The Liberal Democrats are the only effective opposition to Labour. Oldham’s four Conservative Councillors say and do nothing’. The eight Liberal Democrats speak up on the issues that affect you, challenge Labour when their decisions hurt our borough’s residents, and seek improvements to Council services.

Oldham Council has lost £208 million a year from its budget because of Conservative Government cuts and services are under serious threat.

We believe that Oldham Council must get the basics right.  In our ‘alternate annual budgets’ we have found more money for:

• street and gully cleaning;
• tackling fly-tipping and dog-fouling;
• resurfacing roads and fixing pot holes; and
• youth services.

We would pay for this by cutting back on Civic Centre bureaucracy.

We would also reduce the number of councillors from 60 to 40.

We have made proposals to revitalise our town and district centres, improve our environment and public transport, and tackle the poverty that is still so prevalent in the Borough.

The Liberal Democrats also remain implacably opposed to the monstrous green land grab represented by the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework.

This Framework comes from the ten Labour Council Leaders and the Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester, following instructions from a Conservative Government which wants to build 50,000 more homes than are necessary.

The Liberal Democrats oppose any housing or industrial development on our irreplaceable green belt and open land.  There are enough brownfield sites and derelict or empty buildings to accommodate any new housing or businesses.

We believe that empty homes should be brought back into use, empty mills and shops converted into houses, and that more homes can be built in Oldham town centre where the amenities are located, rather than burden our outer districts where infrastructure is lacking.

In Saddleworth, smaller sites, some of them astoundingly unsuitable for development have been offered up by Labour for housing in the next phase of the project.  

In Springhead the green spaces of Thornley Brook and Ashbrook are under threat again, with developers currently appealing against the recent decision to reject their plans.  We will continue to campaign against the development which would turn vital green space into executive homes.

In Shaw and Crompton, Labour closed our swimming baths, our youth centre, and our municipal tip.  Labour has failed to address the shortage of local school places or replace our aging health centre.  We believe that a new larger health centre with more specialist services should also be built to serve the people of Saddleworth.

This year, please vote Liberal Democrat to elect Councillors who:

• Are not afraid to face the challenges in local government head on – delivering on the basics like cleaner streets, fly-tipping, safer roads, and better schools while squeezing better value from your Council Tax.

• Put people and communities first.

• Are totally opposed to building on our green belt.

With the Liberal Democrats you will get Local Councillors who are on your side!