03Sep 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Vibrant district town centres also key to post-COVID recovery

Vibrant district town centres also key to post-COVID recovery

Borough news
Liberal Democrat Councillors have called for the new Local Plan to have as a core objective ‘the creation and maintenance of vibrant district centres in each of our traditional townships’. Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Main Opposition Group, said: “Oldham’s Labour Council seems to be completely fixated upon regenerating Oldham town centre, with the other townships, Chadderton, Failsworth, Greenfield, Lees, Royton, and Uppermill, and my own Shaw and Crompton, hardly getting a look in. “After COVID, more people are visiting their local high street to shop, meet with friends for lunch, or to socialise over a drink”, added Councillor Sykes. “We need to invest in our district shopping centres to make them attractive and vibrant, with a variety of inviting and accessible shops and leisure outlets…
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04Dec 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrat call for support for Small Business Saturday (5 December)

Borough news
As the national lockdown lifts this week and so called non-essential shops open once more in time for Christmas, Liberal Democrat Councillors are asking local shoppers to consider giving more of their custom to smaller independent shops across the Borough, instead of patronising large store chains or buying gifts from online megastores. Small Business Saturday (5 December) is an annual event to promote the virtues of shopping with small and local businesses. Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Leader of the Oldham Liberal Democrats, is a big fan: “As someone brought up in family-run shop in Shaw, I believe that shopping in a small store is more friendly, more personable and more fun. There is no joy in fighting your way through Christmas crowds in a large department store and shopping online…
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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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11Sep 2018 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Oldham Liberal Democrats call for Oldham markets to be fur free

Borough news, Campaigns
Liberal Democrat Councillors Julia Turner and Chris Gloster will be proposing a motion at the next full meeting of Oldham Council (Wednesday 12 September) calling on the Council to outlaw the sale of real fur from all markets in the borough. Councillor Turner, who is proposing the motion, said: “Regrettably customers often have no idea that they are buying products which contain real fur as they are often sold under the guise of ‘faux fur’. Real fur is sometimes used for trims on hats, gloves, and footwear, and pom-poms on hats and clothing. Although the UK banned domestic fur farming in 2000, it is still legal to sell products containing some types of real fur that have been imported. Imported fur can be very cheap, but it comes at a…
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