My two allowed questions at tonight’s (13 Dec) Oldham Council meeting – Oldham’s Town Centre Challenge Candidate and Big Change

Council 13 December 2017 Leader’s Question 1

Oldham’s Town Centre Challenge Candidate

Mr Mayor for my first question tonight I would like to refer the Leader to an initiative launched in connection with the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF) by the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham on the 17th of last month.

Mayor Burnham announced that he wanted to move away from the “developer-led, green belt approach of the past”.

This is an announcement that both I and my ward colleagues in Shaw and Crompton, as well as thousands of our constituents, will welcome, as in the original GMSF proposals Shaw and Crompton stood to be swamped by almost 3,000 new homes, other tracts of land were designated for industrial development, and our green belt and green spaces would be decimated.

After his election, the Oldham Liberal Democrats wrote to Andy Burnham to ask for the (and I quote) “opportunity to work with you to establish a revised plan that is acceptable to local ward members and our constituents, which mirrors our aspirations for housing and economic development in Greater Manchester.”

It has always been our view that there is no justification for the construction of a large number of properties (or indeed any properties) on Green Belt or Other Protected Open Land (OPOL) before new homes are first built on Brownfield sites, on sites where planning permission for housing development has already been granted and upon the many derelict and the unloved sites in our town centres and districts.

We also believe that every empty mill and factory should be converted and used for housing and that the large number of empty homes across Greater Manchester should be brought back into use.

Mayor Burnham has now invited all ten Leaders of the Greater Manchester authorities to nominate a town for inclusion in his Town Centre Challenge.

The Mayor is proposing to work with each council to bring together housing providers, public and private landowners, developers, community groups and other key stakeholders in a concerted effort to unlock the potential in these town centres, particularly to deliver “viable housing markets and sustainable communities.”

At his launch event, Mayor Burnham promised to use new planning powers and Mayoral grants “to build a new future for those towns through higher density mixed and affordable housing, with local retail and leisure facilities and supported by transport and digital connectivity.”

This sounds like potentially heady stuff, for we are not ‘Luddites’, Mr Mayor, we recognise we need to release more land for more homes for more people.

What we do not believe in is concreting over the green bits!

His plan appears to hold that promise – with an emphasis seemingly placed upon Brownfield development in towns, rather than the ‘death of the Green Belt by concrete’ approach we saw previously.

Mayor Burnham has asked Oldham to bring forward a town centre of its choice to be his development partner so Mr Mayor I would like to ask the Leader tonight whether Oldham will be nominating a town or district for the Town Centre Challenge?

If we will do make a nomination how elected members and the public can become involved in the selection?

Will we have a say on the selection and when do we have to make our nomination by?

Council 13 December 2017 Leader’s Question 2

Big Change

 Mr Mayor, I would now like to return to another very important issue that has again been raised in recent motions proposed by both sides in this chamber recently – the desperate plight of the homeless.

It is an issue that is particularly topical and poignant at this time of the year with the onset of winter.

Mr Mayor, I would like to make a practical suggestion that I feel could make big difference in this Borough.

I am referring to the Big Change scheme, a charitable programme that operates in Rochdale, Manchester, Bradford and Leeds where donors are asked to make donations to a central fund which is used to help all homeless people rather than putting money in a hat or cup on the street.

Evidence suggests that unfortunately some on-the-street donations to people who are begging helps fund drug and alcohol dependency, and can discourage them from accessing services that can help them turn their lives around.

The Big Change scheme recognises that people who are homeless often face practical barriers which need to be overcome for them to become active, independent members of their community and avoid sleeping rough.

It provides homeless people with practical items which support a long term change.  This might include paying for a deposit for a home, a training course to help improve job prospects and clothes for a job interview.

Or it could involve furnishing a new flat, including purchasing crockery, pots, pans and bed linen, as well as funding travel costs to their new home.

In the scheme run by our neighbours in Rochdale, the fund is administered by Just Giving and Forever Manchester, and applications for grants are considered by a panel which includes a former rough sleeper and representatives from charities working with the homeless.

I would therefore like to ask the Leader tonight if she will ask the Homelessness Forum to look into the practicalities of bringing Big Change to Oldham?

Oldham Liberal Democrats want LEDs to Light Way to a Green Future

At tonight’s full Oldham Council (13 December 2017), the Oldham Liberal Democrats are proposing that the Council looks to adopt LED lamps to light the Borough’s streets and council buildings.

Councillor Diane Williamson is proposing the motion: “LED lighting is the way of the future. Although there will be an initial cost in replacing existing lamps with LEDs, they cost much less to run, leading to long term savings which will free up money for essential services, and they are much better for the environment, meaning our Borough will be greener.”

Liberal Democrat Councillor John McCann, who is seconding the motion and is the party’s spokesperson on finance, proposed in the party’s 2017 alternate budget that LED lighting be adopted; a proposal endorsed by the Performance and Value for Money (PVFM) Sub Committee.

Councillor Williamson added: “This is a common sense choice for our long-term finances and the right choice for a green future. However we recognise that in Oldham we have the added complication that our street-lighting service is delivered through a Private Finance Initiative arrangement, in conjunction with our neighbours at Rochdale Council.”

“Our motion therefore asks the PVFM Sub Committee to take a further look at how the replacement of our existing lighting with LEDs can be done in an affordable and phased way over five years, and how we might look to become a signatory to the Lighten Up Campaign, run by the environmental group 10:10, as a Council fully committed to cutting our carbon footprint.”

Council 13 December 2017 – Motion – Lighten Up Pledge

 This Council notes:

  • There are an estimated 7.5 million street lights in the UK
  • In 2014, the Green Investment Bank reported that only 10% of these are LED
  • It is estimated that switching all street lights to LED would:
  • save Councils over £200 million per year, paying for half a million children to have free school meals each year or for an extra 12 million hours of social care
  • prevent over 600,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from being emitted into the atmosphere every year, the equivalent of taking 400,000 cars off the road
  • take 0.5 GW off peak electricity demand, the equivalent of a coal fired power station
  • reduce light pollution as they are more directional and can employ sensors which determine when they are most needed and when they are not
  • Further cost reductions can be provided through the use of LED lighting within Council buildings
  • Affordable financing is available to Councils to make the change to LED street lights through the Public Works Loan Board, the Salix Energy Efficiency Loans Scheme and the Green Investment Group amongst others
  • That the change is possible even in a situation where the street lighting service is provided via a Private Finance Initiative model
  • That the 10:10 climate change climate group is asking Council to sign up to the Lighten Up pledge and make a commitment to going fully LED within 5 years

As a local authority committed to reducing its carbon footprint and providing residents with value-for-money services, Council recognises that a change to LED has merit, is worth investigating, and that a proposal to so was approved by the Performance and Value for Money sub-committee when it was presented as part of the alternate budget proposed by the Liberal Democrat Group in 2017.

Council therefore resolves to ask the Performance and Value for Money sub-committee to examine:

  • The practicality and affordability of replacing street lights and lighting in Council buildings with LEDs in whole or in part
  • The possibility of the Council making a commitment to replace all street lights with LEDs within five years and to making the Pledge as a signatory to the Lighten Up campaign.

Liberal Democrats call for Better Council Practice in Planning

 

The Oldham Liberal Democrat Group ‎has proposed a motion to the next meeting of Oldham Council (this Wednesday 13 December) that planning officers routinely notify Ward Councillors when developers have, or have not, complied with planning conditions and that they also provide Councillors with opportunities to meet with local constituents to discuss planning matters.

Deputy Group Leader Councillor John McCann is proposing the motion. He explained: “Local Councillors are often not informed by planning officers about public consultation events or whether, or when, developers comply with the conditions that are attached to planning consents. This is simply wrong – as local leaders we have the right to know and the right to be involved.”

Councillor McCann is backed by the Liberal Democrat Group Leader and Leader of the Opposition, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE.

Councillor Sykes added:  “It is very frustrating that Ward Members are kept ‘out of the loop’.  Planning matters are often very contentious and our constituents have strong feelings on these issues.  As best practice, planning officers should routinely inform and involve members when they will be consulting the public on planning matters and they should tell us when developers have met the conditions that are attached to planning approvals.”

Councillor John McCann cited one example of a planning application where the outcome has been unsatisfactory, both for Ward Members and local residents. ‎”A classic case is that of Well I Hole Farm and Camping Site where even the conditions that a Planning Inspector imposed on an applicant have not been implemented or enforced some three years later.”

“If Ward Members are notified of circumstances such as these, we can add our weight to that of planning officers and residents to pressurise the developer into compliance.”

Councillor Sykes concluded: “Quite simply we want Oldham Council to become an exemplar local authority on planning consultation and enforcement, and we are confident that if our motion receives cross-party support at the full Council on Wednesday ‎we will move a long way in this right direction.”

The Motion reads:

Notification of Discharge of Planning Conditions to Ward Members

 Council notes that planning officers do not notify Ward Members when the conditions attached to planning approvals are satisfactorily discharged by the applicant

In order to establish greater transparency in the planning process and to keep Ward Members better informed and engaged, Council resolves that best practice be created by requiring planning officers to give such notification and that opportunities be provided for Ward Members to engage with members of the public on planning matters in the spirit of co-operation.

Council resolves to ask the Chief Executive as Head of Paid Service to liaise with the Head of Planning and Infrastructure to ensure that planning officers are made aware of these requirements and ensure that they happen.

Oldham must be High Standard on Dementia Council Tax Exemptions, says Liberal Democrat Opposition Leader

The Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has written to the Borough Treasurer Ann Ryans to find out what the Council is doing to ensure that dementia sufferers and their carers receive the exemptions from Council Tax that they are entitled to.

Anyone with a severe mental impairment, such as dementia, is exempt from paying Council Tax, which means that people with the condition who live alone do not have to pay any Council Tax and those living with a carer will still receive a 25% reduction in their bill.

Councillor Sykes explained why he is concerned:  “A recent survey by the website MoneySavingExpert.com has found that up to 100,000 people are wrongly paying Council Tax because they were unaware of these exemptions.  This situation appears to have been worsened because in a mystery shopping exercise conducted by the website it was found that two thirds of local authorities contacted failed to give callers the correct information about their entitlement.”

“Martyn Lewis, the founder of this website, described the situation as a ‘postcode lottery’ and I concur. Dementia is an appalling disease and it is both tragic and criminal that sufferers should have to face the additional indignity of paying a charge for which they are not legally liable.”

Councillor Sykes has written to Ms Ryans asking for information as to what Oldham Council is doing to be an exemplar local authority in this field – “one, to ensure that applicants and their families/carers receive the right information every time and two that we have 100% take up, or as near as is possible, of the exemption for those who are eligible?”

Copy of email below:

From: Howard Sykes
Sent: 10 December 2017 14:43
To: Anne Ryans <Anne.Ryans@oldham.gov.uk>
Cc: Kay Gibson <Kay.Gibson@oldham.gov.uk>
Subject: Dementia and Council Tax

Dear Ms. Ryans,

The media has recently reported the findings of a survey by the website, Money-Saving Expert, that up to 100,000 people could be wrongly paying Council Tax because they are unaware they qualify for an exemption.

Dementia is classed as a severe mental impairment meaning that sufferers living alone are entitled to a 100 percent exemption from Council Tax, whilst a household with a dementia sufferer and a carer will still receive a 25% discount.

It is reported that a mystery shopping poll of local authorities found that two thirds of Councils were unable to provide accurate information about the exemption and how to apply for it.  This is both tragic and criminal as sufferers should not have to suffer the additional indignity of paying a charge for which they are not legally liable.

I would like to know please what Oldham Council is doing to be an exemplar local authority in this field to ensure that applicants and their families/carers receive the right information every time and that we have 100% take up, or as near as is possible,  of the exemption for those who are eligible?

Look forward to your reply with interest.

Best wishes.

Councillor Howard Sykes MBE

Rubbish and recycling collections taking place over Christmas and New Year 2017

Please find information below regarding the rubbish and recycling collections taking place over Christmas and New Year 2017.

This year, areas which usually have bin collections on a Monday or Tuesday will be affected.

Areas normally collected on a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday are not affected and should put their bins out as normal.

There will be no collections on:

  • Monday 25 December (Christmas Day)
  • Tuesday 26 December (Boxing Day)
  • Monday 1 January (New Year’s Day)

Alternative arrangements for the Monday and Tuesday collections are as follows:

Monday collections – alternative arrangements

  • Bins due to be collected on Monday 25 December will be collected on Saturday 30 December instead, including green bins and food caddies
  • Bins due to be collected on Monday 1 January will be collected on Saturday 6 January instead, apart from green bins and food caddies which will be collected on Monday 8 January as normal

 Tuesday collections – alternative arrangements

Bins due to be collected on Tuesday 26 December will be collected early on Saturday 23 December instead, including green bins and food caddies.

Christmas Collection leaflets 2017

Stop Short-changing Our Schools cry Oldham Liberal Democrats

The Leader of the Opposition and Liberal Democrat Group Leader on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has written to the Cabinet Member for Education, Councillor Amanda Chadderton, and the Director of Education, Andrew Sutherland, condemning a decision by Oldham Council to withhold a 0.5% grant increase given by the Government from a majority of schools across the Borough, and to ask for it to be restored.

Councillor Sykes explained: “The Education Secretary announced that a new national funding formula for schools will be introduced in the 2020/21 financial year, and in advance of that a further £1.3 billion would be provided in Government funding to schools over the next two years to provide them with some financial stability during the transition period.”

“This money was transferred by the Government into one of the accounts managed by Oldham Council, the so-called Schools Block.  Unfortunately Oldham Council has decided to withhold some of this grant money to offset the deficit it has in one of its other education accounts, namely the High Needs Block.  The money being denied to schools amounts to £1.87 million.”

Councillor Sykes believes that 51 schools out of 98 will lose out, including all those schools in Shaw and Crompton. “This is cash schools were expecting and is much needed,” he added.

“At a time when many schools are feeling the squeeze to have this money withdrawn must feel like another blow inflicted by a penny-pinching Council playing the role of Christmas Scrooge,” stated Councillor Sykes.

“The Government clearly intended this money to be passed on to local schools for the benefit of local pupils, not squirrelled away by a Council trying to cover up its own so called financial management of the High Needs account by robbing Peter to pay Paul, he added.  “I want the Council to stop short-changing our local schools, play fair by the funding formula, and pass the money along.”

The email sent to Councillor Chadderton and Andrew Sutherland.

Dear Cllr Chadderton and Mr Sutherland,

Prior to the introduction of a new National Funding Formula for education in the 2020/21 financial year, the Secretary of State for Education has confirmed that £1.3 billion will be made available for schools over the next two years to provide some ‘financial stability’ during the transition.

I understand that local schools have recently been consulted about a proposal by this Council to withhold £1.87 million of this grant money, held in the Schools Block, to off-set part of the deficit in another education fund managed by Oldham Council, the High Needs Block.

My understanding is that the High Needs Block has an expected £4.14 million deficit in-year and an expected cumulative deficit of £7.8 million to the end of the current financial year.

This is frightening enough, prompting the question how did this situation get so out of hand, but £1.87 million will not eliminate the deficit and it is not what this money was intended for.

My understanding is that 51 schools out of 98 in this Borough would lose out as a result of this decision, including all of the schools in Shaw and Crompton.  This is cash schools were expecting and is much needed.

This is simply not acceptable – local schools are already feeling the pinch in their budgets and the Government clearly intended this money to be passed on to local schools for the benefit of local pupils.

If Oldham Council does not want to play the role of a penny-pinching Council Christmas Scrooge, I would suggest that Cabinet does the decent thing, plays fair and passes the money along.

Many thanks in anticipation.

Councillor Howard Sykes MBE

Failing our Special Educational Needs Children is Shameful and Must Stop, say Oldham Liberal Democrats

A report released this month from Ofsted and the Quality Care Commission has condemned Oldham Council for its provision for children and young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and/or disabilities. The Oldham Liberal Democrat Group is calling on the Labour Administration to take urgent action to meet the recommendations outlined in the report.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Garth Harkness, Shadow Cabinet Member for Employment and Skills and an Autism Spectrum Disorder lead teacher at a Manchester school, said:

“Although the inspectors found some good practice and some motivated staff, it is clear from this report that there is a serious disconnect between what should be happening to meet the accepted standards of good practice and what is all-too-often happening on the ground and in our classrooms in Oldham.

“A child or young person with SEN, such as autism, and/or disabilities has just as much right to expect an excellent education as any other pupil. The inspectors refer to the many children and young people with these conditions who possess a ‘stunning conviction and a humbling humility about the work they do to improve the lives of their peers’. It is unforgiveable and it is shameful if we as a Council and as an education authority continue to fail them in this way, and this failure must stop.”

The condemnatory report called for a Written Statement of Action to be produced because of ‘significant areas of weakness in the local area’s practice’.

Councillor Harkness added: “We have had a long standing problem in Oldham in providing the best start for our children and young people with additional needs. As someone who works in specialist Autism Spectrum Disorder provision myself and who works closely with the Local Authority in Manchester on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities I know how important it is to provide the right support to these youngsters.”

Yet the report says that: ‘Oldham is one of the worst-achieving areas nationally for educational achievement for this group of children. This prevalent poor achievement is exacerbated by high levels of fixed-term exclusions and persistent absences from school for children and young people who have SEN and/or disabilities.’

The report also highlights that school transport is flawed and that ‘children and young people wait too long for the needs to be identified.’

Councillor Harkness said: “This is simply unacceptable. We are leaving these children behind, abandoning them educationally. By not properly accessing the needs of these children, and the support that they need, at an early enough stage – sometimes not until they move from primary to secondary school – we are making it more likely that they will underperform at school. By excluding them and tolerating poor attendance, we are exacerbating this problem, and by having a school transport system that is not up to the challenge we make it harder to encourage parents to send their children to school in the first place.

“The Oldham Liberal Democrat Group’s score on the performance of the Labour Administration based on the findings of this report is an F – for Failure. This is not just about ‘could do better’, this is about ‘must do better’ and now, because this Council has spent a fortune on the Oldham Education Commission but it continues to let our most vulnerable young people down.

“The Oldham Liberal Democrats want to see every child and young person in our Borough achieve as much as they possibly can in education and in life so that they can fulfill their true potential. As always we are willing to work with the Labour Administration if they genuinely want to work with us in achieving this laudable objective.”

Update from Councillor Chris Gloster regarding traffic chaos in Shaw Town Centre

Update from Councillor Chris Gloster regarding traffic chaos in Shaw Town Centre

Shaw and Crompton Borough Councillors, Oldham Council Highways Officers, Greater Manchester Police Traffic Management and representatives from local businesses in Shaw have met with senior national, regional and local managers at Yodel to express their concerns over Tuesday night’s events which saw complete gridlock for seven hours on Tuesday night (21.11.17) due to volume of HGVs entering Shaw.

This was put down to wider road network issues caused by closure of M56, restrictions on M6, the Manchester United International game, LittleMix Concert and poor weather, as well as Tuesday being a busy day after weekend online shopping.

Yodel have agreed to and already put in place exceptional traffic management measures, including diverting trailers to other sites and ensuring empty trailers are moved off site to maximise space.

They have come up with a short term plan and will work with the Council Highways and GMP to look at longer term measures to prevent any recurrence that they described as a ‘perfect storm’ due to a simultaneous  combination of factors that all occurred at once.

Hopefully these actions will prevent a recurrence but needless to say Shaw and Crompton Councillors will work hard with Yodel to ensure there is no repeat.