13Aug 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Welcome for new convenience store on former King’s Arms/Big Lamp pub site, High Street, Shaw

Welcome for new convenience store on former King’s Arms/Big Lamp pub site, High Street, Shaw

Borough news
Shaw Liberal Democrat Councillors are pleased to see plans progressing to build a new convenience store on the derelict King’s Arms/Big Lamp site, on High Street, Shaw. Local councillors and the Shaw and Crompton Parish Council have been consulted by the developer on the plans. For his part, Shaw Councillor Howard Sykes MBE is looking forward to seeing the site brought back into use.  “We have waited more than ten years to see the successful redevelopment of the site, and now I am delighted that we may soon see a new community store there to serve local residents.  Not only should this improve the retail offer in Shaw, but it will redevelop a major gateway site into the town centre, a site which for too long has been an eyesore…
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01Dec 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Debenhams collapse means more jobs wiped away on Rishi’s watch

Debenhams collapse means more jobs wiped away on Rishi’s watch

Parliamentary news
Responding to the news that Debenhams stores are set to close affecting up to 12,000 jobs, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Christine Jardine said: “The news that Debenhams will be closing its stores is yet another blow to the UK economy. With the Arcadia Group entering administration last night, thousands more jobs have been potentially wiped away on Rishi Sunak's watch. "During the pandemic when so many are already struggling to get by, unemployment will have a devastating impact. This Government's failure to get a grip on the virus has seen tens of thousands of livelihoods lost, and these extra job losses means thousands more families across the UK wondering how they're going to get by. “Our high streets now need urgent government action to safeguard their future. A first step…
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01Dec 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

24-hour high street shopping proposal is ‘madness’

Borough news
Local Government Minister Robert Jenrick MP has announced his intention to allow shops to remain open around the clock in the run-up to Christmas, and Liberal Democrat Leader, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, is far from happy. Describing the move as “madness”, Councillor Sykes said: “Once more a Conservative Minister has shown themselves to be completely out of touch with reality. It might work in an out-of-town retail park where no-one lives, but we have communities where supermarkets are situated cheek-by-jowl with homes. Imagine living next door to a supermarket or department store open 24-hours, dealing with the noise and the traffic of Christmas shoppers and of delivery trucks. Unlike London, we do not have a 24-hour public transport system so shoppers would still come in by car in the wee…
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21Aug 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Government continue to threaten economic recovery

Government continue to threaten economic recovery

Parliamentary news
Responding to ONS figures that show retail sales rose above pre-pandemic levels in July, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “This will be welcome news for so many people working on our high streets who would have spent several months worried about their job. "However, we are not out of the woods yet. The Government is yet to bring forward a proper plan for high streets in locally locked down areas, so people are likely to go through more tough times. “The Government also continues to threaten our economic recovery with its damaging Brexit policy. The fact that we could still leave negotiations with the EU with a bad or no deal means that many high street businesses will still be very concerned about what the future…
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24Jun 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Charity shops or bust? UK charities on the brink of crisis in post Covid-19 world

Borough news
Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group and Leader of the Opposition on Oldham Council, says our High Street faces unprecedented challenges in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.  He has written to Oldham Council bosses over concerns for the future of the charity economy in Oldham Borough. Charity shops provide essential revenue for charities in Oldham Borough, Greater Manchester and across the UK.  They also provide an affordable option for many people to shop locally.   Councillor Sykes has asked a number of questions to Oldham Council about how to protect this important sector of the Oldham community: How can Oldham Council support and help charity shops in Oldham Borough as we move out of this crisis?Have you spoken to the Charity Retail Association or any local charities…
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19May 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Lib Dems lead cross party push to keep pubs in business

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats are at the forefront of a cross party call to protect pubs in the face of the “unique combination of challenges” created by the Covid-19 crisis. Liberal Democrat MP Daisy Cooper, alongside MPs from the Tory, Labour, SNP, Plaid Cymru and Green parties, are calling for Ministers to ensure pubs  - a “cornerstone of British culture” - are in a position to reopen once social distancing measures are eased. The group have written to the Chancellor to demand bespoke support for the industry including calls to:  Scrap the £51,000 Rateable Value cap for pubs, allowing pubs to access the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund.Stop pubco landlords from charging rent to their tenants through the crisis.Extend the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme for the hospitality sector for the duration of…
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29Mar 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Daytime Economy Task Force also needed to save our high streets, says Liberal Democrat leader

Borough news, Campaigns
The Leader of the Opposition and the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has written to the Council Leader congratulating him on establishing a ‘night-time economy taskforce’ and asking him to do the same for the day-time economy to help save high streets across the borough. Commenting Councillor Sykes said: “Our high streets are slowly dying and if we want vibrant retail and leisure centres across our borough, not just in Oldham but also in Shaw, Uppermill, Royton, Lees, Chadderton and Failsworth, we must do all we can to help them. Otherwise I fear that more and more stores will close in the Spindles and Town Square shopping centres and we will see the encroachment of yet more charity shops, which benefit from being exempted from…
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