Roadworks Bulletin – W/C 9 October 2017
Details: Roadworks Bulletin 9 October
Liberal Democrat concern at Government inaction over Buses Bill
Despite cross-party support for the Bus Services Act that recently passed through Parliament, the Leader of the Opposition and Liberal Democrat Group Leader on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has real concerns that the Government will ‘miss the bus’ when it comes to putting into place the necessary regulations to make this new piece of legislation actually work.
Councillor Sykes represents Oldham Council on the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee.
The Department for Transport ran a public consultation on the key regulations and guidance associated with the Bus Services Act from 8 February 2017 to 21 March 2017. The legislation has now gone through Parliament, and Councillor Sykes cannot understand the delay in bringing in the necessary regulatory framework.
“The Buses Bill held out the promise of better, more responsive bus services that will attract more passengers and a greater investment in vehicles and so reduce traffic congestion and pollution,” stated Councillor Sykes.
“The worry is that if the Government fails to act now that the legislation will be neutered at a moment in time. It has been made clear that Parliament later this year and especially in 2018, will become increasingly focused on Brexit. There will be ‘no time’ to deal with important domestic matters such as the regulations for the Bus Services Act. We need better bus services now, so what is the problem and why are we being kept waiting.”
Cop Road closed from Bullcote Lane to Dingle Avenue Monday 2 Oct 17
Liberal Democrat Leader convinced Rochdale/Shaw & Crompton – Piccadilly Metrolink Service Feasible
The Leader of the Opposition and Liberal Democrat Group Leader on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has restated his belief that there is an urgent need for a direct Rochdale – Manchester Piccadilly Metrolink service to be introduced as soon as possible and certainly from the start of next year.
Councillor Sykes represents Oldham Council on the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee. He is confident that there is no reason why services from Rochdale or services from Shaw & Crompton cannot be split between a direct route to Piccadilly Station, via the city centre, and a service to East Didsbury, via Exchange Square and St Peters Square.
Councillor Sykes said: “Shaw and Crompton is one of the busiest tram stops on the Metrolink system and our passengers want to be able to travel directly to the biggest mainline railway station in Greater Manchester at Piccadilly, rather than being inconvenienced by having to get off at Victoria. This would also deliver on the promise from 20 plus years ago that Oldham would get a direct connection to the main Intercity Station in Greater Manchester.”
“I have done my calculations and I am confident that such a service can be introduced with minimum disruption and maximum benefit for passengers, he added. “We were promised this service many years ago and the Liberal Democrats have been campaigning for it ever since.”
“Hopefully this could all be in place for early 2018,” claimed Councillor Sykes. I hope when Greater Manchester Leaders and the Mayor consider this matter, which I understand is quite soon, they will make the right decision and deliver what was promised years ago – a direct link to Piccadilly.”
Oldham Roadworks Bulletin – w/c 2 October 2017
Oldham Council Roadworks Bulletin w/c 18 September 2017
My two allowed questions at tonight’s (13 Sept) Oldham Council meeting – Payment of Invoices and Free Bulky Waste collections
Oldham Council 12 September 2017 – Leader’s Questions
Question 1 – Invoices
Mr Mayor, my first question relates to how this Council supports small businesses in this Borough.
I am sure the Leader is aware that in April of this year the Leader of her party announced that a Labour Government would ‘declare war on late payment’ to small businesses.
Speaking at an event organised by the Federation of Small Businesses, the Labour leader called it ‘a national scandal’ that big companies were withholding more than £26 billion from suppliers, forcing 50,000 of them out of business every year.
Local Labour MP Debbie Abrahams commented favourably on this. She has been championing a similar local campaign ‘Be Fair – Pay on Time’.
She reported at the time that over 400 businesses in Oldham East and Saddleworth have said they are struggling to pay staff because of late payments and 66 went bust.
All very commendable – I am sure we all want to see a thriving small business sector in our country and especially in our Borough – and cash flow difficulties caused by late payment kills businesses.
So why is it that Debbie doesn’t seem to have publically taken Oldham Council to task?
For the average length of time this Labour Council takes to pay an invoice was 24 days in 2015 / 2016, when it was only 15 when the Liberal Democrats ran the Council, I was Leader.
Mr Corbyn also said that a Labour government would require any company bidding for a public sector contract to pay its own suppliers within 30 days and would look at introducing fines for persistent late payers.
This Council will have to be careful that the promised legislation doesn’t extend to penalising Councils who follow the same practice – for it is likely that Oldham would have to pay a hefty fine.
For in 2015/16, the number of invoices this Council paid after 30 days was 15,247, when it was only 8,051 under the Liberal Democrats. And the current system does not even allow us to identify which invoices are delayed because of disputes and which because of inefficiency.
This Administration makes a great play of its deal with Oxygen Finance whereby suppliers can be paid in five days instead of 30 in return for paying an ‘Early Repayment Fee’, but why should businesses pay us money to receive the money that they are owed by us more quickly?
In my day, the Liberal Democrat Administration simply placed more emphasis on paying our suppliers, especially our local suppliers promptly.
So can I ask the Leader tonight what she will now do to ensure that this Council will ‘Be Fair to our small businesses and Pay on Time’?
Question 2 – Free Bulky Bobs Collection
Mr Mayor, for my second question I would like to turn to the issue of bulky waste collections.
I was glad to see that the Council is looking to re-tender for the bulky waste collection service.
I would like to reveal what appears to be a closely kept secret – that under the current contract delivered by Bulky Bobs some residents are still able to access a free bulky waste collection services.
I say closely kept secret – because even I did not know it until recently and I am sure that many members in this Chamber will not know of it either.
For a little known fact is that when charging was first introduced by the new Labour Administration in 2012 there was, in part due to the pressure and concerns the Liberal Democrats had, an acknowledgement that certain low income groups must still be able to access a limited free bulky waste collection service.
This was to ensure that they were not “disproportionately disadvantaged” by the charge for this service, as defined by the 2010 Equalities Act.
So any customers who are – I quote – “Any customers physically disabled, infirm due to old age, or pregnant are entitled to one free collection a year.”
Interestingly this proviso is not mentioned on the Council’s website or in any public papers for the recent Cabinet meeting at which it was agreed to re-tender the contract.
Nor can the information be found on the website of Bulky Bob or on Bulky Bob’s Facebook page.
So if you were one of these eligible “disadvantaged” customers, or a carer for them, you would not know the concession existed nor how to access it.
So, Mr Mayor, my second question to the Leader tonight is.
Can she confirm that this concession exists under the current contract and that it will be maintained under the new contract?
And can she also say how this concession will be publicised to eligible customers in future?
Roadworks Bulletin W/C 11 Sept 17
Details: Roadworks Bulletin 11 September
Roadworks Bulletin – W/C – 4 September 17
Details: Roadworks Bulletin 4 September