Speech on Councillor John Dillon and Mark Alcock who did are not seek re-election this May – from Oldham Council meeting 20 May 2015 by Councillor Howard Sykes
Mr Mayor,I would like to take this opportunity to say a few words in recognition of the many years of service given by Councillor John Dillon and Mark Alcock in this Chamber and to the Electors of Crompton and Shaw respectively and in recognition also of their friendship and camaraderie within the Liberal Democrat Group.
I would first like to pay tribute to John.
John joined the SDP (the Social Democratic Party) at its launch in 1981.
John is one of the longest serving members in this Chamber with 29 years of service to his credit.
He contested Crompton Ward unsuccessfully for three years – in 1982, 1983 and 1984 – before being elected on his fourth attempt in 1986 with a majority of 134, becoming Oldham’s first SDP Councillor.
John served as the Mayor of the Borough in 2000.
Members will be aware of John’s abiding passion for transport issues so I am sure he found it gratifying to find himself opening Cheapside Bus Station and being invited to the opening ceremony of the M60 motorway through the Borough from Denton to Heaton Park.
I know given half a chance he would have also relished opening Metrolink, but regrettably that came 12 years later.
As Mayor, John also had the honour of welcoming Her Royal Highness Princess Anne to the Borough, but unfortunately Her Highness had to take a long detour from the airport as the planned route did not take into account the newly opened motorway.
In opposition, John has also served as Shadow Cabinet member for the Environment between 2003 and 2005, and also 15 years’ service on the Planning Committee.
I know that John is very proud of his eight years’ service representing Oldham Borough on first the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority and then Transport for Greater Manchester.
He joined this Body in 2000, became the Oldham Council spokesperson in 2008, and also served as Vice Chair of the Rail and Metrolink sub-committee. One of his great achievements was in helping to bring Metrolink to the Borough of Oldham.
John is also passionate about the place and the people of Shaw and Crompton.
Alongside me, John became a member of the inaugural Shaw and Crompton Parish Council in 1987 and became its Chairman in 1990, hosting a series of events to mark 125 years of local government in Shaw and Crompton. He served on the Parish Council until 2003.
He has previously served as Chair and Vice Chair of the Royton, Shaw and Crompton District Partnership and became Chair of Shaw and Crompton District Partnership in 2012.
Outside of the Council and Parish Council, John has been a regular at many Liberal Democrat conferences, attending with his wife Philomena and the late dear Ann Wingate.
So I would like to end this tribute to John by saying thank you John from myself, your colleagues in the Liberal Democrat Group, past and present and from the Electors of Crompton for your hard work, your commitment to public service and your friendship and I do hope you will have a long, happy and prosperous retirement with Philomena by your side.
I would now like to speak about my Shaw Ward colleague and friend, Mark Alcock.
Mark has served with distinction as a Cabinet Member in a previous Liberal Democrat Administration.
Members will recall the appalling notoriety that Oldham once had as a destination for cheap binge drinking and late night violence.
To his credit, Mark took on board a challenging portfolio and tackled this issue head on, achieving much in making the night time economy again safe for visitors to Yorkshire Street.
Way before Generation Oldham, Mark was First Generation Oldham as he has a proud record of working to make our Council and our Borough greener.
He introduced greener vehicles for the Council workforce, replaced environmentally damaging mineral water on Council premises with water fountains served by mains supply, and oversaw improvements in the use of water, electricity and gas in all Council buildings.
These all made a major contribution to reducing our carbon footprint and the cost to rate payers.
At AGMA (the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities), he served as Chair of the Environment Commission bringing in significant additional Government money for electric charging points, research into insulating the thousands of solid walled homes that we have, introducing a fibre optic programme across the Greater Manchester authorities and a host of other green initiatives.
I know though, from first-hand experience of working alongside Mark on day to day issues, that the work of which he is most proud is that which transforms the lives of everyday people.
Over his sixteen years of service (eight in Oldham and eight in South Ribble), Mark has assisted many thousands of people with cases from homelessness, council tax issues, fly tipping, school places, trading standards and many, many other issues.
As a fellow Ward Councillor, Mark has always impressed me with his commitment to fighting Shaw’s corner – whether it be in opposing the closure of our municipal tip or our swimming baths, or in speaking up to retain our market on its historic site.
He was the first councillor on the ground at the site in the recent tragic Shaw gas blast.
Like John, Mark will be much missed by his Liberal Democrat colleagues and I have greatly valued having him alongside me and Rod on many occasions.
I know though that Mark is leaving office for the right reasons and in the right frame of mind. For he is newly married – in December of last year – and now wants – and I quote him here – to “do all the normal things in the evening and weekends” that other married couples do.
I think there will be many an Elected Member in this Chamber tonight that will appreciate that sentiment and aspiration.
So John and Mark I wish you both the very best.
Thank you both for your service.
You will be sorely missed.