28Apr 2018 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Let no primary school child go hungry, say Liberal Democrats

Borough news, Campaigns
The Leader of the Opposition and of the Oldham Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has contrasted the recent attempt by the Conservative Government to curtail the entitlement to free school meals from children from the country’s poorest families to his own party’s policy. Councillor Sykes said: “The Conservatives seem to be on their own in wanting to change the rules to prevent children from households receiving Universal Credit from getting a free hot meal at school every day.  This would hit Oldham especially hard as Oldham Borough has the single greatest number of Universal Credit recipients in the UK.  Many of these will be parents with children and, as I highlighted in a question to the Council leader at our last full Council meeting (28 March), Oldham features…
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27Apr 2018 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Huge disappointment at yet more delays to building a new Saddleworth school

Borough news, Saddleworth News
The Saddleworth and Lees Liberal Democrats would like to express their huge disappointment at yet another delay to the building of Saddleworth School following the announcement of the Environment Agency’s objection to the revised flood risk assessment despite failing to raise any objections on the previous application. The vast majority of people want a new Saddleworth school, and 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. Our priority has always been to ensure that we get a new secondary school in Saddleworth and have always worked constructively with the council and other partners to achieve this.  Sadly, a small group have been…
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21Apr 2018 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrat Leader cries ‘Foul’ over reduced action on irresponsible dog owners

Borough news
The Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has expressed his disappointment and frustration over figures revealed through a recent Freedom of Information Act request which show that Oldham Council have massively reduced action on irresponsible dog owners who fail to clean up after their pets.  The figures show that in 2017 only one dog owner was prosecuted and the offender received only a £40 fine. Councillor Sykes said: “This inaction sends out completely the wrong signal to irresponsible and inconsiderate dog owners.  The vast majority of dog owners accept that as part of the responsibility of pet ownership they must clean up after their dog in the interests of public health and to help keep our streets and public parks clean, but…
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12Apr 2018 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrats seek Council support for Shaw economy in advance of Shop Direct closure

Borough news
Following the shock announcement that Shop Direct will be closing its Shaw depot in 2020, the Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group, Shaw Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has contacted senior Oldham Council officers seeking reassurance that the Council will offer a full range of support services to local businesses who lose trade, as well as local employees who lose their jobs, as a result of the proposed closure. Shaw and Crompton councillors were informed via email by Shop Direct of their intentions at 12.00 hours on Wednesday 11th April 2018. Councillor Sykes; speaking on behalf of all the Liberal Democrat Councillors for Shaw and Crompton; said:  “This will have a serious impact on Oldham’s economy, particularly in Shaw and Crompton.  Shop Direct is estimated to employ,…
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31Mar 2018 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Meet the candidates – Sam Al-Hamdani, Saddleworth West and Lees

Borough news, Saddleworth News
I am a local campaigner, born and bred in Saddleworth, who has now moved back to Lees after working at the United Nations in Geneva.  I now help to run an accreditation scheme for companies who pay their fair share of tax, the Fair Tax Mark. Many local residents currently feel like they are not getting what they need from Oldham Council; whether it’s the number of potholes in the streets, litter, or the endless delays over Saddleworth School. The council needs to do more to engage in Saddleworth and Lees.  There isn’t an endless pot of money, but residents don’t feel that spending is going on the things that make a difference. We are losing local services, such as Springhead Post Office. Labour's plans to build on green sites…
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31Mar 2018 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Meet the candidates – John McCann, Saddleworth South

Borough news, Saddleworth News
I am John McCann, married with two grown up children and have lived in Saddleworth for 42 years.  I have been an active Oldham Borough Councillor for the last 12 years and before that on Saddleworth Parish Council.  I serve as Deputy Leader of the Opposition. I care deeply for our villages and communities and have fought hard to keep local facilities and services like post offices, shops, bus and train services, doctors’ surgeries and libraries. The biggest threat facing Saddleworth is Greater Manchester‘s plans to allocate land for over 2000 houses on our precious Green Belt and open spaces.  Roads are in a sorry state, our schools are full and our secondary school needs replacing without further delay. My priorities if re-elected are to: –  Implement Liberal Democrat plans…
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31Mar 2018 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Meet the candidates – John Eccles, Saddleworth North

Borough news, Saddleworth News
I am John Eccles, a married, semi-retired College Lecturer, formerly employed by British Gas. I have lived in Saddleworth for more than 30 years and have raised my family here. My children and my grandchildren have been educated here in local schools. I have been an active member of our community for 30 years and I care deeply for our villages and I have seen a lot of changes. The biggest threat to where we live is the development of large-scale housing projects on many of our green spaces. Greater Manchester want more than 2,000 houses to be built in Saddleworth and the Council are working with certain landowners to make this happen. How will our crumbling roads cope?  Our schools are already full; our only secondary school is falling apart…
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22Mar 2018 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Cannes you believe it?

Borough news, Parliamentary news
£10,000 would be better spent fixing our crumbling roads or providing care for our vulnerable children or elderly citizens rather than on French Seaside Spree, says Liberal Democrat Leader The Leader of the Opposition and Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes, MBE, has questioned the value of Oldham Council spending more than £10,000 + VAT to send two Council officers to the French Riviera resort of Cannes at a time when Council services have been cut to the bone. The two officers were representing Oldham Council at the three day Marché International des Professionnels d'Immobilier (MIPIM) property conference earlier this month.  Oldham Council was one of at least nine around the UK that the national press reported were sending representatives at public expense. Commenting Councillor Sykes stated: …
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16Mar 2018 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrats call for Oldham to become a plastic-free borough

Borough news, Campaigns
Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet Member for Housing, Transport and Planning Councillor Dave Murphy will be proposing a motion at the next full meeting of Oldham Council (Wednesday, 28 March) calling for Oldham to become a single use plastic-free Borough. Councillor Murphy said: “300 million tons of new plastic is made across the world every year, around half of this is turned into billions of items, such as drinking straws, cups and utensils that are used once and discarded.  Much of this waste goes to landfill, more sadly still some of it ends up in our oceans.” “I think all of us will have been shocked by the recent images on our televisions and on social media of the world’s oceans being smothered by discarded plastic and sea birds and mammals…
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16Mar 2018 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Oldham Liberal Democrats call for ban on new hot food takeaways near schools to help curb childhood obesity

Borough news, Campaigns
Crompton Liberal Democrat Councillor Diane Williamson will be proposing a motion to the next full meeting of Oldham Council (Wednesday 28 March) calling for Oldham Council to prohibit new hot food takeaways within 400 metres of schools and is appealing to the Borough’s schools to apply a ‘stay-on-site’ policy at lunchtimes and ban takeaway deliveries to school gates.   In October 2017, the medical journal, The Lancet, reported that one in every ten young people, aged 5 to 19, in the UK was classed as obese. In Oldham, the situation is even worse. The Public Health England profile for the Borough, published July 2017, reported that one in five, 21.9%, of children at Year 6 were classed as obese. Commenting, Councillor Williamson said: “Childhood obesity has risen to epic proportions…
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