A government decision to force Councils to again meet in public after May 6 whilst allowing Parliament to meet remotely represents double standards on the issue of public safety and will needlessly endanger the health of any participants, says Liberal Democrat Group Leader Councillor Howard Sykes MBE.

“We all want full Council meetings to recommence in person at the Civic Centre when it is safe to do so, but now is too soon,” commented Councillor Sykes.  “We are still in the middle of a pandemic.  Many of our younger residents have yet to be vaccinated and those that have received the vaccine are mostly still awaiting the protection promised by a second jab.  It has proven entirely possible to take public questions and allow the public to view proceedings at virtual Council meetings during the last year.  It therefore seems sheer madness to endanger lives at this time when we could stay virtual for just a little longer and return to normality later this year.” 

The first meeting after May’s local elections will be the Annual Council held on 19 May.  Annual Council is usually the busiest of the year as it is the meeting where  the new Mayor is appointed.  This year is likely to be busier than usual as two new worthy Freemen of the Borough – Frank Rothwell and Kevin Sinfield MBE – and one new distinguished Alderman – former Liberal Democrat Councillor John Dillon will also be appointed. 

Councillor Sykes continued:  “Given the requirement for social distancing, such a meeting, that may be attended by several hundred people, cannot be held in the Council Chamber.  The only building nearby where this might be possible would be the Queen Elizabeth Hall, and even then, it would still be a logistical nightmare.  On this issue, any common-sense seems to have flown out of the Government’s window.  It is simply an unnecessary and unneeded distraction at a time when Oldham and other Councils should be working flat out to deal with the COVID-19 emergency and supporting residents impacted by it.”

Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Leader has given his personal backing to a new national campaign by UK100 for a post COVID economic recovery plan to employ Britain’s skilled workers to tackle climate change.

Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Leader of the Oldham Council Liberal Democrat Group, has pledged his support for Net Zero, and is pleased that his group was instrumental in ensuring that Oldham Council is ahead of the game in already making a commitment to being a zero carbon emission authority.

Commenting, Councillor Sykes said: “The Liberal Democrat Group brought forward a motion committing Oldham Council to declare a climate emergency and to taking action to tackle it.  Subsequently the Council adopted an ambitious action plan to become carbon neutral by 2025 and we are also working on a cross-party basis for the Borough to become carbon neutral by 2030.”

New data released by the Place-based Climate Action Network (PCAN) has revealed that there are an estimated 2,738,410 jobs across Englandfor workers who already have the skills we need to achieve carbon neutrality. 9,629 jobs are identified as Oldham-based (https://www.uk100.org/greenjobs) .

Councillor Sykes welcomes the news and would like to see many of these jobs come to Oldham residents.  “Tackling climate change would mean good, fulfilling and well-paid jobs and the possibility of establishing new businesses which are both profitable and virtuous.  The post-COVID economic crisis is the perfect opportunity to provide new jobs, skills and training opportunities to those who need them the most.  Government investment would be very welcome, and it would for Oldham be a silver lining in what over the last year has been a very dark and oppressive cloud.”

The new campaign will officially be launched by UK100 on Wednesday, 31st March. 

The Liberal Democrat Deputy Group Leader on Oldham Council, Shaw Councillor Chris Gloster, is fuming at the cost of a letter sent to every household in the borough.

The controversial letter, jointly signed by the Labour Leader of Oldham Council, councillor Sean Fielding, and Oldham Council’s Chief Executive, Dr Carolyn Wilkins OBE, relays what the council has been doing over the past twelve months during the Covid crisis, and concludes that by ‘working together and demonstrating that community spirit Oldham is famous for, we can get back to doing the things we love sooner’.

Councillor Gloster is also the shadow portfolio holder for finance and knows how precious every Council Tax penny is.  He railed against the waste of money sending out the letter represents: 

“To be blunt this is an absolute waste of council tax-payers’ money.  At this year’s March budget council meeting, I proposed cuts of £250,000 to the Council’s Communications budget because of clear examples of waste, and this is a prime example. This single communication to more than 90,000 homes in Oldham will have cost in excess of £70,000 in time, paper and postage to circulate.  I honestly despair at this financial waste that cannot be justified in my view.  What is even more galling is that the letter arrived at the same time that residents received their latest council tax bill increased yet again by this Labour Administration.” 

Councillor Gloster also believes that the letter represents Labour electioneering propaganda at the public’s expense:

“Sending out such a letter at this time is so wrong. The Labour council leader is personally up for election in May, and to circulate a letter at council tax-payers’ expense to every home in Oldham encouraging residents to work together with him just days before the election is formally called smacks of electioneering.

“A former Local Government Minister once talked about ‘Town Hall Pravda’, political material put out at public expense.  There is no doubt in my mind that this letter is electioneering in disguise and based on the numerous people who have commented on it to this effect, people across Oldham share the same view.”

Voluntary and community groups across Oldham can now apply for up to £500 of Respect Our Community Awards (ROCA) funding, to make a difference to their local area.

The deadline for applications is 5pm on Monday 12 April. Find out more here.

Household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) are expected to be busy over the forthcoming Easter bank holiday.

People are encouraged to visit midweek, to avoid queues, and to separate waste before they arrive.

After the clocks go forward on Sunday 28 March, opening times at most HWRCs will also change from 8am to 6pm, to 8am to 8pm.

As some lockdown rules ease from today (Monday 29th March) – Oldham is changing when and where people can continue to be tested.

For people taking part in regular testing and not showing symptoms, for example anyone who can’t work from home or care home visitors, the four current sites in Uppermill, Failsworth, Shaw and Oldham Town Centre leisure centre will close on Wednesday 31st March.

Instead several community sites, such as local pharmacies, will become the locations for people to be tested on a regular basis from Thursday 1st April.

Another key part of coronavirus testing is home testing.  Where people eligible for family home testing can pick up free testing kits will be changing from Monday 29th March. 

The new locations are: Lees Library, Crompton Library, Failsworth Library, The Link Centre (Oldham Town Centre). Those eligible for home testing include:

* households, childcare and support bubbles of early years children, nursery children, primary and secondary-age pupils and college students

* households, childcare and support bubbles of staff of nurseries, primary and secondary schools, and colleges

* anyone who works in an occupation related to a childcare provider, school, nursery or college, and their household, childcare and support bubbles

* staff of primary and secondary schools, nurseries and colleges

Secondary School children and College students have now moved from testing in schools to being given home testing kits and are being encouraged to do these at least twice a week and to record their results with their school and the national test and trace app.

Oldham also has ‘PCR’ coronavirus testing facilities in at Southgate Street (in Oldham town centre), Peel Street (Chadderton) and Honeywell Centre.

PCR tests are the tests you should use if you have symptoms or are concerned that you may have coronavirus.

Free ‘PCR’ testing is available at these sites seven days a week to anyone showing symptoms or has concerns about coronavirus. There are also mobile testing sites on a regular basis around Oldham.

The best way to book a slot is to go to gov.uk website, or call 119, but walk up appointments are available if the site is not busy.

If you have symptoms or suspect you may have coronavirus, you and all members of your household must self-isolate until you are able to get tested and have received your test result. If the result is positive you will need to continue to isolate in line with national guidance.

For more detail on Coronavirus support and help in Oldham go to the Council’s website – https://www.oldham.gov.uk/coronavirus

• people aged 50 and over
• people at high risk from coronavirus (clinically extremely vulnerable)
• people who live or work in care homes
• health and social care workers
• people with a condition that puts them at higher risk (clinically vulnerable)
• people with a learning disability
• people who are a main carer for someone at high risk from coronavirus

The order in which people will be offered the vaccine is based on advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

What if I am not on the list?

If you are not on the above list, please wait to be contacted. The NHS will let you know when it’s your turn to have the vaccine. It’s important not to contact the NHS or your GP for a vaccination before then.

How they will contact you

If you are registered with a GP in Oldham, you will be contacted directly from your practice or an NHS representative when it is your turn to be vaccinated.

If you are contacted by phone, which may be from a mobile number, the caller will identify themselves and say they are calling on behalf of your GP to book your appointment for a Coronavirus vaccine.

You may also be invited for your vaccination by a letter from your GP or an NHS representative, which will include details on how to book your appointment.

If you live in Oldham but are registered with a practice outside the borough you will be contacted by representatives from that local authority area.

What to do if you missed your first vaccine appointment

The first dose of the Coronavirus vaccine has now been offered to those in the top groups most vulnerable to the virus.

If you have been offered an appointment for the first Coronavirus vaccine but had to cancel or simply just weren’t able to make the slot offered, don’t worry, there’s still time to get your jab.

To book an appointment you can simply:

• Call your GP surgery
• Visit the NHS website
• or call 119

Oldham’s Liberal Democrats have welcomed recent news that the Domestic Abuse Bill passing through Parliament will now contain a commitment to establish a national offenders’ register for those convicted of stalking or domestic violence after the House of Lords amended the legislation. 

Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Councillor Chris Gloster, a former police officer with 30 years’ experience, proposed the establishment of just such a register when he brought a motion to last December’s meeting of Oldham Council with the support of the Paladin National Stalking Advocacy Service

Councillor Chris Gloster is elated:  “In light of the recent tragic murder of Sarah Everard, this development brings some hope that in the future serial offenders who are violent towards or stalk their victims will be tracked to prevent their reoffending and save innocent lives.  Serial stalkers and domestic abusers should be put on the national register for violent and sex offenders and subject to greater monitoring by the police and other agencies.  If we track them, we can stop them offending and perhaps save victims like Hollie Gazzard who was murdered by Asher Maslin, who had 24 previous violent offences against several partners.”

The motion carried at the meeting of Oldham Council on 16 December 2020 reads:

Council notes that:

• Stalking and domestic abuse are crimes which are insidious and terrifying, the majority committed by men against women.  Offenders go from victim to victim, yet many remain undetected and un-convicted.

• The evidence shows that domestic abuse has become more prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns.  Some stalkers and domestic abusers go on to commit murder, and tragically the domestic homicide rate, mostly of women, continues to increase.

• Despite clear warning signs that such crimes are often repeated and follow a pattern, much offending behaviour remains undetected by the Police, probation and other agencies, and offenders are left at large.

• Although the provisions of the Domestic Abuse Bill now before Parliament are welcome, the Bill is manifestly deficient in not addressing the importance of robustly tracking and apprehending these offenders.

Council further notes that:

• Whilst the Domestic Abuse Bill would place Clare’s Law (the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme) on a statutory footing, this will place the onus upon victims to come forward to seek information about their partner or a family member and this can sometimes place the victim in danger.

• There is no duty on police services to identify, track and manage stalkers and domestic abusers.

Council believes that:

• It is imperative that serial stalkers and domestic abusers are prioritised and proactively identified, assessed and managed by Police, probation and other relevant agencies, so that intelligence can be shared about their offending behaviour to hold them to account and close down their behaviour.

• The details of stalkers and domestic abusers should be included on the Violent and Sexual Offender’s Register and managed via the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements.

Council resolves to ask the Chief Executive to write to the Home Secretary asking her to make these changes to more effectively track and apprehend stalkers and domestic abusers, and to copy in our three local Members of Parliament and the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester asking them to make representations to the Home Secretary in support of the Council’s position.

Proposed by:                                                     Seconded by:

Councillor Chris Gloster                                 Councillor Diane Williamson

The Paladin National Stalking Advocacy Service

Paladin was launched in 2013 by Founder Laura Richards and others changed the law to create a specific criminal offence of stalking.  Paladin amplifies the voice of the victim within the criminal and civil justice system, as many victims feel isolated and terrified. Some pay with their lives. Paladin provides a high level of advocacy to anyone at risk of serious harm or homicide from a stalker.

We give initial advice and offer to complete a detailed assessment to anyone who calls our service and is affected by stalking. Sometimes we call this ‘high risk’ and it is based on what we learn from the detailed assessment.  However, in all situations we aim to improve access to the right kind of support for each person and improve co-ordinated working between specialist services to keep each survivor feeling safer.

Our Board is made up of experienced and award-winning professionals including our Chair Rachel Horman, who is a solicitor; Allan Aubeelack former police officer, Zoe Dronfield, Zoe Jones and Tom Cottew. Our patron is philanthropist and prison reformer, Lady Edwina Grosvenor.

Paladin operates a telephone helpline 020 3866 4107 open weekdays 9 am to 3 pm (except Wednesdays when it operates until 5pm).  Enquirers unable to call within these hours can email info@paladinservice.co.uk to arrange a call at a convenient time.

Paladin’s website can be found at https://paladinservice.co.uk/