Date: 7th June 2011
MEDIA RELEASE
Sykes welcomes achievements of Affordable warmth initiative
Councillor Howard Sykes, Liberal Democrat leader of the opposition on Oldham Council is delighted with the success of the Affordable Warmth initiative.
Councillor Sykes said: “This was one of many initiatives which we brought in during the three years we ran Oldham Council from 2008 -11. We decided that rather than just accept that more than 10,000 families were suffering fuel poverty and that thousands of homes had sub standard insulation, we would do something about it.”
He added: “To us in the Lib Dems it all made sense, better insulated and warmer homes improves the quality of life for our residents, improves health and reduces pressure on NHS services. It ticks all the boxes and is win win as far as we are concerned.”
He continued: “Our only disappointment was that the economic climate made it difficult to put more money in, but the extra £53k we found in the budget last year helped bring in over £6M of new money to Oldham allowing 3,000 energy efficiency measures to be installed and 200 residents advised on how to get out of fuel poverty”.
Councillor Sykes concluded: “Despite being only the first year of a three year programme, this scheme was already hugely successful at targeting the elderly, the less well off and the vulnerable in our Borough, all of which makes it even more surprising that the new Labour administration want to cut the extra funding and want to dismantle the scheme.”
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