The Greater Manchester Combined Authority is consulting the public on its proposed Nature Recovery Plan with a closing date for responses of 7 March.  Liberal Democrat Leader Councillor Howard Sykes MBE is encouraging local people to respond; in the meantime, he has some sage words of advice ‘leave our nature be!’

Councillor Sykes is dismayed by the fact that the consultation is being conducted by the same authority that is responsible for the failed Greater Manchester Spatial Framework and is now developing a new Places for Everyone plan for the nine Greater Manchester authorities, eight Labour-led and one-Conservative, which remain wedded to rolling out a series of large-scale housing schemes on green belt sites throughout the city-region.

Commenting, Councillor Sykes said:  “Our natural environment, whether a local park, a green field, woodland or a canal towpath, has been a source of solace, peace and quiet, and enjoyment for so people during an awful year when we have otherwise had to remain isolated at home during an unprecedented pandemic.” 

“I welcome the fact that Greater Manchester has been selected for government funding to develop a nature recovery plan, but it seems to be completely at odds with those who seem dedicated to destroying our Green Belt by building thousands of new homes upon it, to be extolling the virtues of the natural environment.”

Councillor Sykes is therefore urging everyone to have their say and use this opportunity to send in their comments condemning Labour’s new Green Belt homes plan.  “This is the first phase of the next battle, but if we all say ‘yes’ to nature and ‘no’ to Labour’s plan to concrete over our beautiful open spaces we might give our local countryside a fighting chance of still being available for future generations to enjoy.”

The consultation can be found at

https://www.gmconsult.org/environment-team-policy-and-strategy/help-nature-recover-in-greater-manchester/

The closing date for comments is 7 March.

Oldham’s Labour Cabinet may claim that the proposed 2.99% rise is the lowest in Greater Manchester, but residents still face the second highest Council Tax bills in the city region.

Of the ten local authorities, the Oldham Liberal Democrats have identified that only Labour-run Stockport presented a higher Council Tax bill to residents in 2020.  Oldham’s bill for a Band D property was £1,678 compared to Stockport’s £1,691.

Councillor Howard Sykes MBE said:  “In these difficult economic times, when we are all counting the pennies, Oldham Council Tax payers will, I am sure, be glad that bills will go up by 2.99% this year rather than the 5% that is permitted without a referendum, but this is small comfort when bills are already so high to begin with.”

“That is why the Liberal Democrats continue to seek further savings and efficiencies from Council bureaucracy where we can to free up more cash for front line services, and that is what we shall do again when we present our Budget Amendment to Council on Thursday 4 March.”

Planning Application: FUL/363266/21

Shaw Ward Liberal Democrat Councillors have asked that the  latest planning application to convert the former Weavers Answer PH on Milnrow Road, Shaw; to a nine bedroom premises to provide ‘supported living’; is raised from a council officer delegated decision to the full council planning committee in order that the application can receive full public scrutiny.

Councillor Howard Sykes said: “this application was refused in January 2021 by planners, when the applicants applied for an 18 bedrooms hostel.”

“Despite major revisions to the plan, residents and ward councillors still have grave concerns about the proposed use of these premises and the lack of detail in the application and as a consequence we have asked for it to be raised to Planning Committee so it can be scrutinised and the developers challenged in an open and transparent forum if required.”

The reasons submitted to the planning department as listed below:

1. No Design and Access Statement to satisfy, amongst other things, compliance with relevant equality legislation in terms of design.  

2. The internal arrangements of the premises would provide insufficient living space for residents. 

3. Fear of increased crime and anti-social behaviour that current residents are witnessing already, the premises themselves have already been subject to substantial criminal damage, fly tipping has taken place adjacent to the site. ASB already takes place outside. 

4. Two recent HMOs in immediate vicinity may be contributing to this increase.

5. Policing services are stretched and will be so further if these premises become a hostel for transient residents.

6. Impact on health services. Application now states supported living, where is there a need for supported living of this type? What type of supported living is required and if there is a medical need what impact will this have on the current stretched services in Shaw and Crompton where patients are having to attend Royton for appointments/treatment.

7. Applicants have (contrary to their statement upon application) closed off the front main entrance to premises and put a window in, and now intend to use another entrance obscured by a bus shelter which would impact upon bus stop users particularly if residents congregated at the door smoking etc. 

8. Highways, no provision identified for staff vehicles or residents vehicles in an area already struggling for short and long term parking to service the shops thereby impacting upon current local amenities.

9. Visual impact. It is unclear if developers intend to render this property as per last application, it is unclear if applicants intend to alter the current roof design. If this is still the case that is totally unacceptable for the street scene and should be a planning condition whatever this development subsequently becomes. 

With one week to go, Conservative Government plans to reopen schools fail to pass muster, says Liberal Democrat Leader, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE. 

“Whilst we all want to see all our children back at their desks, a return to school must be safe for our children, our teachers and our other school staff,” said Councillor Sykes.  “Parents will rightly want to have the assurance that the government is not simply rushing into things just to satisfy a deadline on the Prime Minister’s ‘roadmap’ and that our children’s health will in no way be compromised by a March 8 return to the classroom.”

The Oldham Liberal Democrats believe that the government has a whole series of questions to answer before it can pass the test:

• How can we be sure that school transport will be safe to use?

• Will regional or local approaches will be considered that take account of local infection and vaccination rates?

• If an immediate full return for all pupils to school is not possible what phased approach will be taken across year groups, and will rotas be considered in the short-term to ensure that all pupils spend some time in the classroom?

• How will the testing for COVID-19 infection be carried out on a regular basis amongst pupils, where and when will it happen, and what impact will this have on the delivery of teaching?

• How will parents who are reluctant to send their children back to school, or children be reluctant to attend, be supported to make the right choice?

• What additional support will pupils with mental illness, disabilities or Special Educational Needs receive so they can benefit fully from a return to education?

Councillor Sykes said:  “These, and many other questions, remain unanswered.  Although I am absolutely confident that teachers and other school staff will do their utmost to make this work, I have absolutely no confidence in the Secretary of State for Education, Gavin Williamson, who failed our young people so abysmally with his discredited algorithms in the recent examinations fiasco.”

Myself and a number of my colleages have been asking for improvemnts and the flooding issue to be tackled in the Cemetery for some months now.

Below is a recent repose from a senior council officer about the matter. Rest assured we will continue to pursue this.

‘A quick update and now I have the background happy to discuss if it helps. Unfortunately the excessive rainfall we have had is causing us issues, not just at this site but across other cemeteries and greenspaces across the town.

The land is in our terms now at ‘Field capacity’ as the water table is at such a high level and any additional rainfall merely sits on the surface before eventually permeating through when the weather improves.

Having checked with other Councils it seems there are a number of others experiencing the same problems.

We are working to see what is practical to alleviate the problem as it does not appear to be related to the recent works to improve the pathways. A surveyor is due to visit and report back on potential options and I’ll ask that you are updated together with Cllrs Williamson and H Gloster who have raised the same issue.

Please can you reassure residents that we are doing all we can to resolve these issues and happy to provide an update as we have more info through from Corporate Landlord on work which could improve matters.’

Pleased to report this has now been replaced.

See the link below if you wish to read what the display board says and the history of Shaw’s education statue.

This is something I was very proud to get relocated into the Memorial Gardens a number of years ago.

The Education Statue is a replica of one of four supporting statues which feature on the Gladstone’s memorial on the Strand, London (the statues include Courage, Brotherhood, Aspiration and Education and are intended to be a reflection of Gladstone’s strengths).

The Gladstone’s memorial commemorated the Prime Minster and statesman William Ewart Gladstone (1809-1898) and was completed by Humo Thornycroft in 1905 (Manning 1982). The copy of ‘Education’ was purchased by James Cockcroft, a local businessman and councillor, who presented and unveiled it to the people of Shaw and Crompton in 1919 (PMSA MR/OLD27, Wyke 2004, 296).

Cockcroft was a strong supporter of public libraries and requested that the memorial be placed in the entrance hall of Crompton local library to be ‘an inspiring object to the youth, and I hope, the adults of our village’ (PMSA MR/OLD27, Wyke 2004, 296).

The sculpture was unveiled in July 1919 together with a plaque which read:
‘Presented by James William Cockcroft as a token of love and respect for his native village and in grateful acknowledgment of many benefits received by him’

Shaw Councillor Chris Gloster, Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance and Green, is looking forward to presenting the budget amendment of the Liberal Democrat Group to next week’s Budget Council (Thursday 4 March, 6pm). 

“The Oldham Liberal Democrats want to make further efficiencies in civic centre bureaucracy to squeeze out more money for our priorities, and those of the public – more cash to spend on front-line services,” said Councillor Gloster.  “As we begin to emerge from the nightmare of COVID-19, we wish to look at building back better in our Borough by focussing on making Oldham healthier, greener and cleaner.”  

The Liberal Councillors are proposing to repurpose part of Labour’s capital investment programme and find more money from cutting bureaucracy and waste elsewhere in the Council’s budget to: 

• Invest £18 million to build three new health centres for patients in Shaw and Crompton, Saddleworth and Chadderton by 2026;  
• Invest £6.5 million in build a green infrastructure taking Oldham forward in its ambition to be Britain’s first carbon-neutral Council and Borough; and 
• Create a dedicated fund worth £2.5 million to repair our footpaths over the next five years.   

In the next two years, the Liberal Democrats would save over £1.2 million by cutting Civic Centre bureaucracy and waste to spend on front-line services.  In the next financial year, £294,000 more would be spent on tackling the fly-tipping, litter and dog-fouling which blights the lives of so many Oldham residents, and a new fund of £200,000 would be created to invest in 20-mph zones in residential streets to cut road deaths and injuries, especially amongst children and the elderly.   

Commenting Councillor Gloster said: “I feel that we have a range of practical proposals that reflect the new post-COVID reality that much of the work carried out by our staff will continue to be from home rather than the Civic Centre.  Our savings will release money that we would re-invest in the front-line services that the public value.”   

“The Liberal Democrats are also keen to divert some of the money from Labour’s Capital Programme to build three new health centres for the people of Shaw and Crompton, Saddleworth and Chadderton who have been short-changed on primary health care for so long along with an emphasis on Shaw and Crompton being the first location in view of the excellent tram links from other parts of the Borough which would allow specialist clinics to be provided with good access for the Borough’s residents.” 

The full report to Council titled ‘Liberal Democrats Budget Amendment Proposals 2021/22‘ can be found at: 

https://committees.oldham.gov.uk/documents/s122248/7.%20Opposition%20Budget%20Report%202021-22%20Council%201.pdf

A summary of the Liberal Democrat Budget Amendment Proposals can be found at: 

https://committees.oldham.gov.uk/documents/s122249/7a.%20Appendix%20A.%20Summary%20of%20Opposition%20Budget%20proposals%202021-22%201.pdf

The Business Cases for each of the Budget Amendment Proposal can be found at: 

https://committees.oldham.gov.uk/documents/s122250/7b.%20Appendix%20B%20-%20Business%20Cases%20for%20Alternative%20Budget%20Reduction%20Proposals%201.pdf

The Conservative Government has continued its attack on public green spaces with a new consultation on ‘right to regenerate’, which proposes that “inefficient use of public sector land” should be challenged, and used to build developments.

The Government is suggesting that the current right to contest – which gives local authorities the right to refuse if the cost of selling would not be good value for the taxpayer – should be replaced, so that more sites would be made available for development.

Recent proposals from the Government on planning law show that the Conservatives are already trying to ensure that more developers get automatic approval for sites, rather than targeting environmentally friendly development that on sites actually in need of regeneration, with proper infrastructure support.

Local Liberal Democrat campaigner Mark Kenyon said: “Developers will always choose to target easier sites for housing; which we’ve seen locally with proposed developments such as that on Knowls Lane.

If the Conservative Government were really interested in addressing blight, this would give communities the option to bring ‘inefficient’ public spaces into community control, so that they can give villages and towns more of what they need – which might be development, but could just as well be allotments, village greens or parks.”

The succession of consultations from the Government has included “Planning for the Future”, which was widely attacked, including by Conservative councillors, as well as plans to change the rules on supported housing, and to increase the numbers of houses which should be built across the country.

Oldham’s Liberal Democrat shadow cabinet member for housing and homelessness, Sam Al-Hamdani, said: “This is the latest in a sequence of consultations which, taken together, look like a deliberate, concerted attack on communities’ ability to determine what developments will benefit them.

“New housing is needed – we need more ways to ensure that developers, councils and communities are on the same page. Instead, this is another attempt from the Conservatives to put communities last, and dump the blame on local authorities.”