Oldham Liberal Democrats find more cash for Highways and Environmental Improvements, and to build a New Health Centre for Shaw and Crompton by cutting Civic Centre waste

The Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council will be presenting their alternate budget proposals to next week’s full Budget Council (27 February).

In their budget proposals for the coming financial year (2019/20), the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council have found more than £2 million more to invest in front-line services over the next three years largely by identifying more ways to save money at the Civic Centre.

This money would be used to pay for a further £5 million investment in the Borough’s highways over and above the £18 million proposed by Labour, including creating a £1 million fund dedicated to restoring pedestrian footways; create a new Environmental Task Force with a £500,000 investment to respond quickly and effectively to instances of fly-tipping, dog-fouling and littering; and pay to build a new health centre for patients in Shaw and Crompton.

The Liberal Democrats also want to reverse Labour’s proposals to cut the local budgets of Ward Councillors and Parish Councils to keep more money available locally to tackle the priorities of residents in the districts.

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor Chris Gloster, who is Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance said:   “Our proposals will deliver better roads and footpaths, cleaner streets, better health care facilities for the residents of Shaw and Crompton, and keep more money in the budgets of local Councillors and Parish Councils to help provide responsive services for the people and communities that they serve.“

“We have found the money to do this by proposing some common-sense savings at the Civic Centre – better control by managers of staff recruitment, retention, and sickness, reduced spending on media and communications, removing car allowances from staff who drive 100 miles or less in a year on Council business, tackling sky-high spending on air travel, and cutting the number of Councillors from sixty to forty.”

Councillor Gloster ended: “I note that unlike the Liberal Democrats the Conservatives have failed yet again to table any alternative proposals. 

A summary of the Liberal Democrat savings and spending proposals see links below:

7a. Appendix A – Summary of Opposition Budget proposals

7. Liberal Democrats Budget Amendment Proposals 201920

Agenda details on public web site

Oldham Liberal Democrat Leader asks ‘Why can’t we use Lower Housing Figure to Save Greenbelt?’

The Leader of the Opposition and the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has written to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, James Brokenshire MP, to ask him whether it would in fact be permissible for the ten local authorities in Greater Manchester to use the lower figures for expected household growth published in 2016 to decide on the number of homes to be built in the conurbation under the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework.

Thousands of these new homes would be built on Green Belt sites in Crompton, Shaw, Royton and Chadderton.

Figures published by Mr Brokenshire’s own department in 2012 indicated that households in Greater Manchester would increase by 213,380 by 2035, or 18.75%, yet by contrast the more recent figures issued by the Office for National Statistics in 2016 offered a projection that the rise would only be 164,006, or 14.55%.  Amongst the ten local authorities in Greater Manchester, only Rochdale has a revised higher figure.

Councillor Sykes added: “Despite a massive difference of almost 50,000 households not requiring properties, the Conservative Government has continued to insist that the original figure stands, regardless of the adverse impact on our irreplaceable green belt. I have asked the Minister to confirm whether he is still of this view.  If we could adopt the lower figure we could save much of the Green Belt.”

For Oldham, there is an expected increase of 14,955 households, or 16.55%, predicted in the figure published in 2012, but only 12,368, or 13.81%, in the 2016 projections.

Councillor Sykes concluded: “That’s a difference of 2,587 properties less to build. Interesting that corresponds to almost all of the houses that the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework proposes be built by 2035 within Oldham on the Kingsway South, Beal Valley, Broadbent Moss, Cowlishaw and Hanging Chadder sites.  And if we were to increase the housing density on allocated brownfield sites in the town centre I am confident that we could make up the difference and save the Thornham Old Road site, and some others in the Borough too.”

Councillor Sykes concluded: “The Liberal Democrats in Shaw, Crompton and Saddleworth remain completely opposed to any encroachment of housing on Greenbelt and OPOL sites whilst brownfield sites remain available, but the Conservative Government has previously insisted that Greater Manchester Councils build more homes under the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework than the latest household growth figures indicate are required.”

The letter to James Brokenshire: James Brokenshire MP GMSF 19.02.19

Oldham Liberal Democrat Leader surprised at deficiencies in the collection of pothole data

The Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has been surprised to discover that Oldham Council officers do not record the number of potholes that are reported, nor the number of potholes that are repaired.

Councillor Sykes has written to Helen Lockwood, Deputy Chief Executive – People at Place at Oldham to ask why?

Commenting, Councillor Sykes said: “This information was disclosed in answer to a Freedom of Information request.  I am very surprised that we do not collect this data as surely we need it to determine how effective our road repair work is?”

“Last November (2018), the Oldham Liberal Democrat Group brought a motion to the Council meeting seeking a commitment to the Council to repair potholes posing a hazard to drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, including those of less than 40mm depth.  Although Labour watered this down to a more generic commitment, with no guarantee that these ‘surface erosion’ potholes would also be repaired, there was cross-party support that a pothole or eroded surface posing a public danger would be repaired as quickly as possible.”

“So how can we be sure that all hazardous potholes are promptly repaired when we record neither the number of potholes that are reported by the public, nor the number of potholes that are subsequently repaired? I am looking forward to receiving Ms. Lockwood’s reply.”

First Bus sale a chance to create a First-Class Bus Service, says Oldham Liberal Democrat Leader

The Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has responded to recent reports in the national and transport press that First Bus Group has put its Manchester operation up for sale.  Councillor Sykes also represents Oldham Council on the Transport for Greater Manchester committee.

According to Passenger Transport, in 2012/13 the division had a £101 million turnover and made £3.5 million profit.  However, by 2017/18 revenues had fallen to £86m, and the Manchester operation made a loss of £5.8m.  National media reports suggest the business could be sold for as little as £20 million with vehicles sold to one or more competing operators, along with depots at Bolton, Bury and Oldham.

Commenting, Councillor Sykes said:  “The consistent feedback received from my constituents, who are reliant on First Bus services, is often poor.  First Bus fares are high compared to some other transport operators, such as Manchester Community Transport and Metrolink.  First Bus services are also often unreliable compared to these same operators, particularly after 6pm.  The 59-bus ‘service’ which runs from Manchester to Rushcroft through my ward is a case in point.  It is a service in name only as the bus often fails to show or is significantly behind schedule.”

Councillor Sykes added:  “First Bus have not yet confirmed if they are putting the Manchester business up for sale, but, if they are, it is real pity that local authorities were denied the chance to establish new bus companies under the recent Bus Services Act as this would have provided an ideal opportunity to bring back an Oldham Corporation bus company.”

“However, the Greater Manchester Mayor and Transport for Greater Manchester should work to ensure that the purchaser, or purchasers, who take on these services are committed to providing a first-class service for bus passengers, which is customer-focused, reliable, safe and affordable, and provides continuity of employment for First Manchester drivers and staff.”