Crompton Pool Latest 16 June

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Crompton Pool Latest 16 June

My most recent correspondence on the matter, and extracts of just some of my earlier correspondence

Dear Ms McManus,

Can I formally request a copy of the papers/reports/email or any other information that has gone to the members of the CIPB about this matter, either under my right to know as a councillor or leader of the opposition or under a Freedom of information request.

Also under the above please inform me which councillors are on the Board and therefore making this decision/recommendation.

Also please confirm when the information was submitted to them for consideration.

I do hope the above will be supplied promptly, by return or within 24 hours at the very latest, and I will not have to chase this matter up as I have with every other email I have sent since the Pool closed on the 6th May.

I await your comments with interest as do thousands of residents in Shaw and Crompton and further afield who use Crompton Pool.

Regards.
Councillor Howard Sykes MBE

NOTES:
Capital Investment Programme Board – CIPB is a Board of Cabinet members, which meets to coordinate /discuss all capital projects and programmes within the council. It is an advisory board, which assists either a delegated decision, or a decision which needs to go on to cabinet/ Council for approval.

I was promised some clarity on this issue on the 15th May – I am still waiting and on every occasion I have to chase the Council.

From: Heather McManus
Sent: 14 June 2014 12:31

The matter is still with CIPB for consideration. As soon as I hear from members I will let you know.

From: Howard Sykes
Sent: Friday, June 13, 2014 12:22 PM GMT Standard Time

Now the 13 June.

Hopefully you will now have some clarity about this matter over a week after your email 5 June.

Users, groups and the people of Shaw need and expect to be kept informed about this issue.

You must know what the problem is now and an idea of what it will cost to fix and who might do that work.

I cannot understand the delay.

It is well over a week since I last asked about this (3 June) as still no information for the public, swim club, schools, etc. etc.

When will we have a time frame for getting the pool open again?

Or is it as people suspect you want to keep it closed to save money?

I and thousands of people await your response with interest.

Howard Sykes

From: Neil Consterdine
Sent: Tuesday, June 03, 2014 11:01 AM

Consideration of the options will be considered this week via CIPB. We are hopeful to have a decision by the end of the week.

Neil Consterdine
Oldham Council
Head of Youth and Leisure

From: Howard Sykes
Sent: 29 May 2014 18:25

What is the timescale for the decision please?

I.e. tomorrow, next couple of days, next week, next month?

Many thanks in anticipation.

Howard

From: Neil Consterdine
Sent: 21 May 2014 16:24

The facility had to be closed because of damage to the hot water tank. This meant the pool water could not be kept at the correct temperature.

We are committed to keeping the pool open and are now assessing a repair option to ensure this happens. We will issue an update on this as soon as we possibly can to service users, partners and residents.

Neil Consterdine
Oldham Council
Head of Youth and Leisure

From: Howard Sykes
Sent: 20 May 2014 18:48

Dear Mr Consterdine,

So it is now a week on from your last email and considerably longer since the pool was closed (Tuesday 6th May).

No update or any additional information I am aware of.

Can you please let me and colleagues know the latest situation please and when the pool will re-open.

I await your comments with interest as do hundreds of my constituents, many of which have been in contact with me and colleagues.

Best wishes.
Councillor Howard Sykes

FOR HELP AND ADVICE – SHAW WARD SURGERIES

advice-signpost2

Councillors Rod Blyth, Mark Alcock and Howard Sykes.

Also Parish Councillors Aspinall, Farrell, Duffy, Hall, Stephens, Dodd, Robinson, Murphy and Wood will also attend.

7.30pm – 8.30pm, Lifelong Learning Centre, High Street, Shaw, OL2 8TB.

Thursday: June: 5, 12, 19.
NO APPOINTMENT REQUIRED

Crompton Pool – latest

001456_Swimming-PoolAs people will be aware the Pool is currently closed.

The information I have managed to extract so far is as follows.This is what I have been told – these are NOT my words!

“The problem is the hot water boilers and the solution could take anything from 4-8 weeks depending on which option is chosen. The Council is not yet at a point where a solution has been agreed on so timescales on the repair are still unclear.

They have had contractors out on site via Unity to look at what is required, what the risks are and what the estimated cost would be. Following the identification of the leak we had hoped that the tank could have been repaired. If a repair would have been viable we would not have needed to close.

However it now appears that the tank cannot be repaired and requires a replacement. It is uncertain at this point what the solution will be to replace this – time, cost etc. Apologies if the information appears sketchy at this point but until we have the estimates on work required back from Unity it is unclear what will need to be done. I have chased the information yesterday and will do the same now. As soon as we have clarity I will let you know.

I can report that we have been mobilising alternative arrangements for school swimming (12 out of 13 school lessons have now been successfully relocated from 2nd June after the school holidays), and all children on Crompton Pool lessons have been offered alternative lessons at either Royton or Oldham in the interim (they are contacting parents on an individual basis).

Crompton Swim club – Royton have accommodated all their swimmers in the interim.”

Below is my latest correspondence on this matter:

20 May 2014

Dear Mr Consterdine,

So it is now a week on from your last email and considerably longer since the pool was closed (Tuesday 6th May).

No update or any additional information I am aware of.

Can you please let me and colleagues know the latest situation please and when the pool will re-open.

I await your comments with interest as do hundreds of my constituents, many of which have been in contact with me and colleagues.

Best wishes.

Councillor Howard Sykes

Why bother on May 22 and what really matters?

Ballot_Box_online1
Voting in these local elections will not change who runs Oldham Council, who runs the Government or whether Britain stays in Europe.

Instead these local elections are about electing councillors who, instead of posturing, will face the challenges in local government head on – delivering services you expect whilst squeezing better value from your Council Tax.

When the Liberal Democrats ran the council, we delivered award-winning local services whilst averting imminent financial disaster; in opposition, we have acted responsibly, challenging Labour where necessary and working with them whenever we can.

In contrast, what have the Conservatives done as an opposition party? The answer is simple: nothing – apart from voting with Labour!

We believe that the council must:

Get the basics right.

• Oldham people want clean streets, potholes filled and bins collected.

• Under the Liberal Democrats, Oldham officially had the cleanest streets in Greater Manchester – under Labour they are only getting dirtier.

• Under the Lib Dems, £10 million was found for highway improvements – under Labour only £2 million.

Save money on bureaucracy whilst protecting front-line services.

• In our last two alternative budgets, we found money to keep the Bulky Bob household collection service free, for more gully cleaning, and for better care for our elderly and looked-after children – ideas all dismissed by Labour and Conservatives.

Devolve real power and budgets to local communities

• Lib Dem councillors have always championed independent district partnerships. We also serve enthusiastically on two Parish Councils.

Find ways to generate new income.

• Liberal Democrats want council investment in renewable energy projects. This is good for our environment and the council’s finances too – bringing in sustainable income for at least the next quarter century.

Labour will no doubt blame the Liberal Democrats for ‘the cuts’.

They won’t tell you that cuts were only necessary because they left the country in financial ruin or that Oldham Liberal Democrats successfully lobbied minsters to stop further cuts in our finances.

Labour say they support the poor and make great play of their Council Tax freeze (paid for by Coalition Government money).

Labour last year hit everyone with a 3.7% Council Tax increase and forced our poorest citizens to pay Council Tax for the first time.

And they have only spent a third of the extra money given to them by this government to help the poor.

Liberal Democrats championed a plan to reduce the impact of welfare reform on the disabled and proposed a Council Tax hardship fund paid for by the airport dividend.

Labour say they support workers.

Yet they imposed a three year pay freeze on lower-paid Council workers

Instead the Liberal Democrats demanded that council jobs went to local people and that the council should become a National Living Wage employer.

Voting Liberal Democrat means supporting sound finance and reliable public services, and a party putting people and communities first.

It means you will elect a local councillor who will champion your community and area, and be on your side!

Cllr Howard Sykes
Lib Dem Group Leader Oldham Council
16th May 2014

Brushes Clough Car Park on Crompton Moor – SUNDAY 11th May 2014 10:30 am

SUNDAY 11th May 2014 10:30 am
Brushes Clough Car Park on Crompton Moor

Nearest post code OL2 8LS
Grid reference: SD 95119 10031

Pingot Quarry, located on Crompton Moor.

We will be continuing with the regeneration of the Pingot quarry area.

There is still some wood chip to move and spread on the paths, and we need to carry on with the building of the ‘dead hedge’ at the base of the quarry.

If you can bring along a spade/rake/fork – it would be much appreciated, but not absolutely necessary. Please wear suitable footwear and clothing to match the weather.

If you enjoy spending time outdoors, and love wildlife, why not come along, and check us out. No prior knowledge necessary, just come along and learn new skills.

For further information Contact:
Marian Herod Tel: 07792156295
Secretary – Friends of Crompton Moor
www.cromptonmoor.co.uk
email:cromptonmoor@gmail.com

Liberal Democrats get Buzzing in Support of Bee Action Plan

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Liberal Democrats get Buzzing in Support of Bee Action Plan

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Bees play a crucial role in our farms, gardens and countryside, and they’re essential to our food supply too.

Yet bees are facing an unprecedented crisis in the UK. Intensive farming, increased pesticide use, and continual habitat loss (they’ve lost 97% of their wildflower meadows in the past 60 years) all threaten their survival.

The Coalition Government has launched a consultation on how bees can be protected. Bees Minister Lord de Mauley urgently wants the views of the public on his plans.

Friends of the Earth has called upon the Government to institute a Bee Action Plan, which will include practical measures to support farmers to restore bee habitat to the countryside and cut back on using harmful pesticides.

To quote a leading Bee scientist, Professor Dave Goulson:

“The Bee Action Plan must include concrete action to support farmers to restore bee habitat to the countryside and cut back on using harmful pesticides – not just talk and good intentions. We need thousands of voices calling for a strong Bee Action Plan that will give nature a real boost.”

I have written on behalf of the Oldham Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council to the Minister supporting Friends of the Earth in their call for action, and readers can support the cause by signing their online petition at:

SIGN THE PETITION

The time for action is now before Britain’s bees face terminal decline. Let’s be a nation that saves the bee.

Copy of the Letter to Lord de Mauley and FOE Bees report attached

The Rt. Hon. Lord de Mauley,
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
for the Natural Environment and Science,
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs,
Nobel House,
17, Smith Square,
London
SW1P 3JR

Dear Minister,

Your Consultation on Addressing the Decline in Britain’s Bees

Bees play a crucial role in our farms, gardens and countryside, and they’re essential to our food supply too.

Yet bees are facing an unprecedented crisis in the UK. Intensive farming, increased pesticide use, and continual habitat loss (they’ve lost 97% of their wildflower meadows in the past 60 years) all threaten their survival.

Minister, in response to your call for consultation as to how the Government can best protect Britain’s bees, I am writing to you as Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council to urge you to give serious and active consideration to the proposal by leading environmental charity, Friends of the Earth, to adopt a Bee Action Plan.

Friends of the Earth have helpfully published such a plan which I attach to this letter and I happily endorse it as a document that includes practical measures to support farmers to restore bee habitat to the countryside and cut back on using harmful pesticides.

In due course, I shall look forward to hearing more of the Coalition Government proposals to save the bee and, as a senior elected member in local government, am happy to advocate any part that local Councils can play in assisting their survival and propagation.

Minister, without action Britain’s bees face the prospect of terminal decline. I would urge both you and your ministerial aides to look to publish and implement a Bee Action Plan at the earliest opportunity as the time for action is now.

Yours sincerely

Howard Sykes

Enc

Crompton Way Zebra Crossing

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Your Lib Dem Team for Shaw is pleased to report that at long last, after years of calls for action from your local councilors, Oldham Council has now promised to improve the Crompton Way Zebra crossing.

This follows the tragic death of Annalise Holt, 12, after a collision with a van on December 17. The investigation by Greater Manchester Police into this incident remains ongoing.

The lighting has already been upgraded with ‘halo’ LED lighting.

“We will continue working with Oldham Council, local residents and crossing campaigners like Danny Sheppard,” said Councillor Howard Sykes.

You can view the four different redesign proposals for the crossing on display boards at Crompton Library on Farrow Street East, and Asda on Greenfield Lane.

They can also be viewed online at www.oldham.gov.uk/shawcrossing

Comments and concerns can be provided on feedback forms at the sites where the boards are displayed.

Residents can also submit their views via email to: shaw.crossing@oldham.gov.uk

“I would urge everybody to have a look at these proposals and make sure you have your say,” stated Councillor Howard Sykes. “All comments need submitting by the end of April.”

It is expected that the final design will be presented to the Shaw and Crompton District Executive on June 24 for final approval.

EU Legal Action over UK air pollution “no surprise” says Councillor Sykes

“News that the EU Commission intends to take legal action against the UK over poor air quality does not surprise me”, said Cllr Howard Sykes, Leader of the Opposition and the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council.

At February’s Council Meeting, Cllr Sykes asked the Leader of the Council, Councillor Jim McMahon, to endorse a proposal that they send a joint letter to the Environment. Secretary Owen Paterson MP, calling on the Government to abandon any plans to remove the legal obligation of local authorities to monitor air quality.

The Committee on Medical Effects of Air Pollutants estimates that up to 29.000 deaths in the UK per year are attributable to poor air quality and that the World Health Organisation has recently classified outdoor air pollution as carcinogenic to humans.

The EU says that levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) are “excessive” in many British cities. This gas, which in the main is produced by diesel cars and trucks, can inflame the lining of the lungs and lead to major respiratory illnesses and premature deaths. It is of particular concern to people living in big cities near roadways and those suffering with asthma.

Cllr Sykes added: “Certainly in Shaw, Liberal Democrat ward members, being conscious of the ongoing impact of diesel fumes from the many HGVs that pass through our town en-route to and from local distribution centres, have campaigned long and hard for the installation of a station to monitor air quality. This campaign was recently rewarded when such a station was installed on Crompton Way.

Regrettably the UK has failed to comply with the European Union’s air pollution directive, which came into force in 2008. Britain was supposed to meet EU limits by 2010, but the government admits that Greater Manchester won’t achieve this standard until 2020.

The UK has been at risk of legal action from Europe ever since a Supreme Court ruling last year that the government was in breach of its obligations to reduce air pollution.
The legal process could ultimately end in the European Court of Justice where the UK would face huge fines if found in breach of the directive.

So the Government now needs to take drastic action to cut levels – especially as half of new cars that are sold are diesel-engined”.

One other option is to cut speed limits. At February’s Council, the Liberal Democrats proposed a motion to reduce the default speed limit on minor residential roads to 20 mph. This has been referred by Council for consideration by the Overview and Scrutiny Board.

The proposer of the motion, Deputy Leader of the Opposition Cllr John McCann added: “As well as reducing deaths and injuries, there is evidence from Germany that a reduction in speed limits can reduce NO2 by 10-15% on heavily polluted roads, so this is all the more reason for doing this”.

Notes:

Lib Dem Motion to Council 5th February 2014

This Council notes that:

• speed limits on Britain’s residential roads are 60% higher than in Europe

• more than half of all road accident casualties occur on roads with 30mph limits

• reducing speed limits on residential roads has been found to reduce both the incidence of accidents and the numbers of fatalities and serious injuries that result

• new Department for Transport guidelines make it easier for local authorities to adopt a 20 mph default speed limit on residential roads

This Council therefore resolves to:

• Join the 20 other local authorities with over 11 million residents – including five Greater Manchester authorities – in seeking to implement a borough – wide 20 mph speed limit on residential roads (other than major roads) combined with a public information campaign

• Ask the Overview and Scrutiny Board to produce a report on the feasibility and timescale of introducing such a scheme, in consultation with the 20’s Plenty Campaign, for consideration by full Council at the earliest possible opportunity

Question from the Leader of the Opposition to the Council Leader, Council 5th February 2014

Monitoring Air Quality:

As one of the foremost cotton towns, with a continued legacy amongst our citizens of poor respiratory and cardio-vascular health, we must all recognise the importance of clean air to the well-being of the residents and wildlife of this borough.

Certainly in Shaw and Crompton, ward members, being conscious of the ongoing impact of diesel fumes from the many HGVs that pass through our ward, en-route to and from local distribution centres, have campaigned long and hard for the installation of a station to monitor air quality. This campaign was recently rewarded when such a station was installed on Crompton Way.

Councillors may be unaware that the Committee on Medical Effects of Air Pollutants estimates that up to 29.000 deaths in the UK per year are attributable to poor air quality and that the World Health Organisation has recently classified outdoor air pollution as carcinogenic to humans.

I was therefore recently concerned to hear of a suggestion by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs that the legal obligation be removed from local authorities to monitor air quality.

I am sure that the Leader will want to join me in seeking to maintain our Council’s commitment to carrying out these checks, and to continue to participate in the work of the Greater Manchester Air Quality Network, so can I invite him to join me (and the other group leader on Oldham Council) in sending a joint letter to the Minister expressing our concern over this issue?