Crompton Moor – Oldham Countryside Volunteer Ranger Group Event Sunday 30th Oct 16

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Hi Everyone,

That Sunday of the month is upon us again, and remember the clocks go back so after an extra hour’s kip you’ll be up for a day’s volunteering!

We need to continue with fencing maintenance, whether it is at Whitesides or at the top of the moor; a survey later in the week will decide what will be most appropriate.

Not too sure of the weather although the BBC currently forecasts light cloud highs of 11 degrees C; so, please ensure you have the appropriate clothing, footwear and a packed lunch if you are up for the day but would again suggest a hot flask of your favourite drink for the morning and plenty of cold drink for the afternoon.

Meantime, if you have any issues that you may wish to discuss prior to Sunday, please do not hesitate to mail or phone me on 07961107860.

Look forward to seeing you in the CM Car Park ~ 10.30.

Kindest Regards – Edward John Fulton, Countryside Volunteer Ranger, (M) 07961 107860 [Calls may be recorded], (F)  01706 661813, (E)  edward@edwardjohnfulton.uk

Metrolink Oldham Rochdale line – essential overnight maintenance works between Derker and Rochdale Town Centre Metrolink stops

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I have also asked and been assured any use of the Metrolink car parks in Shaw will be in the car park on the tram stop side of Beal Lane away from local residents on Beal Lane and Britaina Avenue.

COPY RESIDENTS LETTER

Dear Resident,

Metrolink Oldham Rochdale line – essential overnight maintenance works between Derker and Rochdale Town Centre Metrolink stops

 I am writing to inform you that we will be carrying out essential overnight maintenance work to the Metrolink tracks between Derker and Rochdale Town Centre stops over five nights between the approximate hours of midnight and 04:30 between the following dates:

  • Sunday 30 October to Friday 4 November

 This work, which is being carried out by the Metrolink contractor M-Pact Thales, will involve the use of a tamping machine to compact the track ballast which will create some noise.  However, the workforce will minimise noise where possible in accordance with the safe operation of the works.  Head torches will be used as an alternative to floodlighting.

This work can only take place outside normal working hours when the trams are not in operation.  Please note that this does not mean that work will be continuous at any one location for the duration of the programme of works.  The completion of these works will help to reduce tram noise and improve the quality of the ride.

We apologise for any inconvenience this work may cause you.

How to find out more

Should you require any further information, our Customer Relations teams can be contacted on Twitter, by emailing customer.relations@tfgm.com or by calling 0161 244 1000 between 07:00 and 20:00 Monday to Friday or 08:00 and 20:00 hours on weekends.

To report urgent issues or incidents relating to this work, please call 0161 205 2000.

Yours faithfully – Peter Cushing, Metrolink Director, Transport for Greater Manchester

Liberal Democrat welcome for Council Investigation of Coal Mine Heat

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The Leader of the Liberal Democrat Opposition Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has welcomed a recent report to the Overview and Scrutiny Board (11 October 16) which confirms that Oldham Council will be supporting a bid for money to investigate the possibility of tapping heat from disused coal mines.

Councillor Sykes said: “Exactly two years ago in full Council I asked the then Leader of the Council to commission a study with the other Leaders of the Greater Manchester authorities to explore the potential of this power source across the county.”

“I first became aware of that geothermic energy might be a viable possibility in Oldham when I read about the exciting plans in Scotland.”

In late 2013, the Scottish Government published a study that identified 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.

In Council, Councillor Sykes pointed out at the time that the Oldham borough shares a rich coal mining heritage and that the many former coal mines may give off residual ground-source heat that could form part of the borough’s renewable energy strategy.

Oldham Council has just agreed that this possibility is worth investigating. The Council will be supporting a bid to Innovate UK (formerly the Technology Strategy Institute) for £200K of funding to carry out feasibility work to look at the potential of ground source heat from disused coal mines to supply district heat networks.

Councillor Sykes added: “Although it has taken two years, I am pleased that the Council has finally decided to take forward my suggestion. Let us hope that this leads to some concrete proposals that will help make Oldham a greener borough.”

Link to report (see section 2.9): http://committees.oldham.gov.uk/documents/s73866/OS%20October%2016%20-%20Climate%20change%20and%20Brexit.pdf

Copy of my question: Council 22 Oct 14 – Leader Question 3: Geothermic Heat

My final question concerns geothermic heat; that is heat sourced from below ground to heat homes.  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). 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?

Poowatch progress report requested

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Recent press cutting from LGA First : First Magazine – LGA

Mrs Helen Lockwood, Executive Director Economy, Skills & Neighbourhoods, Mrs Carol Brown, Assistant Executive Director – Environment

Dear Mrs Lockwood & Mrs Brown,

I am sure you will recall that I wrote to you in December 2015 about Poowatch, a free web app for smartphones, tablets and personal computers.

Poo Watch was launched in November 2015 in Worcester to help clean up the city’s streets and to shame irresponsible dog-owners to clear up after their pets. There has recently been further positive publicity in the local government press – attached – and I still believe this technology could be of great use in helping Oldham Council tackle this blight in our borough, particularly in hot spots such as Dunwood Park in my own ward.

To reiterate the contents of my first letter, through the Poowatch app, Worcester residents can record any dog litter they spot in the city. The information they provide will help identify dog litter hotspots so action can be targeted in areas of greatest need.

The good thing with this approach is that the public can be the Council’s eyes and ears in the community, and they are reporting real incidents in real time to enable prompt action to be taken. This app gives residents the ability to help change the behaviour of irresponsible dog owners and to contribute to both a more co-operative and a cleaner borough.

The new web app has been jointly developed by the Safer Worcester Partnership, the Duckworth Worcestershire Trust (DWT) and Worcester City Council with funding from West Mercia’s Police and Crime Commissioner. It is free to access and 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 poo bin to the location of the person accessing the app.

As this is free there is no deterrent to residents who are tech savvy from accessing it and using it. As you will know from complaints relayed to you, Councillors are constantly approached by constituents who are enraged by seeing dog poo on our pavements and who demand real action now. Poowatch allows them to be part of that action and make a difference rather than simply registering a complaint.

I would therefore like to ask you for an update as to where this authority is at in terms of introducing Poowatch to the Oldham Borough.

I have enclosed a recent article from First Magazine from the LGA.

I shall look forward to receiving your reply.

Yours sincerely

Howard Sykes

CC Cllr Fida Hussain

Managed weekly bin collections – starting Monday 3 October

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Copy of a letter I have been sent by Oldham Council.

We would like to remind you that the new bin collection cycle will start next Monday 3 October, when bin collections across the borough will switch to the new collection pattern.

As the new pattern is rolled out some residents will start with a grey bin collection, some with a blue bin collection and some with a brown bin collection. This means that some residents will have recycling collections closer together and some will be further apart. The transition has been planned to ensure that no resident waits more than three weeks for a grey bin collection.

By the end of the first three-week cycle all residents will have had all of their bins emptied.

The changes aim to improve our recycling rate and reduce the amount spent on general rubbish disposal by as much as £3 million over the next two years.

Food and garden waste will continue to be collected every week and this service will be rolled out to a small remaining number of rural properties that didn’t previously have it.

All households have now had their new collection calendars and reminder tags are being placed on bins to ensure residents are ready and informed.

Residents have been advised to call the contact centre on 0161 770 6644 or visit our website www.oldham.gov.uk/waste

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