One month after Oldham Liberal Democrat Leader Councillor Howard Sykes MBE wrote to Andy Burnham requesting publication of a report into the management and performance of Greater Manchester Police, the Greater Manchester Labour Mayor has failed to honour his promise to make the report public.

Mayor Burnham contrived to delay publishing the report before his mayoral re-election, claiming that it would be inappropriate to do so before the new Police chief, Chief Constable Stephen Watson QPM, was sworn in.  That happened over a month ago and the report has yet to see the light of day.

Commenting Councillor Sykes said:  “It is unsurprising really that Mayor Burnham, who also acts as Greater Manchester’s Police and Crime Commissioner, doesn’t want to publish this report as I understand it is critical about the culture, management and performance of Greater Manchester Police.”

“The previous Chief Constable and Andy Burnham presided over a force that failed to record over 80,000 reported crimes in a single year and that has spent a fortune on a new Police computer system, iOPs, that has proven to be a fiasco.  At times, the past actions of the senior management team have seemed more akin to those of the Keystone Cops than a regional Police service.”

“The Oldham Liberal Democrats will continue to demand publication of this report and the new Chief Constable must now come up with a credible plan of action to bring about radical improvements at Greater Manchester Police to restore office morale and public confidence.”

A national Thank You Day is being organised across Britain for Sunday 4 July.

Thank You Day is a chance to come together with our neighbours, communities and families, to mark what has happened over the last year, to celebrate the community spirit that got us through and say a big thank you to all those who have helped us along the way.

Recent polls suggest up to 16 million Britons may take part in street clean ups, street parties and community barbeques.

If you would like to organise something on your street and want to seek inspiration about what to do and register your event, please find further details at

https://thankyouday.org.uk/2021/06/17/16-million-join-thank-you-day/

Rose varieties named after Her Majesty the Queen and her late husband HRH Prince Phillip should be planted side-by-side in Oldham’s major public parks and gardens as a tribute to our Royal Family, suggests Oldham Liberal Democrat Leader, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE.

In a letter to Labour Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, Councillor Amanda Chadderton, and Head of Parks and Countryside, Glenn Dale, Councillor Sykes feels that, as the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee will be celebrated across the nation next year, such an action will represent a fitting tribute to mark ‘this milestone in the exemplary contribution of Britain’s longest-serving monarch, and her late and faithful husband’.

“Not only will the new rose beds be enjoyed by the many residents of our borough who already frequent our parks and gardens, but they will symbolise both our Queen’s incredible seven decades of public service, until recently with the Prince always by her side, and the continued admiration and gratitude of the people of this borough for the work and dedication of the Royal Family”.

Councillor Sykes also wants to get the borough’s residents involved in tree planting to mark the Platinum Jubilee, and has suggested a programme involving schools and community planting trees in our parks and gardens.

“Trees are good for the soul and for our environment. I think this would be a very special and wonderful project for our borough, and something that many of our residents would enjoy and value getting involved in.”

The Lancashire Walling Association will be joining us for another day of Drystone Walling on Crompton Moor.

Come and try your hand at another day of dry-stone walling.  This is the perfect opportunity to have a go, and learn how to take down and re-build a dry-stone wall within the beautiful setting of Crompton Moor.  

No experience is necessary, and all tools, protective eyewear, and materials will be provided. 

Please dress, according to the weather, and you will require stout outdoor footwear and work gloves.  Please bring a packed lunch and something to drink.

We will meet in Brushes Clough car park, on Crompton Moor, for a 10:00 am start.

If you have any questions, please let us know by

email: cromptonmoor@gmail.com, or you can call us on 07792 156295. 

Kind Regards,

Marian Herod, Secretary – Friends of Crompton Moor, 07792 156295, www.cromptonmoor.co.uk

Chesham & Amersham) result:

LIB DEM: 56.7% (+30.4), CON: 35.5% (-19.9) , GRN: 3.9% (-1.6) , LAB: 1.6% (-11.2), REFUK: 1.1% (+1.1) , BP: 0.5% (+0.5), FA: 0.4% (+0.4), REU: 0.3% (+0.3).

Liberal Democrat GAIN from Conservative.

Glad to have been able to do my bit to help.

Saturday (19 June) 8.30am until 7.30pm

Oldham Liberal Democrats are concerned that Oldham is failing to keep up with the increasing demand for electric vehicle charging points as Britain makes the radical move to go green from 2030.

In January 2021, the Department of Transport reported 31 public charging points in Oldham, or 13 for every 100,000 people, less than half the UK average of 31; and this was four less than in October 2019. The energy company Centrica also identified Oldham as one of 126 local councils with no plans to install on-street electric vehicle chargers.

Oldham Liberal Democrat Leader, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, is dismayed that Oldham is falling behind, especially as it is a Council and Borough committed to be carbon-neutral within ten years.

Commenting, Councillor Sykes MBE said: “For example, at a time when politicians talk about the need to promote the use of green public transport where possible, and green private transport where it is not, there is a disincentive if you are a commuter to do so.  In my own Shaw Ward, we have no electric vehicle charging points at the Shaw and Crompton Metrolink ‘Park and Ride’ despite this being the busiest station on the Rochdale – Oldham line.  Nor are there any at the Derker ‘Park and Ride’.”

“If you want to commute by tram to Manchester, and have an electric vehicle, then you must travel all the way to Hollinwood to access a charging point before you can travel into work.  All Metrolink ‘Park and Ride’ stations should have EV charging points installed as a priority. Anything else is just plain daft!”

Councillor Sykes also feels we need some forward thinking. “At a time when the Greater Manchester Mayor and Labour Leaders are proposing building thousands of new homes across the conurbation, I have yet to hear any talk about the provision of charging points for the many electric vehicles that will occupy them nor about the provision of on-street charging points.”

“We need to ensure that there are planning requirements to make this provision a given for new developments and to look at how we can make more charging points available in our town centres, workplaces, hospitals and retail and leisure parks.”

For real time information: https://oldham.roadworks.org/

This Thursday 17 June is National Clean Air Day, and Oldham Liberal Democrats councillors are asking residents of the borough to support the event to help improve our health and our environment.

Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Leader of the Oldham Liberal Democrats, said:  “Many people will have noticed the lack of traffic during Lockdown and many more people took up exercise, walking and cycling, since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.  Now as we see the removal of the remaining lockdown restrictions, it would be great if we could avoid going back to our old habit of turning to our car for every journey.“

“Many of the short journeys we take in our daily lives, whether popping to the shops or for the school run, can be made on foot or on a bike, so why not resolve to do this from Clean Air Day”, added councillor Sykes. “If we all did this, even for just one or two days a week, it would make a huge difference to air quality and in turn this would improve our health.”

Visit cleanairgm.com to get involved.  You can join in by cycling or walking on the day and sharing your journey on social media using #GMCleanAirDay.  Follow @CleanAirGM on Twitter and Facebook for tips to get you moving.