23Aug 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Unused tramlines could make the network safer

Borough news
Councillor Howard Sykes MBE challenges local tram operator to create fully functioning tram turnback facilities.  These would be at Westwood and Oldham Mumps.  The Liberal Democrat Leader on Oldham Borough Council told Transport for Greater Manchester (TFGM) that by motorising the existing points and modifying the signalling system they would create a safer travel network for residents.   The overall aim is to utilise the resources the network currently has, in full.  There have been several incidents recently where Oldham Town Centre Metrolink tracks have been blocked.  Passengers have had to leave the trams at Freehold Tram Stop for trams coming from Manchester, and Derker Tram Stop for trams coming from Rochdale. There have also been cases when trams have been damaged by vandals and the travelling public have been ‘thrown…
Read More
06Aug 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

New Saddleworth School can finally happen

Borough news, Campaigns, Saddleworth News
Now that the period to call a judicial review is over the building of a Saddleworth school can finally happen. This was met with delight by Saddleworth Liberal Democrat Councillor Garth Harkness. He said “I am delighted that a new school can now be finally be built. I have always been clear from day one that I want a new school, wherever the Education Funding Agency saw it as appropriate. It has been clear for some time that that place was Diggle. “There has been a lot of strong feeling about this and at times I have been met with abuse. We now need to move on from this.” The process has gone on for over seven years and has seen a series of delays including a Judicial Review on…
Read More
06Aug 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Oldham Liberal Democrats reveal extent of ‘criminal’ Conservative police cuts

Borough news, Campaigns
The true extent of ‘criminal’ Conservative police cuts in Greater Manchester have been revealed by local Liberal Democrats. Councillor Howard Sykes MBE commented on a Liberal Democrat analysis of new Home Office figures released recently.  They revealed that the Conservative Government cut funding to Greater Manchester by 6.3% in real terms between 2015–16 and 2019–20. According to data from the Home Office statistical bulletin: ‘Police funding for England and Wales 2015 to 2020,’ total government funding to all 43 forces in the UK (in 2019-20 prices) fell from £8.48 billion in 2015–16 to £7.99 billion in 2019–20.  32 of the 43 forces across the country experienced cuts of 6% or more.  Liberal Democrat Councillor Howard Sykes MBE said: “Across the country, we are seeing rising crime and falling police numbers.  Far too many…
Read More
06Aug 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Shock suspension of Head of Planning at Oldham Council

Borough news, Saddleworth News
After a formal request, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Liberal Democrat Leader in Oldham Borough has been informed that the Head of Planning and Infrastructure, Steven Irvine, has been suspended from the Council.  He has been suspended from duties whilst allegations of ‘gross misconduct’ are ‘fully investigated’.   Councillor Sykes MBE wants to know how long for and what steps have been put in place to maintain a planning service.  “Currently it is far from perfect and I and other councilors are getting lots of complaints from residents and business,” stated Councillor Sykes. “There is currently a large amount of public unrest in relation to the Planning Officer’s Reports in relation to two applications leading to decisions of approval: 1: PA/342008/18 Land at Hodge Clough Road Oldham 2. PA/343269/19 Land at Knowls Lane,…
Read More
19Jul 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrats want maximum fines for thoughtless dog owners

Borough news
Thoughtless dog owners are being targeted in fresh calls for max on the spot fines.  Liberal Democrats in Oldham Borough want to charge people the maximum allowed by law for those who don’t pick up their dog muck.  Owners who do not observe the law could be fined £100. Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, the Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Oldham Council wants the full force of the law to tackle this issue.  He says: “Dog fouling is horrendous; it can make children go blind.  Also, people who fail to control their dogs can have tragic impacts on local residents.” Councillor Sykes added: “I have raised this with the Deputy Leader and portfolio holder but if nothing happens, like it has before, I will continue to pursue this.  The vast…
Read More
13Jul 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Big help through Real Change

Borough news
The Leader of the Opposition and the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has welcomed the recent announcement that the Council will finally back an initiative called Real Change Oldham to support people who are homeless in our Borough.  This will mirror the suggestion that he made himself in a question to the Council Leader at a meeting on 13 December 2017. The Real Change Scheme Oldham, delivered by a coalition of Oldham Council and social partners, will help residents deal with the issues they face day-to-day as they struggle to survive with homelessness. In December 2017, Councillor Sykes suggested Oldham join Rochdale, Manchester, Bradford and Leeds in becoming a member Council of the Big Change scheme.  Real Change Oldham will offer a similar service.   Commenting Councillor…
Read More
13Jul 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Bid for Urban Tree Challenge to make Oldham Borough greener

Borough news
In recent times, world leaders have acknowledged that there is a climate change emergency affecting every one of us.  The Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has written to the Council Leader suggesting Oldham Council apply to the Government’s Urban Tree Challenge Fund to help do our bit in tackling climate change. The Urban Tree Challenge Fund has been developed in response to the Government releasing £10 million last year for planting, at least, 130,000 trees nationally across England’s towns and cities. Councillor Sykes believes that the Council should make the most of this windfall as further tree planting will provide economic, social and health benefits for the people of Oldham, especially in the Borough’s district centres…
Read More
12Jul 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Diane says “Change and Check”

Borough news, Campaigns
Last Thursday I sat in a meeting at Oldham Council – the Performance and Value for Money meeting – and we were talking about Staff Absences and that 7% of the Council's staff are absent due to Cancer. Which got me thinking about the Campaign that I have seen every morning on ITV for so many weeks and thought it might help in some small way.   It was on Lorraine Kelly's ITV morning program where she and her former Producer Helen Addis (who was diagnosed with breast cancer at 39 years old last) spoke passionately about the campaign. So on Friday of last week I wrote to the CE of Oldham Council, the Principal of Oldham College and Oldham Community Leisure, asking them to look at whether Oldham Council could do more to…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More