My two allowed questions at tonight’s Council meeting 28 March – Tackling Child Poverty in Oldham and Primary Health Care

Oldham Council 28 March 2018 – Leader’s Questions – Councillor Howard Sykes

Q1 Tackling Child Poverty in Oldham

Mr Mayor, for my first question tonight I want to refer to the report published last month by the campaigning coalition End Child Poverty into child poverty across the UK.

Overall the report found that Oldham was the local authority area with the 7th worst estimated prevalence of poverty in the UK.  Most shockingly Coldhurst was identified as the electoral ward with the highest estimated level of child poverty in the country, with over six in ten children living in poverty.

Regrettably Werneth, St Mary’s and Alexandra also featured highly with over fifty percent of all children in poverty.

But child poverty is not simply confined to these areas – there are children living in poverty everywhere in our Borough.

Sadly, you also find pockets of economic deprivation in Shaw, Saddleworth, Chadderton and Royton – all are a criminal indictment of the indifference of policymakers and financiers in the affluent nation that is 21st century Britain.

Of course, much of the blame for the increase in poverty must be laid at the feet of a Conservative Government which continues to insist on austerity and has punished the poor with a benefit freeze.

Yet there were previously investments amounting to tens of millions directed at our most deprived neighbourhoods, Coldhurst, Glodwick, Derker, Fitton Hill, Hathershaw, Limeside, Werneth, and Westwood during previous  Government’s including Labour.  I will mention just four!

  • The Single Regeneration Budget
  • Neighbourhood Renewal Fund
  • The New Deal for Communities
  • Housing Market Renewal

Despite their high sounding titles, very little seems to have changed on the ground.

Mr Mayor, this Administration talks a lot about the ‘game changer’ that the redevelopment of our town centre will represent, but for the children of these neighbourhoods who are hungry or ill-shod a real ‘game changer’ would be having enough food to eat and decent shoes and clothes to wear right now.

My first question to the Leader tonight is this – does this Administration along with its partners have a practical strategy, a ‘game changer’, with real achievable, measurable targets to address the poverty, and therefore the life chances of these disadvantaged children?

This is one league table we need to get off the top of and better still Oldham needs relegated to a lower division.  At least 4 wards in the top flight for poverty is not where we need to be!

If there is not such a strategy, does she not think it is about time that we put one in place as a top priority and as a cross-party priority – for I can tell her now the Liberal Democrats stand ready to help or is another generation to be condemned to poverty?

Q2 Primary Health Care

Mr Mayor, I would now like to return to another very important issue for many residents in our Borough – access to modern primary care facilities in their locality.

The NHS Clinical Commissioning Group has recently consulted on proposals to create five local ‘clusters’, each to serve approximately 50,000 patients at which local GP practices will be concentrated, along with a range of high-quality primary care services that will be tailored to the especial needs of the host community.

I am confident that patients and carers in Chadderton, Saddleworth and Shaw and Crompton will be excited to hear this news as they are currently obliged to attend health centres that are well past their best to say the least.

In fact their facilities are so poor that I would suggest that if a patient presented in such a condition they would be immediately referred for emergency treatment by triage.  They are quite literally falling to bits.

Mr Mayor, if we do indeed have a National Health Service that provides everyone with access to equal treatment at their point of need, why do we not have a Local Health Service that does the same?

Certainly the hard working tax payers in Chadderton, Saddleworth and Shaw and Crompton are being seriously short-changed with their current provision.

We have been promised new health centres in these areas for years; it would nice to see this finally happen – and soon.

The recent appointment of our own Chief Executive Dr Carolyn Wilkins, to a key position and leading role in our local NHS gives me some hope that things may now finally move in the right direction.

With this in mind my second question to the Leader tonight is when can we expect to see new health centres in all areas of our Borough that are fit for the 21st Century?

A Few Words re Former Mayor Joe Farquhar – Oldham Council 28 March

Mr Mayor, I rise to say a few words of tribute to former Mayor and Conservative Councillor Joe Farquhar who recently passed away.

Joe was larger than life.  He was always a man with a presence – you always knew when he was in the Chamber – and when he made a speech you could not help but listen.

Joe served the people of Royton South for two terms from 1984 to 1988 and from 1992 to 1996, sitting as a member on six committees during this time.  He was also elected for a four year term to the former Greater Manchester County Council, playing a vital role in advocating the Oldham case at the city region level.

In his final year in office, Joe became Mayor of this Borough, and his service became a family affair with his mother – Sarah – serving alongside him as Mayoress.

Joe was an active member of the United Reformed Church, and along with his mother Sarah he was a regular at the Union Street Church, and before that at Heyside.  His faith was important part of his life and that of his mum.

Joe also played a prominent role in other areas of civic life within the Borough – he was a Magistrate and a JP, and, for over 20 years, he was President of the Oldham Branch of the Royal British Legion, being an ex-Lancashire Fusilier himself.

Although I may have had differences of outlook and opinion with him, this did not mean that I did not respect him and I felt that he was always a ward councillor who took a great interest in the affairs of Royton, and was an effective and independent voice and advocate for his constituents in this Chamber.

He will be sadly missed and my personal and the Liberal Democrats condolences to his family.

Oldham Council 28 March 2018 – Civic Appreciation Award – Reverend Jean Hurlston

Mr Mayor, it is an honour to be able to second the nomination of the Reverend Jean Hurlston as this year’s recipient of the Civic Appreciation Award.

I am always very proud to be the elected representative of a Borough in which there are many citizens who selflessly carry out acts in their own time and without pay, which transform the lives of their fellow citizens in so many positive ways – and amongst these many unsung heroes and heroines, Jean is both a shining light and an inspiration to many.

I think many people will have heard of, or indeed seen first-hand, the excellent work that is done by Jean and her fellow volunteers at the organisation, Street Angels, that she founded in 2011 to help keep our town’s party-goers safe.

As the former Leader of this Council, I inherited a situation where Oldham’s night-time economy was described in the national press as the ‘Wild West’ and where regrettably violence and loutish behaviour, sometimes ending in tragedy, was commonplace.

This crisis was something that cabinet members and officers expended a great deal of energy to address, and it is to their great credit that Jean and her team of steadfast volunteers were always there until the early hours of the morning, whatever the weather, to lend visitors to our town centre a helping hand to ensure they were safe and reunited with friends – making a great contribution to public safety.

Whether it was handing out flip-flops to young women who had discarded their footwear, making a brew for people who had taken a little too much to drink, clearing broken glass from the street, offering medical treatment to the injured, or providing a word of reassurance, the Street Angels are just that – Angels.

I have read recently, Jean; that you have also started taking deliveries of hot pies for distribution to the homeless.

I understand that when a recent Latics – Southend United home fixture was cancelled because of the weather, leaving catering staff with a mountain of pies, you rushed to the rescue and redistributed them to rough sleepers and to the One World Cafe.  Another example of two of the many great qualities you possess – practicality and compassion.

I believe that you now have plans that are well-advanced to establish a night shelter for rough sleepers, offering shower facilities and food to those most in need.

Homelessness is an issue that members from across parties have in this chamber raised in recent months so I am sure that all Councillors will join me in calling upon all Oldhamer’ s with compassion to support this venture to ensure its success so that no-one need sleep out in the cold.

Mr Mayor, this award is well deserved tonight and I am very pleased to second this nomination – I wish Jean and her team every success in continuing their wonderful work and I hope this award will help you to secure more support for the many worthy causes that you champion.

Cannes you believe it?  £10,000 would be better spent fixing our crumbling roads or providing care for our vulnerable children or elderly citizens rather than on French Seaside Spree, says Liberal Democrat Leader

The Leader of the Opposition and Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes, MBE, has questioned the value of Oldham Council spending more than £10,000 + VAT to send two Council officers to the French Riviera resort of Cannes at a time when Council services have been cut to the bone.

The two officers were representing Oldham Council at the three day Marché International des Professionnels d’Immobilier (MIPIM) property conference earlier this month.  Oldham Council was one of at least nine around the UK that the national press reported were sending representatives at public expense.

Commenting Councillor Sykes stated:  “The attendance by these Council officers at this conference at this time; at such expense sends; out all of the totally wrong signals when the Council is cutting services to the bone or just stopping them because of swingeing cuts in central government funding.”

He added:  “I am not suggesting that this simply amounted to three days of sunshine and champagne.  I am sure these officers were also meeting with potential investors in Oldham, but many residents in our Borough; who are struggling to pay their Council Tax bills; will rightly ask why this money could not have been spent on fixing potholes on our crumbling roads or providing care for our vulnerable children or elderly citizens rather than on jet travel and hotel bills for staff going to the French Riviera.”

Councillor Sykes is also still investigating whether this £10,000 bill represents the full cost to the Council, and he has an outstanding enquiry with officers in the Chief Executive’s team.

Vulnerable Adult Missing Persons Profile

This form is itended to assist care workers, partner agencies and the police if the person it refers to goes missing.

Please fill in these sections and keep it in a safe place. If possible please complete the electronic version of the form which is available to download from the GMP website.

Please keep the form in a safe place where it can easily be found. It will need to be located quickly at any time of the day, to begin the initial searches.

It would be helpful to make several copies that can be left with care workers, neighbours or relatives. Should the person relocate the form will need to go with them and be updated accordingly.

When completed the form will contain personal information and must be stored safely in accordance with data protection. However if the person goes missing sharing the information on the form with GMP in order to protect and safeguard the person will become necessary and justified.

For more information please visit the website.

www.gmp.police.uk/Herbert

Down load a form and complete it today: Herbert Form Word

Oldham Liberal Democrats call for Ban on New Hot Food Takeaways near Schools to help curb Childhood Obesity

Crompton Liberal Democrat Councillor Diane Williamson will be proposing a motion to the next full meeting of Oldham Council (Wednesday 28 March) calling for Oldham Council to prohibit new hot food takeaways within 400 metres of schools and is appealing to the Borough’s schools to apply a ‘stay-on-site’ policy at lunchtimes and ban takeaway deliveries to school gates.

In October 2017, the medical journal, The Lancet, reported that one in every ten young people, aged 5 to 19, in the UK was classed as obese. In Oldham, the situation is even worse. The Public Health England profile for the Borough, published July 2017, reported that one in five, 21.9%, of children at Year 6 were classed as obese.

Commenting, Councillor Williamson said: “Childhood obesity has risen to epic proportions and, if it is not addressed, it will mean future generations will be faced with massive health problems. Obesity into adulthood leads to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, strokes and certain cancers. The national picture is bad, but the Oldham one is worse; the Government needs to take urgent action, but as a Council we also need to take action as well.”

“Takeaway food is usually junk food; it may often be tasty but it is also unhealthy. It piles on the calories and is a major contributor to childhood obesity. The Oldham Liberal Democrats are therefore suggesting that the Council looks at imposing a ban on granting planning permission to any new takeaways within 400 metres of a school. At least twenty two other Councils have done the same.”

The motion is being seconded by fellow Liberal Democrat Crompton Councillor Julia Turner: “Deliveries on takeaway foods to schools are also an unacknowledged problem. In June 2016, the Royal Society for Public Health called for a ban on these deliveries after it found in a survey with young people that half had ordered fast food on their smartphone and a quarter had paid for these deliveries at the school gates.”

“The School Meals Service in Oldham is outstanding and produces delicious and nutritious meals every day that I hope every child would want to eat. The Oldham Liberal Democrats are calling upon every one of our Borough’s schools to help us combat child obesity by banning school gate deliveries and by enforcing a ‘stay-on-site’ policy on pupils at lunchtimes.”

Council 28 March 2018 – Notice of Opposition Business – Motion 3 – Restricting New Hot Food Takeaways near Schools

 This Council notes that:

  • Childhood obesity has risen to epic proportions. In October 2017, the medical journal, The Lancet, reported one in every ten young people, aged 5 to 19, in the UK are classed as obese;
  • In Oldham, sadly the situation is even worse. The Public Health England profile for the Borough, published July 2017, reported that 21.9% of children at Year 6 (660 in total) were classed as obese;
  • Obese children are more likely to become obese adults, putting them at risk of developing serious health conditions (such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain types of cancer);
  • Takeaway food, where it is unhealthy, so called junk food, is undoubtedly a contributing factor in the increase;
  • Although the Oldham School Meals Service is a Gold standard provider, regrettably some pupils chose to eat at or from takeaways;
  • In June 2016, The Royal Society for Public Health called for a ban on the delivery of takeaway meals to school gates. A survey conducted by the RSPH amongst young people  found half had ordered takeaways on their smart phones and a quarter had paid for fast food to be delivered to the school gates;
  • At least 22 local authorities have adopted Supplementary Planning Documents and Local Plans that include a prohibition on new fast food takeaways within 400 metres of local schools (a buffer zone);
  • In July 2012, Oldham Council adopted a Supplementary Planning Document which placed restrictions on the density of hot food takeaways, but which did not include any restriction on new takeaways within a specified buffer zone;

Council resolves to ask the Planning Committee to investigate the desirability and practicality of:

  • Introducing a prohibition on new takeaways within a 400 metre buffer zone as part of the Local Plan;

Council shall also contact all schools within the Borough to seek reassurances they:

  • Enforce a ‘stay on-site’ policy at lunchtimes;
  • Ban the delivery of takeaways to the school gates for collection by pupils;

And to ask them to do so; if they do not.