Work With Us To Improve Life On Crompton Moor

Your Shaw Councillors have been working closely with volunteer groups to improve Crompton Moor over many years, but are sometimes hindered by anti-social behaviour.

This ranges from people going up to the moor to camp, light fires, use drugs/alcohol.  With this in mid, we have been working over the past twelve months to activate new powers to enable Oldham Council and Police to take action when people damage and mis-use the moor.

These new powers are activated using a Public Space Protection Order.

What will the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) do?

Agencies have raised concerns, echoed by the local community regarding the behaviour of some individuals using Crompton Moor who are setting fires, littering, injuring wild life, allowing dogs to run wild and causing damage to plant life.  There have also been a number of incidents which are Anti-Social in nature including verbal abuse and threats to legitimate users of the Moor.

Local Councils now have the power to put in place Public Space Protection Orders (PSPO) to help manage such issues and we completed the first round of consultation earlier this year.

Why are we consulting again?

The PSPO then went to a panel at the Council who made a number of small but significant recommendations primarily regarding dogs during the nesting season.

The panel have asked us to consult again as they have recommended we include a clause regarding dogs on leads during the nesting season to protect our nesting birds.

We have also become aware of issues around nitrous oxide usage and psychoactive substances by young people, which have also now been incorporated into the order.

How can you get involved?

You can tell us your views about the order by taking part in the consultation in any of the ways below:

At Crompton Library from Monday 16 October 2017.

On line at:

https://www.oldham.gov.uk/info/200321/crime_and_safety/1720/public_spaces_protection_orders_-_proposed

There will also be volunteers out on the Moor from the Friends of Crompton Moor Group and the Volunteer Countryside Rangers, talking to people about the PSPO, so if you are a moor user – why not keep your eyes open and have a chat if you are approached!

RESTORATION OF HEATHLAND SATURDAY 14TH OCTOBER 2017 10:30 AM

COME ALONG AND JOIN US FOR OUR NEXT TASK…. RESTORATION OF HEATHLAND

SATURDAY 14TH OCTOBER 2017 MEET IN BRUSHES CLOUGH CAR PARK AT 10:30 AM

The task will be to remove birch saplings, from within the heather, in the Brushes Clough spoil heap area.

The spoil heaps, and quarry area, are an important habitat known as lowland heath, which forms an open landscape.  It’s characterised by the presence of dwarf-shrubs of heather, bilberry, and various mosses and lichens. It’s a priority for nature conservation, because it is an internationally rare and threatened habitat.

How is it threatened?

Heathland was originally a man-made habitat, created through the grazing of animals; regular cutting of birch for fuel, and bracken for animal bedding. Historically, these activities maintained the open nature of heathlands, and prevented them from developing into woodland.  Without management, the trees will eventually return and the heathland will be lost.

 Why is it important?

The range of conditions associated with lowland heath supports an extraordinarily rich variety of wildlife; one of which includes a staggering 5,000 species of invertebrates, making it an important habitat for a variety of birds.

 What can we do to help?

 We need to reduce the number of birch saplings to allow the dwarf-shrubs of heather, bilberry, mosses and lichen to survive.

This is also an opportunity to have a go with a ‘Tree Popper’; a great tool which lifts the trees out of the ground with little disturbance to the vegetation around it.  This really does make it much easier to remove the trees.  Easy to use and no digging necessary!!

Clothing to suit the weather conditions, and sturdy boots for the uneven ground, are advised.

For further information please contact: Marian Herod – Secretary, Friends of Crompton Moor 

Tel: 07792 156295  

Email: cromptonmoor@gmail.com       

Dunwood Park tennis courts and MUGA surface – update

I have now received dates from the contractor regarding both the painting of the tennis courts/MUGA at Dunwood Park Shaw and defect repairs to the wall.

  • Painting of the tennis courts – 02/10/2017 weather permitting.
  • Defect repair to stone wall -16/10/2017.
  • The large amount of graffiti in this area has also been reported.

My two allowed questions at tonight’s (13 Sept) Oldham Council meeting – Payment of Invoices and Free Bulky Waste collections

Oldham Council 12 September 2017 – Leader’s Questions

Question 1 – Invoices

Mr Mayor, my first question relates to how this Council supports small businesses in this Borough.

I am sure the Leader is aware that in April of this year the Leader of her party announced that a Labour Government would ‘declare war on late payment’ to small businesses.

Speaking at an event organised by the Federation of Small Businesses, the Labour leader called it ‘a national scandal’ that big companies were withholding more than £26 billion from suppliers, forcing 50,000 of them out of business every year.

Local Labour MP Debbie Abrahams commented favourably on this.  She has been championing a similar local campaign ‘Be Fair – Pay on Time’.

She reported at the time that over 400 businesses in Oldham East and Saddleworth have said they are struggling to pay staff because of late payments and 66 went bust.

All very commendable – I am sure we all want to see a thriving small business sector in our country and especially in our Borough – and cash flow difficulties caused by late payment kills businesses.

So why is it that Debbie doesn’t seem to have publically taken Oldham Council to task?

For the average length of time this Labour Council takes to pay an invoice was 24 days in 2015 / 2016, when it was only 15 when the Liberal Democrats ran the Council, I was Leader.

Mr Corbyn also said that a Labour government would require any company bidding for a public sector contract to pay its own suppliers within 30 days and would look at introducing fines for persistent late payers.

This Council will have to be careful that the promised legislation doesn’t extend to penalising Councils who follow the same practice – for it is likely that Oldham would have to pay a hefty fine.

For in 2015/16, the number of invoices this Council paid after 30 days was 15,247, when it was only 8,051 under the Liberal Democrats.  And the current system does not even allow us to identify which invoices are delayed because of disputes and which because of inefficiency.

This Administration makes a great play of its deal with Oxygen Finance whereby suppliers can be paid in five days instead of 30 in return for paying an ‘Early Repayment Fee’, but why should businesses pay us money to receive the money that they are owed by us more quickly?

In my day, the Liberal Democrat Administration simply placed more emphasis on paying our suppliers, especially our local suppliers promptly.

So can I ask the Leader tonight what she will now do to ensure that this Council will ‘Be Fair to our small businesses and Pay on Time’?

Question 2 – Free Bulky Bobs Collection

Mr Mayor, for my second question I would like to turn to the issue of bulky waste collections.

I was glad to see that the Council is looking to re-tender for the bulky waste collection service.

I would like to reveal what appears to be a closely kept secret – that under the current contract delivered by Bulky Bobs some residents are still able to access a free bulky waste collection services.

I say closely kept secret – because even I did not know it until recently and I am sure that many members in this Chamber will not know of it either.

For a little known fact is that when charging was first introduced by the new Labour Administration in 2012 there was, in part due to the pressure and concerns the Liberal Democrats had, an acknowledgement that certain low income groups must still be able to access a limited free bulky waste collection service.

This was to ensure that they were not “disproportionately disadvantaged” by the charge for this service, as defined by the 2010 Equalities Act.

So any customers who are – I quote – “Any customers physically disabled, infirm due to old age, or pregnant are entitled to one free collection a year.”

Interestingly this proviso is not mentioned on the Council’s website or in any public papers for the recent Cabinet meeting at which it was agreed to re-tender the contract.

Nor can the information be found on the website of Bulky Bob or on Bulky Bob’s Facebook page.

So if you were one of these eligible “disadvantaged” customers, or a carer for them, you would not know the concession existed nor how to access it.

So, Mr Mayor, my second question to the Leader tonight is.

Can she confirm that this concession exists under the current contract and that it will be maintained under the new contract?

And can she also say how this concession will be publicised to eligible customers in future?

Liberal Democrat call for Action to End National Scandal of Homelessness

Crompton Liberal Democrat Councillor Diane Williamson will be proposing a motion to the next full meeting of Oldham Council (13 September) calling for Oldham Council to take action to help end rough sleeping and homelessness.

Official figures show that over 4,000 people in England are sleeping rough on any one night and that over a quarter of a million people are in some form of homelessness. The figures for sleeping rough have increased by fifty percent in the last two years alone.

Councillor Williamson said: “It is a national disgrace that in a modern industrial economy and Britain is one of the world’s leading economies, rough sleeping and homelessness can exist in the twenty first century.”

Official figures also show that Greater Manchester is a city region with the fourth highest levels of homelessness.

“At full Council, I will be hoping for cross-party support to commit Oldham to do its bit to make rough sleeping and homelessness a thing of the past. We would like a report on the current situation in our borough and what is being doing, and can be done, to improve it.”

Councillor Williamson added: “The Oldham Liberal Democrats also endorse the campaign launched recently by the new Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham to tackle this issue head on as an urgent priority for all ten local authorities and partner organisations in our city region.”

Unfortunately a recent report for the homelessness charity Crisis has identified that rough sleeping and homelessness may rise by three quarters over the next decade.

In response, Councillor Williamson said: “This is why it is important that we also tackle this issue at a national level. Changes to housing benefit entitlement and delays in payments, wages not rising sufficiently to meet spiralling private sector rents, and the lack of affordable housing for rent has exacerbated this situation, and much of the blame must be placed at the feet of Conservative ministers who are so unconcerned because they are so out-of-touch with the day-to-day reality of those affected. We support the End Rough Sleeping Campaign, and call on our fellow Councillors and local Members of Parliament to also endorse this.”

The Council motion reads:

This Council notes:

The national scandal of homelessness, with official figures showing over 4,000 people sleeping rough on any one night, in England last year and over 250,000 people in some form of homelessness.

That figures for sleeping rough have increased by nearly 50% in the last two years.

That Greater Manchester has a particular homelessness problem, with Manchester having the fourth highest rates of rough sleeping in the country.

The charities, Crisis, Centrepoint, Homeless Link, Shelter and St Mungo’s have launched the End Rough Sleeping Campaign to call upon politicians of all parties to make a commitment to end rough sleeping and homelessness.

Working with our social housing and voluntary sector partners, Council reaffirms its commitment to ending rough sleeping and homelessness.

Council resolves to:

Adopt as policy the aspirations outlined in the End Rough Sleeping Campaign that in this borough:

  • no one is sleeping rough
  • no one is living in shelters, hostels or other emergency accommodation without a plan to move into suitable and settled housing within an agreed appropriate timescale
  • no one is homeless as a result of leaving the care system, prison or other state institution
  • everyone at immediate risk of homelessness gets the help they need to prevents it happening.

Ask the Chief Executive to write to the charities involved with the End Rough Sleeping Campaign to give the campaign this Council’s support and to ask the campaign to register the Council as a supporter.

Ask the Chief Executive to write to our three Members of Parliament, urging them to support action at a Government level, including:

  • Adequately funding local government and local health services enable them to properly undertake their duties to tackle homelessness and causes of homelessness
  • Ensuring that the benefits system is contributing to stopping homelessness, not causing it
  • Addressing issues in housing provision, including providing for longer and more stable private rental period
  • Support measures to tackle homelessness at a Greater Manchester level, including:
  • Supporting the Homelessness Action Network created by the Greater Manchester Mayor
  • Working together as ten boroughs, and using our devolved powers to collectively bring an end to homelessness as an urgent priority.
  • Ensuring that a revised Greater Manchester Spatial Framework, and the Oldham Local Plan, has appropriate and affordable housing as a core priority
  • Ensure that Oldham Council, and our social housing and voluntary sector partners, are doing everything we can to contribute to ending homelessness by asking the Leader to bring a report to Council outlining how our local services are working to end homelessness in the Borough.

FUNGI HUNT – SUNDAY 17th SEPTEMBER 2017, 10:00AM UNTIL 2:00 PM, MEET IN BRUSHES CLOUGH CAR PARK ON CROMPTON MOOR

(Nearest postcode: OL2 8LS / GRID Ref: SD 95110 10025).

170917 Fungal Hunt poster

The hunt will be led by the legend – Fungal Punk Dave—who travels the length and breadth of the UK to hunt for all that is Fungi.

Join us, and be prepared to be educated and entertained by a most interesting teacher.
So far we have found 138 different species of Fungi on Crompton Moor.

Below are some examples of what you may find. Come along and help us to find more.

Sturdy shoes are recommended; dress appropriately for the weather; bring sun cream, and hand wipes should you wish to handle the fungi.

For further information please contact:
Marian Herod 07792 156295. email: marian.herod@btinternet.com
Please note:
 We are requesting a donation of £5.00 per person; to be paid on the day, to cover costs.
 This event is a hunt/survey, and not a forage. Some samples may need to be taken in order to fully identify by using a microscope.

Works at Holy Trinity Church, Shaw

The works are still ongoing due to a problem that the contractor encountered with the condition of the iron railings, which basically fell apart in places when they were detached from the stone pillars; requiring careful restoration off site by specialists before being signed off for reinstatement/ fitting.

The problem with the railings has been resolved and they will be reinstated by the end of September 2017.  Other works are progress as planned.