Dog fouling

Dog_Fouling_sign

Dear Sir or Madam
RE:DOG CONTROL ORDER: CLEAN NEIGHBOURHOODS AND ENVIRONMENT ACT 2005
We receive numerous complaints annually concerning dog owners who allow their dogs to foul in public places; in order for the Neighbourhood Enforcement team to fully investigate a complaint please provide me with the following information

* The times when the owner takes their dog out
* The location where the fouling has occurred
* A description of the dog
* A description of the owner
* If the dog owner is using a car, the registration number

Dog owners who do not clean up after their dogs face an immediate £80 fixed penalty fine or face prosecution by the Local Authority which can result in a fine of up to £1000.

Should you have any queries or require any further advice, please contact the Enforcement Officer on the above telephone number or email below.

Tel: 0161 770 2244
Email: environmentalhealth@oldham.gov.uk

Shaw parking boost for Metrolink

shaw tram

Cllr Howard Sykes pleased by Metrolink Car Parking Boost

Liberal Democrat Shaw Councillor Howard Sykes has welcomed the announcement that more car parking spaces will be created at the Shaw and Crompton Metrolink station to serve local commuters.

Cllr Sykes, a Shaw Councillor since 1987, now represents Oldham Council on the Transport for General Manchester (TfGM) committee. He was pleased to hear that Oldham Council has negotiated the purchase of a new site for car-parking off Beal Lane and that plans are in-hand by TfGM to create a further 45 car-parking spaces.

Commenting on the plans, Cllr Sykes said:

“For many years now, in fact from well before the closure of the Oldham – Rochdale railway line in 2009, Shaw and Crompton Liberal Democrat Councillors have been campaigning for more parking at the Shaw and Crompton Station.

“Shaw and Crompton was always the busiest station on the old railway line and this has not changed with the opening of Metro-link.

“Existing car-parking is always full well before 8 am. If we are serious about making Metrolink an attractive and green option for commuters, we need to provide sufficient parking spaces for them to ‘park and ride’.

“The latest plans provide for 45 more spaces, doubling existing provision. Until now, commuters have had to drive the extra distance to Derker Station, an option that is unreasonable and not environmentally friendly.

“The proposal for the new ‘Park and Ride’ spaces will be reported at a meeting of Transport for General Manchester this coming Friday.

“Now that the purchase of the land is in place, I would urge the officers responsible at Oldham Council and at TfGM to make every effort to carry out the necessary works to bring these new spaces into operation as a priority, so we can all feel the benefits as soon as possible.

Rochdale Road/Fraser Street/Chamber Road Junction

traffic-lights-signAs you are probably aware the off licence at the junction of Fraser Street and Rochdale Road was hit by a vehicle over the weekend and the building will need demolishing. Emergency traffic management was introduced when the incident occurred (i.e. heras fencing and barriers) but this is not suitable for any length of time as Rochdale Road traffic is having to travel on the wrong side of the road and pedestrians are left vulnerable due to the footway being closed..

Arrangements have therefore been made for four way lights to be introduced which will allow pedestrian provision to be created and traffic to confidently travel on the wrong side of the road.

At present it is not possible to advise how long the lights will be in operation.

Rochdale Road/Fraser Street

WP_000242
At around 2pm this morning a car went through the front of a shop at the junction of Rochdale Road and Fraser Street in Shaw causing extensive damage (see photograph).

It is believed that the driver was under the influence of alcohol.

This is the same shop which was hit by a car a few months ago.

Building Control officers went out and assessed the site.

The car has been removed from the building, and contractors were called who have undertaken work to make the site as safe as possible and secured it.

Highways have closed the road. Insurance assessors will be coming out to assess the building on Monday.

Crompton Pool 1st July

001456_Swimming-Pool

After being fobbed off for weeks since it’s closure in early May the council finally get round to issuing a press release saying it will not re- open.

The people of Shaw deserve better than to be treated like this.

Just £50k could have kept the Pool open for the hundreds of users, the swimming club and schools plus others.

Most people would regard that as good value and if this was elsewhere in Oldham Borough the cash would have been spent and the facility kept open.

However this is Shaw and Crompton and our Labour Council (and that is who have made this decision in secret) appear to not give two hoots about Shaw and Crompton and have just proved that again.

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