Not quite as positive as we might have lead to believe in his election campaign.
Rest assured I and my Liberal Democrat colleagues will continue to campaign and do all we can to stop vast tracts of your green spaces being built on.
Former Cricketers PH to provide much needed homes
This has be the site of anti-social behaviour and a blot on the landscape since it closed.
I have written to the previous owners and also the current ones urging them to develop the site for much needed local housing.
I am now very pleased to report it is being demolished which should take about three weeks.
Clements Court Properties are the owners and have moved very quickly with the site and met me at it only the other day.
They are keen to work with local councillors and the community and it is a refreshing change compared to the usual, which is the first you get to know is when they submit a planning application.
They are building 8 much needed 3 bedroom houses and two apartments on the site which are 2 bedroom.
Dunwood Park Tennis Courts and MUGA latest 3 August
Lining has now been completed, request to put the nets back made.
As previously posted the Green painting of the tennis courts are programmed after the schools have gone back in September.
Essential Car User Payments to low-mileage Council staff ‘Financial Madness’ says Liberal Democrat Leader
Oldham claims to be a cash-strapped Council, but still pays £62,000 a year to staff using their car to travel less than two miles per week on Council business.
The Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, is dismayed by this waste of public money at a time when public services are being squeezed.
Figures uncovered by the Oldham Council Liberal Democrat Group reveal that in the 2016 – 17 financial year 124 staff designated ‘Essential’ car users made a claim for business travel of 100 miles or less.
Such ‘Essential’ users automatically qualify for a £500 lump-sum simply for having a vehicle for business and can also claim a 45 pence per mile allowance and receive a 100% subsidy for parking charges when parking in the town centre.
Commenting Councillor Sykes said: “An ‘essential car user’ working at Civic Centre and travelling just one hundred miles a year on business would receive £545 and free parking; this adds up to quite a tidy sum towards the cost of running a car for not a lot of inconvenience.”
“Surely this is financial madness as these officers are travelling so few miles on business that it would probably be cheaper to send them in taxis.”
Councillor Sykes has written to the Chief Executive Dr Carolyn Wilkins OBE, Borough Treasurer Anne Ryans, and Deputy Council Leader Cllr Abdul Jabbar MBE to request this Council reviews the whole scheme. He has suggested that a simple mileage allowance be paid for those travelling under a certain number of business miles and that the £500 lump sum be phased in beyond this point.
At Councillor Sykes also suggests: “At a time when the Council must look at save every penny, we should also take another look at a car pooling scheme for those staff with such low-mileage on business travel.”
Copy of email send below:
From: Howard Sykes
Sent: 02 August 2017 07:08
To: Cllr A Jabbar
Cc: Anne Ryans; Carolyn Wilkins; (A) Kay Gibson (kay.gibson@oldham.gov.uk)
Subject: Oldham Council essential car users
Dear Councillor Jabbar,
I am writing to you with a money saving proposal, which, in these times of financial challenge for local authorities, I am hoping the Council will chose to consider.
Oldham Council pays a lump sum of £500 per annum to essential car users regardless of the mileage travelled on Council business.
In 2016 – 17, one hundred and twenty four staff, who were deemed to be essential car users, made a claim for business travel of 100 miles or less.
We are paying them £62,000 a year for using their car to travel less than two miles per week on Council business.
Such staff can also claim 45 pence per mile allowance and receive a 100% subsidy for parking charges when parking in the town centre.
At a time when public services are being squeezed, this is an area we must look at. An ‘essential car user’ working at Civic Centre and travelling just one hundred miles a year on business would receive £950 and free parking; this adds up to quite a tidy sum towards the cost of running a car for not a lot of inconvenience. It would clearly be cheaper to send them in taxis.
I accept with a few this would not be an acceptable or appropriate alternative.
I request we take a look at this whole scheme again. There should be in my view a simple mileage allowance for those travelling under a certain number of business miles and the £500 lump sum should be phased in beyond this point. And at a time when we are looking to save every penny, I would suggest we should take another look at a car pooling scheme for those staff that need to do such low-mileage on business travel.
I shall look forward to receiving your reply.
Best wishes.
Councillor Howard Sykes MBE
Mobike, please come to Oldham, says Liberal Democrat Leader
The Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has welcomed recent news that the innovative Mobike bicycle sharing scheme has been introduced to Manchester and Salford, and has written to the company’s owners asking them to bring the scheme to Oldham too.
Councillor Sykes said: “Mobike is a bike-share scheme but it is different from the so-called Boris Bike scheme in London. With a Mobike users create an online account and download a simple smartphone app to find and access a bike near to their location. They then ride the bike, and park and lock the bike at the end of their journey. However, unlike Boris Bikes there is no need to find a bicycle dock in which to place the bike; it can be parked and left in any public place that is safe and convenient.”
Users of the service pay a one-off registration fee, and then a small fee every time they use a bike based on the duration of their journey. They are incentivised to act responsibly and within the rules, and penalised if they do not.
Councillor Sykes believes that Mobikes are one part of a whole transport solution to make our towns and cities greener and to reduce the number of short car journeys taken for work or personal business reducing traffic congestion. “Mobikes provide people with the option of taking a bike to a business meeting or to go to the Library or attend a doctor’s appointment, rather than taking out the car or waiting for a bus. And they mean that you do not need to own a bike to do so, thus avoiding the need to purchase, maintain or store your own bike.”
Councillor Sykes has written to Mobike asking them to roll out the scheme to Oldham.
He added: “Oldham may have more hills than central Manchester, but I think there will still be a great deal of interest in this scheme from local people. I hope that Mobike will soon be up and running in our Borough as a low-cost and green solution for short journeys for some people who cannot afford bus or taxi fares or run their own car.”
Northern rail services like the Stone Age compared to London services
The Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has criticised Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling MP, for agreeing to find another £30 billion to back the Crossrail 2 scheme to improve commuter links from London to the Home Counties when only last week the Conservative Government shelved plans for rail projects in the north of England.
Councillor Sykes said: “The future electrification of the Trans-Pennine North rail line, which stops at Greenfield Station, is now in jeopardy. Under the Coalition Government, the then Chancellor announced plans in 2011 to electrify the route which runs between Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and York with a planned completion date of 2018.”
“Immediately after the 2015 General Election, then Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin announced that the plans were being suspended, but after campaigning by MPs, the media and local rail groups he announced that the project completion would be put back a year to 2019.”
“Then when the rail franchises came up for renewal, potential operators were told not to expect electrification during ‘the lifetime of the franchise’. This meant no electrification until at least 2023.”
“This is par for the course with this Government as the Great Western and Midland Main Line electrification schemes are also behind schedule and way over budget. It seems that when it comes to this Government anything rail that doesn’t start in London is being short-changed. What else can you expect when the Prime Minister represents Maidenhead and the Transport Secretary Epsom, both in the Home Counties?”
“I have nothing against Crossrail 2 but we need to have Trans-Pennine 1 funded and built first,” stated Councillor Sykes. “What we currently have in terms of rolling stock and journey times is a stone age railway. We should have a fair share of cash and investment then we can drag this route into the 21st Century.”
Latest (Fri 28 July) on getting Dunwood Park Tennis Courts and MUGA operational again
Just a quick update with regards the tennis courts at Dunwood park.
The line markers turned up to mark out the tennis courts in temporary white markings on Thursday 27/08/2017, unfortunately there were unable to place any marking down due to the weather. They are booked to come back on Sunday 30/08/2017 but again this will be weather dependent. All other works at the tennis courts have been completed apart from the Green painting of the courts which will be completed after the school holidays.
Duchess Street, Shaw – Pencil Brook Flood Alleviation works update:
Trent Road industrial park service road (off Duchess Street)
The progress of the drainage works on the access road off Duchess Street, we have uncovered cellars beneath the road construction. It is necessary that these cellars are filled to make the road safe for traffic. This will involve the removal of the existing carriageway construction above the cellars and filling/compaction with suitable material and the construction of a new carriageway at this location.
Whilst these works are undertaken it will be essential that the road is closed. An emergency traffic order will be implemented to facilitate this road closure.
During this closure period we will endeavour to provide access to properties on the lower part of the access road off Duchess Street but will not be able to provide vehicle access to the upper part of the street. As part of the traffic order no parking will be allowed on the access road off Duchess St.
Following completion of the filling works we will progress to resurface the access road and across Duchess Street under the same traffic order.
Due to the nature of these works, it is difficult to predict accurately how long these works will take but we anticipate the works as follows:
This work is programmed to commence on Wednesday 2nd August 2017 with a completion date of Friday 11th August.
Let’s Celebrate with Pride in Oldham
Let’s Celebrate with Pride in Oldham
The Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has called on people of all backgrounds to come together in the town centre on Saturday to celebrate with pride that we are a tolerant and inclusive Borough.
On Saturday, the LGBT community will be hosting the annual Oldham Pride event and all are welcome.
As Councillor Sykes explained: “The Liberal Democrats want to build a society that is open, tolerant and united. Liberal Democrat Councillors and party members are always proud to be part of the diverse and enthusiastic crowd at this annual celebration of freedom, love and acceptance – please look out for us in our new t-shirts.”
“The Oldham Pride event reminds us that we ought to celebrate love wherever we find it and defiantly oppose the forces of bigotry, hate and division.”
“This is an historic year and a historic date, as on 27 July 2017 we mark 50 years since the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in the UK. I am pleased to say that Oldham Council, at my request, have agreed that to mark this auspicious and historic event the LGBT rainbow flag shall be flown proudly at the Civic Centre from tomorrow until Saturday.”
“Let us celebrate the progress made in the last half century – Liberal Democrats have much to celebrate as in Parliament our MPs have been pivotal in securing more LGBT rights, such as the introduction of same-sex marriage, which was championed by Liberal Democrat MP Lynne Featherstone. Let us also look forward to a future Britain where everyone is free to fall in love with whosoever they choose without being threatened with prejudice or prosecution.”
Latest on getting Dunwood Park Tennis Courts and MUGA operational again
Dunwood park Tennis courts
As many people will be aware these works have not been completed in the timescale planned. I and other local councillors have been working behind the scenes to get this area usuable by our young people.
Undocumented services and drains under the area that had to be dealt with have led to the delay.
I am pleased to now report we have got a solution that gets them open for this weekend but will require a closure later in the year to correctly finish the works, details below.
The new Box culvert has now been installed and the old tennis courts surface removed and replaced with a new Binder /surface to specification for applications of multi – use Games areas (MUGAs)
The reinstatement to the boundary wall is continuing this week and will be completed by Friday 28/07/2017.
The painting and lining markings in accordance with ( LTA standard Courts) should not be completed until 6-8 weeks after the new surface has been laid, to allow the gases and fats from the bitumen to disperse and ensure good adhesion of the paint.
As an interim measure the courts will be marked out on Thursday 27th July 2017 (Weather permitting), these line will be sacrificial and re-painted after the school holidays and the 6-8 weeks have expired.