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

Crompton Ward Liberal Democrat Cllr Dave Murphy spoke at last night’s Planning Committee (16/02/22) meeting where the application for Denbigh Drive was heard.

Despite one of the local residents, directly affected, speaking passionately to the Committee, telling them about the impact this development will have on him and his neighbours, the majority of the Committee agreed decision to approve.

“The main aim of the Other Protected Open Land (OPOL) policy is that the designation is to protect it from development – but Oldham’s is out of date – which means that this type of land designation becomes a free-for-all to developers.  Haven Lane was passed last year and the flood gates opened for building on OPOL – this includes Cowlishaw and now Denbigh Drive,” said a disappointed Cllr Murphy

Cllr Dave Murphy added “The Places for Everyone policy has not been accepted, so why are we working with that policy.  It seems that we have just got to accept what Oldham wants and get on with it, rather than listen to residents and make a sensible decision.”

Cllr Diane Williamson, who serves on the Committee, put forward a refusal but this was defeated.  The two Conservative Councillors showed utter contempt for the residents of Denbigh Drive and left before the vote was taken and the meeting was over.

Obviously, the residents of Denbigh Drive are extremely disappointed with the outcome, but Crompton Liberal Democrat councillors will support them, when the development starts.

Cllr Murphy said “The residents living in that area, know what the issues are; we heard them last night – sewerage and access to name but two – but it appears residents voices do not matter.  It’s all about filling the Conservative government building targets – it’s a shame Conservative Cllrs Woodvine and Lancaster did not even stay to vote on this important matter.

Crompton Liberal Democrat councillor Diane Williamson attended the Policy Overview & Scrutiny Committee meeting on Tuesday 8 February and was absolutely shocked at the so-called Conservative Budget proposals.

Cllr Williamson said, “the Conservatives kept telling the Committee that they did not have enough time to put forward a budget – so instead they stole most of what the Liberal Democrats have put together over the last four to five years and submitted that; rebadged slightly – but still what Lib Dems have suggested years before and most of which they had previously voted against!”

The Conservatives have been on Oldham Council for many years now and have sat in numerous Budget Council meetings, they also have dedicated staff now so there really is no excuse.

The Conservatives failed to put together a budget without any Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) and when questioned as to why this had happened – repeatedly they told the Committee that it was because they did not have enough time.

The assessment is part of putting together a robust report, but the Liberal Democrats put together a fully costed budget amendment in the same amount of time as the Conservative had, with EIAs.  Their budget amendments were also heard at the meeting on Tuesday 8 February.

“Perhaps more time should be spent on thinking about their own budget proposals and use their own initiative rather than taking other people’s ideas.  If this is what it’s like to be a Tory, I am glad I’m not one” added Cllr Diane Williamson.

Two business grants and a business rates relief scheme are still open – please do not miss out.

A wide range of sectors could benefit including manufacturing, office, transport, storage and distribution and many more.

If your business has been impacted by the pandemic and you can demonstrate you have been unable to adapt – for example by submitting bank statements/accounts showing turnover before the pandemic and now – then you could be eligible.

You could receive up to a 100% rebate on your 2021/22 business rates bill. Visit www.oldham.gov.uk/carf to apply. 

The Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant is for hospitality, leisure and accommodation businesses who pay business rates. Grants of up to £6,000 are available. Apply at www.oldham.gov.uk/omicrongrant 

Omicron Additional Restrictions Grant: new phase opening

On Monday (14 February) the next phase of the Omicron Additional Restrictions Grant will open – giving wedding industry businesses, English language schools, personal care and gyms operating from commercial premises – the opportunity to apply.

Businesses in the initial phase – leisure, accommodation and hospitality businesses that don’t pay business rates or travel and hospitality suppliers – can still apply but will no longer be prioritised.

Find out more and apply at www.oldham.gov.uk/arg

Oldham’s people deserve the chance to question those responsible for its policing and care services at a Council meeting covering the independent investigation into CSE, say Oldham’s Liberal Democrats. 

The Council has previously agreed to the Liberal Democrats’ request  for a specific meeting to address the topic when the report is finally released. The Liberal Democrats want this pledge reaffirmed.  They are also calling for GMP chief constable Stephen Watson, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, and the senior leadership of the Council, in particular the Cabinet Member for children’s services, to face questioning on any issues that the report brings up.

Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani said: “It is vital for the people of Oldham to have confidence not only in the report, but in obtaining justice for survivors, and ensuring that services have changed, and continue to change for the better.

“That must mean that both councillors and the public having the opportunity to raise questions that need to be answered.

We recognise the importance of members of the public having their chance to speak – for Oldham to come together and build back trust, this cannot be about political point scoring, from inside or outside the Council chamber. Instead, it must be about honest acknowledgement of any issues, and an open and frank assessment of how things need to change.”

The investigation addressed specific reports of CSE, but also had a broader portfolio to pursue where the evidence took them.  Leaked sections of the report have already shown that it has covered serious flaws in procedure from 2006.

Fellow Liberal Democrat Councillor Mark Kenyon said: “We have already seen a series of arrests taking place with regards to grooming which took place in 2012–13, and there may be further criminal investigations which take place alongside this report.

“If GMP are one of the organisations identified in the report, it is vital that they can be held to account. We need to know that not only can they bring offenders to account, but that they will be operating to the highest standards now, and will address any failures that there have been in the past.”

The Government abandoned crucial targets, and failed to provide the funding needed to meet these new ones. It is a fig leaf for a Prime Minister who everyone can see for what he is.

If the Government is serious about levelling up, why has it just abandoned plans for local high speed rail?

Why is it loading the bill for social care on to local council tax payers, particularly those like Oldham?

Why did it abandon its target for high-speed broadband to 85% of homes by 2025?

Levelling-up is just the latest Tory buzzword and has no substance whatsoever – I hope people are not conned by it.

The Liberal Democrats have set out a “cost of living rescue plan” that would save thousands of struggling families in Oldham nearly £1,000 this year.

It comes after Ofgem announced a crippling rise to people’s heating bills, with the energy price cap set to soar by 54% to £1,971 in April. 

Energy bills for homeowners in Oldham are forecast to soar by an estimated £692 per household in April, according to analysis by the Liberal Democrats. Meanwhile, broadband bills are set to rise by 9.3% with inflation at its highest rate in almost thirty years.

The Liberal Democrats warned that Rishi Sunak’s proposals to deal with soaring energy bills will just be “spreading the pain over the coming years” while clobbering local families with tax hikes.

The cost of living rescue package being proposed by the Liberal Democrats includes taking £300 off struggling families’ heating bills by doubling and expanding the Warm Home Discount, funded through a “Robin Hood” tax on the super profits of oil and gas companies. The party would also scrap the planned National Insurance tax hike being introduced by the Conservatives in April, and ensure low-income families can access cheaper broadband deals.

As many as 25,932 households in Oldham would stand to benefit from the full package of support, saving them up to £975 each a year. 28,468 households would save up to £616 thanks to the scrapping of the National Insurance hike and the Stealth Tax on the income tax personal allowance. 5,389 poorer pensioners would receive the expanded Warm Home Discount while 39,873 struggling families would gain access to cheaper broadband deals, helping them cope with the cost of living crisis.

In total, the package represents savings of £37,190,806 across for 73,730 households feeling the pinch.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani said: “Energy bills are going through the roof, forcing families in our community to choose between eating and heating. But all the Conservatives are doing is clobbering people with an unfair tax hike and spreading the pain over the coming years.

“Oldham deserves better than a Conservative Prime Minister missing in action, more concerned with their own political career than helping families struggling to pay the bills.

“The Liberal Democrats’ cost of living rescue plan would wipe up to £1,000 off the bills of 73,730 struggling families in Oldham, by scrapping April’s tax hike, offering support to the most vulnerable, and insulating homes to slash energy bills in the long term.

“We are fighting for a fair deal for people in our community who are being let down by a Conservative Government that is taking them for granted.”

My colleagues and I are devastated to hear the news that Andrew Powell, Shaw & Crompton’s Town Crier for 30 years, until his retirement from the voluntary role in 2018 has passed away suddenly.

Andrew was very supportive to the community and the Parish Council and attended many events in Shaw and Crompton throughout the years and was loved by all. 

Young children were fascinated by him, often mistaking him for a pirate.

As late as last week he was still to be seen walking around Shaw town centre with his wife and soulmate Win. 

Andrew summed up everything that is good about Shaw and Crompton, he loved the place, loved the people and was selfless with his voluntary work in the community which he did in a mild-mannered way, only making a noise with his bell and booming voice when required we will all miss him and we send our sincere condolences to his wife Win and his family.

Safer, greener, and cleaner, these are the watch words when the Liberal Democrats present their budget amendment proposals to the Policy Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday 8^th February (6pm).

Shaw Councillor Chris Gloster, Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance and Green, is looking forward to presenting the budget amendment to the committee and believes that the Liberal Democrats have come up with sensible adjustments to the budget that will have no impact on council finances but deliver maximum impact to residents whose valuable input as to what residents want to see is at the heart of the proposals.

“The Oldham Liberal Democrats want to make further efficiencies in civic centre bureaucracy to squeeze out more money for our priorities, and those of the public – more cash to spend on front-line services,” said Councillor Gloster.

“As we begin to emerge from the nightmare of COVID-19, we wish to look at building back better in our Borough by focussing on making it safer, greener and cleaner.”  

The Liberal Councillors are proposing to repurpose part of Labour’s capital investment programme and find more money from cutting bureaucracy and waste elsewhere in the Council’s budget.  The proposals include: 

• Invest £3,750,000 between 2022 and 2027 to fund Climate Change initiatives.

• Over the next two years, create a dedicated fund worth £3 million to repair our roads and footways, fund safety initiatives and address the issue of disabled parking bays which there is a massive backlog.

• We will also be investing in our Public Rights of Way – which have been hammered during Covid and will help keep people walking and improve access to the countryside.  A real example of building back better and one of the few positive outcomes from Covid.

• Increase the investment in tackling environmental crime by £200,000 over the next year to combat the scourge of fly tipping, dog fouling and littering.

• Support a 20s Plenty scheme to make the Borough’s roads safer at a cost of £235,000 over the next two years.

• Reverse cuts to Early Years staffing who help the Borough’s most vulnerable people often diverting them away from our overstretched health, mental and social work teams, at a cost of £100,000.

• Introduce a fund for free bulky waste collection to prevent fly tipping.  This will really tackle the blight of dumping; help clean up our town and help those without their own transport.

• Invest more cash into local Youth Services, with an emphasis on district outreach at a cost of £100,000.

• Spend an additional £150,000 on crime prevention and safety to make our citizens more confident and safer.

• Recognise the work of both Saddleworth and Shaw & Crompton Parish Councils’ by reinstating the previously cut Parish Grant totalling £15,000 which will assist these unpaid and undervalued volunteers to continue their excellent work.

Councillor Gloster said: “Our budget amendment is simple, after listening to the people that actually pay for these services in the first place, we have produced savings that will release money to re-invest in the front-line services that the public value.”

“In the next year, the Liberal Democrats will save £1 million by cutting Civic Centre bureaucracy and waste to spend on these front-line services as well as re focus the Capital Programme to achieve maximum benefit to the people who matter, the public, without any additional increase in expenditure or loss of service.”

Link to the full costed proposals:

https://committees.oldham.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=571&MId=8391&Ver=4