20Mar 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Oldham Liberal Democrats suggest new measures to tackle speeding

Borough news, Campaigns, Saddleworth News
Saddleworth North Liberal Democrat Councillor Garth Harkness has proposed a motion to Oldham Council (Wednesday 20 March) asking for further measures to be adopted to tackle speeding across the borough, including in his own ward. Councillor Harkness first asked for action in a letter sent last September to the Deputy Leader of the Council, Councillor Arooj Shah. Unfortunately six months on, nothing seems to have changed. Councillor Harkness said: “Speeding is one of those issues that every ward councillor receives complaints about on a regular basis, yet action on this issue by this Labour Administration seems so slow. In contrast, the Liberal Democrats seek action on road safety issues.” “We have previously proposed 30mph zones on residential streets but, after a long look by the Overview and Scrutiny Board, nothing…
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20Mar 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Greater Manchester pension investments in fracking ‘a dilemma’

Borough news
Liberal Democrat Councillor Derek Heffernan has proposed a motion to the Oldham Council (Wednesday 20 March) asking the Greater Manchester Pension Fund to review its investments in fracking operations and in fossil fuels in light of the recent decision by the Mayor of Greater Manchester and the leaders of the ten local authorities making up the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to ‘presume’ against fracking when considering planning applications. Councillor Heffernan, who has previously served as the representative of Oldham Council on the board of the Pension Fund, described it as a ‘dilemma’. “How can we retain investments in fracking and in fossil fuels when the presumption is because of their environmental impact that these are a bad thing and to be avoided? We need our pension fund managers to take…
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03Mar 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

New Saddleworth school application approval welcomed by Lib Dems

Borough news, Campaigns, Saddleworth News
For many years we have had students at Saddleworth school who were promised a new school and yet are now well on into adulthood. Other school proposals have come and been built yet in Saddleworth we have a generation who have missed out. For too long the wishes of the school and the children have been ignored. We praise the work done by Saddleworth parents and children amongst many others who want the school built. The Liberal Democrats have always unanimously supported a new school wherever the Education Funding Agency saw was appropriate. We wanted a new school and have been open about this. We along with others have been abused at times for our position on the school. Having different views is fine but threats and abuse over someone’s…
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20Feb 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

More Oldham children being failed: Liberal Democrat Leader disappointed at news of yet another poor school performance

Borough news, Campaigns
The Leader of the Opposition and the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has expressed his disappointment and dismay on hearing news that another school in Oldham – the Oasis Academy Oldham – has failed the OFSTED test when it comes to performance. Councillor Sykes said:  “Oldham Council and its educational partners have had years to turn around Oldham’s academic performance, but yet again we see another negative report of an Oldham school rated ‘inadequate’ and in need of ‘improvement’ in several key areas, including the quality of teaching, learning and assessment.”   “When the Oldham Education and Skills Commission Chair Baroness Estelle Morris stated on the publication of its long-awaited report in January 2016, ‘we are on the edge of being able to achieve great things…
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20Feb 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Why can’t we use lower housing figure to save greenbelt?

Borough news, Campaigns
The Leader of the Opposition and the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has written to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, James Brokenshire MP, to ask him whether it would in fact be permissible for the ten local authorities in Greater Manchester to use the lower figures for expected household growth published in 2016 to decide on the number of homes to be built in the conurbation under the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework. Thousands of these new homes would be built on Green Belt sites in Crompton, Shaw, Royton and Chadderton. Figures published by Mr Brokenshire’s own department in 2012 indicated that households in Greater Manchester would increase by 213,380 by 2035, or 18.75%, yet by contrast the more recent figures…
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18Feb 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Oldham Liberal Democrat Leader surprised at deficiencies in the collection of pothole data

Borough news
The Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has been surprised to discover that Oldham Council officers do not record the number of potholes that are reported, nor the number of potholes that are repaired.  Councillor Sykes has written to Helen Lockwood, Deputy Chief Executive – People at Place at Oldham to ask why? Commenting, Councillor Sykes said: “This information was disclosed in answer to a Freedom of Information request.  I am very surprised that we do not collect this data as surely we need it to determine how effective our road repair work is?” “Last November (2018), the Oldham Liberal Democrat Group brought a motion to the Council meeting seeking a commitment to the Council to repair potholes posing a hazard to…
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18Feb 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Oldham Liberal Democrat leader delighted Turing finally recognised in public poll as greatest icon

Borough news
The Leader of the Opposition and the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has expressed his delight that in the public vote held in connection with BBC Two Icons Series, Dr Alan Turing topped the poll as the greatest icon of the Twentieth Century. Councillor Sykes said: “This is quite remarkable, especially when it is considered that Alan Turing was up against many other true greats, like Dr Martin Luther King and President Nelson Mandela.” “Alan Turing was treated disgracefully by the British Government after his outstanding achievements in secret public service during the Second World War.  As a mathematician with a brilliant mind, Turing made a major contribution to the war effort in cracking the Enigma code used by the German military forces in their…
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18Feb 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Save our assets – save the Limekiln café

Borough news, Campaigns
Liberal Democrat Councillors Derek Hefernan and Garth Harkness have called for Oldham Council to do everything they can to make a deal with LimeKiln Café at the Brownhill Visitor Centre in Dobcross. The Café have put in an offer to buy the building but it has not been accepted yet. Councillor Garth Harkness said: “We did not want the Council to sell the Brownhill Visitor Centre building. But Oldham Council decided to do so anyway. We then called on the council to do everything possible to allow the Café to buy the freehold. Oldham council should keep discussions open with the café to try to sell to them. “There is concern over the future of the Café, Car parks and toilets if it is sold to someone else. The Saddleworth…
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11Feb 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

First Bus sale a chance to create a First-Class Bus Service, says Oldham Liberal Democrat Leader

Borough news
The Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has responded to recent reports in the national and transport press that First Bus Group has put its Manchester operation up for sale.  Councillor Sykes also represents Oldham Council on the Transport for Greater Manchester committee. According to Passenger Transport, in 2012/13 the division had a £101 million turnover and made £3.5 million profit.  However, by 2017/18 revenues had fallen to £86m, and the Manchester operation made a loss of £5.8m.  National media reports suggest the business could be sold for as little as £20 million with vehicles sold to one or more competing operators, along with depots at Bolton, Bury and Oldham. Commenting, Councillor Sykes said:  “The consistent feedback received from my constituents, who are…
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11Feb 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrats support Dogs Trust Clean-up Campaign on Valentine’s Day

Borough news
The Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council is supporting a Dogs Trust campaign called ‘A Tail of True Love’.  The leading animal welfare charity launches this campaign every year on Valentine’s Day (14 February) to encourage dog owners who love their pets to clean up after them. Since being elected in 2015, Liberal Democrat Councillor Chris Gloster has, like his Liberal Democrat colleagues in Shaw and Crompton, found dog fouling to be the bane of his life in elected office. Councillor Chris Gloster with Councillor Hazel Gloster, and William the dog, showing their support for A Tail of True Love at Dunwood Park, Shaw, where dog-fouling is an issue Commenting Councillor Gloster said: “Ward Councillors receive regular complaints about dog fouling.  It is both an eye-sore and a health hazard,…
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