Q1 Question: Indices of deprivation in Oldham Borough

Thank you, Madame Mayor,

It is with deep regret, that a reliable study has shown how Oldham Council is still not dealing with deprivation locally.

And this is before the Covid 19 world we now all live in.

This is one league table we don’t want to rise the ranks of. 

The English Indices of Deprivation 2019 provides very detailed information on how well an authority is doing based on: income, employment, education, health, crime, housing and someone’s living environment.

In terms of a real change, Oldham Borough has slid backwards!  We are by no means improving.

Before you all shout “Coalition cuts!” let me put this into perspective for all members present.

Oldham Borough has risen from the 27^th most deprived local authority in England to the 16^th most deprived.  Almost ten places worse.

This is in only four years from 2015 to 2019.

Additionally, Oldham Borough is in the top five of places that have worsened over that four-year period. 

Other areas include Walsall, Blackburn with Darwen, Halton and Burnley. 

The Council which has slipped ten points in local depravation and has been run by the Labour group, uninterrupted, for the best part of ten years now.

I wondered if the Leader has a more articulate excuse than simply “Austerity” as to why the Labour are failing residents of Oldham Borough?

Q2: Oldham definition of local spending

Thank you, Madame Mayor.

As you may be aware, it is an aim of Oldham Council to spend money and procure services with local business.

Business local to Oldham Borough.

Our procurement strategy is supposed to provide a plan for Oldham Borough to see value in all its activity. 

It is also supposed to provide the maximum benefit possible to local people – which is even more important now in the Covid 19 world we live in.

The total local spend for the year 2019/20 was just over £126 million.  That is roughly 52% of the nearly £243 million we spend as a Council on procurement of services.

It is the Liberal Democrat group view that this Council should aim as a minimum for at least 60% of a local spend for next year. 

Local spending and the millions of pounds mentioned before are defined as any business with an OL Postcode.

This is where the problem resides!

The OL postcode does not restrict itself to Oldham Borough.

In fact, the OL postcode misses out most of Failsworth completely, the ward our Council Leader represents.

The OL postcode does however include parts of Tameside, most of Rochdale and includes places like Bacup.

Now I like Bacup but would never describe that as local and neither would most people!

Does the Leader agree that we need to change our definition and strategy?  

That is to measure procurement in the real Oldham Borough, and NOT have a system based on a postcode devised by Royal Mail during the 1960’s.

Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Leader of the Opposition, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group Oldham Council