12Jul 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrat leader gets Council to back United Nations Goals

Borough news
The Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, delivered Oldham Council’s backing for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals at its most recent meeting.  In September 2015, 193 world leaders met at the United Nations General Assembly in New York to adopt seventeen Sustainable Development Goals.  These goals seek the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, improvements in public health, reductions in child and maternal mortality, better educational outcomes, more gender equality, better international co-operation and a environmentally sustainable future for our planet to help the United Nations achieve the ambition articulated in their 2000 Millennium Declaration of creating ‘a more peaceful, prosperous and just world’ by 2030. Councillor Sykes believes that local government, as well as the UK government, should be aiming…
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11Jul 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Brownfield funding must be restored

Borough news
Oldham Council unanimously backed Liberal Democrat Councillor Diane Williamson motion to the 10 July meeting of Oldham Council demanding the Government honour its previous commitment to provide £50 million in funding to Greater Manchester to fund the development of new housing on brownfield sites.  The Conservatives recently made the unilateral decision to renege on the deal.  Councillor Garth Harkness is seconding the motion, and their proposal is backed by the whole Liberal Democrat Group.  Wards across Shaw and Crompton and Saddleworth are threatened with the prospect of thousands of new homes on the green space and surrounding green belt under the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF) proposals. Councillors Williamson and Harkness, and their colleagues, want to see any new housing built on brownfield sites, former industrial land, rather than by destroying any…
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11Jul 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Lib Dems deliver on fair tax

Borough news
This week is Fair Tax Week (6–14 July) and Liberal Democrat Councillor Chris Gloster used the occasion to deliver a motion at Oldham Council (10 July) which called for the Council to sign the Fair Tax Declaration.  The successful motion called for action on corporate tax avoidance, making contractors who supply goods and services to public authorities pay their fair share of tax. Councillor Gloster was backed by his colleague, Louie Hamblett, Councillor for Crompton. Chris, as the Council’s Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance, is a strong believer that businesses should act responsibly and pay their fair share of tax to finance public services.  Chris said:  “Corporate tax, like personal income tax, funds the essential public services like health, education, policing, social care and highway maintenance we all rely upon. …
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11Jul 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Lib Dems complain over shambolic planning meeting

Borough news, Saddleworth News
Liberal Democrat Councillors Garth Harkness and Diane Williamson have written to the Chief Executive of Oldham Council, Dr Carolyn Wilkins and the Leader of Oldham Council, Councillor Sean Fielding to complain about the way in which the decisions were made for applications to build on protected land in Saddleworth and green spaces in Sholver. “A previous application in Royton was refused on the same grounds as what was proposed for the protected land in Saddleworth.  The professionalism of the meeting was that bad that it descended into a shambles, with members of the public not knowing what how the committee voted,” said Councillor Garth Harkness. Councillor Diane Williamson added: “We have lodged a formal complaint on the grounds of unfairness and procedural impropriety due to the poor leadership of the meeting and…
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26Jun 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrats support Public Space Protection Order on Saddleworth Moor

Borough news, Campaigns, Saddleworth News
The Oldham Liberal Democrat Group supports Oldham Council’s proposal to consult on the establishment of a Public Space Protection Order on Saddleworth Moor to help combat moorland fires.  Commenting, Saddleworth North Liberal Democrat Councillor Garth Harkness said: “Like many residents of this borough, I have been distressed to witness the devastating fires on Saddleworth and Crompton Moors over Easter and before that.  I know these concerns are shared by my Liberal Democrat colleagues in Saddleworth West and Lees, Shaw and Crompton.” “These fires are now a regular occurrence when the weather gets hot and the ground is dry.  Some are doubtless ignited by natural causes, but, in all too many cases, they are the malicious work of arsonists or caused by irresponsibility on the part of day-trippers using portable disposable…
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06Jun 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrat Group Officers and Shadow Cabinet announced for 2019/20

Borough news
The Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has announced the appointment of his Shadow Cabinet Team and appointments to boards and committees for 2019/20.  The Liberal Democrat Group has also elected its officers. Councillor Howard Sykes said:  “I am looking forward to once more leading the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council.  I am especially pleased that the Group is being joined by two new colleagues, Councillor Louie Hamblett representing Crompton and Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani representing Saddleworth West and Lees.  Louie and Sam are already experienced parish councillors and I know that they are both keen to make a difference.” “Voters can rest assured that the Oldham Liberal Democrats will continue to oppose Labour’s waste, inefficiency and centralisation tendancies and…
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06Jun 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Labour scraps local executives and cuts funding

Borough news
Oldham Council’s so-called review means District Executives have been scrapped, power centralised and local spending/projects cut The Leader of the Opposition and Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes, MBE, has hit out at the Labour Council’s scrapping of the seven District Executives and centralising power back to the Civic Centre. Councillor Sykes said: “The Labour Administration claims to have a commitment to co-operative working and to empowering Ward Councillors as ‘local leaders’, yet, in recent proposals put before Councillors at the Annual Council meeting (22 May), Labour proposed scrapping all seven District Executives and return power to the Executive.” “The Liberal Democrats have a strong commitment to devolving power and money to local councillors and local people so that they can work together in partnership to identify…
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29Mar 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Daytime Economy Task Force also needed to save our high streets, says Liberal Democrat leader

Borough news, Campaigns
The Leader of the Opposition and the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has written to the Council Leader congratulating him on establishing a ‘night-time economy taskforce’ and asking him to do the same for the day-time economy to help save high streets across the borough. Commenting Councillor Sykes said: “Our high streets are slowly dying and if we want vibrant retail and leisure centres across our borough, not just in Oldham but also in Shaw, Uppermill, Royton, Lees, Chadderton and Failsworth, we must do all we can to help them. Otherwise I fear that more and more stores will close in the Spindles and Town Square shopping centres and we will see the encroachment of yet more charity shops, which benefit from being exempted from…
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29Mar 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Greater Manchester housing figures ‘not mandatory’ and greenbelt building should be ‘exceptional’, says Government Minister

Borough news, Campaigns, Saddleworth News
In a reply to the Leader of the Opposition and the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, a Conservative Minister conceded that Government policy appears to allow for building less housing than is currently planned under Greater Manchester Spatial Framework proposals and the green belt can only be built on ‘in exceptional circumstances’. Councillor Sykes wrote to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, James Brokenshire MP, in February. Kit Malthouse MP responded on Mr Brokenshire’s behalf earlier this month as Minister for Housing. Although original government estimates were that there be a need for 213,380 extra homes in Greater Manchester by 2035, later projections released by the Office for National Statistics in 2016 put the figure at only 164,000.  In his letter,…
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23Mar 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Green Belt Land Grab ‘completely unacceptable’

Borough news, Campaigns
The Leader of the Opposition and the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has submitted a strongly-worded letter of objection on behalf of the Oldham Liberal Democrat Group outlining why the revised Greater Manchester Spatial Framework proposals still remain ‘a massive and inequitable land grab’ in Crompton, Shaw and Royton (deadline for submissions was the 18 March).   These proposals will result in the devastation of local Green Belt and Other Protected Open Land Sites for housing development being ‘completely unacceptable’. Councillor Sykes said: “The Liberal Democrat position remains clear and unequivocal.  We want to see all new housing developments built on brownfield sites or on existing sites with planning permission for housing, or through bringing existing empty homes back into use, or the conversion of empty mills, offices and…
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