1) More Jobs Please

Get Oldham Working is now one year on – a cornerstone policy of this Council with the ambitious target to create 2,015 work-related opportunities by 2015.

I am pleased to say that Get Oldham Working is also seemingly an ambition of the Government too as over the past year a revitalised economy has led to unemployment dropping in Oldham by 3,375 people, or over 40% amongst Oldham residents aged over 25 and by a staggering 60% amongst those even younger.

The Oldham Liberal Democrats support both this Council’s initiative and that of the Government’s; we on this side of the chamber also want to see a prosperous and economically active borough with as many residents in work as is possible.
But I digress.
My question, which I ask with a sense of disappointment, relates to this Council’s Get Oldham Working initiative, not this Government’s.

Whilst some elements of Get Oldham Working are on track, one is most definitely not.

Within the targets for the initiative is one to create 1,100 new jobs over a three year period for the people of this borough, yet as of 28th February of this year only 90 residents had found work through Get Oldham Working against a project target at that point of 222 – around 40% of the target.

Does the Leader agree that this is a disappointing performance given the prominence and resources allocated to the initiative?

And, can he outline how he and his Cabinet colleagues intend to get this element – the most important one of this initiative – I would suggest – back on track, as we all want more jobs please?

2) Stopping Betting Shop Proliferation

Will the Leader join me in supporting a proposal to check the ever increasing number of betting shops?

The proliferation and concentration of betting shops is contributing to both the decline of our high streets and to social decline, being linked to gambling addiction and crime.

England’s poorest spend £13 billion a year on the gambling machines in these shops according to a study published by the Campaign for Fairer Gambling.

63 cross-party led local authorities have submitted a proposal under the provisions of the new Sustainable Communities Act for the Government to create a separate planning use class for betting shops so that councils have new powers to address the problem.

Creating a separate planning use class is also now, I am pleased to say, Liberal Democrat Party policy.

Will the Leader therefore join me in writing to the Secretary of State, Eric Pickles, requesting that he agrees to create a separate planning use class for betting shops?

3) Tackling Street Lighting Shortcomings

My final question relates to the continued unsatisfactory performance by EON of the PFI street lighting contract.

Colleagues from both sides of this Chamber have repeatedly lambasted the company for its failure to adhere to agreed contractual standards and operational procedures and the inadequacy of its consultation with residents and elected Members.

All too often I and my Shaw colleagues are placed in the position where we are obliged to assume some responsibility for delivering elements of the contract – particularly around resident consultation, satisfaction and complaints – that properly fall within the remit of EON.

This company has consistently failed to respond to correspondence within agreed timescales or attend on-site meetings at the agreed hour and has ridden roughshod over the property rights of homeowners – one resident recently complained to me about EON employees entering her property without permission in order to carry out work and as a consequence causing damage to her garden and property.

I am sure that we all want to see new street lighting columns and I recognise that this investment will over time bring better and more efficient illumination of our communities, footpaths and roadways, but the shortcomings of the primary contractor now need to be robustly addressed by this Council.

Will the Leader therefore agree to meet with me, the Leader of the Conservative Group and Senior Officers as a matter of urgency to agree a strategy to ensure that EON complies with its legal obligations and meets the requirements of this contract?

And if Eon continues fail to deliver can we give some very active consideration to termination – after all our citizens deserve better!