Oldham Council 14 December 2016 – leaders questions from Councillor Howard Sykes

questions-to-ask-your-LASIK-doctorLeaders Question 1 – Greater Manchester Spatial Framework

Mr Mayor, my first question of the Leader tonight again relates to the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework.

I make no apology for it, Mr Mayor, because in my part of the world this is undoubtedly the single most important local issue to our citizens.

I was surprised by the response of the Leader last time.

She talked of the need for more homes in our Borough and more aspirational homes in our Borough – something I do not disagree with – but there was no recognition that the growth and pain should be shared across the Borough, rather than concentrated in one corner of it!

Mr Mayor, I would like to reiterate that the land earmarked to build an awful lot of these new homes is in Shaw, in Crompton and in Royton.

It may be that only three percent of the Borough’s Green Belt is being lost, but the lion’s share of that amount is being lost is in the wards represented by myself and my colleagues for Shaw, Crompton and Royton.

Under the proposals outlined under the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework, over 3000 new homes will be built on green field sites in Shaw and Crompton alone!

Vast swathes of Green Belt stretching from the rear of Dunwood Park to Burnage will be lost forever to bricks, concrete and tarmac.

3,000 new homes built in two wards in which, as a consequence of the withdrawal of local facilities or underinvestment, we have primary schools that are already overcrowded and full; a secondary school that is falling apart; a dilapidated health centre that is near cardiac arrest; no swimming facilities or dry leisure provision; precious few youth facilities and no municipal tip.

3,000 new homes that are built for growing families will need more primary and secondary school places; more GPs and dentists; and new highways and more buses and trams to get them about their daily business.

And doesn’t the decision not to replace the Crompton Pool and Gym now look a little short-sighted given the number of new young residents that will need to learn to swim and the number of adults that will want to keep fit?

More and more of my constituents are frankly getting more and more fearful and angry about these proposals.

This frustration was reflected in the fact that more than 200 residents turned up recently to a public consultation and we have had to organise a second event tomorrow, Thursday 15 December.

My question tonight Mr Mayor is in three parts.

  • I would firstly like to ask the Leader whether she really is convinced that there is a need for such a large land grab of Green Belt to build so many homes and such an increase in industrial provision in our Borough?
  • And if the answer is yes, why is it that the lion’s share of that burden is placed upon Shaw, Crompton and Royton rather than apportioned out with other parts of the Borough having a Fair Share?
  • And lastly would the Leader agree with me that we first need to develop on brown field land, on land with existing planning permission for housing and on unloved derelict sites, and also bring back empty homes into occupation and convert empty factories and mills into flats, before we look to touch any part of our precious Green Belt and Green Spaces?

 

Leaders Question 2 – Promoting the Borough’s Real Ale, Music and Comedy Scene

 In July 2013, I asked the then Leader of the Council to join me in backing Oldham’s live music and comedy scene.

At that time, the former Castle Pub, a well-known music venue, had just closed on Union Street but there was still a vibrant music scene with six venues for live performances in the town centre.

With the recent bad news that Marks and Spencer will not be joining us at Prince’s Gate, we need to highlight the positive things that Oldham has to offer.

With the opening of the new Cinema complex and a new Coliseum Theatre complex on the way, our night-time leisure offer is being transformed.

No longer is Yorkshire Street and Union Street like the Wild West by night – instead we have cafes and bars that are safe for families and couples to visit after dark.  So let’s celebrate that.

This presents us with the opportunity to showcase the best of what Oldham has to offer – shopping or a visit to our Gallery or Museum during the day, a bite to eat in the early evening in the restaurants in Parliament Square or the Independent Quarter, a performance at the Theatre, and then maybe the opportunity to stay on into the late evening for a drink or two in a real ale pub and the chance to listen to some live music or a comedy show.

Oldham potentially offers the perfect day out and; with the Metrolink network now being even more extensive and trams more frequent; it is possible for people to visit this Borough from every part of Greater Manchester.

We need to shout about that.  So now is the time to revisit how we promote the Borough.

As part of a new tourism strategy can I ask the Leader to ask officers to produce a brochure, or brochures if one is not enough, of real ale pubs and live music and comedy venues around the Borough with their links to public transport?   And that this information is made available in print, web and an app.

Liberal Democrats call for less packaging and more recycling

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Liberal Democrat councillors Garth Harness (Saddleworth North) and Diane Williamson (Crompton) will be proposing a motion to Oldham council on Wednesday 14th December 2016 calling on the council to help reduce packaging and improve recycling.

Councillor Garth Harkness said “ There are 2.5 billion paper coffee cups thrown away each year and hardly any of them are recycled. There are specialist facilities that can be used but only about 0.25% are. There is too much packaging on food products that can’t be recycled and we need to do more to work with these companies across Greater Manchester to address the issue”

A co-ordinated effort needs to be explored to cut the resources of providing our food and drink

Councillor Diane Williamson said “WRAP look at improving resource efficiency. We should consider the merits of the council being a signatory of WRAPs’ Courtauld Commitment 2025. The aim is to get better value and reduce waste involving food production. ASDA, Aldi and Boots are among a number willing to commit already”.

Councillor Garth Harkness added: “We need to work with local coffee outlets to encourage them to adopt recyclable cups, provide on-site recycling facilities, and offer discounts to customers bringing their own cup.  The production of bottled water necessitates wasteful processing, bottling and transportation, and when its consumption leads to the discarding of millions of plastic bottles.”

Councillor Diane Williamson ended “We should look at promoting the provision of public drinking fountains and free drinking water in all catering outlets and schools.”

Council 14 December 2016 – Notice of Opposition Business – Reducing and Recycling Food Packaging

This Council is proud to be a member of the Sustainable Food Cities Network and as a member is committed to “Reducing waste and the ecological footprint of the food system”.

Council notes that with concern that this commitment will be more difficult to achieve when:

  • Most beverage cups dispensed by coffee outlets cannot be recycled
  • The production of bottled water necessitates wasteful processing, bottling and transportation, and when its consumption leads to the discarding of millions of plastic bottles
  • Much of the packaging used for food products cannot currently be recycled

Council aspires instead to reduce food packaging and promote recycling across the borough whenever possible.

Council further notes that these aspirations are compatible with the aims of the initiative, the Courthauld Commitment 2025, where signatories pledge to work to reduce  “the resource needed to provide our food and drink by one-fifth over ten years.”

Council therefore resolves to:

  • Ensure that drinking cups at water and coffee machines in Council buildings are all recyclable and are recycled
  • Work with local coffee outlets to encourage them to adopt recyclable cups, provide on-site recycling facilities, provide multi-use cups, and offer discounts to customers bringing their own cups
  • Promote the provision of public drinking fountains and free drinking water in all catering outlets and schools
  • Work with local food producers, processors and retailers, and with the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority, to adopt food packaging that can be recycled
  • Ask the relevant Cabinet Member and officers to investigate the merits of becoming a signatory to the Courthauld Commitment 2025, and report back on their findings no later than six months from now.

http://www.wrap.org.uk/content/courtauld-commitment-2025?gclid=CjwKEAiAj7TCBRCp2Z22ue-zrj4SJACG7SBE3zTgNQWf-bssxt893rVju12k-Bpn0l6ntztb5jHSmhoCNN7w_wcB

Beal Lane traffic

beal-lane-02-12-16-web

I have been contacted and observed myself the recent traffic issues with HGVs on Beal Lane.

I have pursued this matter with Council Officers – see below.

Photo of Beal Lane at 11.30 today.  The vehicles are not moving.  The queue stretched back to Crompton Way. It took 45 minutes to clear. Most vehicles were for Yodel.

This is not the first time in the last few days and people have been told it will be like this for a few weeks a yet.

I understand it is a busy time for Yodel and JD Williams but they cannot log jam a road a road like this on a daily basis, they should hold the wagons elsewhere until they have a clear run into their facility.

Something needs to be done about this and soon.

I have now received a response from Sarah Robinson, Traffic Engineer, shared herewith for your information.

Dear Cllr Sykes

Further to my e-mail to the Police, a police officer has been to visit the Transport Manager at Yodel to discuss the congestion problems being experienced along Beal Lane.  Further to the Police visit Yodel has now confirmed the following:-

Measures have been taken to prevent re occurrence of the problems experienced last week. Inbound goods have been diverted away from the Beal Lane site to a centre in the Midlands. These measures have significantly reduced the amount of traffic coming into Shaw.

Yodel has also adjusted the inbound times on some of the other collections so the spread is throughout the day thus preventing pinch points and the potential for congestion.

The above appears to be working well and doing what was intended.

Should you get any reports that the congestion problems have occurred again please let me know and I will try and resolve the matter either through the Police or with the assistance of Yodel.

Regards

Sarah Robinson

Traffic Engineer, Traffic and Network Management

 Unity Partnership Henshaw House, Cheapside, Oldham OL1 1NY

T  0161 770 4377 | F  0161 770 3411

E sarah.robinson@unitypartnership.com | W  www.unitypartnership.com

Hopefully this should help with the problem.

Shaw and Crompton Green belt under threat – additional meeting 3pm-7pm, 15 Dec 16

imagesFurther to our recent discussions and demands by local Liberal Democrat Councillors an additional meeting about the Greater Manchester Spacial Framework has now been organised.

A drop-in meeting between 3.00pm – 7.00pm on 15th December 2016 at the Shaw Lifelong Learning Centre, High Street, Shaw OL2 8TB.

We have been assured this will be better organised and staffed than the last drop in session and the planners were very clear this was their preferred format rather than a traditional public meeting.  We had asked for both it this was refused.

Hopefully this should provide residents with:

  • One-to-one meetings on the day with Officers able to answer their varied questions.
  • The offer of a follow-up one-to-one meetings of a longer variety if requested / necessary for residents.

I would urge all that can to attend to find out what is proposed for vast tracks of our Green Belt.

Sykes says, Worcester’s PooWatch a model Oldham should follow

Poowatch Logo

The Leader of the Liberal Democrat Opposition Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, was impressed to read recently of the success that the PooWatch scheme in Worcester has enjoyed since its launch in November 2015 and remains convinced that this is a model that Oldham Council should introduce to help tackle dog fouling in the Borough.

Councillor Sykes said: “I first wrote to Helen Lockwood, Executive Director of Co-operatives and Neighbourhoods, and Carol Brown, Director of Environmental Services in January of this year asking them to contact Worcester council officers about the scheme.  Twelve months on PooWatch has proven its value in helping to tackle the anti-social behaviour of irresponsible owners who do not clear up after their dog.”

 He added: “PooWatch is a new free web app for smartphones, tablets and personal computers.  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 helps identify dog litter hotspots so action can be targeted in areas of greatest need.

Worcester City Council has reported that PooWatch has “attracted much positive media attention and (they have) been overwhelmed with reports of dog fouling left on the city’s streets.”

Councillor Sykes feels that: “PooWatch empowers the public to be the Council’s eyes and ears in the community.  Using a smart phone they report real incidents in real time to enable prompt action to be taken against irresponsible dog owners and to contribute to both a more co-operative and a cleaner borough.”

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: “Dog fouling is one of those issues that my ward councillors and I are constantly asked about.  Now PooWatch has demonstrated its value in tackling the blight of dog fouling isn’t it now time for Council officers to introduce it here?”

Shaw and Crompton Green Belt under threat

imagesGreater Manchester Spatial Framework

Strategic Options consultation

Over the next 20 years there is a need to deliver continued sustainable economic growth, creating more jobs and new homes for the people of Greater Manchester.

The ten local authorities in Greater Manchester are working together on a joint plan called the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF) this is being prepared to ensure that new homes and jobs are provided in the right places with the transport (roads, rail, Metrolink) and infrastructure to support the communities and manage growth sustainably.

The draft Greater Manchester Spatial Framework sets out:

  • How much housing and employment land is needed up to 2035
  • A number of strategic sites across Greater Manchester to assist in meeting these requirements
  • The importance of infrastructure such as, health, education, transport, green spaces and utilities to support neighbourhoods and employment
  • Ways to protect and improve the natural environment.

Public consultation on the draft version of the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework runs from 31 October to 23 December 2016.  During this time, we would welcome any comments you may have on this document and supporting background papers. Views submitted will be considered and a final draft will be published in 2017 when another period of consultation will be held.

For further information on the consultation, to view and download the following documents please visit www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/GMSF:

Paper copies of the draft Greater Manchester Spatial Framework may be viewed at:

Local libraries in Oldham and at the Oldham Civic Centre Planning Reception,  West Street, Oldham, OL1 IUG (for Sat Navs use OL1 1NL).

A paper copy of the Integrated Assessment may be viewed at:

Civic Centre Planning Reception, West Street, Oldham, OL1 IUG (for Sat Navs use OL1 1NL).

Comments may only be made:

PO Box 532
Town Hall
Manchester
M60 2LA

All comments must be received by 5pm on 23 December 2016.

Please note all comments will be held by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and will be available to view publicly. Comments cannot be treated as confidential. Your personal information, such as your postal and email address will not be published, but your name and organisation (if relevant) will.

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority maintains a database of consultees who wish to be kept informed about the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework. In responding to this consultation your contact details will automatically be added to the consultation database. If you do not want to be contacted about future Greater Manchester Spatial Framework consultations please state this in your response.

A series of events are being hosted across Greater Manchester which the public are invited to attend and discuss the draft Greater Manchester Spatial Framework.

Drop-in sessions currently arranged are:-

  • 8 November – Performance Space, Oldham Library, Union Street, Oldham – 12noon till 8pm
  • 14 November – Shaw Lifelong Learning Centre, Shaw – 5pm till 6.30pm
  • 21 November – Uppermill Civic Hall, Uppermill – 4.30pm till 6.30pm
  • 24 November – Failsworth Town Hall, Failsworth – 5.00pm till 6.30pm
  • 28 November – Royton Library, Royton – 3pm till 7pm
  •  5 December –  Chadderton Wellbeing Centre, Chadderton – 4.00pm till 6.00pm

Please note: The drop-in sessions will provide an opportunity for members of the public to find out more about the GMSF and meet with Council officers on a one to one level or in small groups.

Additional events may be arranged and details will be published on the Council’s website.

http://www.oldham.gov.uk/info/200711/greater_manchester_plans/1399/greater_manchester_spatial_framework

Oldham Council 9 November 2016 – leaders questions from Councillor Howard Sykes

questions-to-ask-your-LASIK-doctorCouncil 9 November 2016 – Leader’s Question – 3000+ Home Threat to Shaw and Crompton Green Belt

Mr Mayor, My first question to the Leader this evening concerns the recently launched public consultation on the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework.

Not a very catchy title I am sure you will agree, but nonetheless a document that should command the attention of every member in this Chamber – and particularly any with an interest in the future of our Borough’s Green Belt.

The ten local authorities in Greater Manchester have drawn up plans to meet the projected future need for 227,000 new homes in the county, some 13,700 of them in this Borough.

This may seem an awful lot for Oldham, but Shaw & Crompton and Royton is really being targeted by the developers and may be even Oldham Council as we shall be expected to accommodate almost three thousand new homes plus vast tracks of land for industrial development.

These plans represent a massive land grab in our area and the devastation of our local Green Belt as new properties will be built at Cowlishaw, in the Beal Valley, Rushcroft, the Whitefield Farm area over to Newhey and around Gravelhole and Low Crompton.

Oldham Liberal Democrats firmly believe that our precious Green Belt should be protected.

Our Green Belt and open spaces are one of the things that makes us unique in Greater Manchester.  Some of us are old enough to remember those posters ‘Oldham a town in the country’ – it was true 20 odd years ago and is even truer now.

New homes should first be built on former industrial Brownfield sites.

Existing planning permissions need to be actioned.

We should first look to build on derelict and unloved sites in our town centres and districts, convert every empty mill and factory into housing, force developers to build on sites already given planning permission, and bring Empty Homes back into use.

Only when all of these things have been done should we even consider developing vast tracks of our Green Belt.

We miles away from that stage yet.

And we also need to take account of the massive additional burden this will place on our local services and infrastructure.  These new houses will mean a lot more cars on our busy roads, many more children needing local school places, more demand for medical centres, shops, and leisure facilities.

I recognise that everyone has the right to live in their own home and be adequately housed but the local burden seems to have been placed disproportionately on Shaw and Crompton and to be fair Royton.

So can the Leader please tell me tonight what this Council will be doing to fight to protect our precious Green Belt from wanton development and what representations will be made to press the demand that there will be sufficient advanced investment to meet the increased demand placed onto our facilities and infrastructure in Shaw and Crompton and elsewhere in our Borough?

Council 9 November 2016 – Leader’s Question – Student Travel to Stockport College

Mr Mayor, my second question relates to an issue that I have raised with the Leader and her predecessor on many occasions – the education of this Borough’s young people.

This time I want to address the proposed merger between Oldham College and Stockport College.  The proposed marriage with Tameside College is seemingly now off, Oldham and Stockport Colleges are apparently now the only two dancers still on the floor.

The key question is how is this in the best interests of our young people and Oldham’s potential students?  Just one of my worries is the inconvenience that such a merger will cause to local students without access to private transport.

Here are two examples.

Joe travelling from Denshaw to Stockport College faces a two hour journey there and a similar journey back.  He starts college at 9am.  He catches the 407 Stotts bus from the Junction Inn at 6.36 and is just fortunate to connect with the 6.59 83 service operated by First Manchester from Mumps.

This gets him on time to Piccadilly by 7.45 and he is able to connect with the 192 Stagecoach service 10 minutes later.  This drops him off on Wellington Road near Stockport College for 8.40am.

As Joe needs to use three bus services – all run by different operators he needs to buy a System One Student Bus Saver ticket.  This costs £13.10 a week or £45.50 for a month.

If cost were not an issue, Joe could roughly halve his journey time if he caught the Metrolink tram from Mumps to Piccadilly Station, via Victoria (£3.40 return, half-hour approx.) and then caught the train to Stockport (£5.30 return, 10mins followed by a 10min walk).

If he were aged 16 to 19 he could get a Scholars Permit to enable him to travel for half the single fare each way.

Emma travelling from Oozewood, Royton to Stockport College, also starting at 9am.  Emma’s journey is about as long as Joes.  She walks to Rochdale Road (10mins) and catches the 6.48am 24 First Manchester Bus to Manchester.

This gets her there on time at 7.44, which is unusual as the bus is generally delayed by peak traffic approaching the city centre.  Emma joins Joe in catching the 192 bus and they sit together on the Stagecoach service, both alighting on Wellington Road.

Emma would also need to buy a System One Student Bus Saver ticket.  Emma would probably not save any time going into Oldham to catch a tram as she would have to catch a 409 bus and then wait at a tram stop.

However she could join Joe in getting the train from Piccadilly to Stockport and back (£5.30 return, 10mins followed by a 10mins walk).

This is surely a far from ideal arrangement in a Borough where we aspire to drive up educational attainment and make the best choices available to all of our students.

Can the Leader tell me tonight, what is being done to ensure that the vocational courses that remain on offer in Oldham will remain attractive to local students and relevant to the needs of our local employers?

And what help and support will this Council seek to put in place for those students who are forced to travel to Stockport because of the merger and struggle to do so?

Liberal Democrats seek Borough-wide Ban on Puppy Farming

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At the next Council meeting (Wednesday 9 November), the Oldham Liberal Democrat Council Group is proposing a motion to help end puppy farming in the Borough.

Proposer Liberal Democrat Crompton Councillor Julia Turner said: “November 9 is a significant date; it is one year to the day when the Liberal Democrat party’s spokesperson in the Lords, Baroness Kate Parminter, called on the Government to outlaw puppy farming.”

“Only one in ten puppies is bred by licensed breeders.  The remainder are bred illegally or imported from abroad by criminals who often do not care about the condition and care of these animals.  These puppies are often separated from their mothers before the puppy is even four weeks old.  Many are woefully neglected with minimal access to exercise, food and medical treatment.”

“Often animals die or become sick shortly after being purchased because they are not vaccinated.  And a buyer left with a dead animal or a sizable medical bill has little legal come back – British customers have more rights when they purchase a refrigerator than they do a puppy.”

“Oldham Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to introduce more effective legislation and to give local Councils more power to tackle this abhorrent practice.  We are also calling on Council officers to adopt model guidelines for animals bred by licensed breeders or operators of boarding kennels to improve animal welfare, and in the run up to Christmas we want to raise public awareness that a puppy purchased as a family pet should be bought from a reputable breeder where you can also see the mother.”

Liberal Democrat Opposition Leader, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, is backing the motion. He added: “Puppy farming is unfortunately a real issue in our Borough; in recent years there have been successful criminal prosecutions of puppy farmers living in Shaw, Chadderton, and Failsworth.  We need to tackle this despicable crime on our doorstep.”

Offering her support to the Liberal Democrat motion, Baroness Kate Parminter said:

“I wholeheartedly support this important initiative and would hope other councils will follow this important step that you are taking.  Liberal Democrats will keep up the pressure nationally in Parliament for Government to act but we need that pressure too in local communities, where local councils can make a real difference.”

“If we are to help end the suffering that too many dogs are facing & the duping of unsuspecting dog lovers who fall prey to heartless breeders we need that action now.”

Council 9 November 2016 – Notice of Opposition Business – Motion 2 – End Puppy Farming

This Council notes with dismay that:

  • Puppy farming (unlicensed dog breeding) is rife in the UK with only 1 in 10 puppies bred by licensed breeders.
  • The Government has yet to act upon the challenge issued one year ago today by Liberal Democrat Defra Spokesperson, Baroness Kate Parminter, to outlaw puppy farming.
  • The Government has yet to bring forward the necessary legislation to prohibit the sale of puppies and kittens from pet shops where the mother is not present.

Council therefore resolves to:

  • Work in partnership with the RSPCA and other animal welfare agencies to:
  • Investigate any reports, adverts in local papers or websites that offer puppies for sale in the area, alerting other local authorities and agencies, as appropriate.
  • Find and prosecute puppy farmers and other unlicensed breeders.
  • Support and promote on the Council’s website and in its publications:

The Pup Aid campaign “Where’s Mum?”

The Dogs Trust campaign against “battery farmed dogs”

The Kennel Club Assured Breeder scheme.

  • Advise residents at public events, especially in the run up to Christmas, on best practice for buying puppies or dogs, encouraging them not to buy puppies or dogs from anyone selling in suspicious circumstances; to report such incidents immediately to the Council’s Animal Health and Welfare Service; and to consider purchasing puppies and dogs from rescue organisations or to support the work of the Cinnamon Trust and other re-homing services.
  • Look as a local authority to adopt the model license conditions for dog breeding and boarding kennels published by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health in January 2014.
  • Look as a local authority to maintain our ban on the sale of puppies and kittens by pet shops in this Borough.
  • Work with other social landlords in the Borough to include a ban on puppy farming in tenancy agreements.
  • Ask the Chief Executive to write to the Government Minister responsible outlining the view of this Council that the Government should introduce the necessary legislation to:
  • Make licensing for dog breeding more effective, to make the funds from licences available to local authorities to monitor the activities of dog breeders, and to impose stiffer financial and custodial penalties on dog breeders found to be operating illegally and without regard for animal welfare.
  • Introduce greater consumer protection when a member of the public purchases a puppy or dog from a breeder or dealer
  • Prohibit the licensing of pet shops or retail outlets to sell puppies or kittens where the mother is not present.
  • Ask the Chief Executive to copy in the three Members of Parliament for this Borough with a request that they make similar representations to the Minister.

Oldham Lib Dems call for Action on Haulage Tractors on Public Highways

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At next Wednesday’s Council meeting (Wednesday 9 November), Shaw Liberal Democrat Councillors Rod Blyth and Howard Sykes MBE will propose a motion calling on the Government to regulate the use of agricultural tractors hauling loads on public highways and for urgent action to curb this practice in Shaw and Crompton and elsewhere in Oldham Borough.

Councillor Blyth, proposing the motion, explained: “For many months, our constituents, and those of my Liberal Democrat colleagues in Crompton, have been complaining about the noise and disturbance caused by large agricultural tractors pulling large trailers containing spoil along the roads of Shaw and Crompton.”

“These tractors are travelling constantly backwards and forwards from early in the morning until late at night making a racket and putting the fear of God into people.

They should be in fields and not in our streets.  They are often seen speeding and being driven recklessly and local Councillors are worried that the lives of local people are being needlessly put at danger.”

Councillor Blyth added: “We have asked the Police for action, but nothing so far seems to be happening.  This motion is a call for action and we want it now.”

The motion specifically calls for roadside checks to be carried out by the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency to make sure tractor operators in Oldham are operating safe and road worthy vehicles.

Liberal Democrat Opposition Leader and Shaw Councillor Howard Sykes MBE is backing the motion. He explained that the real solution to the problem lies with the Government:

“If these tractors and trailers were Heavy Good Vehicles they would be covered by a commercial vehicle operator’s licence and other legislation that would control their environmental impact on local residents; but at present agricultural tractors are exempt.  Irresponsible operators clearly know of this loophole and are exploiting it. They do not care about the inconvenience and danger caused by their actions.  So our motion also calls on the Government to make tractors used for road haulage subject to the same rules that apply to trucks and we are asking our local MPs and the Local Government Association to back us in this.”

Council 9 November 2016 – Notice of Opposition Business – Motion 1 – The Licensing of Agricultural Tractors used for Road Haulage

This Council notes that:

  • Over many months, residents in this borough, particularly residents in Shaw and Crompton, have experienced noise and disturbance from large agricultural tractors pulling large trailers containing spoil on public highways from early in the morning until late at night
  • In addition, these vehicles are at times driven recklessly and at speed, posing at danger to other road users and pedestrians
  • If these tractors and trailers were HGV’s they would be covered by a commercial vehicle operator’s licence and other legislation that would control their environmental impact on local residents
  • At present they are exempted from licensing requirements

Council believes that tractors used for the purpose of road haulage should be covered by the same licensing requirements as apply to other goods vehicles.

Council resolves to:

  • Ask the Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State asking the Government to sponsor a change in the Goods Vehicle (Licensing of Operators) Act to make tractors used for this purpose subject to the same licensing and legislative requirements as apply to other good vehicles.
  • Ask the Chief Executive to copy in the Local Government Association and the three Members of Parliament for this borough and request that they also make representations to the Secretary of State on this matter.

Ask the Chief Executive to write to the Chief Executive of the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency asking for any assistance they can provide in carrying out road side checks to make sure operators in Oldham are operating safe and road worthy vehicles.

Draft Greater Manchester Spatial Framework – Shaw and Crompton Public Drop-in Session: Monday 14th November 16

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Draft Greater Manchester Spatial Framework

Public Drop-in Session: 5pm – 6.30pm, Monday 14th November, Shaw Lifelong learning Centre, High Street, Shaw

Public consultation on the draft Greater Manchester Spatial Framework

Consultation open: 31 October to 23 December 2016

Over the next twenty years there is a need to deliver continued sustainable economic growth, creating more jobs and new homes for the people of Greater Manchester.

The draft Greater Manchester Spatial Framework sets out:

  • How much housing and employment land is needed up to 2035;
  • A number of strategic sites across Greater Manchester to assist in meeting these requirements;
  • The importance of infrastructure such as, health, education, transport, green spaces and utilities to support neighbourhoods and employment; and
  • Ways to protect and improve the natural environment.

For further information on the consultation please visit www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/GMSF or call the Greater Manchester Planning Team on 0161 237 4636

Paper copies of the draft Greater Manchester Spatial Framework may also be viewed at local libraries in Oldham and at the Oldham Civic Centre Planning Reception.

A paper copy of the Integrated Assessment may be viewed at the Civic Centre Planning Reception, West Street, Oldham, OL1 IUG (for Sat Navs use OL1 1NL).

Other ways to have your say:

PO Box 532, Town Hall, Manchester M60 2LA.

All comments must be received by 17:00 on 23rd December 2016.

If you would like to discuss one of the Oldham allocations in detail then please contact a member of the Strategic Planning and Information team on 0161 770 1672, 4163 and 4061 or email spi@oldham.gov.uk.

Please note all comments will be held by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and will be available to view publicly. Comments cannot be treated as confidential. Your personal information, such as your postal and e-mail address will not be published, but your name and organisation (if relevant) will.

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority maintains a database of consultees who wish to be kept informed about the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework. In responding to this consultation your contact details will automatically be added to the consultation database. If you do not want to be contacted about future Greater Manchester Spatial Framework consultations please state this in your response.