Once again your Lib Dem Team have asked if this building is safe and can the council take any action on the owners. In terms of its re-development there has been no further update since the Council granted planning permission (though that is not unusual, as there is no requirement to keep the Council updated on plans to implement a permission).
Last the Council were aware, the site was being advertised for sale with the residential permission on Rightmove.
Digital Saturdays: Free Arts Workshops for 7-11 year olds across Oldham Libraries
Digital arts charity Peshkar are offering free workshops for 7-11 year olds across Oldham Libraries.
Workshops will be held in February and March at Uppermill, Limehurst and Crompton Libraries and cover a range of art forms such as theatre, photography and soundscaping.
Young people and their parents/carers are welcome to attend as many workshops as they like and the work created will be showcased and celebrated at the ‘Oldham Digital Festival’ on Saturday 16 March 2024 at Oldham Library.
Places are limited and booking is advisable.
Limehurst Library – Free Arts and Photography Workshops
The applicant submitted an appeal against the Council’s decision to refuse planning permission in September 2023. As such, in accordance with established practice and guidance on planning enforcement, it would not be considered reasonable for the Council to take any enforcement action to require the site owners to restore the site until this appeal has been decided.
Your Lib Dem Team have asked that the on-going expansion of the site is looked at again by planning enforcement.
The application has now been refused. The applicant was requested to demonstrate how they intended to mitigate the impact of the loss of employment use and also, being a major development, they were asked to demonstrate how they would meet the requirement for affordable housing and open space as part of a new residential development.
In relation to the above, they did not provide acceptable details and, subsequently, they advised that they were considering amending the scheme to reduce the number of dwellings proposed so that there would be no requirement for affordable housing and open space.
After waiting for amended plans for many months, and with no sign of these being forthcoming, the applicant was given a deadline by which the amended plans must be submitted, otherwise the application would be determined on the basis of the information previously provided.
On the expiry of the deadline, with no amended plans provided, a decision to refuse the application was made for reasons relating to failure to comply with Policy 14 (related to the loss of an employment use) and no acceptable arrangement for affordable housing and open space as part of the proposed new residential development.
Department for Transport must update criteria for speed camera use says Oldham Liberal Democrat Leader
Oldham Council’s Liberal Democrat Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE has called again on the Department for Transport (DfT) to change its criteria for new speed cameras.
Councillor Sykes said, “All of the evidence shows us that speed cameras reduce fatalities and injuries. One death on our roads is one too many. Yet in 2022, 64 people were killed on Greater Manchester’s roads. But outdated rules and regulations are getting in the way of the consideration of using cameras to combat speeding.”
Local councils, Greater Manchester Police and the Highways Agency can only deploy resources like speed cameras when they follow strict and now out of date guidance set out by the Department for Transport.
Currently, the DfT requires “at least two collisions resulting in people killed or seriously injured” within a three-year period before a new speed camera can be even considered.
Councillor Sykes said, “It’s completely unacceptable that the current system requires such a grave human cost before action can be taken. This is not prevention. We need a complete change in the way we calculate and respond to risk on our roads.”
Councillor Sykes raised the issue recently at Greater Manchester’s ‘Bee Network’ transport committee, who agreed with his concerns. It has now written to the Secretary of State for Transport Mark Harper MP calling for the ‘two deaths rule’ to be changed.
Sykes, who represents the Liberal Democrats on the committee, said, “In Oldham and across Greater Manchester, we want zero deaths and serious injuries on our roads. But these morbid and outdated rules need to change for us to achieve that. I hope the Secretary of State will act without delay.”
Pleased to report Metrolink did some litter picking around the Tram stop following our request.
We have also asked for more work to be done and also at the stop on the lines themselves but this takes time to organise with health and safety considerations.
At the end of the day the litter is generated by users of the tram stop rather that use the bins provided or take their litter home.
Liberal Democrats “ready to deliver for all of Oldham” with council budget amendment
Oldham Council’s Liberal Democrat Opposition will set out their amendment to Labour’s budget later this week at the Governance, Strategy and Resources Scrutiny Board (8/2/24) before taking it to full council on 28 February 24.
Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader and Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance, councillor Sam Al-Hamdani said, “We are ambitious for Oldham. People are fed up with a council which fails to deliver the basics under Labour.”
“Liberal Democrat councillors have listened to the residents we represent and its clear that for too long, the Labour dominated council has spent too long obsessing over Oldham town centre and neglecting our districts and villages.”
“Our budget plans are relentlessly focused on delivering safer streets, rejuvenating our parks and green spaces; improving our district centres; investing in crime prevention; and funding more youth.”
This February, councils up and down the country will set their budgets for the next financial year with the cost-of-living crisis still raging. Oldham councillors will vote on final plans at a Civic Centre meeting on Wednesday 28th February.
Oldham Liberal Democrat Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE said, “This is a challenging time. But it’s our residents who face the biggest challenges, with runaway energy bills, mortgages, and prices in shops. People expect the council to put resources into frontline services. But we’ve identified more than £300,000 worth of wasteful spending across council departments and that money would be better spent on vital youth services, on our green spaces and on our pavements and roads.”
“Our plans reflect the priorities of residents, and they demonstrate that the Liberal Democrats are ready to deliver for all of Oldham.”
Liberal Democrat Parish Councillor Tom Penketh who is Deputy Leader of the opposition on Shaw and Crompton Parish Council has said “The so called ‘Shaw and Crompton Independents’ are treating the good residents of our area as fools.
Since the May elections, the so called Independents have chosen to appoint only themselves on all committees of the council with no opposition members to have any input on any decision-making process, and completely avoiding scrutiny. This is undemocratic and they are preventing residents of Shaw and Crompton from being represented by the people they voted for.”
Cllr Penketh added “They have also chosen to go for Town Council status, something which I have checked with other Town and Parish Councils and the only difference between a parish and town council is that a town council may wish to call their chairman ‘Mayor’ and their Vice Chairman ‘Deputy Mayor’. Functionality wise there is no difference, there are no extra powers and no extra funding. It’s simple, the so called Independents are after a power grab!”
He continued by saying, “The so called Independents used the excuse that they want to educate people and re brand, why can’t they educate people about the parish council now rather than spend money for no reason at all? They claimed that in their campaigning in May, people wanted this change, I’ve not spoken to anyone who has said anything of the sort, in fact quite the opposite. I’ve had people asking me why they are doing it, stating we are a village not a town and that they don’t want to be a town.”
A founding member and former Chairman of the Parish Council said “In 1987 when the Parish Council was formed, the suggested name was Crompton Parish Council. The elected Parish Councillors consulted the people of the Parish Council area as to their preference for the name of the Council. There were six options, Shaw and Crompton Parish Council was the most popular and Crompton Town Council the least popular, with Shaw and Crompton Town Council next least popular.”
They added, “Names of where you live are important, it should be remembered that the Shaw and Crompton Parish Council area covers the communities of High Crompton, Rushcroft, Buckstones, Pingot, Shawside, Shore Edge, Cowlishaw, Netherhouse, Shaw, Buttonhole and Holebottom. Also included are the communities of Heyside and High Barn, both in Royton. Therefore at least 10% of the people in the Shaw and Crompton Parish Council area live in Royton.”
They concluded with, “The residents of the Shaw and Crompton Parish Council area should be consulted in a referendum by a public vote to coincide with the local elections in 2024, on any change of name.”
Cllr Penketh finished by saying, “This year will be the 37th Anniversary of the Parish Council and the so called Independents have so far done everything they can to undermine and demolish the hard work and memory of very committed and respected former councillors.
Of course, they will talk bad about the history of the council and its councillors, but what do you expect with party politics! It’s simple, Oldham is our town and Shaw & Crompton is our parish, where the parish council is about our residents, and it should be their choice!”
