Shaw and Crompton Parish Councillors are proposing a motion to next Monday’s (11th November) full meeting of the Shaw and Crompton Parish Council calling for Oldham Council to abandon a £40 fee levied against charities holding fairs and car boot sales to raise money for worthy causes.

Cllr Sykes said: “In the week that leads to the annual Children in Need event, it seems especially mean for Oldham Council to be imposing a fee against charity fund raisers doing their all to raise money to support those who are less fortunate in our society.

The minimum £40 fee will wipe out much, if not all, of the ‘profit’ made, and must discourage volunteers from organising future events and the public from supporting them.

Furthermore the tax represents a charity poll tax as it is based on the assumption that each event has at least 20 stalls and that each stall justifies a minimum £2 fee, whether there are 20 stalls or not and whether at least £40 is raised”.

Cllr Sykes added: “The decision by Oldham Council to impose this arbitrary fee is contrary to its professed ideals to be a co-operative council.

In taking money from charity fundraisers in the busy period towards Christmas, this Labour administration is demonstrating a singular lack of goodwill to all men”.

The motion reads:

“Shaw and Crompton Parish Council regrets the decision by Oldham Council to remove the exemption previously given to charities from the paying of fees for holding temporary markets and car boot sales. The fee, amounting to at least £40, means that in many cases, there will be little or no “profit” made for the charity.

We feel that this decision goes against the spirit and principles of the Co-operative Council when not-for-profit groups are being urged to take on more and more services. We therefore call on the Council to reverse this decision as soon as possible”.