Agenda item

(time limit 90 minutes)

a.    Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Growth – including the Minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held 16^th June 2025; the minutes of meeting of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority held 27^th June 2025; and the minutes of the meeting of the AGMA Executive Board held 27^th June 2025.

b.    Statutory Deputy Leader and Neighbourhoods Portfolio Holder

c.    Deputy Leader and Finance, Corporate Services and Sustainability Portfolio Holder

d.    Children and Young People’s Portfolio Holder

e.    Adults, Health and Wellbeing Portfolio Holder

f.     Education and Skills Portfolio Holder

g.    Culture and Leisure Portfolio Holder

h.    Enterprise Portfolio Holder

i.      Transport and Highways Portfolio Holder

In respect of this agenda item Councillor Woodvine MOVED and Councillor Byrne 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 ran 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 (written questions and answers submitted to the Leader and Cabinet Members were attached at Appendix A (and have been published to the Council’s website):

Councillor Shah, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Growth – including the Minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held 16^th June 2025; the minutes of meeting of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority held 27^th June 2025; and the minutes of the meeting of the AGMA Executive Board held 27^th June 2025.

Councillor Sykes, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group

Question 1: Oldham Coliseum  

Thank you, Mister Mayor

Last December, Councillor Shah made a clear promise to the people of Oldham, that the Oldham Coliseum would be open in time for the 25 Panto season. But we’ve known for a long time now that we’ve been unable to keep that promise. The refurbishment of the theatre has been delayed. We’re waiting on whatever additional works means, which no one seems interested in explaining, and no date for the reopening has been set.

Mister Mayor, the community fought tooth and nail to save the Coliseum. They shouldn’t be left in the dark over its future. A statement about the delays, or delay, but with no details was issued at the start of June. Its months now since I asked the Leader for details of its refurbishment, So I wrote to her at the end of July about these matters and got a non-answer with still no further information. So, since June, three months ago, we’re no closer to the answers. So, I’ll ask them again tonight. Can the Leader outline the new timeline for completion and when we can realistically expect the doors of the Coliseum to reopen. What are the extra costs required, and what will they cost? And can she confirm whether the budget allocated for this project is sufficient, or are we now looking at potential overspends, further delays or even a scaling back of the plans? Residents, the community, the business community, and everybody deserves some clarity and answers please.

Councillor Shah, the Leader of the Council replied that some of the information requested by Councillor Sykes cannot be shared publicly as it related to commercial activities being undertaken by the Friends of the Coliseum and of other contractors. Councillor Shah added that the Friends of the Coliseum had asked for more time to be spent on the works, including an extension for additional works to be undertaken. The Leader was, therefore, unable to give a definitive date for the Coliseum’s reopening. The Friends Group were aware that the Theatre wouldn’t e ready for the 2025/26 Panto season.

Question 2:

Thank you, I thank the Leader for her ‘I don’t know’ answer. My second question, Mister Mayor, is to ask why Labour and their colleagues can’t get the basics right. Weeds are running riot across our borough, grids and drains are blocked and in my part of the world, we’re told to wait until next May before they’ll be attended to, and this just isn’t acceptable. In Shaw and Crompton, like elsewhere, we’ve got weeds growing like it’s some rewilding experiment gone wrong. Knee high, unkempt and completely ignored. We’ve reported them. Residents have reported them, but nothing changes. It’s as if the Council’s new environmental strategy is just wait for winter or a passing herd of cattle to come and eat them or kill them off. And let’s not forget the blocked gulleys, which are overflowing and will need digging out if left to rot, which is the current strategy. It’s a flooding hazard. It’s an eyesore, and it’s a symbol of this administration’s failure and makes our neighbourhoods look uncared and unloved.

Last year, we were told cuts to environmental services officers wouldn’t affect frontline services. That was clearly nonsense, wasn’t it? Streets aren’t cleaned, weeds aren’t treated, drains aren’t cleared, and the only thing growing faster than the weed under this leadership is public frustration with these matters. So, my questions to the leader tonight are simple. Why can’t your coalition get the basic services right, when you admit that your cuts have left neighbourhoods looking neglected and unloved? What will you actually do urgently to clear the weeds, clean the gulleys, and even restore a shed of civic pride to this borough?

Before Councillor Shah was able to answer Councillor Sykes’ second question, the Mayor ruled that time had elapsed for this item. Therefore, Councillor Shah undertook to provide Councillor Sykes with a written answer. 

RESOLVED:

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

2.       That the written questions and answers submitted to the Leader and Portfolio Hoders, attached at Appendix A, be noted.

3.       That the Minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held 16^th June 2025; the minutes of meeting of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority held 27^th June 2025; and the minutes of the meeting of the AGMA Executive Board held 27^th June 2025, be noted.