiversity Duty - Our Policies and Objectives for Thriving Wildlife in Oldham’, a report that had been prepared by the Executive Director for Place/Deputy Chief Executive.

The grounds for the call-in, which Councillor Kenyon outlined to the Scrutiny Board meeting were that:

1.    There was not enough information in the report to make the decision. The cabinet minutes make reference to some of these deficiencies: “resources such as funding may be needed to be identified for management plans”. However, there are further gaps in this report which need to be filled and the report resubmitted to cabinet for approval. These gaps include.

2.    The plan does not make any assessment of existing capacity (eg authority maintained public rights of way and that existing contribution to green corridors) and new capacity required.

3.    The plan does not attach a budget nor any identified sources of funding. In the absence of funding, it does not offer a paired down and prioritised list of objectives that can be fulfilled with existing capacity. This is particularly relevant considering the continued strain on local authority finances

4.    The plan is full of objectives but is short on how achievement will be measured and by whom. If measurement is needed by specialists, then how will that be funded?

5.    There are no milestones or touchpoints to measure progress towards these important objectives eg the tree canopy objective ends in 2040. How and when will the authority measure progress towards this objective?

6.    Measurement is discussed on page 32, paragraph 7.4 “Indicators on biodiversity are also included in our monitoring report15 related to the implementation of the local plan.” which in footnote 15 references a monitoring report Monitoring and Housing Land | Oldham's Monitoring Report | Oldham Council. The latest iteration of this report is for 2023-24 and is already one year out of date.

On 24^th March 2025, the Cabinet had approved a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) which authorised the publication of Oldham Council’s policies and objectives to conserve and enhance biodiversity – ‘Complying with the Biodiversity Duty – Our Policies and Objectives for Thriving Wildlife in Oldham’. The Cabinet also resolved to support the implementation of the actions identified within Tables 4 to 9 of the submitted report.

 In accordance with the protocol for dealing with Called-in business and in consideration of the Call-in, Members of the Scrutiny Board asked questions of the Statutory Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, Councillor Taylor and of the Assistant Director Planning, Transport and Housing Delivery, who both explained the reasons for the decisions made by the Cabinet, on 24^th March 2025 and the reasons for the recommendations that were contained in the submitted report.

Members of the Scrutiny Board also asked questions of the Calling-in member who was present, Councillor Al-Hamdani asking him for a fuller explanation of the reasons for the Call-in.

The Scrutiny Board proceeded to consider the report in detail and afterwards the cabinet member, the Director and the calling-in Member were all given the opportunity to respond to the debate.

In considering the report Members of the Scrutiny Board requested that an annual report detailing how the Council is complying with its Biodiversity Duty with respect to its Policies and Objectives for Thriving Wildlife in the Borough. The Scrutiny Board members also requested that the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, Councillor Taylor, to provide a written summary, detailing the key issues detailed in the submitted report.

Resolved:

That the Place, Economic Growth and Environment Scrutiny Board upholds the decision of the Cabinet made on 24^th March 2025, in respect of the item: Complying with the Biodiversity Duty - Our Policies and Objectives for Thriving Wildlife in Oldham (minute 11 refers), meaning that the decision of the Cabinet takes immediate effect, subject to the following two caveats:

A.   That the Executive Director for Place/Deputy Chief Executive be requested to present an annual report, to the Place, Economic Growth and Environment Scrutiny Board, which details, how the Council is complying with its Biodiversity Duty with respect to its Policies and Objectives for Thriving Wildlife in the Borough and that this be factored into future Work Programmes the Scrutiny Board.

B.   That the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, be asked to provide a written summary, detailing the key issues detailed in the submitted report.