Repairs have now been completed to various sections of the post and rail fence along Crompton Way, following requests by local Shaw Lib Dem Councillor Howard Sykes.
Useful Road works web site
Lib Dem dogs on trams trial blocked by Labour and Conservative councillors
A Lib Dem motion asking Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) to make a decision about allowing dogs on trams was blocked by an alliance of Labour and Conservative councillors at its last meeting on Friday 17 July.
TfGM have been discussing dogs on trams for more than a year, with three separate reports being issued in just the last few months. TfGM’s public consultation revealed 71% in favour of the idea.
“Greater Manchester Liberal Democrats are proposing a 12 month trial allowing dogs on trams, off-peak only and with the dogs on a lead and under control, as happens on buses and trains,” stated Cllr Howard Sykes MBE, a Lib Dem and Oldham member of TfGM.
“We have all the information we need to make a decision and it beggars belief that, at such a busy time for TfGM, Labour and Conservative councillors want to spin this out for another six months.”
Greater Manchester Liberal Democrats will continue to press for a 12 month trial for dogs on trams when the issue comes back for councillors to consider in November.
“We can only hope that the Labour and Conservative councillors can agree to make a decision in November and not delay it yet further,” Cllr Sykes added.
Notes:
Greater Manchester Liberal Democrats are proposing a 12 month trial of allowing non-assistance dogs to travel on trams during off-peak periods. All dogs should be on leads and not allowed on seats, but do not need to be muzzled, nor in a carrying box.
At the TfGM Committee meeting on Friday 17th July 2015 the Liberal Democrats proposed that, as all the information had been collected by officers, a decision should be made as quickly as possible. The proposal was rejected with every Labour and Conservative member voting against. The matter will next be considered by councillors in November.
TRAFFIC SIGNALS AT BULLCOTE LANE / HEYSIDE – SHAW ROAD CLOSURER, AND FUTURE WORKS ON CROMPTON WAY
Before the road closure on Shaw Road due to the Gas Main works I asked that the signals at the above location could be altered to allow maximum flows from Shaw to Oldham/Oldham to Shaw.
Below is a summary of the current position I have received from Highways about this matter.
The signal timings have been stretched to accommodate through traffic.
The problem is the volume of traffic using the one main road due to the closures.
The closures are due to last two more weeks. It is the right turners at the junction that hold up traffic, but that was always the case even prior to the closures.
The Council had an initial problem on day one due to BT turning up unannounced and setting up temporary signals near to Heyside Avenue and a highway incursion barriered off on the bends at Heyside. They were quickly removed from site. Also, it can take four or five days for motorists to get used to the new routes and look at alternatives or varying their journey start times.
The Council was aware there would likely be severe disruption due to the volume of traffic but unfortunately there is not a lot that can be done about this. Some vehicles will use Royton / High Crompton and some will cut through estate roads on to Cornish Way / Blackshaw Lane. These routes are not sign posted.
We will experience similar problems when Crompton Way starts, as we will have two main roads of traffic approaching the roundabout and then traffic management on Crompton Way. At times I can see that we will have traffic queuing on the roundabout and down both Oldham Road and Manchester Road. Although the hours of working are off peak (9.30am-3.30pm) traffic will build up during the day and it could take some time to clear afterwards.
On a positive note, the contractor has informed us that he is ahead of schedule, so the temporary signals that were planned to last up to the end of October after the closures have come off, will not be as invasive as first thought.
Shaw and Crompton’s first Community Market Place a success
On Tuesday, 21 July Shaw and Crompton held its first Community Market Place.
The Community Market Place is a different sort of meeting for the public. It is an informal setting where various organisations set up a ‘stall’ which allows members of the public to browse and stop and chat with them as they wish. It was held in the main hall of the Lifelong Learning Centre, High Street, Shaw and over 50 people and about 15 organisations attended.
Local Lib Dem Crompton Councillor Diane Williamson and Chair of the District Executive said: “Tuesday’s meeting was different from what we have done before. Local Shaw and Crompton Councillors decided to try this new approach as a way of allowing residents to talk with other organisations they frequently use as well as direct them to organisations that they may need to use in the future.”
Attending the event were the Shaw and Crompton Councillors, as well as Metrolink, First Bus, Housing 21, FCHO, Guinness, Oldham Community Leisure, Mahdlo, Macmillan, Community Safety and the Police, Environmental Services, plus Shaw & Crompton Parish Councillors
“We are looking at holding a similar event in about six months’ time, where we are hoping more organisations and residents attend,” said Shaw Lib Dem Councillor Howard Sykes MBE.
Once the Market Place event was over local Councillors then held the more formal and traditional District Executive.
At that meeting Councillor Diane Williamson and Councillor Howard Sykes proposed and seconded a resolution asking Oldham Council to bring forward proposals about improving highway and pedestrian safety at the junction of Fraser Street, Chamber Road and Rochdale Road.
“Both Shaw and Crompton Councillors are contacted regularly about this junction and we are doing what residents are asking us; which is to see what can be done to make that bit of Rochdale Road safer,” said Councillor Diane Williamson.
SHAW & CROMPTON COMMUNITY FORUM and DISTRICT EXECUTIVE
SHAW & CROMPTON COMMUNITY FORUM and DISTRICT EXECUTIVE
Tuesday 21 July 2015
Community Forum at 6.00pm
Followed by
District Executive meeting to start 7.00pm
Shaw Lifelong Learning Centre,
High Street, Shaw OL2 8TB
ALL WELCOME
Come along and talk to the Councillors and Officers Who work in and for your local area
(Police, Highways, Environmental Services, Housing Providers, Youth Service and more)
Working together we can address:
| · Local Issues· What you like about your area· What is good about your area· Matters we can assist you with |
FREE Level 1 bikeability course in Dunwood Park, Shaw, 1-3pm, Monday 20th July
FREE Level 1 bikeability course in Dunwood Park, Shaw.
1-3pm, Monday 20th July.
To book please contact info@s2scyclesafe.co.uk / 01924 256 284
17 July – now been cancelled due to lack of interest
Lib Dem Leader reacts to Labour Gagging Order
The Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Cllr Howard Sykes MBE, expressed his disappointment at a Labour move to gag and silence the Lib Dems from two important motions at tonight’s Council meeting.
Cllr Sykes said: “At the instigation of the Council Leader and the Labour Group, the Lib Dem Group was tonight gagged. We were informed less than two hours before the start of Full Council that, at the request of the Council Leader, our motions on free prescriptions for people with long-term illnesses and on lowering the drink driving limit would be ruled out of order, by the Mayor.”
“Labour claimed that the two motions were not constitutional because they were not about “some matter over which the Council has a direct influence” and that they are of no relevance to the business of Oldham Council. Council legal opinion differed. Despite this, the Mayor agreed to the Leader’s demand.”
“So according to the Labour Administration, Oldham Council has no business in trying to improve the lives of Oldham residents who live with long-term medical conditions or in preventing further needless deaths from drinking and driving in the Borough. This view is totally contradictory to the responsibilities and legal duties placed on Oldham Council to promote public health and to maintain road safety, so these motions surely fall within the Council’s constitutional remit.”
“According to Labour, Oldham Council can have no influence in changing Government policy on these matters; yet Council Leader Cllr McMahon was happy to work with me to support our Council making representations to Government to grant local authorities more powers to restrict betting shops on our High Street and to continue to allow camera cars to monitor poor parking at school gates. Both of these have been successful campaigns, in part because of the ‘direct influence’ of Oldham Council. If we follow Labour’s logic, the Council should not be lobbying Government ministers for anything.”
“We are not so naïve as to say that passing these motions will in themselves change Government policy – if only we were so influential – but the Lib Dems do have more faith that Oldham Council with other local authorities and the Local Government Association can together bring about change.”
Cllr Sykes added: “The deadline for submission of motions was Friday 3 July. At no point since that time has Labour or staff from the Council’s Legal and Democratic Services Team raised any objections to either motion. The article has never been used in this manner before, and certainly Labour has had many motions that could be deemed to be outside of the scope.”
“For example, in September of last year Labour proposed a motion objecting to the Transatlantic Trade and Agreement Partnership (TTAP). This is an international trade treaty being negotiated between the European Union and the United States of America. Did the Lib Dems object to bringing this motion? No, because we felt that it was an issue that was worth debating, despite it having no direct relevance to the people of Oldham, in application of Labour’s interpretation of the rules.”
Cllr Sykes added: “Council legal opinion was that the motions did meet the ‘scope’ requirement. This is yet another example of the Labour Administration attempting to stifle the effectiveness of the Opposition in raising issues of legitimate concern to the people of Oldham Borough or in challenging their actions. Last time, Labour cut our questions, now they are seeking to cut our right to propose motions. Who knows maybe next time they will be meeting separately from the Opposition and taking all of the decisions in our absence.”
Oldham Council 15 July 2015 – Leader of the Opposition Questions by Councillor Howard Sykes
Q1 Oldham’s Education Deficit
Schools in Oldham have recently received public attention, but regrettably for all of the wrong reasons.
If Oldham were itself a pupil, there is no doubt that the Borough’s Annual School report would read: ‘once again failed to reach its potential and could do much better if it just applied itself’.
Oldham has the third worst record in the country for the number of infant pupils taught in classes of more than 30.
More than 2,300 children (nearly one in three) of five to seven year olds.
In junior schools more than 2,900 children are in classes over 30 in size.
In fact the average class size in Junior School in Oldham Borough is 28.9 pupils, the seventh highest in the country.
In addition nearly a fifth (20%) of Oldham pupils will not be able to attend their first choice Secondary School as places at the most popular schools do not meet demand.
This is understandable as demand at popular schools will continue to rise as Oldham’s Secondary Schools overall are judged poorly with only 36.5% of our pupils in ‘good or excellent’ Secondary Schools which is less than half the UK national average of 73.5%.
I am sure that the Leader will agree with me that much more needs to be done.
We are currently failing to give thousands of our children the opportunities they deserve.
Our Borough’s children deserve an excellent education to help reach further and higher education, set them up to become productive and well remunerated in the workplace, active citizens and positive parents and role models for their own children.
Let me be clear the Liberal Democrat Group will do all in its power to assist in changing the current state of affairs.
Labour has promised much for the Oldham Education Commission – indeed it would appear to have its work cut out – so can the Leader tell us all what this Administration is doing and will do to address the clear educational deficit in Oldham and when we might expect to have sight of the Commission’s final report, remembering its interim report in January was never published?
Q2 Sunday Trading
The Chancellor proposed in last weeks’ Budget that areas such as Greater Manchester should be permitted to extend Sunday trading hours if we wish to do so.
Extended Sunday trading hours could provide additional jobs and additional business as a stimulant to the retail economy of our Borough, and may lead to the Borough becoming a ‘destination’ of choice for weekend shoppers accessing our retail offer by Metrolink, particularly if the Princes Gate development is the ‘game-changer’ the Leader has promised it will be. It could also be used to build upon the cultural offer town centre.
However it can also encroach on quality time and family life.
I would therefore like to ask the Leader whether within the new Combined Authority he would support the proposal for extended Sunday opening hours within Greater Manchester and specifically on Oldham, or not?
In essence would he echo the view that: “Sunday was the most miserable day of the week” before retail laws were relaxed, or support the view that limited opening hours on Sunday are sacrosanct as it is the only day that shop workers and their families can “bank on some time with their kids?”
FIRST Shaw and Crompton COMMUNITY Market Place
Shaw and Crompton District Executive is inviting residents to have a say on local issues that matter to you.
On Tuesday, July 21 the first Shaw and Crompton Community Market Place is being held at the Lifelong Learning Centre, High Street, Shaw, OL2 8TB.
If you want to find out more about our community or share your views then come along from 6pm until 6.45pm.
You will be able to speak to your Shaw and Crompton councillors and the District Team plus representatives of Greater Manchester Police.
Officers from First Choice Home Oldham and The Guinness Partnership Housing Association will be on hand to answer any housing queries you may have and if you want to speak about public transport then representatives of First Bus will be present.
If you have any benefit issues then the Welfare Rights team might be able to assist and you can also hear about all the sport and leisure opportunities taking place through Oldham Community Leisure run and what is going on down at Mahdlo.
Councillor Diane Williamson, Chair of Shaw and Crompton District Executive, said: “This first market place is a great way for residents to get more help and information about the things that matter to them under one roof.
“If you have got something that you’d like to bring up with us then please come along on the night. We hope to have a couple of these type of events every year so that local councillors and partners can keep in touch with residents in a different way”
For more information email: anne.fleming@oldham.gov.uk or call 0161 770 8172.