SADDLEWORTH councillors have reacted angrily as the borough’s chief executive prepares to share his role with neighbouring Tameside.
Harry Catherall is set to work four days a week at the authority down the road, with only one at Oldham.
And that suggestion has gone down like the proverbial lead balloon with those who represent the area.
An extraordinary meeting of Oldham Council on Thursday, October 24 heard several arguments – from different parties – why Mr Catherall should work at Oldham and Oldham only.
Saddleworth North Conservative Luke Lancaster said: “I’m yet to have understood a good reason as to why we should have this hokey-cokey, in and out arrangement where we have one chief executive in for four days a week and another for one day a week.
“It really should be one or the other, so then we know where the burden of responsibility lies.
“With whom does the ultimate burden of responsibility lie at the local authority? Why is Mr Catherall staying on at Oldham Council for just one day a week, if his task with Tameside Council is so great?
“Why is his replacement not allowed to succeed him full time, if she is deemed capable of doing so part-time?
“As always with Oldham Council, we are left with more questions than answers.”
Colleague Cllr Pam Byrne said: “This is not an us and them thing. We often feel were kept in the dark. We’re like mushrooms, which is unfair to us.
“We’re not getting at anybody. We’re asking to be clear and precise in what we could and could not agree to.”
Opposition councillors – Conservative, Liberal Democrat and those from The Oldham Group, plus Independents – spoke in favour of five amendments to try and secure what they call ‘proper scrutiny.’
And Saddleworth West and Lees Lib Dem Cllr Sam Al-Hamdani outlined why it is needed.
He said: “The point is to say, ‘We’d like more information. We’d like to carry out more scrutiny.’
“That doesn’t necessarily mean we think the appointments committee made the wrong decision. We’d like to under the full reasoning behind it and see it for ourselves.
“That’s what scrutiny is. We shouldn’t just say, ‘The appointments committee decided that, so we’ll not as any questions. We’ll just go along with it.’
“If anything, scrutiny is strength. If you want to just sigh and turn your head away and decide we don’t need scrutiny, maybe we should all just go home.
“I’ve heard Harry will be available on the phone but that, I don’t believe, is a strong enough reassurance to mitigate that risk of how that management works together, how will people work together, who will hold authority at different times.”
Political colleague, Saddleworth North’s Cllr Garth Harkness, cited a ‘very toxic environment’ that sometimes exists in the borough chamber.
“We need to be given the tools and info required to become effective scrutinisers,” he said. “We want to scrutinise because we want the best for our residents.”
Ward colleague Cllr Mark Kenyon described the move as ‘a mission for Andy Burnham’ while fellow Lib Dem, Saddleworth South’s Cllr Helen Bishop, cited ‘too many unanswered questions.’
“The focus of this chamber is what is best for Oldham, not Tameside,” she said. “Oldham should be Oldham’s concern and we have enough on our plate. We need stability here.
“There are so many things that confuse me about this. If something doesn’t make sense, I cannot, with all conscience, support it.”
In spite of the concerns, Oldham Council voted for Mr Catherall to get involved at Tameside, with Shelley Kipling, currently assistant chief executive, to become acting chief executive for the next six months.
Political leader, Cllr Arooj Shah, defending the plan, saying: “Despite others in the chamber attempting to make this council into a circus, this is about a good, stable council being asked to support one of its neighbours in crisis.
“The fact that we have been asked to provide this support is testament to the fantastic improvement that we’ve delivered over the last few years.
“While my priority is and always will be Oldham, I also care about the children of Tameside.
“Oldham does not exist in a bubble. The boundaries between our boroughs are permeable, and people experience services across those boundaries.”
All five amendments were voted out of the chamber, while the original proposal was passed by a vote of 34 for to 13 against, with nine abstentions.
Tameside, who has just had Cllr Eleanor Wills nominated as leader by the national Labour Party’s campaign improvement board, is set to confirm the arrangement on Tuesday, October 29.
They will cover Mr Catherall’s full four-day salary cost of £168,000, with Oldham footing the bill for the one day a week he remains with the local authority.
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