22Feb 2018 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrat Leader dismayed by smoking increase

Campaigns
The Leader of the Opposition and Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has expressed his dismay at the latest report showing an increase in smokers in Oldham Borough. The latest GP Patient Survey, run independently by Ipsos MORI on behalf of NHS England, which has just been published shows that the proportion of smokers in Oldham rose from 17pc to 19pc between 2015/16 and 2016/17.  The Greater Manchester average is 17.5pc. Councillor Sykes said: “These figures are shocking.  A two percent rise is a move in the wrong direction, we should be seeing a decrease in smoking not and increase - it is simply not good enough.” “Smoking is known to be one of the biggest killers in our Borough and also blights the lives of many more of…
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15Feb 2018 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Labour’s land grab hits Saddleworth green belt

Borough news, Saddleworth News
Oldham Council has been told by the Mayor of Greater Manchester to prepare new housing quotas for the next 20 years. Oldham propose there should be 2,000 expensive, top council tax band houses built in Saddleworth. No council houses, no social housing, no rented accommodation, nothing for young Saddleworth families - who will be forced out of the district. No mention of money for new schools, medical facilities or improving any of Saddleworth's antiquated narrow roads and bursting sewers. They are encouraging landowners to offer up green belt land. This is completely against national policy, which says all brown field sites throughout the borough should be filled before even thinking about invading the Green Belt. Saddleworth has a stable population. We say there should be some limited new rented accommodation in every village, for young people but…
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07Feb 2018 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Remembering Annie Kenney – Springhead’s suffragette

Borough news, Saddleworth News
With the celebrations this year to mark 100 years of votes for women, we need to recognise the hard work and sacrifices the suffragettes made in order to achieve universal suffrage. Annie Kenney, from Springhead, was the only senior member of the suffrage movement who came from a working class background and knew what it was like to work in the mills. She worked closely with the Pankhursts and they trusted her and, because she was an inspirational speaker, they sent her to rally the millworkers in Lancashire and Yorkshire.  She also went to prison some 13 times for her beliefs and was subjected to force feeding and the notorious “Cat and Mouse” Act whereby, when the women were ill from being on hunger strike they were released from prison…
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05Feb 2018 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrats propose investment for better roads, cleaner streets and safer communities

Borough news
The Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council will propose that in this year’s budget more money is invested on improving highways, tackling fly tipping and litter, and addressing anti-social behaviour and crime to make the Borough’s streets better and cleaner and our communities safer by finding further savings in Civic Centre bureaucracy. The Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, said: “Local government finance has been massively, and disproportionately, hit by this Conservative Government’s so called continued adherence to austerity.  Over many years, Oldham has really felt the pain.  This year has been no different.  The Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement announced in December contained no surprises, it was simply more of the same, no additional funding, do more with less and more cuts.”…
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