Borough news – Page 24 – Saddleworth Liberal Democrats

03Sep 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Shaw and Crompton ward surgeries start up

Borough news

Shaw and Crompton Liberal Democrats are delighted to announce that their ward surgeries are starting up again, from 9 September 2021. “We have been so missing the interaction (face-to-face) with our residents over the last 18 months, but due to all the COVID-19 restrictions, and the various lockdowns, it would have been unfair on all our residents, if we had held them and had to cancel again” said Cllr Diane Williamson, Shaw and Crompton District Lead. On numerous occasions the local Liberal Democrat Councillors, made up of Hazel Gloster, Dave Murphy, Chris Gloster, Louie Hamblett, Howard Sykes and Diane Williamson asked about the restarting of ward surgeries. It was only on Thursday 27 August that the information was communicated to them. “I am delighted that the Council has recognised the…

02Sep 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Protection of green spaces and ancient woodlands our priorities

Borough news

Saving the borough’s green spaces and ancient woodlands should be an ‘absolute and clear commitment’ in the new Local Plan, say Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Councillors. In their response to the consultation on the Local Plan published by Oldham Council, the Liberal Democrat Group has called for ‘the strongest possible protections from development for Green Belt, OPOL (Other Protected Open Land) and other green spaces not included in those categories’. Planning spokesperson, Shaw Councillor Hazel Gloster said: “It was clear from the howls of protest with which the public responded to Labour’s Greater Manchester Spatial Framework plan to build on our green belt that our beautiful countryside is as precious to them as it is to us, and the Liberal Democrats will continue to fight for it.” In March 2017, the…

28Aug 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Incredible Futures failure cost ratepayers over £140,000

Borough news

The insolvency of social enterprise Incredible Futures in April 2020 cost ratepayers over £140,000 in financial aid; a mistake the Liberal Democrat Leader is adamant must not be repeated. The Leader of the Liberal Democrat Main Opposition, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, was dismayed to receive the news in the reply to his recent request for information under the Freedom of Information Act. Incredible Futures went into liquidation, owing over £44,000 to creditors, despite receiving over £200,000 in financial aid, including £140,000 directly from the coffers of the local authority, and being paid over £100,000 for services rendered. Incredible Futures also benefitted from the use for two years rent-free of premises in Manchester Chambers leased to them by the Council. Councillor Sykes said: “This is sadly not the first time that…

25Aug 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Employment areas pinpointed as local plan weakness

Borough news

Transforming Oldham’s economic fortunes should be the number one priority of Oldham Council, which is why it is alarming that the local plan consultation has failed to update the Business Employment Areas from the previous local plan, says Liberal Democrat Councillor Mark Kenyon. The shadow cabinet member for economy and enterprise highlighted the inclusion of the new Saddleworth School site in the list of Saddleworth Employment Areas – which was taken directly from the previous local plan without being updated. “There are locations across Saddleworth, and the wider borough, which have thrived in the years since the previous local plan, and we should be identifying those for support, as well as those locations which will be the next successes in the local economy. “The economic landscape of Oldham has changed…

19Aug 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Cycling network improvements targeted by Saddleworth Liberal Democrats

Borough news

Saddleworth Liberal Democrats are already working on the next round of cycle routes for the district, even before the current proposals are brought forward. Having set key priorities for the network – connecting village centres, travel interchanges and parks – they drew up key routes that would connect existing cycle routes to those areas, and have put forward those proposals to the highways engineers in charge of the Active Travel Fund plans. Local Liberal Democrat Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani said: “It’s really important to have a vision for how we are going to join up the existing cycle routes that we have, and with new work that is going ahead. “For example, the routes in Greenfield are going to connect a new Tameside loop route. I’ve proposed that the next extension should connect…

13Aug 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Welcome for new convenience store on former King’s Arms/Big Lamp pub site, High Street, Shaw

Borough news

Shaw Liberal Democrat Councillors are pleased to see plans progressing to build a new convenience store on the derelict King’s Arms/Big Lamp site, on High Street, Shaw. Local councillors and the Shaw and Crompton Parish Council have been consulted by the developer on the plans. For his part, Shaw Councillor Howard Sykes MBE is looking forward to seeing the site brought back into use. “We have waited more than ten years to see the successful redevelopment of the site, and now I am delighted that we may soon see a new community store there to serve local residents. Not only should this improve the retail offer in Shaw, but it will redevelop a major gateway site into the town centre, a site which for too long has been an eyesore…

13Aug 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Special congratulations due to pupils qualifying in most difficult academic year

Borough news

Despite the adversity faced by students learning during the UK’s worst pandemic in over 100 years, Oldham’s pupils are still expected to shine this week in their A Levels and BTEC’s, Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Leader Councillor Howard Sykes MBE could not be prouder of our future generation. “Hats off to all of our young people; they have stuck at it and performed magnificently, and I send to them all my congratulations on their amazing achievement,” said Councillor Sykes. "As life has changed for all of us, since March 2020, so too has life for students. They have had to adapt to learning from home via a virtual link with their teacher and with no personal contact with tutors and friends for long periods, and they have seen their school attendance…

13Aug 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Govt must guarantee sixth form places for GCSE students who get the grades

Borough news, Parliamentary news

The Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to provide emergency funding to schools and colleges to provide extra sixth form places for applicants who get the GCSE grades to meet their existing admissions criteria. With students achieving record GCSE results today, there are fears that some sixth forms will be forced to use “oversubscription criteria” to turn away applicants from other schools, even though they have met the usual entry criteria. Dr Lee Elliot Major, Professor of Social Mobility at the University of Exeter, has described sixth form admissions as “the Wild West of the education system” and warned about “the prospects of poorer pupils who will not necessarily be backed up by sharp-elbowed parents.” Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said: “No one who has worked so…

13Aug 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrats call on public to Say No to Labour’s Green Belt land grab

Borough news

Oldham residents can now have their say on Labour’s latest Places for Everyone plan and the Oldham Liberal Democrats are urging everyone to say No to Labour’s Green Belt and green land grab. Liberal Democrat Leader Councillor Howard Sykes said: “The Liberal Democrats tried at the last Council meeting (July 28) to seek Oldham’s withdrawal from Places for Everyone because it will still mean the loss of much of our precious and irreplaceable Green Belt, but Labour used its bloc vote to get it through. Now the public can have their say in this latest consultation to say No to Labour’s latest version of Mayor Burnham’s Green Belt land grab." Places for Everyone is the successor to the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF) which was derailed after Stockport Liberal Democrats…

13Aug 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Sykes backs call for Freeman award for Shaw’s Olympic gold medal cyclist Matt Walls

Borough news

Shaw cyclist Matt Walls has put his hometown, Shaw, and Crompton, on the sporting map through winning both Gold and Silver medals in cycling at the recent Tokyo Olympic games, and Shaw Councillor Howard Sykes MBE has backed calls for Matt to receive the honour of being made a Freeman of the Borough of Oldham. “Matt Walls has demonstrated that he is pure gold. He is an incredible athlete, an incredible ambassador for Shaw and for Oldham, and a tremendous role model to inspire young people in our borough to participate and achieve in sport”, said Councillor Sykes. “As a Borough we should do him the honour of making him a Freeman of the Borough. “We made hockey player Nicola White a Freeman when she became a gold medallist in…

Category: Borough news