23Nov 2016 by Saddleworth Lib Dems
Lib Dem Call for Work Capability Assessment to be Scrapped

Lib Dem Call for Work Capability Assessment to be Scrapped

Borough news
[caption id="attachment_59" align="alignleft" width="200"] Cllr Garth Harkness[/caption] Liberal Democrat Councillor Garth Harkness, Shadow Cabinet Member for Employment and Skills, has condemned new Government proposals to support disabled jobseekers as “inadequately funded” and still based upon the use of the “discredited and reviled” Work Capability Assessment. The Government has published a Green Paper for consultation titled ‘Improving Lives’ in which its ambition is stated to halve the disability employment gap’. Councillor Harkness said: “This would require over 1.2 million more people with disabilities to enter work than is the case today. Now there is nothing wrong with supporting jobseekers with disabilities to find meaningful and fulfilling employment that is appropriate for them, taking account of their medical conditions, but this support must be accessed voluntarily and it should be adequately funded.”…
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03Mar 2016 by Saddleworth Lib Dems
Saddleworth School Judicial review- Lib Dem joint statement

Saddleworth School Judicial review- Lib Dem joint statement

Saddleworth News
The Judicial Review by Mr. Justice Kerr has upheld only 1 of the 9 objections put forwards by the objectors group with the other 8 being decisively dismissed. This means that the application will have to go back to the Oldham Council Planning Committee so due consideration of other sites issue to be included in the process. No doubt many parents, grandparents and pupils will be so disappointed at the further delay in providing a new school building for Saddleworth suitable for 21st century education yet they still reside in crumbling accommodation reaching the end of its life Indeed other schools funded in this programme are now built, occupied and providing the facilities we want for our young people Cllr Garth Harkness, Liberal Democrat, Saddleworth North, Oldham Council Cllr Derek…
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01Jul 2015 by Saddleworth Lib Dems

Fighting Labour’s land grab

Campaigns
Liberal Democrat Councillors Alan Belmore, Garth Harkness and John McCann warn that Saddleworth is at major risk from massive over-development of open spaces for housing under Labour’s plans in their Greater Manchester Spatial Framework.  LABOUR’S LAND GRAB is in two phases. PHASE 1: large strategic sites like Fletcher’s Mill and neighbouring Green Belt PHASE 2 : dozens of local sites that have been offered by landowners for development and profit across Saddleworth for up to a total 1000 new houses.  Cllr Alan Belmore says “Local residents need to wake up to the massive threat to our Saddleworth villages before it is too late.” Many of these sites are in really sensitive open spaces and would have a devastating effect on our local communities if developed.  “We think that most new houses…
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