Agenda item

(time limit 30 minutes)

 

Motion 1: Werneth Park Music Rooms – Community-Led Regeneration and Asset Transfer

To be Moved by Councillor Ibrahim

To be Seconded by Councillor Akhtar

 

 This Council Notes:

 

 Historical Significance

 

The Grade II listed Werneth Park Music Rooms is one of Oldham’s most significant historic buildings.

 

Located in Werneth Park – Oldham’s second most eminent Victorian park – it has served local communities since the 1930s, when it was gifted to the Borough under covenants requiring continued community use.

 

Long-Term Closure and Decline

 

The Music Rooms were closed in 2001 due to budget cuts.

 

Since closure, the building has remained derelict, suffering extensive vandalism and deterioration, driving up potential refurbishment costs.

 

Responsibility for the building currently sits within Environmental Services, and the Council continues to incur annual costs of approximately £125,025 for a building that remains closed and unused. 

 

Evidence of Community Need and Previous Work

 

· A 2002 SRB6-funded study identified a shortage of community facilities in Werneth and Freehold and found strong resident support for restoring the Music Rooms.

 

· A feasibility study in 2007 estimated renovation costs in the region of £2.85m–£4.1m, and a steering group was subsequently formed to progress a Heritage Lottery Fund bid.

 

· There has been no updated feasibility or options appraisal work for nearly a decade, despite continuing community interest.

 

Current Position and Financial Context

 

Continuing to pay to hold a derelict listed asset represents poor value for money for Oldham residents, especially in the context of severe financial pressures on the Council.

 

Funding Opportunities

 

The National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) currently offers grant routes from £100,000 to £5 million, which are well suited to the restoration and reuse of derelict historic buildings.

 

· The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) provides development funding and support for community-led heritage schemes, including business planning and governance development.

 

Taken together, these funds provide a realistic route to securing the capital required for restoration, provided there is strong community involvement and a clear, sustainable business model.

 

Vision for the Music Rooms

 

The music rooms could benefit the local community by offering:

· A permanent curated exhibition space for Oldham’s cultural heritage;

 

· A community tea room and social space; and

 

· A flexible events and performance venue for music, arts, learning and community activity.

 

· Regeneration would create employment and apprenticeship opportunities, support local suppliers, and enable partnerships with major cultural institutions.

 

This Council Believes:

 

Werneth Park Music Rooms is an iconic historic building and a symbol of Oldham’s cultural heritage; its continued dereliction sends a damaging message about Oldham’s commitment to its history and its parks.

 

This Council Resolves To:

 

1.Support in Principle any suitable Community-Led Regeneration of Werneth Park Music Rooms

2.Explore all options that could be applicable for this building to bring it back into use for the community, 

3.Work proactively with interested community organisations and Greater Manchester Building Preservation Trust to explore viable options for the future of Werneth Park Music Rooms and to support in any way possible.

4.Request that relevant officers prepare a progress report  back to Council Within 6- 12 months setting out any progress that can be reported upon to Full Council regarding this building:

 

Motion 2: Fair funding for Local Government
To be Moved by Councillor Al-Hamdani
To be Seconded by Councillor Harkness

This Council Notes: 

• Local councils across England face unprecedented financial pressures after more than a decade of real-terms funding cuts from central government.
• Demand for key services such as adult social care, children’s services, and housing support has risen sharply during this period.
• The Liberal Democrats have consistently campaigned for fair funding for local government, recognising that councils are best placed to understand and respond to the needs of their communities.
• The government’s ongoing failure to deliver a fair and transparent local government finance system has led to significant inequalities between different areas, undermining local accountability and the ability of councils to plan for the long term.

This Council Believes:

• Local government is essential to delivering strong, healthy, and prosperous communities.
• Councils should be properly funded to meet the needs of their residents, and funding should reflect need, deprivation, and local circumstances, not political favouritism or outdated formulas.
• Local authorities should have greater financial autonomy, including the ability to raise and retain more of their own revenue.
• Investment in prevention and local services saves money in the long term, reduces demand on the NHS and emergency services, and supports local economic growth.

This Council Resolves to:

1. Call on the Government to urgently reform local government funding by:

2. Write to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and to local MPs, outlining this council’s support for a fair funding system for local government.
3. Work with the Local Government Association (LGA) and other partners to lobby collectively for fair and sustainable funding.
4. Publicise this motion to residents and local media to raise awareness of the impact of government underfunding on local services.

 

Motion 3: Ensuring Statutory Scrutiny and Enforceability for Places for Everyone Masterplans

To be Moved by Councillor Sharp
to Be Seconded: Councillor Lancaster

 

Council notes:

1. That Places for Everyone (PfE) forms part of Oldham Council’s adopted planning policies, though opposition groups opposed Oldham’s involvement.
2. That PfE policies for Beal Valley and Broadbent Moss require development to “be in accordance with a comprehensive masterplan and design code as agreed by the local planning authority,” implying robust, enforceable guidance.
3. That the Beal Valley-Broadbent Moss masterplan is currently being pursued as a non-statutory document – meaning a document that is merely “agreed” by Cabinet without statutory public consultation under Regulation 12 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012, without a sustainability appraisal, and without formal adoption as a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).
4. That Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (Section 19) and the 2012 Regulations provide statutory weight as material considerations, ensuring greater transparency and enforceability.
5. That a non-statutory approach carries lesser weight in planning decisions, potentially undermining PfE compliance and resident protections for complex sites like Beal Valley and Broadbent Moss (e.g., infrastructure needs, contamination risks, landslide issues).

Council believes:

1. That masterplans for PfE sites must undergo statutory processes to deliver enforceable policies, public scrutiny, and alignment with the National Planning Policy Framework.
2. Residents deserve binding safeguards for large-scale developments, especially where opposition exists.
3. Shifting to SPD status enhances certainty without delaying delivery, avoiding legal risks from inadequate processes.

Council resolves:

1. That the Beal Valley-Broadbent Moss masterplan (and future PfE masterplans) shall be pursued and adopted as a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), requiring:
   • Council-led public consultation (min. 4 weeks, Regulation 12);
   • Sustainability appraisal;
   • Formal adoption by Cabinet, with Overview and Scrutiny Committee review.
2. The Monitoring Officer shall:
   • Confirm the masterplan's progression to SPD status within 3 months;
   • Advise on any procedural adjustments;
   • Ensure no non-statutory "agreement" precedes SPD adoption.
3. All PfE-related planning applications shall reference the adopted SPD as a material consideration, decided by the Planning Committee or delegated officers, with full transparency.
4. Officers to report progress to the Cabinet meeting in January, including timelines for consultation and adoption.

 

Motion 4: Don’t Trash Oldham

To be Moved by Councillor Quigg

To be Seconded by Councillor Ball

 

We will not be going into a long preamble in this motion; we shall instead present facts in order not to waste time or words in order to address the criminal scourge of fly tipping.

 

This Council notes:

-                      That a recent freedom on information request (22938) stated that NO cost benefit analysis has been carried out in any of the years that ‘Don’t’ Trash Oldham’ has operated.

-                      Noting that most fly-tipped waste was discovered in back alleyways, accounting for 53% of recorded incidents, with 16% being discovered on highways.

-                      It costs around £2,500 a day to clear fly tipping from our streets when you consider running vehicles, officer time and disposal costs.

 

-                      That the per another freedom of information request (21025):

 

1.             The number of fines issued for fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for fly-tipping in each of the following financial periods, 2022/2023, 2023/2024, 2024 to April 2025.

2022/23 – 166

2023/24 – 100

2024     /April 2025 – 168 

2.             Number of prosecutions pursued for fly-tipping offences in each of the following financial years 2022/2023, 2023/2024 and 2024 to April 2025.

2022/23 – 55

2023/24 – 26

2024/April 2025– 12

3.             The total amount of revenue collected from fly-tipping FPNs in each of the following financial years 2022/2023,2023/2024 and 2024 to April 2025.

2022/23 – £16,730

2023/24 – £12,670

2024     /April 2025 – £20,790

4.             The total cost incurred by the council in enforcing fly-tipping regulations, including but not limited to: staffing costs (e.g., enforcement officers, clean-up crews), administrative costs, and legal costs.

2022/23 – £ 739,805

2023/24 – £ 736,606

2024/April 2025 – £ 768,041

5.             Waste disposal costs related to fly-tipping Equipment costs (e.g., CCTV, vehicles), any other costs associated with fly-tipping enforcement and removal.

2022/23 – £ 233,151

2023/24 – £ 161,503

2024     /April 2025 – £ 186,961

 

-                      Per the Cabinet report dated 18/03/2024, section 3.3.1:

 “It has become apparent during the two years the DTO/Betterment campaign has been active that some residents have not embraced the change/recognised the work being undertaken to improve and clean their areas and have continued to fly tip waste. Alleys where gates were introduced to provide community safety, control of the immediate space around the rear of resident's properties, and to prevent fly tipping are still subjected to fly tipping. It is, therefore, evident that the fly tipping is being generated by the properties that back onto the space and alternative models for enforcement (use of CCTV where appropriate) will have to be considered.”

-                      Per the Cabinet report dated 18/03/2024, sections 2.2.1 and 2.2.2:

“Integral to the option approved at cabinet in September 2022 was a targeted approach in the known hotspot locations with enforcement and a dedicated clean-up to influence a sustained behaviour change amongst residents. This focused activity involved consistent enforcement and clean-up work across 5 of the inner town wards of Alexandra, Medlock vale, St. Marys, Waterhead and Werneth. Coupled with this reactive work, the Enforcement Officers and Environment Marshals served legal notices to ensure private yards are cleared and any defects resolved.”

-                      Per the Cabinet report dated 18/03/2024, sections 2.2.5:

“The use of mobile CCTV cameras has also been trialled in certain rural locations where

repeat fly tipping incidents were reported and investigated. The existence of these overt

cameras and accompanying signage did, by their very nature, deter potential fly-tippers.

However, the images captured have so far not identified those responsible, and therefore, officers have been unable to progress a case to prosecution. In one location in particular, the CCTV system was subject to vandalism and theft of the hardware, but in general, where these cameras are installed, there was a reduction in the volume of reports and incidents.”

-                      Per the Cabinet report dated 18/03/2024, sections 3.2.1:

“It has become clear during the programme that not all members engaged in the process, and in some cases, little or no discussion or programme of work was created. The absence of such engagement, therefore, required officers from Environmental Services to fill the gap, by undertaking work that they felt would benefit the ward. In addition, there was also a change in elected members during the Betterment campaign, and this may have also contributed to the issue. As part of any future campaign and embedding of the improvements achieved, ward member engagement will be key to any success and long-term sustainability.

 

This Council therefore resolves to:

-                      Carry out a cost benefit analysis of Don’t Trash Oldham and produce a report for the next full Council meeting.

-                      Take a hardline approach to rogue businesses, in particular rogue takeaways, using all legal powers available to either fine, prosecute or close down prolific fly tippers of rubbish in backings and guinnels. Residents and legitimate businesses have a right to live in a clean environment. 

-                      Ensure that Houses of Multiple Occupation are complying with the law and that cases of fly tipping because of tenancy changes or lack of landlord action are dealt with swiftly and severely.

-                      Expand CCTV to target the worst reports of fly tipping and use better quality equipment to uncover who is responsible for fly tipping to prosecute them.

-                      Instruct the legal team at Oldham Council produce a report for the next Council meeting which outlines ALL the legal measures available to the Council to prosecute and prevent fly tipping with an estimated cost analysis of each option so that a focus is put on prevention and prosecution, with a zero-tolerance approach.

-                      Make better use of Community Skips to help reduce fly tipping in adopted/unadopted guinnels and backings.

-                      That Don’t Trash Oldham has become a click and collect service for fly tippers due to cultural, behavioural and criminal attitudes towards fly tipping, that the Council in conjunction with the relevant departments will launch a Zero Tolerance Campaign to target rogue landlords, rogue tenants, serial dumpers and businesses who dump their waste, naming and shaming fly tippers. It is time the Council got tough on those who trash their own backyards rather than making responsible residents pay the price through higher council tax.

-                      That Council is given annual reports on the levels of fly tipping and associated costs with clearing fly tipping by ward.

-                      That a report is created by the next full Council meeting which provides a ward-by-ward breakdown of:

1. Reported cases of fly tipping in each ward.

2. The pounds and pence figure for each ward and associated costs of clearing fly tipping for the years 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.

3. A ward by ward breakdown of how often public bins are emptied.

4. The costs and or benefits of restoring fortnightly grey bin collections.

5. The costs and or benefits of charging or not charging for bulky waste collections.

 

The Council further resolves to:

-                      Note the Cabinet Report dated 18/03/2024, noting that there are significant problems in “Alexandra, Medlock vale, St. Marys, Waterhead and Werneth” wards and that a full analysis is carried out and reported back to Cabinet as to why this is the case.

-                      That the Council will make sure that all areas of the Borough are treated equally by Oldham Council, when it comes to fly tipping in their ward.

-                      That prior to the reports being delivered to full Council that the relevant scrutiny committee can examine the above mentioned reports and that the Don’t Trash Oldham Campaign is referred to the relevant committee for further scrutiny to measure its effectiveness.