Councillor Sykes backs affordable food for all campaign

Borough news
Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE has backed a campaign for affordable food for all. A petition has been started by campaign group ‘Which?’, who say that “as food prices continue to increase - and inflation shows no sign of slowing down - it is crucial people get the support they need.” Councillor Sykes said, “More and more people across Oldham Borough are simply unable to cope with the rising cost of food. Food bank usage is skyrocketing and we’re even seeing schools making cuts to school meal budgets. This is shameful in a developed country and the government is refusing to offer meaningful support.” Which?’s latest research shows that over eight in ten people in the UK are making an adjustment to save money on food because…
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Liberal Democrats slam “heartless” Government as more than 74,000 Oldhamers could be hit with benefit cuts

Borough news, Parliamentary news
Oldham’s Liberal Democrats have condemned the Government for their refusal to fund welfare payments in line with inflation. Liberal Democrat Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE said, "I’m horrified that support for the most vulnerable, could soon be cut to the bone, just when it’s needed most. I know many people are feeling anxiety over this potential blow, which could push many of them into poverty and hurt their ability to care for their loved ones.” The shocking figures come from the House of Commons Library research commissioned by the Liberal Democrats. Councillor Sykes warned that: “These real-terms cuts to Universal Credit do not include any additional cuts the new Chancellor might propose on November 17th.” The research shows that a staggering total of more than 74,000 people across Oldham could…
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Speed cameras left idle for years as road safety worsens

Speed cameras left idle for years as road safety worsens

Borough news, road safety
Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE has said that Greater Manchester’s speed cameras are “falling behind”. The Shaw councillor, who sits on Greater Manchester’s Transport Committee, was speaking in response to a report on road safety recently presented to the Committee. Councillor Sykes said, “Speed cameras are put in place for a very good reason. Not only do they prevent accidents, but they also save lives.” In many cases, cameras have been left disconnected, having never been updated with newer, digital cameras. Now the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) set at long last to replace many speed cameras that are not working. Councillor Sykes has been continuously raising the issue of non-functional cameras where speeding is a real problem, yet the camera has been out of action for…
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£5 million cycle bridge branded ‘latest pet project’ as local community walking and cycle routes go neglected

Borough news
Oldham Liberal Democrats have criticised Greater Manchester bosses for funding “large vanity projects” instead of local walking and cycling infrastructure after plans for a new £5M cycle bridge between Oldham and Ashton-under-Lyne were unveiled earlier this year. Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE said, “This is yet another example of Labour leaders in Greater Manchester prioritising their latest pet projects and neglecting the very basics when it comes to walking and cycling investment. I am sure the bridge will be welcome by some, but most would want the £5M spent elsewhere.” “£5 million could be better spent bringing cycle provision across Oldham up to standard, making junctions safer and improving neglected pavements and footpaths. Many areas have zero safe cycle provision,” stated councillor Sykes. “Only recently I have…
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Sykes warns of ‘more red tape and wasted cash’ as councils brace for £75 million increase in audit fees

Borough news, fairer council
Oldham’s Liberal Democrats have warned that Oldham Council could face “more red tape and wasted cash” after it was announced that councils across the country are to be hit with an additional £75 million audit fee. Liberal Democrat Leader and Shaw representative councillor Howard Sykes MBE said, “Bureaucracy is one thing Oldham Council does not need more of. This audit price hike is particularly unwelcome given the current cost-of-living crisis. It amounts to more red tape and wasted cash that will do nothing to alleviate the pressures that councils face in funding frontline services. “Councils should be focusing on the basics, like finding and funding highly skilled social workers and helping people with the cost-of-living crisis. Instead, we will see councils across Greater Manchester struggle to plug budget gaps caused…
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It is time to extend free school meals to all primary age children

It is time to extend free school meals to all primary age children

Borough news, Parliamentary news
Oldham’s Liberal Democrat councillors have backed a campaign calling for free school meals to be extended to all primary school children. The National Education Union has said that child hunger is an ‘epidemic’ in schools and has published an open letter to the prime minister which says that currently millions of children miss out on a free school meal, with some as young as seven. Leader of the Liberal Democrats in Oldham councillor Howard Sykes MBE said, “Free school meal provision is one of the most effective policies when it comes to tackling child hunger and poverty as well as raising educational achievement. It’s about a fair start in life and peace of mind for struggling families who know their children will be able to focus in class after a…
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“Half-hearted and weak”: council’s warm bank scheme slammed

“Half-hearted and weak”: council’s warm bank scheme slammed

Borough news
Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Leader councillor Howard Sykes has hit out at Labour council bosses over their plans to provide warm banks this winter in the Borough. It has emerged that all the council’s earmarked locations are in public libraries, and none are open on Sundays. Councillor Sykes said, “This is simply not good enough. It is unimaginative and half-hearted. The cost-of-living crisis doesn’t take Sunday off. We need warm spaces that are accessible to residents all the time. The council has only utilised libraries. What about community centres and other public buildings? What about those buildings used by faith groups? In a rich country like Britain, it’s shameful that we need to consider ideas like warm banks to begin with, but if we’re going to do this, we need to…
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Oldham Council slammed after no dog fouling penalties were issued for three years

Oldham Council slammed after no dog fouling penalties were issued for three years

Borough news, environment
Oldham Council has been accused of “failing to get even the most basic things right” after it emerged that the authority failed to issue a single fixed penalty notice (FPN) for dog-fouling for three years. This shocking fact was supplied as a result of a freedom of information request. Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, councillor Howard Sykes MBE said, “This is a shocking fact. We’re talking about the basics here. We hear all this talk from the Labour administration about how they’re getting tough on littering, fly-tipping, and dog-fouling yet the facts say something else. “The vast majority of dog owners are responsible, the few that are not spoil it for all. This is one of the number one issues in my mailbox, and I know it is for…
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Department of Health slammed for ‘dodgy’ dental figures

Department of Health slammed for ‘dodgy’ dental figures

Borough news, health and social care
Liberal Democrats in Oldham have slammed the government for issuing a claim that the number of NHS dentists grew by 500 last year. Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE has hit out at statement from the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC), reported by the Oldham Times on September 21st. The Government spokesperson claimed: ”The number of dentists practising in the NHS increased by over 500 last year.” young woman doing dental checkup. Copy space The statement, which reportedly came via a DHSC representative, appeared to contradict official data released by the department earlier this year, which revealed that the number of NHS dentists had fallen by more than 900 across England. Councillor Howard Sykes MBE said: “NHS dentistry is in crisis. Less than four in ten…
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Council must support the 3,000 pensioners currently losing out on pension credits

Council must support the 3,000 pensioners currently losing out on pension credits

Borough news, fairer council, health and social care
Shaw representative and Oldham Liberal Democrat Group Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE has called on council leaders to act after it was revealed that 3,033 over-65s in Oldham are currently not receiving their full pension entitlement. The figures were uncovered in research conducted by the charity Independent Age, who say that on average, pensioners are missing out on payments of £63.54 each month. Councillor Sykes said: “Pensioners are already facing severe cost-of-living pressures with energy bills and the cost of the weekly shop rocketing, an extra £60 per month could make a massive difference. Oldham Council must play a proactive role in reaching out to and helping these pensioners claim what they are entitled to.” Independent Age research also shows that 51% of over-65s across the north of England are…
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