On 14 May was Bury’s Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting. The overview and scrutiny role involves reviewing and scrutinising any matters relating to the planning provision and operation of health services in the area of the Council, scrutinising organisations external to the Council and holding the Leader / Cabinet Members to account. Councillor Cristina Tegolo reports:

Bury Health and Overview and Scrutiny Committee met remotely and questions were invited from members of the public in advance of the meeting.

Geoff Little, Chief Executive Bury Council provided an update on the work that the Health & Care system in Bury have undertaken in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Julie Gonda, Director of Adult Social Care, provided an update on Bury Local Care Organisation. Dr Jeff Schryer, Bury CCG Chair, provided a verbal update on the response to COVID-19.

Introduction:

In Bury we have now registered in total over 100 deaths, with 39 deaths in care homes. The data needs a lot more analysis but the peak was around the Easter weekend. Geoff Little confirmed that, as yet, the Council doesn’t have a detailed analysis of the data, for example we don’t have analysis on BAME. Dr Jeff Schryer, told us that there has been a tailor off of the deaths in the last weeks but from the data across the world we know that we can’t afford to become complacent. We also don’t know when a vaccine will be ready and how long will take to vaccinate everyone in the country. 

Julie Gonda told us that we have a tremendous number of volunteers in Bury and that the Council’s success story has been the creation of 5 community hubs. You can find out more about the community hubs here

Bury’s Response and Objectives:

Bury has been ahead of the national response. Social Care and Care Homes were on the frontline, but bulletins and updates were provided regularly to care homes, GP practices were linked to care homes and also mental health support was offered for care staff. 

PPE was a huge issue in the early dates but Bury Council had a coordinated approach and managed to coordinate this well together with the testing. Julie Gonda confirmed that the Council is now testing workforce in care homes (local Care Organisation) and this exercise will continue and will be carried out in phasing to make sure that the workforce and patients are safe.

Geoff Little told us that, as the response continues, the Council’s efforts are now focussed on the sustain and recovery phases. These two phases will merge and overlap depending on circumstances.

Sustain Phase: A more flattened out peak of activity will require a sustaining of

services phase before a full recovery phase. The phase will also require flexibility of

services to react to peaks and troughs of COVID activity.

Recovery Phase: Longer term recovery will face its own challenges and may also

involve a pre-recovery or emerging phase as the system moves out of the COVID-19

lifecycle. Key challenge in this phase will to be understand what the ‘new normal’ will look like

Julie Gonda told us that in Bury we have learnt lessons and we want to embed the excellent model that has been put forward and carry on the positive and good aspects in the future. Social care services and private care services have worked together and this coordination has been very positive. Geoff Little added that the creation of 5 community hubs and the coordination of over 200 volunteers is a good model for a recovery program. The Council wishes to continue to deliver to the most vulnerable food, medicines and human contact to fight isolation. 

The Council must not lose sight of its original system intentions and ambition contained within the draft Bury 2030 Strategy. However, this emergency can be used as a way of enhancing the positive

changes to the system, building upon the co-ordinated system approach and becoming a more effective and efficient partnership.

Geoff Little confirmed that the Council has started planning now to move forward in the recovery phase. 

1. Testing contact tracing for at least 12 months (this is mass testing together with contact tracing) this is a national exercise and in Greater Manchester and particular in Bury we are exploring ways to improve contact tracing.
2. Recognising that there is a risk for another peak during this time of recovery
3. There is also the risk of the after effect, mental health and people who were unable to grieve in the proper way, effect of isolation on elderly and adolescents
4. There could be further waves that could increase demand during the winter period

Geoff Little confirmed that the Council is fully aware that we will have to deal with several issues such as inequalities and Increase in poverty (depravation) issues. He said that COID-19 has created “more dependency” and that, for example, at the moment all rough sleepers in “A Bed Every Night” facility have been moved into their own secure and safe accommodation with support and health provision but, he told us “this is not feasible in a long term”. He said that the financial system is very much in the flux and the Council is in the dark for the future.

The issue of PPE will be a problem also in the future when the public will demand for PPE. The Council has purchased PPE for people in care and for people who carry on care roles. The stock is at Castle Leisure Centre, which is also used as a food distribution centre.

In the future the Council wants to 

• Improve Mental Health offer in community hubs and 
• Capitalise on lessons learnt in social care 
• Shield vulnerable people
• Offer support to symptomatic people
• Focus recovering on housing/environment/productivity

Garden City Medical Centre
Dr Saad Al-Dubbaisi, a 59-year-old GP at the Garden City Medical Centre, recently lost his life to coronavirus, Dr Jeff Schryer, told us that Dr Al-Dubbaisi solely handed the Garden City Medical Centre and he was very popular among the community. The CCG has offered support for his staff and patients. His family will manage the practice for 28 days and then there will be two possible decisions:

1. Keep the practice and go through a procurement program or 
2. Disperse the list 

Dr Jeff Schryer highlighted that is important for the CCG to talk to patients and staff and to look at financial viability before making a decision and that both outcomes will take some time.

On 21January was the monthly meeting of Bury Planning Control Committee. This is the meeting made up of the 11 Councillors who represent the various wards of the borough of Bury. The committee determines planning applications for certain major developments and others where objections have been received. Councillor Cristina Tegoloreports: 

Prior to the Committee meeting a training for the Planning Control Committee took place. Usually the training is arranged monthly by the Planning Department. This time, following consultation with Dave Marno, Head of Development Management Planning Services Department of Resources and Regulation Bury Council, I invited Stephen Hodder to speak to the planning committee and planning officers. Stephen is a local architect and Past President of the RIBA who won the inaugural Stirling Prize for the Centenary Building at Salford University. He’s currently Chair of the Construction Industry Council. His talk was about design quality in the planning process.

At the Planning Control Committee meeting all submitted applications were approved but I raised some concerns on the following applications:

Access road off Halsall Close, Gorses Quarry, Bury, App No. 64022
We discussed an application that was submitted retrospectively for the removal of a stretch of vegetation and trees to an access track which is located within a semi-rural area and is in the Green Belt. The access track carries a bridleway and footpath reference 24BUR.The works caused the embankment to become unstable in parts and some tree roots were exposed and protruded from the side of the embankment. The works had also caused minor landslides of earth and stones to fall into the access track. The application submitted wanted to implement a scheme of ecological mitigation and re-profiling/stabilising works.

We analysed the merits and I raised at the meeting the following points:

I considered that the engineering works would not constitute inappropriate development in the Green Belt and would comply with point b) in para 146 of the NPPF. However, I suggested that the works were offering the opportunity to introduce a rest area with benches by the side of the now enlarged access track. My comments were taken on board and will be incorporated into the scheme. 

Site at corner of Spring Lane & Bury Road, Radcliffe, App No. 64518/Full
We discussed a proposed development, on the corner of Spring Lane, Bury Road and Pine Street, for the erection of 15 no. x 1-bedroom apartments, provided over 3 floors with the main entrance on the side elevation facing the associated car parking. 

The site was previously occupied by St Mary and St Philip RC Church, which was demolished in 2009, and is currently vacant. The scheme will deliver 100% affordable housing.

We analysed the merits and I raised at the meeting the following points:

• I fully appreciated that the scheme provides 100% affordable housing but I pointed out that in this block of apartments there are only one-bedroom flats and there isn’t a lift.
• I also said that in a 3-storey apartment block without lift, people with long- and short-term mobility impairments, elderly couples that wish to downsize, parents with toddlers will be excluded or disadvantaged.
• I was happy to see that a scheme for the provision of electric vehicle charging points would be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. However, I said that Bury Council should do a lot more to create sustainable buildings and minimise their environmental footprints. Ideally. we should also have renewables energy systems (such as solar and wind) and we should conserve and reuse rainwater.

I also said that that the perimetral metal fencing around this block of apartments should be replaced with green hedging plants to give privacy and at the same time to support wildlife and create a small eco-friendly habitat. This comment was taken on board and will be incorporated into the scheme. 

Land adjacent to 152 Butterstile Lane, Prestwich, App No. 64902/Full
We discussed a proposed development in a small rectangular plot (70sqm) of hardstanding at the southern end of the Neighbourhood Shopping Centre, on the corner of Butterstile Lane and Carr Avenue. The development consists of a two storey red brick building attached to the existing unit at 152 Butterstile Lane. The new build has a retail unit (40sqm) at ground floor with a shopfront onto Butterstile Lane and a 2-bed flat at first floor level.

We analysed the merits and I raised at the meeting the following points:

I said that the external appearance and design of the proposal in relation to its height, scale and layout was not in line with the adjoining buildings. I considered that the relationship of the proposal to the surrounding area was not acceptable as the proposed development had a different finished floor level, its windows were at a different level and the height of the roof (both the ridge and the gutter) broke the continuity of the row of terraced houses and shops on Butterstile Lane. I said that the scheme in my opinion should have been redesigned and that this was a miss opportunity to create a corner store with some quality design in a lively neighbourhood.

My comments weren’t taken on board, I voted against and the application was approved with no amendments.

More information and the full papers for the meeting are here.

Last week was the regular ‘Full Council’ meeting for Bury Council – the main meeting of all 51 councillors. Almost all the meeting this time was taken up by policy motions proposed by the different political parties.

The Liberal Democrat Group proposed a policy motion on Loneliness and Isolation, an important issue that we wanted the Council to take more proactive action on.

Councillor Michael Powell, who proposed the motion said:
“(our) motion this evening seeks to address the growing trend of loneliness and isolation felt amongst many individuals in our various communities. To give you an idea of how far reaching these issues are, it is estimated that one in ten people over the age of 65 are likely to be classed as either isolated or severely lonely.

However, it is also very important to note that loneliness and isolation are not issues which exclusively effect a particular area of society or age-range. They effect a wide range of people, regardless of age or background. For example, research conducted by the group ‘Campaign to End Loneliness’ has found that an increasing number of young people are being found to suffer from loneliness and isolation, and that 16 to 24 year olds are actually the most likely age group to report feeling lonely or isolated.”

The motion proposed that Bury Council takes a number of steps to make residents aware of all the support services that are in place, and make sure it has a ‘joined up’ approach on other policy issues (e.g. transport or communications) to make sure that wherever possible everything contributes to tackling loneliness and isolation.

The motion received the support of all parties, and has now become the agreed position of the Council.

The Conservative Group proposal was to have a ‘Community Governance Review’ for Radcliffe. Essentially this would have undertaken a formal review to decide whether it would be a good idea to have a Town Council for Radcliffe in the future.

Town Councils are a common feature in many areas of England, but not in Bury. They are additional to the Borough Council, but provide local services in a town. Next door in Bolton, for example, both Horwich and Westhoughton have their own Town Councils.

In principle we would support the idea, through it is important to say that we should make sure it didn’t cost more money for residents, but we don’t see why it is just Radcliffe that should have this review. Other areas of Bury (Ramsbottom, Prestwich, Whitefield etc) might also want their own Town Council.

We proposed an amendment to the motion, to make it cover the whole of Bury. Our proposal was agreed and is now the Council’s policy. The Conservatives voted against wanting the review to just look at Radcliffe.

The Labour Group proposed an important motion on tackling Islamaphobia, which included signing Bury Council up to the International Definition on Islamaphobia. We were very happy to support this important proposal which was agreed.

The papers for the meeting are here, any questions please ask!