Keep your home healthy this winter: free advice pack launched

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Click on this link for more information: Winter Wise A4 Poster 2

North West water company United Utilities, has produced a free advice pack to help people keep their homes ‘healthy’ this winter.

‘Fight the freeze: a guide to winter warmth’ features advice on how to avoid frozen pipes, what to do if a pipe should burst, and a range of additional tips and hints to help homeowners keep the heat in, and cold out, as temperatures start to drop.

According to the guide, one of the simplest things people can do to protect their homes from the cold is to lag their pipes, especially those located in the garage or loft as these are most likely to freeze and burst during periods of colder weather.

As well as potentially leaving homeowners without water for hot baths and showers – a disaster during winter months – burst pipes can also be expensive to fix. In the North West the average cost for an emergency plumber is £120.

Homeowners are also encouraged to locate and label their stop tap – the tap which controls water supply to a house – so that in the event of a burst, water can turned off immediately to avoid water damage that may leave properties cold and damp.

In addition to home health tips, the new guide from United Utilities also includes broader advice to help with winter wellbeing, such as where to access financial support with heating bills, where to look for warming nutritious recipes, and who to turn to with concerns for loved ones or neighbours who might be vulnerable to colder conditions.

‘Fight the freeze: a guide to winter warmth’ is available to download for free from www.unitedutilities.com/winterwise

Poowatch – New Technology solution to an Old Oldham Problem, says Sykes

Poowatch Logo

The Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, was impressed to read recently of a new mobile phone app developed for Worcester City Council.

Cllr Sykes said: “Poowatch, which is a new free web app for smartphones, tablets and personal computers, was launched a couple of months ago in Worcester to help clean up the city’s streets and to shame irresponsible dog-owners to clear up after their pets.  I think this technology could be of great use in helping Oldham Council tackle this blight in our borough.”

Through the Poowatch app, residents can record any dog litter they spot in the city. The information they provide will help identify dog litter hotspots so action can be targeted in areas of greatest need.

Cllr Sykes added: “The good thing with Poowatch is that the public can be the Council’s eyes and ears in the community, and they are reporting real incidents in real time to enable prompt action to be taken.  This app gives residents the ability to help change the behaviour of irresponsible dog owners and to contribute to both a more co-operative and a cleaner borough.”

The new web app has been jointly developed by the Safer Worcester Partnership, the Duckworth Worcestershire Trust (DWT) and Worcester City Council with funding from West Mercia’s Police and Crime Commissioner.

The web app – which is free to access – uses GPS locaters to provide a simple and easy way for people to report dog mess and will help create an interactive map of the city showing the worst affected areas.  It also shows the nearest bin to the location of the person accessing the app.

Cllr Sykes added: “As this is free there is no deterrent to residents who are tech savvy from accessing it and using it.  Councillors are constantly approached by constituents, many who are responsible dog owners, who are enraged by seeing dog poo on our pavements and who demand some real action.  Poowatch allows them to be part of that action and make a difference rather than simply registering a complaint.”

Cllr Sykes has written to Helen Lockwood, Executive Director of Co-operatives and Neighbourhoods, and Carol Brown, Director of Environmental Services, asking them to investigate the merits and costs of bringing Poowatch to Oldham Borough.

The Big Moss Map Sphagnum Survey Training on Crompton Moor Saturday 30th January 2016

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The Big Moss Map Sphagnum Survey Training on Crompton Moor Saturday 30th January 2016 10:30 to 14:30 Shore Edge Methodist Church, Buckstones Road, Shaw, OL2 8LS.

Scientists from The Moors for the Future Partnership have asked Friends of Crompton Moor to help them log an important lifesaving moorland plant, and help create The Big Moss Map.

Sphagnum is seen as a vital weapon in the war against climate change, and walkers on the moors can now take part in a unique project to make a map of where sphagnum moss is found.

The Big Moss Map will help scientists and conservationists in their efforts to save the region’s blanket bog habitat.

Healthy peat bogs are important wildlife habitats, a vital store of carbon, help provide high quality drinking water, and slow down surface run-off which helps to reduce flooding.

Creating The Big Moss Map gives us all an opportunity to get out and about and build a picture of how the moors are changing, whilst raising awareness of the importance of sphagnum.

The training session will begin with an indoor presentation at Shore Edge Church, followed by an outdoor session on Crompton Moor for practical identification and instructions on how to survey.

To confirm a booking, or for further information, please contact:
Marian Herod
Secretary – Friends of Crompton Moor
Tel: 07792 156295
www.cromptonmoor.co.uk
email: cromptonmoor@gmail.com

COPY OF THE RECENT RESPONSE ABOUT MY QUESTIONS ABOUT DOUBLE TRAMS ON THE SHAW AND CROMPTON METROLINK LINE

shaw tram

Dear Councillor Sykes,

RE: Metrolink Travel

Thank you for your recent correspondence in relation to the Metrolink network.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) recognises that many parts of the system would benefit from additional capacity and is constantly examining ways in which we could increase capacity on the Metrolink network, particularly during the peak periods.  We normally do this by doubling trams where possible.

We phase the doubles across the network to serve customers travelling in both directions between all Metrolink lines at the times of highest demand.

Three double trams have been operating on Rochdale services all day within the 12 minute service.

The opening of our Exchange Square Metrolink stop on 6 December means that the Rochdale line to Shaw and Crompton now benefits from an increased frequency which provides much more capacity than the 12 minute frequency previously deployed.

Feedback from our customers during the initial three weeks following the opening of Exchange Square has been positive and has indicated that our customers are enjoying a much more comfortable experience, particularly during peak times.

Earlier this year we received our 100th tram of the 120 ordered and as and when the remaining 20 trams arrive we will be in a position to increase the number of double trams and place them where demand is at its highest.

I hope you find this response helpful and if I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me or our Customer Services Manager, Sean Dyball via sean.dyball@tfgm.com

Yours sincerely

Peter Cushing

Metrolink Director

TfGM urged to consider using ‘Cycle Alert’ to improve safety

cycle-alert

Copy of recent correspondence to the CX of TfGM re ‘Cycle Alert’ (and his reply).

This is currently being used in York and has clearly improved cycle safety and I am pleased to report TfGM will be looking into this matter. 

For copy of his reply follow this link: Cllr Sykes Cycle alert

My original request about this matter is below.

To: Jon Lamonte
Subject: Lamonte – Cycle Alert – Re Draft

Dear Dr. Lamonte,

Re: Cycle Alert

I am writing to you in connection with something that I saw recently in York, a safety innovation called Cycle Alert.

I do not profess to understand all of the technology, but essentially the safety system comprises an electronic unit located on a bus and a unit placed on cycles.

The two units bounce signals other and a warning is sounded in the bus driver’s cab alerting him when a cyclist is nearby, particularly when the cyclist is in a blind spot.

Although 23% of cyclist deaths were caused by HGVs, I am sure some deaths and injuries must be inflicted to cyclists each year by buses.

This system seems effective and is relatively cheap but placed against the cost of a life lost that is priceless, cost seems immaterial.

In York, Transdev buses have been fitted with Cycle Alert since 2013.  Independent market research released from Actionline research stated that 88% of Transdev drivers give the system a positive rating, and a whopping 95% recommended that it should be used by other bus companies in the city.

Given that Greater Manchester is a more built up and busy conurbation, I would suggest the benefits of installing Cycle Alert on buses across the region must be immense.

To assist you, I have attached information sourced from the Cycle Alert website (www.cyclealert).

I would welcome your views on this matter and how such technology could be applied in Greater Manchester.

I look forward to hearing from you on this matter.

Yours sincerely

Councillor Howard Sykes MBE