Interim Lead Member arrangements
Oldham Council has agreed interim Lead Member arrangements while the Council works towards appointing a Council Leader and Cabinet.
The arrangements provide political oversight across the Council’s four directorates and a clear link between residents, councillors and Council services.
Chief Executive Shelley Kipling will continue to exercise delegated executive powers. Interim Lead Members provide political oversight and advocacy but do not have executive decision-making powers.
The arrangements will remain in place until a Council Leader and Cabinet are appointed, or until the Council decides otherwise.
Interim Lead Members
Resources
Lead Member: Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani (Liberal Democrats)
Deputy Lead Member: Councillor Mark Kenyon (Liberal Democrats)
The Resources portfolio covers:
- Council finances and budget management
- transformation
- corporate services
- governance
- workforce
- organisational performance
Place
Lead Member: Councillor Arooj Shah (Labour)
Deputy Lead Member: Councillor Elaine Taylor (Labour)
The Place portfolio covers:
- regeneration
- economic growth
- planning
- housing
- highways
- environmental services
- transport
- major projects supporting Oldham’s future prosperity
Children and Young People
Lead Member: Councillor Mark Wilkinson (Reform UK)
Deputy Lead Member: Councillor Gary Tarbuck (Reform UK)
The Children and Young People portfolio covers:
- children’s social care
- education
- safeguarding
- special educational needs
- early help services
The Lead Member will also undertake the statutory Lead Member role for children’s services as far as practicable under the interim arrangements.
Health and Adult Care
Lead Member: Councillor Kamran Ghafoor (The Oldham Group)
Deputy Lead Member: Councillor Aisha Kouser (The Oldham Group)
The Health and Adult Care portfolio covers:
- adult social care
- public health
- support for vulnerable residents
- wellbeing programmes
- partnership working with health organisations across the borough
How decisions are made
The interim Lead Members provide political oversight and advocacy but do not have executive decision-making powers.
The Chief Executive will continue to exercise delegated executive powers. Cross-party engagement and scrutiny arrangements will also continue to provide oversight of significant decisions affecting the borough.