Oldham Borough Lib Dems act on Sanctions

The Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Cllr Howard Sykes MBE, has called for further action on sanctions.

The Liberal Democrats proposed an amendment to a Labour motion on sanctions at April’s Oldham Council meeting. This proposed a series of practical actions to reduce the number and impact of sanctions on Oldham residents receiving benefits.

Commenting Cllr Sykes said: “The Liberal Democrats are a practical party and wherever possible we seek to propose practical solutions to the problems facing the people of our Borough. In our amendment at the April Council we set out some ideas that would have mitigated the impact of sanctions in Oldham and established best practice for our area. However in the vote Labour chose not to support our commonsense proposals and the amendment was defeated.”

Despite this setback, Cllr Sykes has chosen to take independent action in writing to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Iain Duncan Smith MP, and to senior job centre managers.

Cllr Sykes explained: “I have asked the Secretary of State to establish an independent enquiry into the use of sanctions. Members of the Work and Pensions Select Committee have been calling for this for sometime and I am happy to endorse this.”

“The Committee also called for pilot projects to be established within the UK to trial the idea of using a Vulnerability Guide to support vulnerable claimants and to issue ‘yellow cards’, or non-financial penalties, rather than impose a sanction when a jobseeker first fails to meet the conditions for claiming benefit.”

“I have previously asked the Secretary of State to institute a ‘yellow card’ system, and I was pleased to see the Liberal Democrats adopt this as policy at their last party conference. Oldham has a particularly high level of sanctions so I have asked if the Borough can be the location for one of these pilots.”

“The Liberal Democrats are also particularly concerned about the impact of sanctions on disabled and vulnerable claimants, and I have also asked the Secretary of State to ensure that Oldham is the location for piloting the new guide. I know that there are many local partners who would be keen to work with officials from Job Centre Plus to establish an effective model to support disabled and vulnerable people in Oldham.”

“I cannot understand why the Labour Group did not support these proposals when we raised them at the April Council meeting. They represent the position of the Work and Pensions Select Committee, which includes local Labour MP Debbie Abrahams.”

Cllr Sykes has also written to senior managers at the local Job Centre.

He added: “The Oldham Liberal Democrats are keen to work with local officials at the Job Centre to establish best practice in the application of sanctions in Oldham. We want to see the use of sanctions markedly decline. They should be a last, rather than a first, resort. Instead we need to work together to ensure that claimants know, and do, what they need to do as jobseekers to meet ‘conditionality’ and so continue to receive benefits.”

Cllr Sykes is particularly keen to see the introduction of specialist training for paid advisors and volunteers who are working with jobseekers at risk of being sanctioned.

He said: “I believe that Job Centre Plus has developed a local bespoke course that would meet this requirement and I am keen to work with Job Centre staff to help provide the necessary Council facilities and promotion to ensure that this provision is well supported. Knowledge is power, and if advisors and volunteers working with jobseekers understand more about what is expected from them to avoid the imposition of a sanction then they will be better placed to support their clients.”

“I will also support improvements in communication between Job Centre Advisors / Coaches and their clients. Claimants complain that they do not know what is expected of them in seeking work, that they are sometimes unaware that a sanction has been applied, and do not know how to appeal.”

“I feel that it is beholden on Job Centre staff as public servants to make every effort to contact claimants before a sanction is applied so the claimant has the opportunity to change their job-seeking behaviour and that they should also be informed of their right to appeal and to make a claim for a hardship payment”.

Attached:

Benefit Sanctions Letter to Secretary of State 11 06 15

Letter to JCP Manager 11 06 15

Missed kitchen/garden waste bins Smallbrook Road area Shaw

Please be advised I have been informed they will all be collected tomorrow.

Visibility George St and Buckstones Road

There is a proposal to extend the yellow lines on Buckstones Road to improve visibility for vehicles turning onto Buckstones Road from George Street. If you frequently encounter poor visibility of oncoming traffic down Buckstones Road due to parked cars at the junction of George Street, you can support (or object to) the proposal by emailing Cllr Howard Sykes at howard.sykes@oldham.gov.uk who is trying to get the lines extended to improve safety. Please make sure you give your name and address in your email, thanks.

Council continues to give out parking tickets like confetti rather than correctly mark bays on Shaw Market Car Park as it promised more than 6 months ago

Council continues to give out parking tickets like confetti rather than correctly mark bays on Shaw Market Car Park as it promised more than 6 months ago.

Please see my recent corresspondence on this matter.

From: Howard Sykes

Sent: 02 June 2015 15:44

To: Christine Emanuel; Angela Lees; Elaine McLean; Liz Wade

Cc: Jen Downing (Members); Parking Shop; Howard Sykes; Elizabeth Fryman

Subject: Shaw Market Car Parking REF 2629

Dear Ms Wade and Mrs McLean,

It is some six months since I met with your officers about this matter.

See email below – the three items highlighted in bold have still to be actioned some six months later and we continue to give tickets for those parked in the space on the Market like confetti.

Also in the absence of these works, and again at odds with what we discussed and agreed, we are still issuing tickets for the ‘fourth un-marked space’ see photos attached which I witnessed myself last week and also have evidence of others from social media.

When will these matters be progressed as we agreed?

When will we stop issuing tickets to people who park responsibly on the Shaw Market Car park but due to the Council’s failure it is not in a bay so we ‘do them’.

I await your response with interest as do many residents in Shaw.

Best wishes

Councillor Howard Sykes MBE

—————————————————————————————

From: Elizabeth Fryman

Sent: 12 January 2015 13:43

To: Cllr H Sykes; Christine Emanuel; Angela Lees

Subject: shaw market car parking

Just a few action points from our meeting:

CE/AL will get the two areas that cause issues measured up with a view to marking out as spaces.
CE will write to HS setting out what the constituent can do if unhappy with outcome of their appeal.
CE will get handyman to go over the most faded markings including the hatched areas.
CE will liaise with Dean G regarding double yellows on stretch of Milne St not currently marked up.

Please let me know any mis- representations and additions!

Liz Fryman, District Coordinator, Royton and Shaw & Crompton District Partnerships Neighbourhoods, Royton Town Hall, Rochdale Rd, Oldham OL2 6QG. T: 0161 770 5161.

Commemorate 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli Campaign

On 4 June 1915, around 90 people from Oldham fought, died or were injured during the Third Battle of Krithia.

Join us in commemorating this event with a parade from the Civic Centre followed by a Service of Remembrance at Oldham Parish Church on 7 June.

Parade leaves from outside the Civic Centre at 1.30pm.

Service of Remembrance at 2pm, Oldham Parish Church.

Don’t’ suffer in silence – report all hate crime

Reporting a Hate Crime

Don’t’ suffer in silence – report all hate crime

What is Hate Crime?

A Hate Crime is any behaviour that someone thinks was caused by hostility, prejudice or hatred of:

Disability (including physical impairments, Mental Health problems, learning disabilities, hearing and visual impairment)
Gender identity (people who are transgender, transsexual or transvestite)
Race, skin colour, nationality, ethnicity or heritage
Religion, faith or belief (including people without a religious belief)
Sexual Orientation (people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or heterosexual)
Alternative Subculture/ Lifestyle (the way a person looks or dresses) – Groups that are described as subcultures often include punk rockers, ravers, metalheads, goths, emo and indie

There are lots of different types of Hate Crimes. These could include:

Physical attacks – such as physical assault, damage to property, offensive graffiti, neighbour disputes and arson;
Threat of attack – including offensive letters, abusive or obscene telephone calls or text messages, groups hanging around to intimidate and unfounded, malicious complaints;
Verbal abuse or insults – offensive leaflets and posters, abusive gestures, offensive comments and/or name calling, dumping of rubbish outside homes or through letterboxes and bullying at school or in the workplace.

How do I report a Hate Crime?

Even if you are unsure you have been a victim of a Hate Crime it is important to speak to someone. You can report a Hate Crime to any of these agencies:

Emergency – In an emergency you should phone 999
Non – Emergency – You can phone Greater Manchester Police on 101 or you can go to any police station.

If you don’t want to call the Police or if you want extra support, you can call the Stop Hate Helpline. The helpline is confidential and independent.

Stop Hate Helpline – you can phone 0800 138 1625 for the FREE confidential 24-hour hate crime reporting service.

Anyone can be a victim of Hate Crime or Incident

A victim is any person who lives, works or visits Oldham and is subjected to a hate motivated incident or crime. A victim is also someone who witnesses another person being subjected to a hate motivated incident or crime.

A perpetrator or offender is any person who commits acts of hatred against other people because of their race, colour, ethnic origin, nationality, faith or religion, age, gender, sexuality or disability.

Why should you report Hate Crimes?

If you tell us what is happening, different agencies (such as the Police, Local Authority, charities and housing providers) can take action against the perpetrator and support victims and witnesses.

When you report Hate Crimes, you are making a bigger difference than you may think.

It helps you get support. It helps us make your local area safer.

Most Hate Crimes are not reported. Your reports help us to understand how Hate Crime affects your community and then tackle the problem.

Moor Street, Shaw closed 15 June for 5 days

Moor Street in Shaw will be closed for 5 days commencing Monday 15 June to carry out a sewer connection in relation to the on-going housing development on Moor Street . Details are shown on the attached form and plan – see link: moor street shaw – temp closure 15 june

Oldham Labour Running Scared of Debate, say Lib Dems

The Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has attacked the Labour Administration for its proposals to radically alter the Council’s constitution to stifle debate in the Council Chamber.

In the proposals to Wednesday’s Annual Council meeting, Labour want to reduce the number of Council meetings in the year at which questions and motions can be tabled by one and to then further reduce the number of questions that members of the opposition parties can ask.

Commenting Cllr Sykes said: “These proposals are not good for local democracy in Oldham.”

“In seeking to reduce the number of opportunities where members of the opposition can question the actions of Labour Cabinet members, the public will be left with the impression that Labour is scared of debate and they will ask why?”

“Perhaps Labour Cabinet members doubt their ability to respond effectively to questions from the floor of the Chamber, or perhaps they have something to hide, but there is no question that given their numbers (45 out of 60) it is always their will as the current majority party that shall prevail.”

“Surely in a vibrant and healthy democracy, we should be encouraging members of the opposition to have their say in the Chamber and they should have the right to expect proper, considered answers to their questions from the Leader and Cabinet members.”

Under the proposals, Cllr Sykes as Main Opposition Leader will see the number of questions that he can ask the Council Leader fall from three to two at each Council, a 33% reduction. Also both the Conservative and UKiP group lose their right to ask a question and theory have to ‘share the right’ to ask one question between them.

“With such a large majority and control of the Council agenda why reduce the amount the current pitiful time allowed to the opposition even further,” stated Cllr Sykes. “This is the sort of action you would expect in one party states like North Korea not in English local government.”

Cllr Sykes added: “This time slot is time well spent. In the past, there has been significant accord on many issues between myself and the Council Leader Cllr McMahon and in recent Councils, I have raised a number of innovative proposals that the Administration is now investigating, such as establishing a Community Shop to help low-income households source high quality food at low prices, alongside help to find employment, to exploring the geothermic power beneath our feet as a renewable energy source.”

“The problem I encounter in the run up to each Council is not finding three good-quality questions to ask the Leader, but making a choice of which three of the many sensible and considered questions I have to hand to take into the Chamber.”

Labour’s other proposal to take other questions on a “politically balanced basis” also do not sit well with Cllr Sykes.

He said: “Labour backbenchers have exclusive access to their own Cabinet members in internal group meetings or in their Cabinet Office. Councillors from other parties have neither. The Council Chamber often still remains the best and only place for opposition members to raise issues that are of concern to their constituents, particularly where previous attempts to engage officers or Cabinet members have met with little or no response.”

“These proposals mean in effect that almost all of the time slot will be monopolised by Labour members with at most one, or perhaps two, questions available to members of the opposition. For the smaller groups on the Council, Conservative (2), UKiP (2) and Independent (1) this means they will be lucky if they ever get to ask a question. Previously ward questions were taken on an alternating basis and this was a sensible arrangement.”

Cllr Sykes stressed that his viewpoint was not just driven by expediency:

“As a Liberal Democrat, I strongly believe that it is important for all democratically elected representatives to have the opportunity to raise issues in the Council Chamber. I feel particularly sorry that the Conservatives and UKIP as minor opposition parties are being even more short-changed by these proposals”.

Cllr Sykes has tabled amendments to the proposals to retain the existing arrangements.