One year on from a promise made by the Mayor of Greater Manchester to conduct an independent review of the way in which decisions made by the GM Mayor, Council leaders and chief officers are scrutinised and challenged, the city region’s Liberal Democrat remain frustrated and disappointed by the lack of progress.

Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Opposition Group on Oldham Council, who serves as a member of Transport for Greater Manchester, feels that the current arrangements are ‘wholly unfit for purpose’.

“Having efficient mechanisms in place to enable the effective scrutiny of decision-making by the Mayor, Council leaders and senior officers of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority is an essential prerequisite for good governance, a genuine democracy, and devolved power.  At present they are not in place.” 

“Scrutiny panels meet infrequently, and meetings are often cancelled.  When they do meet it is often during the day making it difficult for members with employment commitments to attend.  As service on panels is mostly unremunerated, members are reluctant to attend if they lose salary for taking time from work.”

“It is also difficult for elected members from opposition parties, and backbench Labour councillors, to effectively have their say; they are greatly outnumbered in representation on scrutiny panels and struggle to find opportunities to speak, being marginalised in proceedings.  This stops opposition and backbench Labour members from properly questioning and challenging decision making”.

In October 2020, Mayor Andy Burnham met with Councillor Sykes and the Leader of Stockport’s Liberal Democrats, Councillor Mark Hunter, and ‘whole-heartedly’ agreed that a cross-party review of the structures was needed.  Although the Mayor promised that the review would be completed and implemented by the start of the new mayoral term in May 2021 this never happened; instead, the Greater Manchester Mayor has promised a review ‘later this year’.

Councillor Sykes added:  “The review is long overdue and much needed as the continued delay is also jeopardising the chances of Greater Manchester securing greater devolved powers.  It is now key that we make scrutiny efficient, accessible to all, and robust in the near future, otherwise, cash and power will stay in London!”

Good new for bus users.

The plan is to install an additional stop on Beal Lane, Shaw, near Duke Street outside the Carnegie Apartments. The bus stop will benefit passengers travelling towards Shaw town centre for bus services along the hourly 408 route. Works are due to start in early November.

To contact Transport for Greater Manchester by email at: customer.releations@tfgm.com or phone Customer Relations on: 0161 244 1000.

Responding to horrifying murder of Conservative Member of Parliament, Sir David Amess, Oldham Liberal Democrat Group Leader, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE has made the following comments:

“This is indeed another sad day for democracy.  No one in elected office should have to fear carrying out their duties or meeting the people they represent.  Sir David is the second MP to be murdered in just over five years, whilst, like the late Jo Cox MP, attending an advice surgery specifically to listen to, and support, his constituents in Southend.”

“My thoughts and prayers are with Sir David’s family and friends to whom I express my sincere condolences.”

Oldham Liberal Democrat Group Leader, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has welcomed news that funding will finally soon be made available to replace defective road safety cameras across Greater Manchester.

Councillor Sykes is a board member on the Greater Manchester Transport Committee.  At today’s meeting (15/10/21) he was able to raise the issue of many cameras being dysfunctional, in some cases for years, and he received the reassurance that funding will now be made available to carry out a procurement exercise to enable all cameras to be digitalised and restored to working order from April 2022.

Councillor Sykes was delighted to hear the news, commenting:  “I have raised this issue at a number of meetings over several years, and having got nowhere, in September 2020, I wrote a lengthy letter to the Chief Executive of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Eamonn Boylan, outlining my concerns and aspirations about the availability of safety cameras.”

“Cameras play a vital function in monitoring and checking vehicle speeds to help maintain road safety and save lives.  It is absolutely crazy to allow cameras to fall into disrepair, some have been out-of-order for years, so I am glad that not only will funding finally be provided for repairs, but safety cameras will at last be updated with the latest digital technology.”

Liberal Democrat Councillors have welcomed news that a proposal to develop a huge waste-to-energy incinerator plant in Heyside appears now to be on hold.

In January 2021, Liberal Democrat Group Leader Councillor Howard Sykes MBE highlighted that the development by Synergy could mean 18,000 more HGV journeys to and from the site every year and that the burning of waste creates atmospheric pollution that has an adverse impact on public health. 

Responding to recent news which suggests the current plan has indeed now been put on hold, Councillor Sykes commented:

“For my constituents and for me this would be an enormous relief.  This is just not the right site.  The local community would be massively affected by the increase in heavy truck traffic travelling to and from the site, and we all share grave concerns about the negative impact on public health that would result from the air pollution generated through burning millions of tons of waste on site every year.”

“However, we need to be on our guard. This may only be a temporary halt, because applicant Synergy may in the future bring a revised proposal before the Council and the public.”

Previous comments on this item below.

Massive incinerator planned | Howard Sykes (mycouncillor.org.uk)

Will Heyside blaze (Oldham) mean end of incinerator plan? | Howard Sykes (mycouncillor.org.uk)

Shaw Councillor Howard Sykes MBE has countered Labour Cabinet Member Councillor Hannah Roberts assertion that both he and his fellow Liberal Democrat Councillors are opposed to housing development on the former Shop Direct site.

“Not only did Councillor Roberts completely misrepresent our position she also described the site as having previously been the ownership of Sports Direct, rather than Shop Direct,” said Councillor Sykes.

“In fact, all three local Liberal Democrat Councillors support housing on the site, as it is far better that it is developed than left empty and developing housing here will help take some pressure off Shaw and Crompton’s Green Belt.”

“Our concern is more that there has been no planning or provision for the extra health and school places that Shaw will require to meet the needs of all of the extra residents.”

The position of the Shaw and Crompton Liberal Democrat councillors was first succinctly set out when the plan went before the Council’s Planning Committee.

Councillor Chris Gloster, speaking as ward member for Shaw said that local councillors “broadly” welcomed the development and described it as “a good development of a brownfield site.”

“However, it is a major development, it is in the centre of Shaw and there’s obviously issues with the influx of up to 400 properties and anything between 800 to 1,600 new residents.

“The greatest concern for ward members and the community is the impact that these additional homes will have on the provision of health and education in the community which is as we know currently stretched.”

After an exchange of emails, Liberal Democrat Leader Councillor Howard Sykes MBE has secured a u-turn in Council policy over the provision of free bin bags from the Council to the borough’s volunteer litter-pickers.

Councillor Sykes said:  “I am delighted that common sense has finally prevailed.  It was crazy for a Council not to provide free bin bags to members of the public who in their own time are ‘doing their bit’ to help keep our borough clean.”

Councillor Sykes made his request for free bags on behalf of one of his constituents and her friend:

“My constituent has been going out with her friend to collect rubbish, but after running out of bin bags was told they had to pay for their own as the Council was ‘unable to provide any bags’ whilst its policy on litter picks is under review.

“Fortunately a swift review followed my email and this led to a change of heart and  our wonderful local litter-pickers will now at least be able to access free bags and pickers to help them in their work.”