30Nov 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Council needs to plan properly for 20mph limits

Council needs to plan properly for 20mph limits

Borough news, road safety
Having finally listened to Liberal Democrat calls for 20mph speed limits in Saddleworth’s villages, Oldham Council now needs to introduce fair and transparent guidelines for when they will be considered – and think ahead on what is happening when the current 18 month orders to implement them run out, says Liberal Democrat Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani. A 20mph limit has already been introduced in Uppermill, and more are in process throughout Saddleworth, no current guidance has been issued as to what roads can be considered or when. Liberal Democrat Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani said: “The system needs to be simple, clear and fair. Other Councils have rules in place such as considering an application after a set number of complaints from residents, or when there are particular considerations in the road layout,…
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24Nov 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Latest COVID move could spell sad end for Shaw Market

Borough news
At the start of the latest lockdown, Shaw market traders were moved off Market Street onto Newtown Street, and the move is killing trade and is not supported by the Council. Shaw Liberal Democrat Councillor Howard Sykes MBE has received reports that Oldham Council has failed to provide stall holders with tables and awnings, and that there has been no signage placed along the main street to say where the Market is. Traders cannot easily highlight their presence as the Council has not dropped the bollards, so they are unable to move forward a little to locate their stalls on the edge of Market Street. Councillor Sykes said: “If there was a textbook strategy of how to destroy a local market, the shameful conduct of Oldham’s Labour Administration towards Shaw…
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24Nov 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Online-only consultation now includes those most affected

Online-only consultation now includes those most affected

Borough news
With £8 million in cuts promised for next year, Oldham’s Council was failing to ask for the opinions and feedback from the very people who will be most affected by these cuts. Local Liberal Democrat campaigner, Mark Kenyon, had discovered that details of the proposed cuts and the way for residents to give council feedback could only be found online: “Despite Boris’s promises to help with financing, Oldham’s Labour Council is proposing nearly £2.5 million of cuts to services for those in sheltered housing, adult social care and supported living. Many users of these services don’t use the internet.” The proposed cuts are due to begin in April next year, less than five months away. Mark Kenyon continued: “You can’t raise fears in people, then fail to give them any…
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23Nov 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Liberal Democrats ensure Oldham Council will adopt recommendations of national Home Office-sponsored review into abuse

Liberal Democrats ensure Oldham Council will adopt recommendations of national Home Office-sponsored review into abuse

Borough news, CSE, domestic abuse and violence
Following the last meeting of Oldham Council (11 Nov), the Liberal Democrats have received confirmation that the Council will be taking the recommendations of the Independent Investigation into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) and applying them to Oldham Council and its Safeguarding. The Council will also ensure that the findings of the independent investigation into allegations of historical CSE in Oldham are shared to IICSA.  Oldham Liberal Democrat Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani said: “I really welcome this response from the Council. Challenging this abuse relies on the Council being open to improving its practices. Being ready to listen to the outcome of the IICSA investigation and ready to implement its findings is one demonstration of that. “Every council has a duty of care both to young people and to the wider community.…
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18Nov 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Oldham’s food not worth a hill of beans

Borough news
That’s the verdict according to Council spending records which show that of the £1.1 million spent by council bosses on food and drink since December 2019, a mere £12,500 was spent with businesses in the borough of Oldham.1 Imagine each and every baked bean represents £50: the pile of beans is the £1M+ spent OUT of the borough and the small can is what’s spent IN the borough. (all beans donated to Oldham Food Bank) Local Liberal Democrat campaigner, Mark Kenyon, who made the discovery, also pointed to claims made by Council bosses who regularly boast that local spending by the council is on the up – Sean Fielding as recently as June this year claimed that it was as high as 55%.2 “If these figures are anything to go…
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30Oct 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Liberal Democrats want to make street harassment a crime

Liberal Democrats want to make street harassment a crime

Borough news, CSE, domestic abuse and violence
Oldham Council’s Liberal Democrats want to see street harassment of women and girls made a crime, as it is in Portugal, Belgium and France. Saddleworth and Lees Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani is taking a motion on this issue to the next meeting of the full Council (Wednesday November 4). Councillor Al-Hamdani said: “Everyone should feel safe on our streets and in our communities, yet in national surveys two-thirds of women and girls report that they have been subjected to street harassment. We all the right to self-respect, and to freedom of movement and freedom of expression, yet women and girls are intimidated by this unwanted personal sexual attention. It is frightening and as a result some choose not to go out or do not feel able to be themselves. “I want…
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27Oct 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
20’s Plenty for Us in 2020

20’s Plenty for Us in 2020

Borough news, road safety
Liberal Democrat Councillors are proposing a motion at the next full meeting of Oldham Council (November 4th) calling for a default 20mph speed limit to be introduced on the Borough’s minor residential roads. Twenty million British citizens already live in local authorities where a 20mph default speed limit exists. The Liberal Democrats want Oldham Council to do the same. This is the second time they have introduced such a proposal at the Council; the first was in February 2014. The Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, Shaw Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, is proposing the motion. Commenting he said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has made crystal clear just how precious life is. Whilst we as a local authority work with our partners in the National Health Service to bring this terrible disease…
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27Oct 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Time to give child food poverty the boot

Borough news
Liberal Democrat Councillors are playing on the same team as campaigning footballer Marcus Rashford when it comes to tackling child food poverty. The 22-year old Manchester United star has just been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for his work ensuring that no child goes hungry. This is an issue close to the heart of Saddleworth North Liberal Democrat Councillor Garth Harkness, who is proposing a motion at the next full meeting of Oldham Council (November 4) seeking cross-party support for Mr Rashford’s pioneering work. He has frequently raised child hunger with the Council. Being employed at a Manchester school, Councillor Harkness is well-aware of the adverse impact that hunger can have on a child’s educational performance. Commenting Councillor Harkness said: “When many people think of top-flight footballers,…
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23Oct 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Leader welcomes promised update on child sexual exploitation investigation at next Council meeting

Borough news, CSE
A report updating Councillors and the public on the progress made by the investigation team into historic allegations of child sexual exploitation in the Borough will be included in the agenda papers for the next full meeting of Oldham Council (4 November 2020). Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Leader of the Opposition, wrote to the Leader of the Council three weeks ago (30 Sept) requesting such a report. He has just received confirmation that this will now happen. Commenting he said: “I welcome the commitment to bring a report to the next Council meeting. There is a great deal of public and Councillor interest in this investigation and the Council has already committed to implementing its findings in full. It is now almost a year since the investigation into these serious…
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21Oct 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Liberal Democrat Leader’s app suggestion an “excellent idea”

Liberal Democrat Leader’s app suggestion an “excellent idea”

Borough news
The Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, was heartened to receive a letter from the Chief Executive of Oldham Council, Dr Carolyn Wilkins OBE, endorsing his idea that the NHS Covid-19 app be made available pro-actively to all staff at the Council and staff in other public sector organisations who are issued with a smart phone for business use. Describing the suggestion as an “excellent idea”, Dr Wilkins has agreed to make the app available to Council staff and has also written to partner organisations in the Borough asking them to do the same. Dr Wilkins also plays a key role in the delivery of the national Track and Trace scheme representing local authorities. Commenting, Councillor Sykes said:…
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