‘Come to Oldham’ Invite to Community Shop from Lib Dems

The Leader of the Opposition and the Liberal Democrat Group, Cllr Howard Sykes, has written to the Community Shop with an invite to come to Oldham to open a branch of their innovative social enterprise.

Cllr Sykes said in his letter to Sarah Dunwell, Director of Community Affairs, how impressed he was by news of the recent opening of the Community Shop’s second outlet in West Norwood, London on Monday.

The shop is a social enterprise that helps benefit claimants by providing them with the opportunity to purchase heavily-discounted ‘surplus’ food sourced from commercial supermarkets and the support they need to get back into employment.

Other than the prices, to all intents and purposes, the shop looks just like a regular supermarket with all food in date and fit to eat; it is cheaper because this is surplus food discarded by other retailers because it is misshapen or it has damaged packaging.

Describing the Community Shop concept as “worthy and practical”, Cllr Sykes also describes his impressions of the merits of the project:

“Not only are you reducing food waste by selling ‘surplus food’ supplied by commercial retail supermarkets at discounted prices to local people on a low income, but you are also addressing the waste of human potential and talent by engaging your co-operative members in productive training and activity that will lead them into employment.

“I believe that your project provides participants with dignity, because they are able to purchase a range of quality goods at low prices, rather than receiving donations; with continuity, because they are able to access such food purchases on an ongoing basis as required; and with hope, because alongside this retail offer they are able to access support to move into work”.

When the first Community Shop store was opened in Goldthorpe, South Yorkshire, a year ago, it was announced that the project had ambitious targets to expand to a network of twenty one.

The enterprise is seeking partners across the country with a potential site in which to establish new stores.

Cllr Sykes has contacted Ms Dunwell because he believes “Oldham has that potential” and offers his services “as a facilitator to open a dialogue with the Council and our local food retail businesses”.

Copy of letter below:

OLDHAM COUNCIL
Councillor Howard Sykes
Leader of the Opposition, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group Oldham Council, Member for Shaw Ward, Member for East Ward Shaw & Crompton Parish Council.

5 Ballard Way
Shaw
Oldham
OL2 8DU

Please address all correspondence to:
Room 343, Level 3
Civic Centre
West Street
Oldham
OL1 1UL
E: howard.sykes@oldham.gov.uk
W: www.howardsykes.co.uk
Twitter: @Howard_Sykes

Ms Sarah Dunwell
Director of Social Affairs
Community Shop
Wentworth Way
Wentworth Industrial Estate
Tankersley
Barnsley
S75 3DH

T: 0161 770 4016
F: 0161 770 4026

Our ref: HDS/sb/148/2635
Date: 18 December 2014

Dear Ms Dunwell

Re: Oldham – a potential location

Congratulations on the opening of your second outlet in West Norwood, London on Monday.

Having read the positive coverage in yesterday’s quality press and visited your website, I am immediately impressed by how worthy and practical the Community Shop concept is.

Not only are you reducing food waste by selling ‘surplus food’ supplied by commercial retail supermarkets at discounted prices to local people on a low income, but you are also addressing the waste of human potential and talent by engaging your co-operative members in productive training and activity that will lead them into employment.

I believe that your project provides participants with dignity, because they are able to purchase a range of quality goods at low prices, rather than receiving donations; with continuity, because they are able to access such food purchases on an on-going basis as required; and with hope, because alongside this retail offer they are able to access support to move into work.

On your website, you ask anyone with a potential site to contact you.

I am contacting you because I believe that Oldham has that potential, and I would like to offer my assistance as a facilitator to open a dialogue with the Council and our local food retail businesses.

In Oldham, you will find not only a need for a project such as yours, but a local authority that has strategic goals which compliment yours; namely to become a co-operative borough and to get Oldham Working. We also have a voluntary and business sector with whom we work hard to address poverty and worklessness.

I look forward to hearing from you and to starting our partnership to bring the Community Shop concept to Oldham.

Yours Sincerely

Howard Sykes

Lib Dems call on Council to Combat Disability Hate Crime

screen_shot_2013-02-14_at_10_10_55_largeThe Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Cllr Howard Sykes MBE, will propose a motion to the next meeting of full Council (17th December) outlining measures to enable the Council to play an active role in combatting disability hate crime.

Cllr Sykes said: “All hate crime is disgusting, but hate crimes targetted against people because of their disability are especially abhorrent. Tragically, despite supposedly living in a tolerant, modern society, these crimes are also all too common. Government statistics in the national hate crime survey of 2013 recorded on average 62,000 incidents of disability-related hate crime in each of the two preceding years.

“A disability hate crime can be verbal abuse, harassment of a disabled person, or damage caused to their property, but in three in ten cases, it amounts to a physical assault; most shockingly, in extremis this has included the abject degradation, rape or murder of the victim.

“Yet disability hate crimes do not receive as much publicity as other hate crimes, and regrettably police detection rates and prosecutions of offenders are lower than other hate crime categories. Disappointingly the number of disability hate crime convictions fell over the last year from 494 to 470.

“The Liberal Democrat Group believes that now is the time for the Council to ‘square up’ to disability hate crime and to work in partnership with disability advocacy groups to identify what can be done locally to reduce offences, to protect victims and to prosecute offenders”

Shadow Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, Cllr Rod Blyth is proud to second the motion:

“The Liberal Democrats are also calling on the Labour Administration to promote the excellent teaching materials produced by the Crown Prosecution Service as a learning resource for our borough’s students and to ensure that our disabled employees are effectively supported should they become a victim of a hate crime.

“Lastly we recognise that disability hate crime is not exclusive to Oldham, and so not just Oldham’s cause to fight; that is why we are also calling on the Police and Crime Commissioner and on Government Ministers to join us in this fight”.

The timing of the motion is purposefully chosen.

Cllr Sykes explained: “December is a month with several important dates on which the world marks the dignity and respect that should be shown to every human being and the intrinsic value of every life, whatever their ability or disability.

“On the 3rd, the United Nations celebrates the achievements, despite disadvantage and discrimination, of disabled people on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, whilst on the 10th we mark Human Rights Day.

“My colleague, Cllr Diane Williamson, also recently wrote to her Labour counterpart, the Cabinet Member for Education, Cllr Amanda Chadderton, asking her to promote United Kingdom Disability History Month (22nd November to 22nd December) as a learning opportunity to students attending academies, colleges and schools across our borough”.

The motion to Council (17th December 2014) reads as follows:

Disability hate crime is defined by the Crown Prosecution Service and the Association of Chief Police Officers as being –

‘Any criminal offence which is perceived by the victim, or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a person’s disability or perceived disability’

Disability hate crime comprises verbal abuse, harassment, damage to the property of a person because of their disability, and, in three in ten cases, a physical assault.

Council notes that:

– there is much general hostility toward disabled people, some of which is whipped up by sensational and vindictive media reporting and by intemperate and ill-advised comments by politicians and candidates.

– despite an overall rise of over 1,000 in convictions for other forms of hate crime in 2013/14, disappointingly the number of disability hate crime convictions fell over the year from 494 to 470.

– there has been good work carried out by the Police, the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Crown Prosecution Service, and the Disability Hate Crime Network, but the Director of Public Prosecutions acknowledged ‘that there is more to do, especially around disability hate crime’.

Council resolves to:

Ask Overview and Scrutiny Committee to:

o convene a special hearing to investigate, with disability advocacy groups, the prevalence of this type of crime in Oldham and what can be done locally through a multi-agency approach to prevent it and what can be done to bring about criminal prosecutions
o bring a report back to full Council as soon as practicable.

– Support the Disability Hate Crime Network, an umbrella body that promotes the reporting of disability hate crimes and supports the work of the Police in bringing prosecutions.

– Support Mencap’s ‘Stand by Me’ campaign to help stop hate crime against people with a learning disability.

– Ask the Chief Executive to write to the Justice Minister, the Rt. Hon. Simon Hughes MP, and Director of Public Prosecutions, Alison Saunders, urging them to:

o redouble their efforts to prosecute offenders
o consider introducing new legislation for England and Wales which mirrors that which already exists in Scotland (the Offences (Aggravation by Prejudice) (Scotland) Act 2009)
o provide magistrates with appropriate training so that they are aware of the extra sentencing powers they have to deal with disability hate crime offences.

– Ask the Chief Executive to write to the Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Lloyd urging him to:
o ensure the prosecution of perpetrators of disability hate crime is given equal prominence to the prosecution of those committing other hate crimes
o ensure that reporting procedures allow for British sign language and appropriate formats for those with learning difficulties

– Ask the Cabinet Member for Education and Safeguarding, Cllr Amanda Chadderton, to promote the materials published by the Crown Prosecution Service to support the delivery of the Disability Hate Crime Schools Project in local schools and academies

– Ask the Cabinet Member for Corporate Support, Cllr Abdul Jabbar, to review the existing support mechanisms for employees who become victims of disability hate crime to ensure that these model best practice

FOR HELP AND ADVICE – SHAW WARD SURGERIES

advice-post-it-anthony-design
Councillors Rod Blyth, Mark Alcock and Howard Sykes.
Also Parish Councillors Aspinall, Farrell, Duffy, Hall, Stephens, Dodd, Robinson, Murphy and Wood will also attend.
7.30pm – 8.30pm, Lifelong Learning Centre, High Street, Shaw, OL2 8TB.
Thursday: December: 4, 11, 18
NO APPOINTMENT REQUIRED

Let’s All Do our Bit in National Tree Week, says Cllr Sykes

clipart-tree-MKTjKnaiqLeader of the Opposition and Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, Cllr Howard Sykes, is keen to encourage the residents of our Borough to do something positive in National Tree Week to mark the importance of trees in our lives.

First started in 1975, National Tree Week marks the start of the winter tree planting season. National Tree Week this year is from 29th November to 7th December 2014.

Each year, partner organisations, such as local authorities, schools and community groups, work with the National Tree Council and its network of 8,000 Tree Wardens organise events that inspire up to a quarter of a million people to plant around a million trees.

Cllr Sykes said: “Not only do trees provide the oxygen that we breathe; the wood we use for construction and to heat our homes; and some of the food that we eat, but woodlands are great habitats for wildlife and great places for us to enjoy, whether it be for a romantic walk, a family picnic or for children to play hide-and-seek.

“Earlier this year I wrote to my Liberal Democrat colleague, Forestry Minister, Dan Rogerson MP, seeking a Forestry Bill to provide for the care of this nation’s forestry estate and to provide greater legal protection for Britain’s ancient forests.

“Under Dan’s stewardship, this Government has planted one million new trees and I am pleased that the Lib Dems at its last conference pledged to plant one new tree for every baby born in this country.

“Everyone can do their bit during National Tree Week – you can go out and plant a native British tree in your garden; if you are a school governor you can pledge to take action to plant trees your schools grounds and to ensure that it becomes a Forest School; and for those of you who are active in Friends of Parks groups you can look online to find out how you can become one of the National Tree Council’s trained tree wardens, who do so much work to help preserve the health of our woodlands”.

Further information about National Tree Week can be found on the website of the National Tree Council – http://www.treecouncil.org.uk/

FOR HELP AND ADVICE – SHAW WARD SURGERIES

advice-signpost2

Councillors Rod Blyth, Mark Alcock and Howard Sykes.

Also Parish Councillors Aspinall, Farrell, Duffy, Hall, Stephens, Dodd, Robinson, Murphy and Wood will also attend.

7.30pm – 8.30pm, Lifelong Learning Centre, High Street, Shaw, OL2 8TB.

Thursday: November: 6, 13, 20

NO APPOINTMENT REQUIRED

Guarded Welcome to ‘Devo Manc’ Agreement

Cllr Howard Sykes gives Guarded Welcome to ‘Devo Manc’ Agreement

The Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Cllr Howard Sykes MBE, has given a guarded welcome to this week’s news of the agreement between the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the 10 Council Leaders in the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

Cllr Sykes said: “Much of what has been agreed is to be welcomed. The Oldham Liberal Democrat Group certainly wish to see more power and more revenue being devolved from Whitehall to local town halls so this is a big step in the right direction.

“At the last Council meeting in October, I expressed my support for devolution and offered my full support to the Council Leader in achieving it.

“The plan will devolve real powers to a new Greater Manchester Authority, led by an elected Mayor, allowing significant improvements to our infrastructure, the creation of more efficient and joined up public transport network and thousands of new homes to be built, whilst creating many more, much needed businesses and local jobs.

“There is no doubt this will all have a positive impact on Oldham’s economy as one of the ten beneficiary authorities.

“Another spin-off benefit will be amalgamation of the powers and responsibilities of the Police and Crime Commissioner, a post that has never been popular and the loss of which will not be lamented.

“However the new Mayor will only be elected in 2017, after a delay of almost two and a half years and after a General Election, with all the uncertainties that this brings for the future. In the interim an appointed Mayor will take charge of a vast budget.

“It is of course early days, but I am concerned that as yet there appears to be no concrete proposals in place to scrutinise the actions of the appointed Mayor or of the ten local authority Leaders who will sit in judgement on her or him.

“There have been major past concerns about the accountability of the Police and Crime Commissioner to the public. I would certainly want the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to look at how the Mayor and new authority will be properly accountable to both elected members and the wider electorate.

“The Oldham Liberal Democrats will be looking to ensure that once worked up future governance arrangements balance operational efficiency with public transparency”.

Oldham Council 22nd Oct. – Questions to the Leader

1: Devolution

My first question to the Leader tonight concerns the all-important issue of Devolution.

The enthusiasm of the people of Scotland in campaigning in the Referendum and in casting their ballot on 18 September provides a model for participatory democracy that we should hope to emulate in this Borough.

Particularly noteworthy, when related to the business brought before this Council by the Youth Council is that young voters in Scotland, especially those voters aged 16 and 17, became fully engaged in the Democratic Process.

The Leader is, I know, well aware that the Scottish Referendum has led to increased discussion on the Devolution of further powers and revenue not only to Scotland, but from Central Government in Westminster and Whitehall to Town Halls throughout England.

The desire amongst elected Members and voters in England for Devolution is also great.
For too long now, Central Government has been seen to be just that – central and remote from the lives of people in their own localities. With powers and monies flowing downwards from the centre and sometimes grudgingly given.

Yet elected Members and local people know what is best for their own towns and communities. And Councils have well-established partnership arrangements to enable them to work effectively with key local players in the statutory, voluntary, faith and business sectors.

These two factors mean that Councils could deliver a greater range of Devolved Services more efficiently and responsively.

I am sure that every elected Member in this Chamber would welcome more authority to do things that benefit the people of this Borough and to keep more of the revenue raised locally in order to do so.

The Liberal Democrat Group would certainly welcome the chance to work with this Administration to secure for Oldham the powers and finance to build a successful and prosperous future for our Borough and its people.

Can the Leader tell me how the Liberal Democrat Group can work with Labour to press the case for Devolution?

And can he please tell us what progress has so far been made by the Leaders in the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities in making the case to Government?

And what the proposal for ‘an Eleventh Leader’ of the Combined Greater Manchester Authority actually means in practice?

2: Tooth Decay

My second question relates to Public Health.

I want to highlight two Public Health issues.

First a success story; this Borough has recently recorded one of the biggest falls in teenage pregnancies in the Country.

The Office for National Statistics has recently confirmed that the Teenage Conception Rate has dropped by almost two thirds since 1998; the largest reduction anywhere outside of London and Darlington.

This is all down to the outstanding work of the Oldham Teenage Pregnancy Partnership to whom I want to place on record my congratulations and thanks for a job well done.

However I now want to highlight a health issue in which Oldham is far from the leader.

In recently released Public Health England data, that compared all Local Authorities in England, more than one-quarter of three-year-olds in Oldham were found to be suffering from tooth decay.

We are not the worst – in Leicester it is tragically 34 per cent of three-year-olds – but we are far from the best.

The high level of tooth decay is in large part due to the fact that parents are giving infants too much fruit juice and squash.

Tooth decay is no small matter.

Quite apart from the discomfort and pain that is suffered, it has been shown that small children struggle to feed nutritiously and it has an impact on social skills and vocalisation.

So there is much work to be done in this area, yet it is estimated that this year there will be a significant underspend in Public Health funding.

I should very much look forward to the day on which I can rise in this Chamber to congratulate our Public Health Team on being number 1 on this issue also.

So can the Leader please tell me what has been done so far to educate parents on this issue?

And can he tell me how much of the under-spend from the Public Health Budget he will use to re-double our efforts to educate parents about tooth decay in young children?

3: Geothermic Heat

My final question concerns geothermic heat; that is heat sourced from below ground to heat homes and other buildings.

Let us be clear from the outset – I am not referring to fracking.

The Times reported recently that a 350-million year old volcano located deep beneath Stoke-on-Trent could help to heat more than a thousand homes.

On reading this article I naturally checked the facts as my first thought was that this must be a late-running April Fools’ Day joke.

But no; Stoke-on-Trent City Council has prepared a business case to drill a 2.5km borehole to an aquifer in which the water is heated naturally to at least 85C (185F in old money).

This heat would be transferred to the surface to heat homes and the Government has pledged £20million to fund it.

This got me thinking.

It is unlikely that Oldham sits on an ancient volcano, but we do have a rich coal mining heritage (as those amongst you who have seen the 19th Century photographic panorama of the Town Centre in Gallery Oldham will know).

So I wondered do former coal mines give off residual ground-source heat which we could possibly utilise as part of the borough’s renewable energy strategy.

And guess what they DO….

The Herald in Scotland reported in November 2013 that:
“As much as a third of the heat needed to keep Scotland warm could be provided by tapping geothermal energy from old coal mines across the central belt, a major new study for the Scottish Government has concluded.

“Warm water piped up from abandoned mine shafts between Glasgow and Edinburgh and in Ayrshire and Fife could help heat many thousands of homes and other buildings for decades, Researchers said. They are urging Ministers to embark on an ambitious attempt to make geothermal energy a major new source of clean, renewable power within a few years.”

As Oldham is far from unique in historically sourcing power from coal, would the Leader be agreeable to looking to commission with the other Leaders of the Greater Manchester Authorities a study of the potential of this power source across our county?

Howard Sykes
22 October 2014

Lib Dems propose Curb on E-Cigarettes

At next Wednesday’s meeting of Oldham Council, Lib Dem Councillors Howard Sykes and Rod Blyth will be proposing a motion for curbs on electronic (or so called e-) cigarettes.

Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, Cllr Sykes said:

“The World Health Organisation (WHO) published a report in August warning about the dangers associated with e-cigarettes. The WHO also remains to be convinced that e-cigarettes are an effective way to stop smoking.

“In Oldham we have many former smokers who have moved to e-cigarettes either because they think they are ‘healthier’ or as a means to quit. We wanted to highlight the fact that e-cigarettes still contain nicotine, and so continue to pose a danger to public health, but also that they are unregulated, meaning many of these products contain unidentified ingredients of dubious quality.

“The WHO called on Governments to introduce regulation in the industry to stop these products being marketed to young people and first time smokers and to carry out more research into their ingredients and their efficacy as a means to quit.”

Since 2005, the e-cigarette industry has grown to an estimated £2 billion global business with 466 brands. Many manufacturers are unregulated cottage industries in China, but this is a business in which the established tobacco industry is gaining an increasing market share.

E-cigarettes and similar devices are frequently marketed by manufacturers as aids to quit smoking, or as a healthier alternative to tobacco.

The World Health Organisation found that:

· There is insufficient evidence that e-cigarettes help smokers to quit. The organisation therefore recommends that smokers should first be encouraged to quit smoking by using a combination of already-approved treatments.
· The marketing of e-cigarettes with fruit, candy and alcohol-drink flavours makes them particularly attractive to young people, with an estimate that e-cigarette use amongst adolescents has doubled between 2008 and 2012.

· Whilst e-cigarettes are likely to be less toxic than conventional cigarettes, they do contain nicotine so their use can harm adolescents and the unborn children of pregnant mothers, and those in the vicinity of a user are exposed to nicotine and other toxicants.

The World Health Organisation has called for:

• The introduction of international regulations to:
– Impede e-cigarette promotion to non-smokers and young people
– Minimise health risks to e-cigarette users and non-users
– Prohibit unproven health claims about e-cigarettes
– Protect existing tobacco control efforts from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry

• Further research on the impact of e-cigarette use

The report makes several recommendations to national Governments to:

• Establish an appropriate body to restrict e-cigarette advertising, promotion and sponsorship, to ensure that these products are not targeted at young people and non-smokers.
• Enact legislation to end the use of e-cigarettes indoors in public or work places.
• A ban on e-cigarettes with fruit, candy or alcohol-drink flavours to deter take up by young people.
• A ban on the sale of e-cigarettes to minors and the prohibition of vending machines
• Regulate the involvement of the established tobacco industry.

In their motion, the Liberal Democrats are asking for the Director of Public Health to take practical action to educate people about the dangers of e-cigarettes and the UK Government to take action to implement the WHO’s recommendations.

Supporting Cllr Sykes, Cllr Blyth said:

“I know from personal experience how difficult it is to stop smoking. This month it is Stoptober, a month where smokers are being asked to quit. It may seem simple to transfer to an e-cigarette, but there are far more effective ways to stop smoking that are proven and promoted by the NHS. We also want the Council to recruit Community Health Champions from amongst its staff to promote smoking cessation to their colleagues and to residents from across the borough.

“Our motion is also calling on the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to introduce the necessary legislation and regulations to make the WHO recommendations real and to publish the findings of a Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency enquiry into the effectiveness of e-cigarettes as soon as possible.”

Copy of motion below:

Council 22nd Oct. 2014 – Notice of Opposition Business – Motion 1
E-cigarettes
This Council notes the publication in August by the World Health Organisation (WHO) of a report on e-cigarettes.
Since 2005, the e-cigarette industry has grown to an estimated £2 billion global business with 466 brands. Many manufacturers are unregulated cottage industries in China, but this is a business in which the established tobacco industry is gaining an increasing market share.
E-cigarettes and similar devices are frequently marketed by manufacturers as aids to quit smoking, or as a healthier alternative to tobacco.
The WHO has concluded that:
· There is insufficient evidence that e-cigarettes help smokers to quit. The organisation therefore recommends that smokers should first be encouraged to quit smoking by using a combination of already-approved treatments.

· The marketing of e-cigarettes with fruit, candy and alcohol-drink flavours makes them particularly attractive to young people, with an estimate that e-cigarette use amongst adolescents has doubled between 2008 and 2012.

· Whilst e-cigarettes are likely to be less toxic than conventional cigarettes, they do contain nicotine so their use can harm adolescents and the unborn children of pregnant mothers, and those in the vicinity of a user are exposed to nicotine and other toxicants.

The WHO calls for:
· The introduction of international regulations to:

– Impede e-cigarette promotion to non-smokers and young people

– Minimise health risks to e-cigarette users and non-users

– Prohibit unproven health claims about e-cigarettes

– Protect existing tobacco control efforts from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry

· Further research on the impact of e-cigarette use

The report makes several recommendations to national Governments to:
· Establish an appropriate body to restrict e-cigarette advertising, promotion and sponsorship, to ensure that these products are not targeted at young people and non-smokers.

· Enact legislation to end the use of e-cigarettes indoors in public or work places.

· A ban on e-cigarettes with fruit, candy or alcohol-drink flavours to deter take up by young people.

· A ban on the sale of e-cigarettes to minors and the prohibition of vending machines

· Regulate the involvement of the established tobacco industry.

Council notes also the work of the UK Government’s Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency review of the efficacy of e-cigarettes in helping smokers to quit.
This Council resolves to:
· Ask the Director of Public Health to:

– ensure that measures are in place to make Council staff and the public aware of the dangers associated with the use of e-cigarettes

– promote the use of existing proven treatments and support services, rather than the use of e-cigarettes, as the means to stop smoking

– support the recruitment and training of Council employees to become Community Health Champions to help take these messages to their colleagues and to the public

· Ask the Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Health, The Rt. Hon Jeremy Hunt MP, asking the minister to:

– adopt the recommendations of the WHO report as part of Government policy, enacting the necessary legislation and regulations as soon as possible

– publish the findings of the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency review at the earliest possible opportunity

Proposed by
Cllr Howard Sykes

Seconded by
Cllr Rod Blyth

Crompton Moor

CROMPTON MOOR

NO CAMPING

NO LIGHTING FIRES

NO QUADS OR MOTOR CYCLES

This site of Crompton Moor, including Brushes Clough car park, is managed by Oldham Parks and Countryside Service.

As part of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (CROW), Crompton Moor, along with many other hectares of land across the country, has been designated as Access Land.

‘Camping’, ‘lighting, causing or risking a fire’, ‘driving a vehicle’, ‘damaging hedges, fences and walls’ and ‘leaving litter’ are all expressly prohibited under the CROW Act. Anyone found carrying out any of these activities will be asked to leave the site; the police will be informed of any person who, after being reasonably requested to do so, refuses to leave the site.

• PLEASE RING 101 TO REPORT ILLEGAL CAMPING OR ANY OTHER ILLEGAL ACTIVITY TO THE POLICE OR OLDHAM COUNCIL’S FIRST RESPONSE TEAM ON 0161 770 2222.

PLEASE CONTACT 0161 770 4067 DURING OFFICE HOURS FOR FURTHER INFORMATION. FOR EMERGENCIES PLEASE RING 999.

• ACCESS FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES VEHICLES TO BRUSHES CLOUGH CAR PARK IS VIA THE ACCESS ROAD AT THE SIDE OF SHORE EDGE CHURCH, OFF BUCKSTONES ROAD, OL2 8LS GRID REF: SD952101.

Crompton Moor – bag it and bin it

CROMPTON MOOR

Please Keep Your Dog under Control and if your dog fouls

BAG IT AND BIN IT

[Oldham Council enforcement officers operate in this area]

Natural England provides the following advice when taking your dog for a walk in the countryside and on Open Access Land (Most of Crompton Moor is Open Access Land):

The Countryside Code has a special section dedicated to dogs and the importance of keeping dogs under effective control. This means that you:

• Keep your dog on a lead, or
• Keep it in sight at all times, be aware of what it’s doing and be confident it will return to you promptly on command
• Ensure it does not stray off the path or area where you have a right of access
As a general rule, keep your dog on a lead if you cannot rely on its obedience. On a bridleway or byway this could be especially important as you may meet horses and could be liable for damages if your dog causes an accident.

It’s always good practice (and a legal requirement on ‘Open Access’ land) to keep your dog on a lead around farm animals and horses, for your own safety and for the welfare of the animals. A farmer may shoot a dog which is attacking or chasing farm animals without being liable to compensate the dog’s owner.

However, if cattle or horses chase you and your dog, it is safer to let your dog off the lead – don’t risk getting hurt by trying to protect it. Your dog will be much safer if you let it run away from a farm animal in these circumstances and so will you.

Please also ensure you pick up after your dog – please ‘bag it and bin it’; Oldham Council enforcement officers do operate in this area.

• TO REPORT DOG FOULING PLEASE CALL 0161 770 2222 OR EMAIL environmentalhealth@oldham.gov.uk

ALSO:

• IF YOU NEED TO SPEAK TO ANYONE ABOUT SITE MAINTENANCE, OR REPORT ANY VANDALISM PLEASE RING OLDHAM COUNCIL AT ALEXANDRA PARK ON 0161 770 4067

• IF YOU NEED TO CONTACT THE POLICE TO REPORT ANY CRIME OR ANTI – SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR PLEASE RING 101 – FOR EMERGENCIES RING 999.

• ACCESS FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES VEHICLES TO BRUSHES CLOUGH CAR PARK IS VIA THE ACCESS ROAD AT THE SIDE OF SHORE EDGE CHURCH, OFF BUCKSTONES ROAD, OL2 8LS GRID REF: SD952101.