At a meeting of Oldham’s Full Council on Wednesday (07/09/22), Liberal Democrat Councillors will set out a plan to tackle the rising cost-of-living in the borough.  

In Oldham, one in every three children live in poverty according to charities such as ‘End Child Poverty’ – the average across the UK as a whole is one in five.  Yet Oldham’s primary schools are facing a funding cut of £212,797 from infant free school meals budgets.  Families across the borough are also braced for energy price rises of up to 80% in October. The Liberal Democrats have tabled a motion calling for a reverse of the cuts to free school meals as well as for the Council to step up its cost-of-living support by working with local food banks. 

“The party is also calling for Oldham Council to set up local libraries and community centres as ‘Warm Banks’ to offer residents a place to stay warm without racking up high energy bills at home,” stated councillor Alicia Marland.

Councillor Louie Hamblett said, “The pressures facing people in our Borough our immense and people are already struggling.  Our child poverty rates are shameful, with 10 children out of every classroom of 30 living in poverty.  The price cap rises currently planned for October will quiet simply be devasting for many.  The Government and the Council must step in, our Liberal Democrat group is highlighting the areas where a real difference could be made for our residents.”

Copy of motion

Oldham Full Council meeting 7 September 2022

Submitted by the Liberal Democrat Group

MOTION: Meeting the human needs for food and warmth

This Council notes that:

The pandemic has highlighted the significant health, well-being, and economic inequalities in our society.

More than one in three children in Oldham borough live in poverty – far higher than the national average of one in five.

The Government has no current plans to address the massive increases in energy costs that have already occurred and are planned, but that the Liberal Democrats’ policy on energy costs have now been adopted wholesale by the Labour party which is welcomed.

This year, schools in Oldham will face a real terms reduction in funding for Universal Infant Free School Meals of £212,797 because of decisions made by this Conservative government.

Those on the lowest incomes will be hardest hit as incomes are squeezed by double digit inflation and increased taxation.

The Government ended the uplift in Universal Credit, removing means for families to offset rising food and fuel costs.

A poll in April this year found that 5.3 million households were already having to choose between heating and food.

If you cannot afford food or heating, you have no disposable income which exponentially reduces the amount of money spent, creating a vicious economic cycle.

That this Council also notes that:

Increasingly, Greater Manchester Local Authorities are developing ‘Library Plus’ or ‘Warm Bank’ schemes, to give residents a place to stay warm and keep the cost of bills at home down after school and during evenings and weekends.

Oldham Foodbank have issued 8,048 three-day emergency food supplies in the last year.

Whilst the need for food banks in the fifth richest economy in the world is a mark of great shame, local food banks do a brilliant job and are a lifeline for many residents of our borough.

This Council believes that:

No one should go cold or hungry in Oldham borough.

Fuel and food poverty in the United Kingdom are disgraceful and shaming indictments of the policies of the Conservative government.

It is time to enshrine the human right to food into law.

This Council resolves:

That Oldham Council will develop a plan for the use of ‘Warm Banks’ across the borough. This will include later opening for Libraries, Community Centres, and other suitable buildings where possible.

That Oldham Council will write to the three MPs for Oldham, asking them to confirm their commitment to action to cut the costs of energy for residents.

That Oldham Council will write to the Secretary of State for Energy to demand investment into the Oldham Mine Water Heat Network, which would provide an alternative way of delivering a secure heating source for hundreds of homes in the borough and commits to finding funding for this project at the soonest possible opportunity.

That the Chief Executive of the Council will write to the Secretary of State for Education to ask that damaging cuts to Free School Meals are reversed.

That the Chief Executive of the Council will write to the Chancellor, urging him to reinstate the uplift for Universal Credit and extend Free School Meals to all families on Universal Credit.

To work closely with food banks and charitable organisations across Oldham Borough to identify initiatives to alleviate food and fuel poverty that can be supported by this council.

Proposed by: Councillor Louie Hamblett
Seconded by: Councillor Alicia Marland