The signals will be in operation on four consecutive Sundays commencing 5 May 2013, between 01.00am – 05.30am. These are the only times that the work can be carried out without impacting on the Metrolink services.
Description of Work: Cleaning out Level Crossing Panels and Inserting Flat Irons to Close Gaps in Level Crossing
Emergency Contact & Telephone Number in the Event of Traffic Signal Failure: Brian Birmingham 07899 906 814
Oldham Diving Pool:
Oldham Council has for the second time this week attracted negative publicity regionally and nationally – this time in connection with the lack of provision of a pool for board and scuba diving at either of the two new replacement swimming pools in Oldham and Royton.
A petition with 1,350 signatures demanding that this Council: Save Oldham’s Diving Pool, was received in May 2012.
Both the Sub-Aqua Club and Divers have for 30 years used this facility at the Oldham Stadium and apparently their campaign has the support of Olympic diver Tom Daley.
During public consultation, the Council has been less than truthful with these users, and, for nearly a year, they have been strung along with the false expectation that their needs were being looked into and might be catered for.
I say a false expectation as the specification for the leisure re-provision never included a diving pool within the proposed scope of works.
And latterly the sites chose for the Oldham replacement facilities were physically not big enough ever accommodate a replacement diving pool.
Would the Leader not agree that failing to provide a replacement facility is very regrettable, especially given Oldham’s past association with diving at the highest level, with Naomi Bishop competing in the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games?
Does he also agree the actual decision to not have a diving pool was taken some time ago and he and his colleagues could have and should have shared that with the current users of the diving pool before now?
High Street Innovation Fund:
Mary Portas – a successful high street retailer and the so called Queen of Shops – was appointed by the Government to conduct a review about the future of the high street.
Following this review, around 400 towns across the UK were offered Government money from the High Street Innovation Fund to reinvigorate their high streets.
Oldham received £100,000 from this fund a year ago in Spring 2012.
Will the Leader tell me why is it, when this administration is always claiming to be poor, that after a year we have yet to spend a penny of this money?
No one would suggest we should spend this cash wastefully however I do find it hard to believe some or most of it could not have been used so far to support our hard pressed High Streets.
In addition the failure to spend does undermine Oldham’s case for cash/better treatment when we fail to spend such amounts.
And we do not even detail how and when we will spend it or why it takes so long to spend it or is the best idea to wait, if it actually is?
And can he also tell us how this Administration will use this money to support the Oldham retail economy, and the other district centres in our Borough, and when is it planned to use this cash to support our colleagues in the retail sector?
The Scrap Metal Dealers Act:
Metal theft has become an increasing problem with the rise in metal prices.
The Local Government Association has reported that 9 in 10 Councils have been affected by metal theft.
This has included manhole covers putting road users and pedestrians at risk of a serious of life threatening accidents.
Even more shockingly parts of war memorials and plaques installed in churches and the grounds of crematoria to remember loved ones have been removed.
In the past many of these crimes have gone unpunished as stolen metal was bought by unscrupulous scrap yards, and such activity was ineffectually regulated.
The Scrap Metal Dealers Act to regulate the industry has recently received Royal Assent. Local authorities will be given the power to refuse to grant a licence to ‘unsuitable’ persons, to revoke licences and to carry out on-site inspections with police officers.
I am sure that Council officers, the Police and the many responsible, law-abiding scrap dealers who operate in Oldham will welcome the legislation.
Will the Leader outline how this Council intends to use the powers of this Act to more effective regulate the scrap metal business in Oldham?
As you are probably already aware, there is an on-going problem with flooding in the area and I am writing to let you know that I have been working with a variety of agencies to try to find a solution to this. In order to share this information with you, I would like to invite you to a “Drop in Session” as follows:
Date: Wednesday, 24 April 2013
Time: 5.00pm – 7.00pm
Venue: Dunwood Park Community Building
Please do pop along any time bewteen 5-7pm.
Officers from Highways & Engineering, Environmental Services, the District Team and of course myself will be there to discuss these matters with you.
For your information, this letter has been sent to residents on Duchess Street, Woodend, Smallbrook Road, Cowie Street, Brook Avenue, Parkside Avenue and businesses on Trent Industrial Estate.
I hope you will be able to join us and look forward to seeing you on the night
The work is progressing well towards Shaw even though some time has been lost to the weather. I am informed that the contractor is planning to remove the signals over the Easter weekend, providing the work on site reaches the stage where it is safe to do so.
Carillion DDK are carrying out work on behalf of BT Openreach to re-set damaged / rocking manhole covers as detailed below:
1. 2 no. covers on Milnrow Road, in the vicinity of the railway bridge near to Wrens Nest, south of Bridge Street. Commencing today for 2 days.
2. Outside 144 Milnrow Road commencing 3 April for 2 days.
3. Outside 342 Milnrow Road commencing 3 April for 2 days
In each case the temporary signals will be off-peak only, 9.30am – 3.30pm and will be manually operated as and when required.
Also, items 2 and 3 will not be commenced until item 1 is complete and only one location can be worked on at any time.
In the case of an emergency the contact for these works is Stefan Clyne who can be telephoned on 07714 178 802
Shaw Memorial Gardens, West Way.
We have managed to secure the Market which will include food stalls, the car boot sale, Rochdale Hedgehog Rescue, Circus acts.
The Lifelong Learning Centre will be used for indoor activities and workshops including an English afternoon tea, face painting, aromatherapy sessions, circus skills workshop and more to be confirmed.
The Market will run between 10.00 – 13.30.
Further info to follow when confirmed.
I have now been informed by the contractor, MPT, that due to the current cold weather the Metrolink operator has had to rescind the possession notice for this work. They need to deploy ice-breakers overnight. As a consequence, this work has now been postponed for 6 weeks.
Starting on Saturday 9th March, overnight works will be taking place at the Jubilee level crossing. These works will entail the trimming of trees overhanging the line or obscuring line of sight for Metrolink tram drivers approaching this level crossing.
Due to the proximity of the trees to the operational Metrolink extension, these works must be carried out at night when services are not running and the power to the overhead lines can be isolated. As such, these works are scheduled for 1am-5am, from Saturday 9th March until Sunday 17th March.
For further information:
Karen Aldcroft,
Public Liaison Officer, Metrolink Projects.
Transport for Greater Manchester,
2, Piccadilly Place, Manchester,M1 3BG.
Information Line: 0161 244 1555 Direct Line 0161 244 1417
www.tfgm.com