We all wish to see a thriving town centre retail economy, but will the Leader:
– inform Council how much revenue will be lost to the authority at a time of cuts to Council services as a result of the free car parking initiative?
– Also will he outline the evidence that supports this Administration’s view that this represents a value-for-money measure that will bring more shoppers into our town?
– And is the most cost effective way of supporting the Oldham Town Centre?
Howard Sykes
6th Feb 2013
On Saturday 9th February, Liberal Democrats across the country including Oldham will stage a Day of Action for Fairer Tax for the people of Britain.
The Liberal Democrats believe that everyone should pay their fair share of tax. That means the people who have the most paying more than those who have less.
A Tax Cut for Average Workers
To help make that happen, we want to give a tax cut to every average worker in the country by raising the amount you can earn before paying income tax (called the Personal Allowance), initially to £10,000 a year.
So far through Liberal Democrat participation in Government, workers can now earn £8.105 tax-free a year rather than the miserly £6,475 when Labour left office in 2010!
The benefits have been felt here as 5,640 low-paid workers in Oldham have been lifted out of income tax altogether.
In April, 70,200 working Oldhamers’ will have more money in their pockets when the personal allowance rises yet again to £9,440.
And workers across the country have seen an average drop of £600 in income tax.
By continuing to campaign for £10,000 tax-free a year, Liberal Democrats will give the average worker in the country a tax cut of over £700.
A Tax Hike for the Super Rich
Liberal Democrats are proposing a number of changes to stop the super-rich being able to dodge their fair share of tax, starting with a “mansion tax” on the most expensive 0.5% of all properties.
In Government, Liberal-Democrats have also recently pressed the Chancellor to secure more resources for the Inland Revenue to chase tax evaders sheltering money in off-shore bank accounts.
Liberal Democrats continue to campaign nationally to make the super-rich pay more of the tax burden.
Why do you need our help?
The super-rich are super-powerful and those that benefit from the current system will defend it.
We need to show that most ordinary, hardworking people believe that we should have fairer tax; that is why the Liberal Democrats are asking the Workers of Oldham to join them in the Day of Action.
More information about the Fairer Tax Campaign and the Day of Action can be found on-line at: www.fairertax.org
Earlier this month Oldham Council was also successful in receiving £190,000 to pay for a Heating Upgrade Scheme, this will pay for 50-75 upgrades before March (dependant on what is needed) to help people access affordable warmth in their homes.
To qualify for a new system:
• Households with old/inefficient boilers (D rated or less & working) need to be on means tested benefits to qualify for an upgraded A-rated system
• Households with NO working central heating would either have to be on benefits OR have a cold related illness to qualify for a new system
Applications will be dealt with on a first come, first served basis.
The application form is available on the Council’s website here:
http://www.oldham.gov.uk/info/200389/affordable_warmth/235/grants_and_funding
Pay your Council Tax in 12 instalments thanks to Lib Dems in Government
Council Tax payments are currently made in 10 monthly instalments but you can now choose to pay in 12 payments to spread the cost from April 2013, thanks to national changes made by the Lib Dems in Government.
If you wish to switch to a 12 month payment schedule you must submit a request before Friday, February 22 says Oldham Council.
For further info:
• www.oldham.gov.uk
• Call 0161 770 6622
• Visit Access Oldham at the Civic Centre to request the change in person
• Send an email requesting the change to council.tax@oldham.gov.uk
• Write to PO Box 4, Civic Centre, West Street, Oldham, OL1 1UH
Councillors Rod Blyth, Mark Alcock and Howard Sykes.
Also Parish Councillors Aspinall, Eckersley, Farrell, Hall, Stephens, Dodd, Robinson, Murphy and Wood will also attend.
7.30pm – 8.30pm, Lifelong Learning Centre, High Street, Shaw, OL2 8TB.
Thursday: February 7th and 14th;
NO APPOINTMENT REQUIRED
Pensioners of Oldham Borough – Liberal Democrats secure Fairer Pensions!
In 1908, Liberals in Government introduced the first Old Age Pension in Britain.
Now 105 years later on, Liberal Democrats in Government have again secured a great new deal for Britain’s pensioners.
The Single Tier Pension:
Liberal Democrat Pensions Minister Steve Webb has announced the introduction of a new single state pension that will be simple, decent and fit for the 21st Century.
The new single-tier pension will be introduced in 2017 and apply to any one retiring after that date.
• For a single person, this will be £144 per week, substantially more than the current basic state pension, now £107.45
• For the first time men and women will be treated equally and you will no longer lose out if you are self-employed, or of you decide to bring up children or become a carer
• Unlike Labour’s Pension Credits scheme, the single-tier pension will not be means-tested – people who save for their retirement will not be penalised because of their savings and all of their existing pensions contributions will be honoured
The Triple Lock:
In Government, Liberal Democrats have also secured a ‘triple lock’ for current pensioners.
Under the ‘triple lock’, pensions will rise each year in percentage terms with inflation, average earnings, or 2.5% (whichever is greater).
Despite 13 years in Government, Labour failed to restore the link between pension rises and earnings; Liberal Democrats in Coalition Government did so within 6 weeks of taking office.
The ‘triple lock’ means that:
• There will be no repeat of Gordon Brown’s insulting 75-pence pension ‘increase’!
• In April 2013, pensioners will be £650 per year better off than when Labour was in power
• The basic state pension is now at its highest share of average earnings since 1992
Welcoming the news, Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal-Democrat Group, Councillor Howard Sykes said:
“The worrying fact is that, for many local citizens today’s state pension is not enough to live on. So I was delighted to hear about the introduction by the Liberal Democrats of the new single-tier pension. This represents a significant increase in real terms over the basic state pension.
“Our existing pension system is much too complicated and penalises those who save for their retirement or who are self-employed, raise a family or care for a loved one. As well as being decent, the single-tier pension is also simple and fair.
“This welcome news comes on top of the Liberal Democrats’ triple lock, which will ensure that state pensions maintain their spending power, and a renewed commitment by Liberal Democrats in Government to maintain free bus travel, TV licences, eye tests and prescriptions, and the much valued Winter Fuel Allowance, which has been recently raised, for our pensioners.
“All-in-all, a great new deal for Oldham’s pensioners and one that will give them a decent income and dignity in their retirement”.
Due to the adverse weather conditions last weekend the proposed work at this junction was not able to be completed.
As a result, the junction of High Street were it meets Crompton Way will be closed for one day on Sunday 3 February.
The left turn from High Street to Crompton Way will be closed – all other turning manoeuvres at this junction will remain unaffected.
COUNCIL MOTION SUPPORTS ACTION IN TAKING BITE OUT OF LOAN SHARKS
At next Wednesday’s full Council meeting (6th February), Leader of the Opposition and the Lib Dem Group, Councillor Howard Sykes, will propose a motion expressing appreciation for the recent work carried out by the Council’s Trading Standards Team, the England Illegal Money Lending Team (IMLT) and Police to combat loan sharks in our borough and support for the Labour Administration’s stand against them.
Cllr. Sykes said:
“Loan sharks are illegal money lenders who operate without a licence from the Department of Fair Trading. Through the application of extortionate interest rates, intimidation and violence, loan sharks leech many thousands of pounds from those residents in our borough who are often amongst those who are poorest and least able to pay.
“Liberal Democrats endorse the tough stand of this Administration on this issue and the action now being taken by Council officers and partner organisations to rid our communities of these parasites.
“It is my hope that Councillors of all parties will feel able to support the motion that sets out a number of practical measures to help raise the profile of the ‘Stop Loan Sharks’ campaign in our borough, alongside promoting the availability of affordable credit for Oldham residents through membership of credit unions.”
A copy of the motion is below.
This Council notes the excellent work that is being carried out in Oldham by the Council’s Trading Standards Team, the England Illegal Money Lending Team (IMLT) and Police to combat loan sharks in our borough.
We congratulate the Administration on taking a lead on this issue and the agencies concerned on the recent arrest of individuals engaged in this activity in Oldham, Manchester and Tameside.
This Council resolves that the Chief Executive write to all District Partnerships; social landlords; the Oldham Voluntary, Community, and Faith Partnership; and the Oldham Business Leadership Group urging them to get behind the Stop Loan Sharks campaign to rid our communities of loan sharks by:
– promoting the Stop Loan Sharks Campaign to partners and to the public;
– inviting the England Illegal Money Lending Campaign / Trading Standards Team to meetings and public events:
– including information on this campaign in newsletters, flyers and on-line
– promoting membership of credit unions as an alternate source of affordable credit
District partnerships are also urged to make best use of the £500 made available to them by the IMLT (which was seized from apprehended loan sharks) to help support this work.
Proposed: Cllr Howard Sykes
Seconded: Cllr Lynne Thompson
To replace 60 Metres of aging 3” Cast Iron Gas Main.
Duration of work from 30/01/2013 for 2 weeks.
Works Supervisor and contact number: Michael Taylor 07773 820627.
Emergency Contact & Telephone Number in the Event of Traffic Signal Failure: Chris Dempsey 07931 575160 24 Hr Call Centre 0800 521 660.
Modification of existing railing over pipe bridge to tie in with the steeple copings.
Duration of work: 01-02-13, 10:00–15.30.
Emergency Contact & Telephone Number in the Event of Traffic Signal Failure: Brian Birmingham 07899 906814.