Temporary traffic lights Rochdale Road, Shaw – Rochdale Boundary to Crompton House School – from Monday 15 March for up to two weeks

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Commencing 15 March and lasting for approximately two weeks, Oldham Council’s Highway Maintenance Section will be carrying out repairs at various locations on Rochdale Road, High Crompton, between the Rochdale boundary to Crompton House School.

The work is scheduled to commence at the boundary and move down towards the school but this is subject to change at short notice.

These works will be subject to the following conditions.

  • Only one location can be worked on at a time.
  • The signals must not be set up until 9.30am and all traffic management must be removed and the road fully open by 2.30pm daily and NOT start to clear the traffic management 2.30pm.
  • If it becomes necessary the signals must be manually operated to manage queue lengths should these be unacceptable.
  • If the locations being worked at begin to cause too much trouble due to the proximity to the schools, we will require the work to stop and be completed during the school holidays.

408 bus service – change in operator for part of the service

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The 408 bus service provides an hourly daytime link between Shaw and Oldham with weekday peak and tendered evening and Sunday services extending to Stalybridge.

These journeys provide a unique bus link to Oldham centre for residents in parts of Buckstones, High Crompton and Thornham.

First Manchester has advised of their intention to withdraw the Monday to Saturday off peak daytime service between Oldham and Shaw.

I am pleased to report that Transport for Great Manchester (TfGM) has sort other operators for the replacement of these journeys operating between approximately 9.15am and 2.15pm on Weekdays and 9.15am and 5.15pm on Saturdays.

These services will be operated by Rosso starting after Saturday 2 April.

Damning report shows homelessness will rocket due to Conservative housing bill

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A recently-released report from the Local Government Association shows that councils fear the Conservative Housing Bill will see a sell off of homes that will not be replaced and a rocketing of homelessness in communities across Britain.

The survey results are stark; of the councils which responded:

–          78% said there would be an increase in homelessness

–          90% of councils surveyed said their number of council homes would decrease

–          74% said the homes sold under Right To Buy would not be replaced

–          82% said there would be less estate regeneration

 Commenting, the Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Cllr Howard Sykes MBE, said:

“This report, which was called for by the Liberal Democrats on the Local Government Association, paints a very grim picture.  It is clear that this Conservative government is intent on devastating social and affordable housing for those most in need.  As a result there is likely to be a colossal rise in homelessness as poorer households struggle to find homes that are within their means.  Be in no doubt, the blame for this lies firmly at the Government’s door.”

“We need to stop this before it’s too late.  Liberal Democrats in the Lords have launched a major attack on the reforms and will be fighting them to the bitter end.”

“At December’s meeting of Council, the Liberal Democrats tabled an amendment calling for a local assessment to be carried out of the impact of the Housing Bill on the residents of our Borough.  I fear that our poorer citizens will suffer the devastating consequences of this mean-spirited legislation.”

Click on the link to see the report: LGA Executive – 3 March 2016 – Housing and Planning

Friday’s Refuse and Recycling Collections – 4 March

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Despite the Council’s best efforts this morning they have reluctantly had to suspend all today’s refuse and recycling collections for safety reasons.

Refuse only : leave bins out and they will be collected as soon as possible.

All recycling : please return bins/containers to property and they will be collected on the next schedule collection day where extras will be taken in clearly marked bags.

So for Shaw and Crompton that means your green bin will be emptied next week and your brown bin in two weeks.

A scandal that Conservative Trafford gets extra cash and Oldham gets Nowt, Says Sykes

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Cash strapped Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council will receive NOTHING from a £400M war chest to help Councils with funding cuts.  Trafford Council, ran by the Conservatives will receive £465,000 in ‘transitional’ funding from the Government.

This is cash aimed at helping councils cope with the transition from ‘dependence’ on the Government.

The Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Cllr Howard Sykes, MBE, condemned the announcement:

“Quite clearly we have seen here a Conservative Government trying to curry favour amongst Conservative council leaders by offering them this bribe to keep quiet about spending cuts and remain on board.  Trafford Council which is one of the richest Councils in our region got almost half a million pounds; yet Oldham, a deprived Borough hammered by spending cuts and welfare reform, where there is a constant and increasing demand on Council services, has received nothing because its political hue isn’t blue.  This is simply naked cronyism!”

Liberal Democrats in Oldham are backing party colleagues in Rochdale who have submitted a Freedom of Information request to the Department of Communities and Local Government.  They are asking for an explanation of the ‘rationale’ behind the decision and if they are not satisfied with the response of Conservative Local Government Minister Greg Clarke MP will ask the Local Government Ombudsman to intervene.

Shaw and Crompton Councillors Advice/Ward Surgeries in March

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Thursday March 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31.

All at Shaw Lifelong Learning Centre, High Street, Shaw

From 7:30pm to 8:30pm

Councillors: Sykes, Blyth, Gloster, Williamson, Murphy or Turner.

Parish Councillors: Aspinall, Farrell, Hall, Hamblett, Stephens, Wood, Blackburn, Dodd, Duffy, Tindall or P Turner will also attend.

NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY