Oldham Council – Saddleworth Liberal Democrats

01Nov 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Oldham Council still using CCTV equipment from Chinese supplier linked to human rights abuses

Oldham Council is using CCTV equipment supplied by Chinese company Hikvision, despite a House of Commons report last year which linked Hikvision to serious human rights violations against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE has written to the Council urging them to blacklist Hikvision and if possible, remove their equipment from sites across Oldham where possible. A breakdown of Hikvision equipment owned and operated by the council was obtained by the Liberal Democrat Group after a freedom of information request was issued by councillor Sykes. Councillor Sykes said, “Hikvision have been blacklisted in the United States because of concerns about their role in human rights violations, targeting Uyghurs in Xinjiang. The firm has provided camera technology which has been used in internment camps in…

24Oct 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

£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…

12Oct 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

“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…

12Oct 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

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…

31Aug 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Fresh campaign against child and fuel poverty as Oldham braces for cost-of-living crisis

Borough news

At a meeting of Oldham’s Full Council on Wednesday (07/09/22), Liberal Democrat Councillors will set out a plan to tackle the rising cost-of-living in the borough. In Oldham, one in every three children live in poverty according to charities such as ‘End Child Poverty’ - the average across the UK as a whole is one in five. Yet Oldham’s primary schools are facing a funding cut of £212,797 from infant free school meals budgets. Families across the borough are also braced for energy price rises of up to 80% in October. The Liberal Democrats have tabled a motion calling for a reverse of the cuts to free school meals as well as for the Council to step up its cost-of-living support by working with local food banks. “The party is…

24Aug 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

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…

19Aug 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Council must bid for brownfield development fund

Borough news, housing and development

New funding for brownfield housing development is being made available for councils to bid on and Oldham’s Liberal Democrats are calling on Oldham Council to “play a leading role” in shaping Greater Manchester’s bid. Liberal Democrat Leader and Shaw representative councillor Howard Sykes MBE has written to senior council officers urging them to ‘get the best possible outcomes’ for the borough. Councillor Sykes said, “We keep seeing developers pushing for four- and five-bedroom developments on green belt land. This style of development is doubly unwelcome because it harms the environment without providing homes for first-time buyers. Councils rarely get the financial support to drive brownfield development, so Oldham Council must seize this rare opportunity and strive to play a leading role in shaping any Greater Manchester bid.” The Liberal Democrats…

04Aug 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Time to clamp down on parking offenders says Sykes

Borough news, road safety

Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Leader and Shaw representative, councillor Howard Sykes MBE has called on Oldham Council to clamp down on persistent parking offenders. Councillor Sykes said: “Pavement parking and inconsiderate, or illegal parking is a real nuisance in our communities, especially in our town centres. I am calling on Oldham Council to get tough on repeat offenders – just as other councils have done. The only way we are going to change things is by showing people that there are consequences for being a nuisance to other people on our roads and pavements.” The Department for Transport defines a persistent offender as someone with three or more Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs). Councillor Sykes is calling for Oldham Council to seize vehicles of persistent offenders until a release fee has been…

04Aug 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Oldham Council urged to act against fly-tipping

Borough news, environment

Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Leader and Shaw representative, councillor Howard Sykes MBE has urged Oldham Council to think outside the box when it comes to tackling fly-tipping. In a letter to council bosses, Sykes has called for the council to apply for grant funding from the government; and highlighted three strategies that have shown good results elsewhere in the country. Councillor Sykes said: “Fly-tipping is a crime which harms our natural world, blights communities and costs council taxpayers thousands to clean up and councils time and staff resources. If there is extra funding available from the government Oldham must be sure to apply for that funding. The councils that deal with Fly-tipping best are the ones who have multiple schemes in place to prevent and prosecute offenders.” The Liberal Democrat Leader’s…

26Jul 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Government plans for council finance watchdog will do nothing to improve frontline services

Borough news, fairer council, Parliamentary news

Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE has hit out against government plans to introduce new financial oversight measures for local government spending. Councillor Sykes said: “We’re in the eye of a cost-of-living storm right now and what we need is a government that empowers local councils to direct funding to frontline services across social care, housing and health. Instead, we have Conservative ministers who are making local councils jump through hoops, count beans and increase bureaucracy and red tape.” The Government announced that it would introduce a new regulator to audit council spending. But the Liberal Democrat Leader and representative for Shaw dismissed the plans as “unnecessary red tape that will do nothing for ordinary residents and just increase costs for councils”. Councillor Sykes argued: “Local councils need…