Click on the link below to down load information and maps.

Time to reflect and thank all those who work in emergency services including those in the less visible ones.

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

World leaders have acknowledged that there is a climate change emergency affecting every one of us.  Liberal Democrat Councillor Garth Harkness, who has brought the issue forward, wants to declare a Climate change Emergency at the 11 September Oldham Council Meeting.  

“People across the UK and Councils across Greater Manchester have spoken out in favour of declaring a climate change emergency.  Now it’s time for Oldham Borough to do the same,” stated Councillor Harkness.   

There is already an Environment Plan by the Greater Manchester authorities to become carbon neutral by 2038.  Liberal Democrats want the Council to expand on this and announce the Climate Change Emergency through media outlets and other partners to get wider support in cooperating against climate change. 

Liberal Democrats want Oldham Council to be carbon Neutral by 2025.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Dave Murphy comments on this new policy he is supporting:  “We want Oldham Borough to become environmentally minded and for everyone to take action.  This is a serious matter that concerns everybody, regardless of your political opinion.”

“Whilst the rainforest burns in Brazil and elsewhere in South America, so too does the Saddleworth moorland on our doorstep” stated Councillor Harkness.  “We have to take action now.  The first step to making a change is to get everybody thinking.  This call will address issues with the Council’s current environmental plan which expires next year in 2020.  We need to lead by example.”

The Liberal Democrats also want the UK government to do #itsbit to help the people of Oldham Borough do #ourbit in achieving these environmental goals.

Copy of Motion to September 11 Oldham Council Meeting:

Motion – Declaring a Climate Emergency

This Council notes:

• That the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) holds that climate change represents ‘an urgent and potentially irreversible threat to human societies and the planet.’
• That the overwhelming weight of scientific evidence points to climate change being man-made.
• The harmful effect that climate change has on our lives, natural habitats and eco-systems.
• The IPCC’s call to governments and civil society to take urgent action to address climate change.
• The resolutions made by over 100 UK local authorities and the UK Parliament in declaring climate emergencies.
• Rochdale, Wigan, Bury, Salford, Manchester city, Trafford & Stockport Metropolitan Boroughs have all declared a climate change emergency, Oldham Brough should too.

This Council welcomes:

• The ambitious commitment at the July 2019 Council of the Deputy Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Resources and Low Carbon to make the Council carbon-neutral by 2025.
• The opportunity provided by the expiry of the Council’s current Climate Change strategy in 2020 to make new and more ambitious commitments to achieve carbon-neutrality by 2025.

This Council therefore resolves to:

• Declare a Climate Emergency and publicise why this declaration has been made to the people of our Borough, our media outlets and our statutory, voluntary and business sector partners to enlist their support in taking collective action in addressing climate change.
• Solicit the views and ideas of our staff, elected members, our partners and the general public in helping to craft a new Climate Change Strategy to replace our current strategy in 2020.
• Identify clearly within this Strategy the ambition for this Council to become carbon-neutral by 2025.
• Sign up to the UK100 Pledge to commit to consuming energy from renewable sources, including renewable energy generated by the Council itself.
• Re-establish a cross-party Climate Change Strategy Group to oversee the delivery of the new strategy in partnership with the Deputy Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Resources and Low Carbon.
• Ask the Chief Executive to write to the relevant Ministers, the Mayor of Greater Manchester and the Leaders of the other Greater Manchester authorities seeking their endorsement of our Climate Emergency declaration and our ambition to become carbon-neutral and requesting of central government the powers and financial resources to enable us to become carbon-neutral.

Proposed by: Councillor Garth Harkness. Seconded by: Councillor Dave Murphy                                                                       

We all like a bag of chips from time to time, but we also like to live a longer, healthier life.  This is why Councillor Hazel Gloster and the Oldham Liberal Democrats want to ban Councils advertising fast food.  

The Liberal Democrat policy concerns publicly owned poster sites, notices on any building owned by the Council and on Greater Manchester Tram/Bus Network property.  The wider scope of this idea which will be brought to Oldham Council meeting on the 11^th of September will seek to tackle the national problem of poor health and death caused by fatty and sugary foods.

This Liberal Democrat plan sets out to tackle Oldham Borough first.

Councillor Hazel Gloster stated that:  “Eating large amounts of fast food and sugared drinks contributes massively to obesity, tooth decay, diabetes, stomach problems, sleep deprivation and sometimes death.  It is the responsibility of those in government to present a modern image of a high health standard to the rest of the UK.”

Councillor Louie Hamblett, a fellow Liberal Democrat who will be seconding Councillor Hazel Gloster’s proposal says: “The Liberal Democrats want this to be a political domino.  This will hopefully remove excessive temptation and give children and adults in the local area a chance to learn how to eat with reduced sugar and fat in their diets.”

“We want other local authorities and the UK government to follow suit in this change in the local law.  Hopefully then will we tackle health setbacks such as heart disease, cancer and tooth decay.”

Copy of Motion to 11 September Council Meeting:

Ban on Fast Food and Energy Drinks Advertising

Council notes that:

• Fast food contains high levels of fat, salt and sugar and energy drinks often contain high levels of caffeine and sugar.
• The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health predicts half of all children in the UK will be overweight or obese by 2020.
• The Mayor of London banned all fast food advertising on publicly-controlled advertising spaces across London’s entire transport network.
• Sustain and Foodwatch recently published a report ‘Taking Down Junk Food Adverts’ which recommends that local authorities regulate adverts on public telephone boxes and that the Advertising Standards Authority should be able to regulate advertising outside nurseries, children’s centres, parks, family attractions and leisure centres.

As a local authority with a statutory responsibility for public health, Council believes that it should do all that is possible to discourage the consumption of fast food and energy drinks.

Council therefore resolves to:

• Ask the Chief Executive to write to the Chief Executive of Transport for Greater Manchester asking TFGM to impose a ban on the advertising of fast food and energy drinks on publicly owned poster sites etc across the Greater Manchester transport network.
• Ensure that fast food or energy drinks are not advertised on any hoarding or within any building owned by this Council including large advertisements on bus stops.
• Ensure that such products are not sold to children or young people on any of our premises.
• Ask our NHS, social housing, voluntary and private sector partners, including the Mayor of Greater Manchester, to make a similar undertaking.
• Ask the Chief Executive to write to the relevant minister requesting the recommendations of the ‘Taking Down Junk Food Adverts’ report be adopted as government policy as soon as possible; copying in our local Members of Parliament to seek their support.

Proposed by: Councillor Hazel Gloster. Seconded by: Councillor Louie Hamblett

A dangerous loophole has been found that is threatening young people’s safety. Liberal Democrat Councillor Diane Williamson wants to close the loophole on adults that can have sex with people just over the age of consent in the UK (currently 16).  This loophole concerns adults in a position of authority not defined in the law highlighted in an NSPCC campaign to change the law.  

“Teachers are currently covered by the law preventing sex between them and 16/17-year olds, but faith workers, youth workers and sports coaches are currently exempted,” stated Councillor Williamson.  “These are people who could potentially exploit young people for sex and there have been many cases where they have.”

The Liberal Democrats want Oldham Council and the Mayor of Greater Manchester to be ahead of the curve, back the NSPCC campaign and urge the UK government to change the law.

Liberal Democrat colleague backing this proposal, Councillor Chris Gloster says:  “Oldham Borough is sadly not exempt from child protection issues, and we should be at the forefront of ensuring that child protection is a key priority and where we can influence legislation to further protect some of our most vulnerable people, we must do so.”

“This is an easy win for child liberty, all it takes is for Councils to urge the Government to change the law and close the loophole.  Councils have received 653 complaints about adults who are not currently covered by the law having sex with children in their care.  This needs to end now.”

“We are bringing this to council to not only raise awareness on the issue but to ensure that no child is left behind because of shoddy law-making.”

Copy of motion to 11 September Council meeting:

Motion – Closing the Loophole

This Council believes that our duty to protect our young people is paramount. Any chance of a slippage in the law that leaves young people unsafe or at threat of exploitation must be rectified.

Council notes that:

• The NSPCC (the National Society for the Protection of Children against Cruelty) has recently reported that in the last four years police in England have recorded 1,025 crimes of Abuse of Position of Trust of a Sexual Nature
• The present legislation on Position of Trust makes it a criminal offence for teachers, care workers and youth justice workers to engage in sexual activity with 16/17-year olds in their care, but faith workers, youth workers and sports coaches are currently exempted.

This Council believes that the Government should:

• Extend the Position of Trust law to include all roles where an adult holds a position of power over 16 and 17-year-olds
• Make it illegal for any adult to have sexual activity with a young person under 18 in their care.

As this accords with the objectives of the NSPCC’s ‘Closing the Loophole’ campaign, Council agrees to give the campaign its support, and resolves to:

• Ask the Chief Executive to write to the Chief Executive of the NSPCC to register this Council’s support for the campaign
• Ask the Chief Executive to write to the Minister of Justice and of Sport urging them to introduce the necessary change in legislation
• Ask the Chief Executive to copy into this correspondence the Mayor of Greater Manchester and our local Members of Parliament seeking their support for the Council’s position and for the NSPCC campaign

Proposed by: Councillor Diane Williamson. Seconded by: Councillor Chris Gloster

The 2019 Tour of Britain Cycling Race is coming to Greater Manchester and, more importantly, to Shaw and Crompton.

This prestigious sporting event is watched by millions of people across the country each year and, we hope, will help to inspire the next generation of young sports people.

Given our rich sporting history – with scores of internationally recognised athletes hailing from the Borough – we hope that you too will support the occasion and welcome a major national sporting event coming to our community.

Below is some key information for people living on and around the route through Shaw and Crompton.

Please read it carefully if your household will be directly affected by parking restrictions between 10pm on Friday 13 September until 2pm on Saturday 14 September. The roads affected are listed below.

There will be a big build up to the race over the next few weeks in the media, on social media and online, with prizes to be won and a range of exciting ways to participate.

So, visit www.tourofbritain.co.uk via your internet browser for spectator and race information.

I hope you enjoy this fun and family-friendly event and look forward to this fantastic occasion coming to Shaw and Crompton.

Race information

The race takes place on Saturday 14 September. The peloton is expected to reach Oldham Borough at around 12.30pm – perfect for an afternoon out – and will take about half an hour to pass through.

Check out our map for full race route information and the race website www.tourofbritain.co.uk for full race details.

Road safety and road closures – how it will work

During the event, the safety of the riders, their support teams, residents and spectators will, of course, be of paramount importance. As a result, rolling road blocks will be in place during the race and certain sections of the route will need to be free of both driven and parked vehicles.

At these locations, yellow “no waiting at any time” cones – similar to those used.and will be deployed the night before the event. Vehicles that are still parked on the route prior to the race may be removed on instruction by the police and the owner will be liable for any recovery costs.

The roads affected in Shaw and Crompton are:

• Buckstones Road B6197, Shaw – Both sides from a point 100 metres east of its junction with Grains Road Shaw to a point 100 metres east of its junction with Cliff Hill Road. At the south side from a point 100 metres east of and opposite its junction with Cliff Hill Road to its junction with George Street. At the north side from a point 60 metres east of its junction with Dingle Avenue to its junction with Milnrow Road A663.

• Rochdale Road B6194, Shaw – Both sides from its junction with Rushcroft Road to its junction with Mossgate Road.

• Rochdale Road B6194, Shaw – Southwest side from a point opposite its junction with Mossgate Road for a distance of 130 metres in a northwesterly direction

Car parking for residents

If you are affected by these road closures, you will need to find alternative parking the evening before the race. However, we would ask all residents to be thoughtful to others when doing so.

Where to watch

The beauty of this event is that you can watch from anywhere along the route. You might choose to watch it from your front window or front garden or simply from the roadside outside your home.

Community events

On the day there will be two community events happening, one at George Street Park and one at High Compton park. For more details, please contact rscdistrictteam@oldham.gov.uk 0161 770 1680.

Do you want to stay in touch with all the latest information about the race? The website to visit is www.tourofbritain.co.uk which will have all official information about it.

Get fit for the race with a free day pass!

Oldham Community Leisure offer the largest range of leisure facilities, gyms and activities in Oldham. Get yourself race ready by booking a One Day Pass at any Oldham Active Leisure Centre any day before the race*. Visit www.oclactive.co.uk to book your free Day Pass which includes use of our newly refurbished Saddleworth Gym.

*Day Pass must be used by 14/09/19, limited to one day per person, for more information and T&C’s visit the website.