The Oldham Liberal Democrats have consistently campaigned against schools’ cuts.  They want the Council to write to the Government to fill the funding gap.  Schools are underfunded by an estimated 12 Million pounds across Oldham Borough.  Councillor Garth Harkness will bring a motion to January 8th full Council in 2020. This is to send a message to the new government to keep their promises.

Councillor Harkness says  “There was a government review in 2019 that highlighted the need to fund our schools properly.  Oldham Council needs to send a strong, united message to PM Boris Johnson and his new Government asking them to deliver on the findings of the review.”

Councillor Diane Williamson is also supporting the policy:  “For every pound that the Government cut and continue to direct away from Oldham Schools, there is a child being deprived of opportunity.  We need to stop this and do all we can.”

Copy of Motion: Council 8^th January 2020 – Notice of Opposition Business – Motion – Confronting the school’s cuts crisis

This Council notes that:

• Many schools in Oldham Borough are not receiving the minimum funding of £3,500 per pupil for primary schools and £4,800 for secondary schools, as guaranteed by the Conservative Government’s National Funding Formula.
• Oldham Borough is ranked 73 out of 149 local authorities (149 being the lowest funded) in England for 2020-2021 school funding.
• There is an unacceptable shortfall for 2020. Oldham schools are predicted to lose more than £12 million in funding, an average of approximately £238 per pupil.

• Schools are struggling to maintain the standard of education with the level of cuts faced.
• Some schools are attempting to reduce the number of special needs pupils accepted because of the funding gap.

This Council resolves to:

• Have the Leader of the Council write to the Minister of Education asking for recognition of the harm that school cuts are having on the standard of education in this country and in Oldham Borough.
• Have the Chief Executive write to the Minister of Education and the Prime Minister asking them to acknowledge the 2019 Spending Review and address the issue of school funding. The letter should state that all schools must receive the minimum funding as guaranteed by the National Funding Formula, as well as fully funding the High Needs Block.

Proposed by: Councillor Garth Harkness

Seconded by: Councillor Diane Williamson  

Councillor Howard Sykes MBE and the Oldham Liberal Democrats want to combat the negative effects of climate change in Oldham.  They wish to reverse the dramatic fall in UK bee and insect population.  They are bringing a brand-new local policy to the table at the next Full Council Meeting (08/01/20).  

Bees and other insects play a vital role in pollination of trees, crops and flowers that help produce the air we breath and food we eat.  They want Oldham’s roadside wastelands to be transformed into diverse nature habitats.  This will reduce maintenance costs and diversify our local wildlife.  

“These habitats will be turning ugly roadside grass verges and wastes into patches of flowers shrubs and ‘insect hotels’.  Insect hotels are logs and rocks placed in a certain way to attract different animal species to the area,” stated Councillor Sykes.

“Living in a green and vibrant area is also beneficial to people’s mental health.  This is also a fantastic opportunity for community groups to get involved and help the Council develop these urban meadows throughout Oldham Borough,” he added.

Councillor Dave Murphy is seconding the motion:  “All political parties need to work together on issues like climate change.  This local Liberal Democrat idea will halt, and hopefully reverse, a decline in UK nature.”

Copy of Motion:

Council 8th January 2020 – Notice of Opposition Business – Motion – Urban Meadows and Bee Corridors for a greener Oldham

This Council notes that:

• Recent work in other areas of the country has seen grass verges and dual carriageway centres transformed into wildflower corridors teeming with flora and fauna.
• These urban Meadows have multiple benefits for the areas that have been created.  They enhance the support for wildlife thus delivering biodiversity and increasing the natural beauty and appeal of an area. 
• Nature sites attract new visitors who come to see the colourful arrays created.
• Bee Corridors will reduce the maintenance costs due to the low maintenance of such areas.
• With bits of wood and plastic and in partnership with schools and youth groups, Insect Hotels will be built along the flowery corridors to attract as much wildlife as possible.
• The purpose of this scheme is to combat the dramatic loss of habitat and falling bee numbers. Insect numbers influence plant pollination and other species depend upon their existence.
• Although these urban Meadows are not for every community space and roadside, by increasing the local biodiversity in Oldham borough will have a positive effect on learning, mental health and overall appeal in the area.
• If a green Oldham is the ambition, this motion takes us a step forward to achieving that.

This Council resolves to:

• Have officers assess the feasibility of establishing Wildflower corridors, insect hotels and urban meadows across the Borough. Officers should also work closely with Parish Councillors and Borough Councils on this matter.
• A report highlighting potential locations and areas suitable should be presented to Cabinet before work can begin in 2020.
• The report will focus on working with the local community, businesses and Councillors to distinguish good and bad practice areas for this scheme.

Proposed by: Councillor Howard Sykes MBE       

Seconded by: Councillor Dave Murphy

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

Oldham Council is saddened to learn of the death of Derek Heffernan, a former Mayor of Oldham.  

Derek’s interest in local politics began in 1982, and in 1987 he was elected to Saddleworth Parish Council for Springhead Higher Ward. Derek served as Parish Council Chairman in 1992-93, and again in 1999-2000 during the Millennium year celebrations. In May 1995, Derek was elected to Oldham Council to represent Saddleworth West Ward, which became Saddleworth North in 2004 and served the ward until 2019.

He served on a number of committees including Education, Environmental Services, Social Services, Standards, Personnel, Licensing, Social Services, Finance, Scrutiny and the Saddleworth and Lees District.

Derek chaired the Oldham Learning Disability Partnership Board for seven years following its inception and served as Oldham’s representative on GM Pension Fund Board and GM Health Overview & Scrutiny. As a member of the Pennine Care Joint O&S, he chaired the committee for a number of years. He also served on the Pennine Acute Joint O&S.

Derek served on the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority where he led the Value for Money Challenge and was the Chairman of Audit Committee in 2011-12 overseeing major spending on new appliances. He subsequently became the Vice-Chairman of Audit.

Derek was a member of the Mayor’s Appeal Fund Committee for many years.

Derek became the Mayor of Oldham in 2016-17 and he took his role as Oldham Council’s Champion for Peace into local schools, raised money for his Mayoral Charities, Francis House Children’s Hospice, Macmillan’s Cancer Support and other charities and he attended numerous events and engagements to promote the First Citizen of Oldham.

Councillor Howard Sykes said: “Derek will be very sadly missed by friends and colleagues not only in the Liberal Democrat Group but across both the councils he served upon – Saddleworth and Oldham.  He was my personal friend and a very loyal colleague.  I first met Derek in the 1980s and was very pleased to help him first get elected many moons ago in 1987.  He was an elder statesman for us – a man of few words but he always spoke common sense and was listened to.  Our sympathies are with his family and his wife Di” – Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Leader of the Opposition and Liberal Democrat Group Oldham Council.

A Book of Condolence is now available at the Civic Entrance (Rochdale Road Reception) at the Civic Centre.

In accordance with protocol, the Borough flag will be flown at half-mast on the day of his funeral.

You can also sign an online book of condolence at www.oldham.gov.uk/derekheffernan

Funeral arrangements will be announced in due course.

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

Councillor Howard Sykes MBE wants to congratulate the Oldham born Kelvin Fletcher.  The star won BBC Strictly Come Dancing with dance partner Oti Mabuse on Saturday 14^th December.  After dancing the Rumba, the pair were in tears as they were handed the famous Glitterball Trophy.  This is given to winners of the show.

From their Samba in week one to the Rumba in the Final show, Kelvin was the nation’s popular favourite during the competition.

Councillor Sykes goes on to say: “It is inspiring to see the dedication and conviction of someone from the local area.  I hope that Kelvin’s passion during the competition makes others in Oldham Borough think that they are worthy of similar achievements.”

“I hope we see more of the great talent we have to offer locally on our screens very soon.  People need to realise their uncorked potential.  This is something the Council could encourage more.”

Councillor Sean Fielding, Leader and Cabinet Member for Economy and Enterprise, Oldham Council

12 December 2019

Dear Councillor Fielding,

Impact of the General Election in Oldham Borough

In response to your recent letter about the General Election and how it will affect Oldham, I am glad that you recognise the Liberal Democrats as an influential player in the local debate.

Whilst you may congratulate Labour’s work on Oldham Council, studies such as the indices of deprivation indicate a slide backwards for the local area.

Fiscal Studies conducted in the lead up to this winter election show that it is the Liberal Democrats and not the Labour Party who are the party of business.  It is clear, the Liberal Democrats have the most financial responsibility and best costed manifesto.

Labour’s manifesto is built on a debt culture.  Spend, spend, spend with no responsibility and scant regard to those who will inherit the dreadful finances. 

Rather than reform and change of the system, Labour are throwing money at the problem.  Bribing voters with billions will only bring further problems down the line for our communities.

Labour’s plan might be described as ambitious but very risky.  A promise to raise investment by £55 billion a year in the public sector is false, the public sector does not have the capacity to develop so fast.  Your heart is in the right place, but the brain is not.  Doctors, nurses, police officers, social workers, teachers and alike cannot just be recruited at the drop of a hat.

It is more likely that a Labour Government would have to find other tax increases on normal folk than just on big business and the rich as your manifesto inclines.  Labour will need to find an extra £83 billion a year but are not telling people in the street about these impending tax burdens.

Rather more sensibly, Liberal Democrat proposals to put a penny on income tax would be simple, progressive and would raise a secure level of revenue that matches what we are promising in our manifesto.

People are searching for stability and certainty in this election.

I am happy you mention Oldham’s Greenbelt.

I find it interesting that you would blame an opposition party for what Labour in Manchester have been developing for years in their grand spatial framework.

Need I remind you that Oldham Labour is building on protected land already!

We have seen mass protests and community campaigns to object against Oldham Labour’s planning shambles and this will not be the end of this.

Furthermore, successive Labour and Conservative governments have been in charge over the last hundred years in the United Kingdom.  For so long now that the two are synonymous and the support for other parties is now on the rise, the Liberal Democrats are on the rise too. 

Liberal Democrat plans to improve education and early years support will go a long way in increasing the individual’s life chances in this uncertain world we live in.

Labour and the Conservatives want to perpetuate the two-party state indefinitely by not backing electoral reform.  Fortunately, people are wising up to this and a lack of change and investment in these former Labour and Conservative areas is changing the political landscape.

To provide people with real change and a brighter future the Liberal Democrats are investing in the north of England.  The party will provide home rule to England’s regions who feel they lack true representation in Government. The Liberal Democrats will break decades of silence on key local issues and overruling by the main parties and central government.

I fear we will wake up to a Conservative majority Government on Friday the 13th – and that will be the start of a five-year nightmare for most of Oldham’s residents.

Your party will have helped in that by again failing to offer an electable alternative that majority of the British public could vote for!

Labour appear more interested in attacking other progressive party’s in this election, like the Liberal Democrats, who are clear and honest and could stop Boris Johnson and his Conservative majority nightmare.

I hope I am wrong, however, if what I say comes true you your party will be to blame and you need to hang your heads in shame.

Best wishes – Howard Sykes