Save Shaw Market Petition presented

HS and DW market petition hand in

Local Shaw and Crompton Lib Dem Councillors Howard Sykes MBE and Diane Williamson recently handed in a 350 plus name petition about Oldham Council’s plans for Shaw Market.

At first Labour wanted to move the Market onto the South side of Market Street that joins High Street.  Now they want to move it to the North side of Market Street adjoining Rochdale Road.

“The latest news is that the Labour Council will press ahead with its plans, with the Market moving permanently,” stated Councillor Howard Sykes.  “We expect them to formally confirm this at the Licensing Panel on 2 November.”

Local councillors are campaigning to leave the Market where it is.  They want to see Shaw Market stay on its present site with investment to bring farmers markets and Christmas markets to the area as well.  Leaving the Market where it is also makes additional market days possible including the various charity events as well as more specialised markets.

“We want to see the cash Labour has allocated for the move spent instead on revitalising Shaw Market on its existing site by replacing the fixed market stalls with pop-up stalls on Market Day (Thursday) and removing the perimeter units,” stated Cllr Williamson.

“This solution will not only remove the shelter that attracts youths intent on anti-social behaviour but also provide more free car-parking on non-Market Days, therefore contributing to the general vitality of Shaw’s District Centre,” said Councillor Sykes.

“We are not surprized the new venue appears to be popular.  The Council has thrown the kitchen sink at this with free events, promotions, advertising, questionnaires and staff.  It just shows what can be done.  If the same amount of effort was made to promote the existing site I am sure that would have been successful.  Remember the ‘staying put’ option was refused to be included in the consultation.  You have to ask why?” he added.

“We shall see what happens in the longer term when all this existing ‘excitement’ has evaporated,” stated Councillor Williamson.  “Also the Council needs to come clean on its plans for the ‘old market site’ if it presses ahead with its plans.”

“In addition our proposal also prevents potential traffic problems that can happen when Market Street is closed forcing all vehicles, including HGVs and buses, to use Eastway,” added Councillor Williamson.

Councillors Sykes and Williamson handing in their petition

Crompton Moor yearly Fungal Hunt for 2015

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This event is both fun and educational, they have the assistance of Dave Higginson Tranter, who travels the length and breadth of the UK investigating all things fungal.

Fungi are tremendously important to human society and the planet we live on.  Yet, despite their extraordinary impacts on our lives, both directly and indirectly, relatively little is known about them.

Fungi, together with bacteria, are responsible for most of the recycling which returns dead material to the soil in a form in which it can be reused.  Without fungi, these recycling activities would be seriously reduced.  We would effectively be lost under piles many metres thick, of dead plant and animal remains.

Fungi are vitally important for the good growth of most plants, including crops, through the development of mycorrhizal associations. As plants are at the base of most food chains, if their growth was limited, all animal life, including human, would be seriously reduced through starvation.

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Lib Dem Leader Renews Call for Food Poverty Commission

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The Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has again written to Councillor Barbara Brownridge and Sue Dearden renewing his call for the Labour Administration to work with him to establish a Food Poverty Commission for Oldham.

Councillor Brownridge serves as Cabinet Member for Communities and Councillor Dearden is Chair of the Health and Well-being Board, Councillor Sykes first wrote to them on this matter at the end of July.

Commenting, Councillor Sykes said: “As I know well, Councillors, especially Cabinet Members, are busy people with many calls on their time so it is probably an oversight that I have as yet, received no formal response to my initial letter.”

“I am sure that every elected member shares my concern about the level of food poverty in our Borough and the need for the Council, with its responsibility for public health and well-being, to take an active lead in addressing it, so I thought it timely to send a further reminder in advance of our November Council meeting.”

“As the letter was sent very soon after World Food Day, I am sure that it will receive swift attention.”

In the letter, Cllr Sykes welcomed the recommendation to the Overview and Scrutiny Board on 13 October that they seek to establish a new Community Shop, alongside a FairShare food distribution centre, in Oldham.  Councillor Sykes first raised the possibility of a community shop in a question to the Leader of the Council in February 2015, and he wants to see it become an “immediate strategic priority for the Council.”

In his letter, Councillor Sykes also identifies specific groups at risk of food poverty:

  • Children attending school hungry or going without sufficient food during the school holidays
  • Housebound elderly and disabled people
  • Residents without the skills or the cooking facilities to effectively prepare nutritious meals

The Oldham Lib Dem Group is calling on the Council to establish more breakfast clubs, school holiday food clubs, community cafes, lunch clubs for the elderly and a home delivery service for the housebound.  They also want to see residents in need being able to access cookery courses; simple, affordable and nutritious recipes; and cooking facilities for those who do not have them, coupled with  budgeting support to those on low incomes.

Cllr Sykes explained: “I do recognise that, in the current financial climate, the authority is not in a position to itself shoulder the financial burden for all of these activities, but these are all activities that should form part of joined up comprehensive strategy which we would like to see developed and delivered by a Food Poverty Commission.  This would comprise the Council and key partners working together to put practical measures in place so no Oldhamer goes hungry.”

Sykes supports RNIB in Campaigning for Rights of Blind and Partially Sighted

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Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, who is a member of the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee (TfGMC), has written to its Chief Executive Dr Jon Lamonte asking the Transport Executive to support two campaigns of the RNIB (the Royal National Institute for the Blind) to meet the needs of blind and partially-sighted passengers.

Cllr Sykes said: “On Thursday 8th October we marked World Sight Day, an annual occasion which provides cause to reflect on the needs of blind and partially-sighted people.  Given their condition, most are reliant on public transport to get about and it is important that all of the services funded by Transport for Greater Manchester are responsive to their needs.”

The RNIB (the Royal National Institute for the Blind) has two ongoing campaigns in support of the rights of blind and partially-sighted passengers:

  • “Stop for me, Speak to me” – which seeks a commitment from bus drivers to be aware of the presence of such passengers at bus stops, to actively stop for them and to engage them in conversation to ascertain their desired designation and provide pro-active assistance.
  • “We’re on Board” – a 13-point charter that sets out the commitments they want bus operators to sign up to in order to improve the travel experience of blind and partially-sighted passengers.

Cllr Sykes has asked Dr. Lamonte to identify which bus operators in Greater Manchester have committed themselves to supporting the objectives of both campaigns; what TfGM is doing to encourage them to do so; and what otherwise is being done to champion the rights of blind and partially-sighted bus passengers.

Cllr Sykes added: “With Disability Month coming up in December, now is the time to review current operating arrangements to be sure that they follow best practice and the recommendations made by the RNIB.”

“I look forward to receiving Dr Lamonte’s response and to raising this issue with colleagues from local authorities across Greater Manchester at future meetings of the committee.  I hope that we can make progress in making Greater Manchester a welcoming and inclusive destination for passengers who are blind or partially sighted”.

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Lib Dems oppose Government Attack on Renewable Energy Subsidies

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The Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has responded negatively to a Government consultation proposing that subsidies for renewable energy schemes be drastically slashed from January 2016.

The new Conservative Government is proposing to reduce the payments of a Feed in Tariff (or FiT) by up to 90% in the new-year to householders installing solar panels or community owned renewable power projects.

Under the previous Liberal Democrat Energy Secretary, Ed Davey MP, a regime was created that provide generous FiT payments to such schemes.  Community owned schemes were also able to seek pre-accreditation once planning permission was granted to ensure that they could access the current FiT rate for six months guaranteeing a level of income that would attract investors through community share issues.

Cllr Sykes said: “The Coalition Government had an excellent record of providing support to community energy with over 5,500 such projects established.  The current Government claims to want to continue this support, yet its actions run contrary to these intentions.”

“Remember it is Prime Minister David Cameron who is alleged to have said ‘let’s get rid of all the Green Crap from Government’ – sadly now he seems to want to live up to this statement at a time when Britain is facing a massive challenge to meet its agreed targets to reduce carbon emissions.”

“The Conservative Government has so far abolished pre-accreditation making it far harder to establish a new scheme that is financially viable and these new proposals will provide insufficient guaranteed income to continue to develop community owned renewable energy schemes.”

Government proposals to reduce the subsidy will be especially felt by householders with solar panels or by investors in roof-mounted community owned solar schemes. Here the payment will be reduced to 1.63p from 12.47p per kilowatt hour.

Cllr Sykes added: “I recognise that over time the Government may need to reduce it’s spending on renewable support overall but the FiT regime has worked well to link ever-decreasing subsidies with decreasing costs.”

“Community energy makes an increasing contribution to Britain’s energy needs, and on some days renewables provide more power than nuclear; all this power generation comes without increasing the nation’s carbon footprint.”

Community energy schemes also produce an income for investors who spend this in the local community and which they often reinvest in new projects generating further capacity.  In addition, each project establishes a community dividend used to kick start other schemes or to support energy behaviour training.

“This is a win-win situation.  Communities produce their own energy making them more self-sufficient and more sustainable.  The money generated by selling the power is paid in dividends to local shareholders who spent this money in their own community and the community dividend also supports good work in that community. Surely this must be far better than supporting large commercial schemes that simply put money in the hands of the Big Six energy providers.”

The argument that subsidies for renewable energy are too expensive seems bizarre to Cllr Sykes:

“The country desperately needs investment in community owned clean energy projects to fulfil its targets on CO2 emissions and prevent the unpredictable, but likely disastrous, effects of global warming.”

“The government appears willing to hugely subsidise the nuclear industry, but a much smaller subsidy to renewables would yield much greater dividends and without the deadly waste and contamination that comes with nuclear power.”

“The Oldham Liberal Democrat Group is of the view that retaining FiT payments at current levels and restoring the pre-accreditation scheme would be the best ways to support continued investment in such schemes; therefore we are fundamentally opposed to these proposals”.

Demolition of Shaw Baths

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Investigatory work on the demolition of Shaw Baths is now taking place.

The demolition of the building is expected to start in January 2016.

I am sure many of you will agree with me when I say that it will be a sad day to see this building, which has been part of our heritage since it was built in 1899, no longer present in Shaw and Crompton.

Demolition – Provisional Timetable:

ACTIVITY DATE
Asbestos Survey 08/10/15 – 09/10/15
Asbestos Removal 12/10/15 – 11/11/15
Planning Application submitted 12/10/15 or 13/10/15
Demolition of Building (approx. 10 weeks) 04/01/16 – 14/03/16

The site compound is shown edged blue below.

The red hatching shows the part of the road that will have a temporary closure on it for the duration of the demolition (this part of the road does not have any impact on any of the current car parking spaces).

The closure and site compound will enable safe working and give the contractors and their equipment space to manoeuvre.

Access to the site will be from High Street and the site compound.

Baths site

Oldham Lib Dems join Fair Deal Devo campaign

img94joktmu72322The Leader of the Opposition and Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has pledged the support of Oldham Liberal Democrats for the Fair Deal Devo campaign launched by the Manchester Evening News, Bolton News, Wigan Evening Post and Oldham Evening Chronicle.

Cllr Sykes: “Although the Chancellor has talked a lot about devolution and about the fabled Northern Powerhouse, the Government has yet to prove that it is sincere in its intention by offering a fair funding deal for Greater Manchester.”

“Liberal Democrat Councillors in Greater Manchester are ready and willing to accept the challenge and responsibility of devolution to make our region still Greater, but we need to have the cash to make it happen.  This is why we welcome and are backing the Deal Devo campaign.”

The Oldham Liberal Democrat Group has been calling for fair transport funding for the region to close the gap between London and Greater Manchester, and is opposed to further Police and local authority funding cuts and the government proposals to close both of the borough’s courthouses.

Cllr Sykes added: “Devolution represents an exciting opportunity for local authorities across Greater Manchester to work together to transform the lives of the region’s residents and to make service improvements that reflect local needs and that create local jobs.  But it will not work if Government money does not follow the transfer of power, and we will not accept any attempt by Government to merely pass on responsibility for carrying out difficult cuts.”

The Oldham Liberal Democrats are firmly committed to seeing transparency in the work of the new Combined Authority – where all the Greater Manchester councils work together using the devolved powers and budget.

“It isn’t enough just to tell people what’s going on.  The new Combined Authority will be assuming responsibility for a massive devolved budget amounting to many billions of pounds and will be taking on board new areas of work affecting the lives of millions of people.”

“The Liberal Democrats do not believe in telling people what we will do and then doing it for them.  We want to actively involve Greater Manchester residents in making the decisions that affect their lives and in shaping the services that their taxes pay for.  And we want to work with people and communities to deliver those services more effectively and in a more responsive and accountable way.”

“So we want information to be in plain English, and available on-line and on demand, and we want all meetings to be open to the public and to be webcast so taxpayers can call their representatives to account.  That’s real democracy and that’s what as Oldham Liberal Democrats we aspire for in the new structure for the Combined Authority.”

Help if you are without gas central heating

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Oldham Council has won some new funding to help residents without gas central heating

Please see attached briefing note on the scheme & how to access it.

Warm Homes Partner Briefing Note

Any queries contact: Angela Broadhurst, Principal Housing Energy Officer, Oldham Council, Room 310, Level 3, Civic Centre, West Street, Oldham OL1 1UH.  0161 770 4798. angela.broadhurst@oldham.gov.uk