Click on the file above to view some of the things which have been achieved at the request of local residents.
When it comes to getting things done in Shaw, the record of Howard and your Shaw Focus Team is unparallelled. And they recognise there is more to do. That’s why your vote for Howard Sykes on 3rd May is a vote for positive action for Shaw.
The link above is the download from the Oldham Council website. It is the offical form showing the name and address of all the candidates standing for election in the Shaw Ward.
Notice the address of the Labour Party candidate?
These local elections are not about the Government. They are about what is happening here in our own Borough, in our own back yard, in our own communities.
Whoever wins on May 3rd it will not change the government.
The Liberal Democrats are the only party who take seriously the quality of the day to day environment of this Borough, things such as keeping the streets clean, keeping green spaces neat and tidy, investing in our roads and pavements, ensuring grids/gulleys are cleaned out regularly, and addressing anti social behaviour.
The last Lib Dem administration proved what we were about, despite inheriting an appalling financial position by the previous Labour administration in 2008:-
Youth anti social behaviour reduced by nearly 50% through the ‘GO Oldham’ initiative – now under threat because of Labour cuts to the youth service.
The Keep Britain Tidy Group officially recognised the streets of Oldham as the cleanest in Greater Manchester in 2010 – as everybody knows that is certainly not the case now!
We found the money to arrest the decay of Oldham Town Hall and stopped it from falling down – something which Labour vigorously opposed.
We found the money for the current refurbishment of the Coliseum Theatre.
These elections remember, are about local issues, local people and local decisions and, who you want to run Oldham Council.
There is a clear choice between Labour who promise expensive grand schemes which will put the Council back into serious debt versus the Liberal Democrats who have proven financial competence and look after your money responsibly.
However, we also ensure the things that matter day to day to people are sorted, like clean streets, anti social behaviour and bringing pride back to our communities.
The last 12 months has seen a litany of misleading information, half truths and undeliverable promises from Labour, so much so that the public are finding it hard to believe a single word they say.
Labour has said: “We will need to change, adapt and, most importantly listen.”
I suspect the residents of Shaw feel those words are very empty indeed – more than 700 of whom were ignored when the decision was made to build a new pool/ leisure complex in Royton Town Centre.
We showed in our alternative budget earlier this year there is enough money for new pools in both Royton and Shaw – it is all about choices and priorities. What was surprising was to see a majority of the five Conservative councillors supporting Labour in its budget plans.
In the last 12 months the streets have got dirtier, fly tipping has gone through the roof, hundreds and hundreds of people’s views dismissed as irrelevant and countless examples of Labour saying one thing and doing another.
Remember this is a local election and is about local communities, local people and local issues – the Liberal Democrats are the only alternative to Labour; the Conservatives can’t win here.
Please make sure your vote counts on 3rd May 2012.
There was traffic chaos in Shaw again today (23rd April) with the impact of the Mancheter Road roadworks (closure) being felt very keenly by rushhour communters.
Howard Sykes said, “The residents of Shaw have been dealt yet another blow by a Labour administration who has not consulted and adequately planned these roadworks. The impact has just not been thought through. If it had, the sequencing of the Blackshaw Lane/Bullcote Lane traffic lights would have been altered to cope with the increased volume of traffic, particularly at peak times.”
He continued, “I will be taking up this issue with Oldham Council to see if there is anything that can be done quickly to improve the situation for residents of Shaw and Crompton.
In the more medium term, I shall pursue again an answer to the question I put to the Labour Leader of the Council at last week’s full council meeting (18th April) concerning the opening of Metrolink, as this will take away some of this traffic volume along this stretch when the line opens.
However, I was told at the Council meeting last week by Cllr McMahon that he had no knowledge of when the Metrolink line was going to open, that it was not his concern and didn’t seem at all interested in the impact on the quality of life on the people of Shaw and Crompton of this and the roadwork projects being undertaken currently by Oldham Council.
But don’t just take my word for it. People can see it for themselves if they view the Council’s webcast of the meeting of full Council available via the Oldham Council website.”
Oldham Council’s website can be found via the quicklink on the menu to the left of this page.
Howard at the Site of the New Tram Stop in Shaw
“People will now have noticed that the actual stop is on the other side of Beal Lane from where the rail stop used to be. This was a battle we won many years ago when the plans were being finalised and is key to keeping the traffic moving on Beal Lane,” continued Howard.
As well as Shaw residents benefitting from a more frequent service, every other tram will terminate at the new Shaw stop, now requiring no road closure. Additionally, those trams passing through to and from Rochdale will require the road to be closed for much less time than was the case with the former railway barriers.
“This is another example of our long term planning and persistence to improve things for Shaw and its community,” said Howard. “Talk and promises are cheap. Your Shaw Focus Team and I have a record of action.”
The next phase of the Metrolink extension works will mean disruption to traffic in Shaw for four days from 6th April.
Howard Sykes said, “Your Shaw Focus Team and I have worked hard with the people managing this project to try to keep the disruption amd inconvenience to local residents to a minimum.”
The works will mean complete closure of Beal Lane from Britannia Avenue to Jubilee Street and will result in diversions via Hillside Avenue, Buckstones Road, Milnrow Road and Crompton Way. Please click on the link below to access a map showing the works and diversion route.
Beal Lane closure and diversion March 2012
As a result there will be additional no parking/waiting restrictions in some of these areas.
Please click on the link below to access a map showing the additional waiting restrictions on the diversion route.
A mixture of short (3hrs) and long stay parking is the outcome of the review of the scheme for Shaw Town Centre.
The long stay car parks are:
Kershaw Street, Baths/Community Centre and Milne Street.
The short stay car parks are:
Market Ground, West Way On Street and the two small car parks at the end of Beal Lane/Eastway.
Howard Sykes said, “This is good news for shoppers and traders alike. The final scheme has taken on board people’s comments and increased the amount of long term parking from that originally proposed.”
Please click on the link below to have a look at a map detailing the locations of the parking.
shaw centre parking a3 revised 2012 March 2012
A further outcome of the negotiations by Howard about the remedial works to Jubilee Bridge, Transport for Greater Manchester have agreed to use the original coping stone masonry in a local project.
Howard said, “I would welcome any comments or suggestions about how these stones could be used to decorative effect in the Dunwood Park neighbourhood so preserving and enhancing the heritage of the area.”
Click on comment to share your idea.
In response to concerns of local residents, Howard and his Focus Team have been in discussions about the replacement parapet stones on Jubilee Bridge.
The shape of the parapet stone is laid down by law and so affects new and existing masonry. The power to enact replacement stones on the part of Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) in effect bypasses local planning processes then.
However, following the intervention by Howard and subsequent consultation and negotiations with both Oldham Council and TfGM, it has been agreed that the pointing will be redone and the old masonry washed to improve the look immediately and assist the weathering process.
Howard said, “Whilst the remedial work is not the ideal solution to improving the look of the bridge, it should be an improvement to the currently unacceptable situation, which I and your Focus Team shall continue to monitor closely.”
Updates will be posted on this site as they are available.
