15Jul 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Lib Dems call for urgent reinstatement of disabled parking spaces

Borough news
Oldham Liberal Democrats are calling for the Council to urgently pass the review of disabled parking spaces across the borough. After no funding for the bays for the past year, resulting in a backlog of requests, the bays are now being held up by a review of the policy on who qualifies. Liberal Democrat Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani said: “We need to be ensuring that the most vulnerable people in our community are properly looked after; and not processing any disabled parking bays for nearly 18 months is reprehensible.  “I have residents in my ward who applied in March 2019, and are still on the waiting list. They will continue to be so until this review is finished. A budget has been allocated, but it cannot be spent until the new…
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14Jul 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Planning errors undermine public confidence in Council

Borough news
After a blunder on the dates for the public to respond to a planning application at the former Fytton Arms pub led to the application having to be deferred in the middle of the meeting, it has emerged that other similar problems have been happening in recent weeks.  Mark Kenyon, a Liberal Democrat campaigner in Saddleworth West and Lees, said: “Exactly the same thing happened on a planning application in Springhead at the end of May. Fortunately, one of the residents responded to the error, and let us know. We were able to speak to the planning office, and on that occasion at least, residents were able to get their voice heard. “This has happened at the same time as we have had problems with the consultation dates on a…
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14Jul 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Reward our Covid-19 frontline workers properly

Borough news
Saddleworth West and Lees Liberal Democrat Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani backs a Liberal Democrat idea to support frontline Covid-19 workers in Oldham Borough.  At the next full meeting of Oldham Council (15 July), he will propose an amendment to a Labour motion on care workers.  The Liberal Democrats in Oldham believe the administration motion does not go far enough.  They want to reward frontline Covid-19 workers for their bravery and professionally.  Not just financially, but also with the award of a pandemic service medal from the Government. Councillor Al-Hamdani says: “These workers should receive an additional payment for every working day they have spent on the front-line of this crisis.  The Liberal Democrats would pay these workers an extra £29 per day.  It would be backdated to the start of the…
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14Jul 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

This is local electricity, for local people!

Borough news
Oldham Liberal Democrat Councillors Dave Murphy and Chris Gloster are supporting the Local Electricity Bill. This is supported by over one hundred and fifty Members of Parliament.  Local authorities can play a central role in creating sustainable communities. The Local Electricity Bill would allow Councils and local community groups to work together to generate electricity from renewable sources to supply local homes, schools and businesses. Money received by Councils from the sale of local renewable electricity can be used to help fund measures to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions and to help fund local services and facilities.  Councillor Murphy said: “We are calling for the Council and our local Members of Parliament to ask the UK Government to enact this legislation. If they did so, it would make the setup…
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14Jul 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Free television licences for over 75s? Not any more…

Borough news
The Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council is furious with the Government.  Councillor Howard Sykes has previously written to the Secretary of State of The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on this issue, seeking a continuation of free television (TV) licences for the over-75s.  Now the Conservative Government is going ahead with charging those over-75s and more than three million households will be required to start paying the £157.50 licence fee from the start of August. For many who live alone, the television is their sole companion.  Not just a source of entertainment, the television allows people to stay informed on current Government advice in an ever-changing situation.  Councillor Sykes comments: “Millions of pensioners have spent lockdown at home with TV. It…
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13Jul 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Save Oldham’s Services

Borough news
The COVID-19 outbreak is placing massive pressure on services provided by both Oldham Council and the NHS. Team Oldham, the voluntary sector and the community have worked tirelessly throughout this pandemic to keep Oldham residents safe. This vital work has come at a massive financial cost to Oldham Council. Although further government funding has been announced, it is not enough to fully support the people of Oldham. We’re calling on the community to say thanks to those who have been working to look after others, the care workers, waste disposal teams, emergency helpline operators and more. To enable us to keep being there for our residents we now need the support from Government in the form of fair funding. This funding will help make up the costs the council has…
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12Jul 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Broken conservation links need fixing urgently

Borough news
Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet member for Housing and Homelessness Sam Al-Hamdani is calling on Oldham Council to urgently repair the online systems for checking on the status on conservation areas and listed buildings. Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani said: “The Council has moved many of its services online – and for the most part it is of great benefit to residents. However, that reliance means that we need to ensure that those services stay available. “One of my local residents had an issue with an overhanging tree – a large branch had fallen into her garden, and she was understandably worried about the risk of it happening again in the future, particularly because her husband is registered blind, and their garden is a safe space for him to go out. Before we…
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12Jul 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

How do we stop modern slums in Greater Manchester?

Borough news, Campaigns
Oldham Liberal Democrat Councillors Sam Al-Hamdani and Hazel Gloster will pose this question when they propose a related motion at the next full meeting of Oldham Council (15 July). Councillors Al-Hamdani and Gloster are seeking a guarantee that any new homes that are built in the Borough have natural light and a minimum space standard. They also want this guarantee to extend to former non-residential premises converted into homes. Councillor Al-Hamdani, who is proposing the motion, said: “In Watford last year, despite the strong objections of the Liberal Democrat Mayor and Liberal Democrat Council, planning permission was granted for flats that had no windows and were smaller than 37 square metres, which is below the government guidelines. While there are guidelines, there is nothing in law saying this cannot happen…
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05Jul 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Councillors call for Shaw and Crompton to support treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

Borough news, Campaigns
Councillor Louie Hamblett has put forward a motion in his capacity as the peace champion for Shaw and Crompton Parish Council in conjunction with The Oldham Pledge to Peace Forum, for the Parish council to declare its support for the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), a historic international treaty which once ratified will result in the complete prohibition of developing, testing and using nuclear weapons. Councillor Hamblett said: “Only nine countries have nuclear weapons. Many countries could make nuclear weapons but have as of yet decided not to do so.” He continued, “As it is written in The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons booklet; ‘a hundred and ninety-one countries have joined the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) which prohibits the acquisition of nuclear weapons. The United States,…
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25Jun 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrat Leader calls for free wifi to be restored on trams

Borough news, Campaigns
The Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has written to Metrolink bosses calling for Wi-fi to be made available on available on tram services. Councillor Sykes sits as an Oldham representative on the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee.  Councillor Sykes also represents Shaw Ward, which is located on the busiest Metrolink tram service and has the most used stop – Shaw and Crompton – on the Rochdale – Oldham line.  He was responding to a report from one of his constituents, himself a regular tram user, that the Wi-fi service has not been available on trams on the line since the onset of the Coronavirus Lockdown. Commenting, Councillor Sykes said: “I do not know why the Wi-fi service was…
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