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226 children’s operations have been cancelled at Northern Care Alliance hospitals over the last 5 years, many due to a shortage of staff and beds, shocking figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats have revealed. Leader of Oldham Liberal Democrats councillor Howard Sykes MBE said, “The number of children’s operations that have been cancelled across Oldham over the last five years will send a chill down every parent’s spine. But the truth is these figures are only the latest evidence that our local NHS services are now on life support after years of neglect from the Conservative government.” “The waiting lists for cancer treatments, the unacceptable ambulance waiting times and the crumbling state of our hospitals and surgeries. Every day we see the NHS sink deeper and deeper into chaos under…

Liberal Democrat Crompton Councillor Louie Hamblett who Chairs the Autism Way Forward board at Oldham Council has recently written to Transport for Greater Manchester and Mayor Andy Burnham regarding ongoing saga that residents of Oldham and Greater Manchester who have autism with or without a Learning Disability is not currently accepted by their criteria application forms. Councillor Hamblett said: “With Autism Acceptance week coming up at the end of March it is really important that all the work around supporting people with Autism to get to work and to places they need to be should happen to give them every equal opportunity as everyone else.” The current criteria for passes are very rigidly set and leans heavily towards those who have physical impairments or have been refused a driving license…

Almost £80 million is needed to clear hospital maintenance backlog and repair crumbling NHS buildings across North Manchester – including Royal Oldham Hospital, new analysis by the Liberal Democrats has found.  Meanwhile, the NHS is facing a £700 million cut to its budget for repairs across the country.    Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Leader, councillor Howard Sykes said, “NHS staff are working flat out in under resourced, unfit buildings.  Yet the government is cutting budgets instead of stumping up for the essential repairs that NHS facilities need.  No wonder our NHS is struggling to catch up with the backlog of patients caused by the pandemic.”  The small print of last week’s Autumn Statement revealed the savage cut to the Department for Health’s capital spending budget next year, which is used for…

Oldham Council have postponed a reduction in the size of ID plates on taxis after Lib Dem Councillor Louie Hamblett called out the failure to carry out an Equality Impact Assessment as part of the decision. The plates, which identify private hire cars, were due to change shortly until Councillor Hamblett challenged the decision, pointing out that for people who have impaired vision – and who are therefore more likely to use taxis – would be most affected by the change. Councillor Hamblett said: “This just hasn’t been thought through – and I know that because the report to Cabinet tells me that they didn’t look at this. It’s very simple – if this makes it harder for people with impaired vision to recognise taxis, it should not be going…

Crompton Councillor Louie Hamblett has written to Oldham Council leader Councillor Amanda Chadderton to ask whether a cross-party group of councillors could be created, with the task of making recommendations to this council for a truly fitting memorial to Queen Elizabeth II? The late Queen was our nation’s longest serving monarch and visited our borough more than once – even holding a garden party here in Oldham. A considered and collaborative tribute on behalf of this council is only fitting and Councillor Hamblett said: “I’m sure many members would want to play an active role in delivering this.” He added: “I look forward to hearing back from the leader on this, as her late Majesty was surely our greatest Monarch. Now, after seeing 70 years of great change and bringing…

Poles set to blight residential streets in Saddleworth – local Councillor and community fight back Liberal Democrat Councillor Alicia Marland was recently contacted by residents from Bracken Close in Springhead who had objected to Openreach about their proposal to install telegraph poles on the Close after spotting posters placed on lampposts near their homes. Unfortunately their written and verbal complaints were being ignored so she contacted the local Openreach Engineers and held a community meeting about their plans and to give the residents an opportunity to air their views and concerns about the detrimental visual impact the poles would have. Alicia said: "I am delighted that we were able to agree that Openreach would not put wooden poles up the length of the road but instead install the fibre via…

Shaw Ward councillors were informed by Oldham Council Planning Department of a listed building consent/planning application for the former St Paul's Church Rochdale Road, Shaw on Monday 1st August 2022 details as below: FUL/349488/22 and LBC/349489/22 (identical application required for Listed Building Consent). https://planningpa.oldham.gov.uk/online-applications/Examination of the online plans show further reduction of the existing partially demolished walls on the collapsed section and a proposal to build a 12-space car park within the footprint of the previously collapsed section.Access would be gained from the current car parking area adjacent. Several problems exist with this application. The previously approved listed building planning application to reduce the building's footprint to window cill height has been breached despite intervention by Planning Enforcement Officers at the request of ward councillors prior to this demolition taking…