29Jul 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrat Leader welcomes summer offer from Company Shop

Borough news
Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council has given a warm welcome to a recent announcement from Company Shop that families in receipt of free school meal vouchers can receive a £15 weekly top-up voucher and also take advantage of the discount prices they offer over summer, but he advises they act quickly to get in before the deadline. Councillor Sykes said:  “Company Shop sells a wide range of surplus grocery and household products to its members at discounted prices.  It does this by working in collaboration with manufacturers and retailers from the industry.  This benefits members with stretched personal budgets to provide for their families and it ensures that perfectly good food and household items do not end…
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28Jul 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrats baffled at Labour refusal to stop clothing waste and oppose modern slavery

Borough news
Liberal Democrat councillors Diane Williamson and Garth Harkness were left baffled when Labour councillors voted against their motion at the full meeting of Oldham Council on Wednesday 15th July 2020.  Councillor Harkness’s and Williamson’s motion asked Oldham Council to work with representatives from the clothing manufacturers and retailers; the trades unions in these sectors; and campaign groups to develop a strategy to end clothing waste, meet clothing need and tackle the exploitation of garment workers in this Borough. Councillor Williamson said:  “Across the country there are schemes where people donate clothing and the third sector and local authorities then direct people, who are in need, to these places so that they can get clothing for a special occasion, as well as job interviews.  People are given vouchers and some organisations put a…
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28Jul 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Planning rule changes mean more substandard housing

Borough news, Parliamentary news
Changes to permitted development announced by the Government mean that far more substandard houses are likely to be built in the UK over the next few years. Sam Al-Hamdani, the shadow cabinet member for Housing and Homelessness on Oldham Council said: “We cannot abandon housing standards for the sake of getting these extra houses. The Conservative Government is rushing through rules that are going to create a new generation of slums. And the places that are most going to be affected are the places which are already struggling to get new housing – such as Oldham.  On the same day that the changes were rushed through, a damning report investigating the results of the previous changes to permitted development showed that only 21% of houses created using permitted development would meet…
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28Jul 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Oldham has backlog of 120 requests disabled parking spaces – and enough money for five this year

Borough news
Local Liberal Democrat campaigner Mark Kenyon has discovered that Oldham Council’s budget for disabled parking spaces is only enough to provide five this year, even though the Council now has a backlog of 122 residents waiting, after none were provided last year. He said: “Residents should be told what is going on when they are applying. At this rate, it would be over 20 years before the people currently on the list would get a parking space. “The cost of getting a space put in is £3,000 per space. If it costs this much, a budget of £15,000 for the year really is a drop in the ocean. We either need to get them done for less, or get realistic about how much we would actually need to spend.” The…
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27Jul 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Third time lucky: Liberal Democrat Leader calls again for special Council meeting to discuss Labour’s green belt homes plan

Borough news
The Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has written to the Leader of Oldham Council to ask once more for a special meeting of the full Council to be convened to consider a one-item agenda – the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework and its impact on the Oldham Borough. Councillor Sykes first asked the Leader for such a meeting in the Full Council meeting in September 2018, and again in December of that year.  Council minutes have since recorded that the matter is ‘in progress’.  After almost two years of waiting for a meeting, Councillor Sykes’ patience has worn thin and he is concerned that time for further meaningful debate on the issue is fast running out. Commenting Councillor…
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25Jul 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrat Leader seeks Covid-19 safety guarantees amidst a No-Deal exit from the European Union

Borough news, Campaigns
Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council has written to the local MP over his concerns over the likely impact of a No-Deal Brexit, when combined with the Covid pandemic, on public safety.  On Friday 12th June, the UK government decided not to seek an extension of the existing transition period before exiting the European Union.  The UK will leave the European Union entirely on 31 December 2020. Councillor Sykes worries for the most vulnerable in society if Britain leaves the European Union without a deal whilst still reeling from the impact of Covid-19.  Commenting he said:  “A No-Deal Brexit combined with Covid would represent a double whammy.  Progress made so far on securing a future trade deal between the UK…
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23Jul 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrat Leader welcomes reopening of public toilets

Borough news
Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council is pleased to hear that public toilets in Oldham are opening from 21 July from 10am – 4pm. Councillor Sykes wrote recently to the Chief Executive of Oldham Council asking when toilets would reopen as the lifting of lockdown increased the number of people accessing shops and public parks, and a lack of public toilets was both inconvenient and a deterrent preventing many people from going out. He also asked about the timetable for reopening toilets in the premises of business partners and community venues participating in the Community Toilet Scheme. This issue was also raised by Councillor Sykes’ colleague, fellow Shaw Councillor Hazel Gloster, at last Wednesday’s meeting of Full Council…
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23Jul 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

When will new computer system finally be an asset to GM policing?

Borough news, Campaigns
Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group and Leader of the Opposition on Oldham Council, has written once more to Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham with his concerns about the continued shortcomings of the new iOPS (Integrated Operating Policing System).  Councillor Sykes originally wrote to Mayor Burnham on this issue in October 2019 after a number of police officers contacted him about the failings of the new system, and he also met recently with the Mayor and raised the issue with him in person. iOPS replaced three existing computer systems in July 2019 after a 16-month delay and at an unknown cost, stated at various times to be between £27 and £60 million. The system has been plagued with technical faults and has so far failed to…
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22Jul 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrat welcome for Chancellor’s cheap eats announcements

Borough news, Campaigns
The Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE has welcomed the reduction in VAT on food purchased in pubs, cafes and restaurants from 20% to 5% for a six-month period starting last week. This was one of the Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s announcements on the 8 July. Councillor Sykes is especially pleased because the Oldham Liberal Democrat Group proposed just such a VAT reduction in a motion almost six years ago to Oldham Council. Councillor Sykes: “In September 2014, the Liberal Democrats brought a motion before Oldham Council calling for a VAT cut to 5% from 20%. This was in support of Tax Parity Day, an annual event hosted by pub chains, such as Wetherspoons, where food is reduced in price…
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22Jul 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Time to close the legal loophole, says Liberal Democrat Leader

Borough news, Campaigns
The Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE is “dismayed” at the findings of a recent BBC investigation (9 July) which identified 164 cases of sports coaches engaging in sexual activity with 16- or 17-year olds in their care since 2016. The Oldham Liberal Democrats proposed a motion to the September 2019 meeting of Oldham Council demanding the Government “close this loophole” in the Sexual Offences Act, making this a criminal offence, as it is with teachers.  Commenting on the investigation, Councillor Sykes said: “It is incredibly sad and disturbing that despite the announcement of then Sports Minister Tracey Crouch that a change in the law had been agreed, three years on this Government has still not amended the…
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