I am pleased to report, on the back of the clean up by Metrolink last week and following contact from me, the Very Group have cleaned their sites that front Linney Lane and Beal Lane.

Local Conservatives may talk of their respect and admiration for the late HRH Prince Phillip, but they have been hurtful and shown only disrespect in using an out-of-date image of Oldham councillors, which shows several elected members who are now sadly deceased.

Liberal Democrat Deputy Group Leader councillor Chris Gloster was disgusted when he saw on a Conservative election leaflet photographs of three councillors who have died.

Commenting, councillor Gloster said:  “The leaflet is in very poor taste.  Clearly local Conservatives do not care about hurting the feelings of relatives, friends and party colleagues of the deceased in using this out-of-date image.  Two of the three councillors, Susan Dearden and Brian Ames, sadly died in February and March 2018 and the third, my dear friend, former Mayor of Oldham councillor Derek Heffernan, in December 2019.  Getting an up-to-date image of the current 60 councillors would have been so easy but local Conservatives obviously could not be bothered.”

What makes the use of the image worse is that the Conservative election ‘promise’ not only represents breath-taking hypocrisy on their part, but it cannot be kept. 

“At every Annual Budget meeting of the Council from 2012 until 2020, the Liberal Democrats proposed a cut of Councillor numbers from 60 to 40 to save money.  The Conservative Group never did.  The reason we did not do so again in 2021 is that Councillor numbers in the Oldham Borough has been reviewed by the Electoral Commission in 2020 and fixed at 60”, added councillor Gloster. 

“When the Commission called for comments on councillor numbers late last year, the Oldham Liberal Democrat Group wrote back calling for a comprehensive cut in Councillor numbers to two from three per electoral ward.  The Council took a vote at its meeting on 4 November 2020 to propose to the Commission that councillor numbers remain at 60, the Conservative councillors present voted with Labour, the Liberal Democrats did not.  Against our wishes, the Commission stuck at 60, and now whatever the Tories might say it is now too late to do anything about it.”

If you are showing Coronavirus symptoms, you can get a PCR test at:

• Southgate Street, next to Oldham Library
• Peel Street, Chadderton
• Honeywell Centre, Hadfield Street

You must book an appointment online.

Find out more by visiting www.oldham.gov.uk/testing_with_symptoms

If you are not showing Coronavirus symptoms, there are a number of options for rapid lateral flow tests. You can:

• Get tested at a number of pharmacies across Oldham
• Collect home testing kits from Lees Library, Crompton Library, Failsworth Library or The Link Centre
• Order kits online

Find out more by visiting www.oldham.gov.uk/testing_without_symptoms

Remember to always wear a mask and socially distance when visiting one of our testing sites.

Vaccination data

Vaccination data from across Oldham is published twice a week. As of 8 April, there have been 107,986 of Oldham’s registered population aged 18 or over, vaccinated with their first dose.   

To view the figures visit: www.oldham.gov.uk/covid19data

Local Liberal Democrat Councillors have begun the fight to make the Greater Manchester Pension Fund, one of the largest municipal pension funds in the UK, ‘green’. 

The Oldham Liberal Democrats first proposed that Oldham Council declare a Climate Emergency and were delighted to support the Administration’s ambition to achieve carbon-neutrality for Oldham Council by 2025 and for the Borough by 2030.

In March Group Leader, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE wrote to the Council’s representative on the Greater Manchester Pension Fund management advisory board calling for it ‘to rapidly divest from fossil fuels’.  He has yet to receive a reply nearly a month later.

In March 2019, the Greater Manchester Pension Fund held investments of £1.71 billion in fossil fuel companies and funds.  The biggest holdings are in BP and Shell. 

Councillor Sykes explained:  “There was a meeting of the pension fund’s advisory board on 19 March and I wrote to the Council’s Deputy Leader to ask him, as our representative, to raise our concerns.  It is wrong for Oldham Council and the other Greater Manchester authorities, who are committed to tackling climate change, to support a fund which continues to hold sizable investments in fossil fuel businesses.”

The Greater Manchester Pension Fund has only made a vague commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050, justifying its target by citing fiduciary duty and the need to make the best possible returns for investors.  Councillor Sykes is not impressed.

“This at a moment in our history when time is fast running out to arrest irreversible climate change; if this does not happen our future pensioners will hardly appreciate the benefits of fiduciary duty when they are struggling to breathe,” added Councillor Sykes.  “It’s time for GMPF to stop making excuses and to use its expertise and investments to rapidly divest from fossil fuels and thereby help to create a safer, healthier future for all GM residents.”

Councillor Sykes concluded:  “I now hope that the Deputy Leader will furnish me a reply as soon as possible.  Climate change is above party politics and I hope that can work together on this issue to help make the Greater Manchester Pension Fund fossil fuel free in the future.”

St George’s flags will to be flown in Dunwood Park, High Crompton Park and in Shaw Town Centre outside the Lifelong Learning Centre.

Flags will be in place for St George’s Day in the Town Centre and it is intended to leave them up until after Saturday 15^th May in support of the British Legion 100^th Anniversary.  Many thanks to the Shaw & Crompton Events Group, which local Lib Dem councillors support, for organising this part of our celebrations.

The Big Lamp Lights should be on red on from Monday 19 April to Monday 26 April.

Parish Council Town Crier will, I understand, be out and about doing a shout or two.

Pleased to report, following my request, Metrolink have now cleaned up this area next to the bridge, near to the former Very site.

Other litter grot spots along along the line have also been chased up.

Why not apply for a postal vote this year?

This past year it has felt as though the only certain thing in our lives is uncertainty.  The vaccines offer welcome light on the horizon but will take time to protect us all. 

As things are starting to be unlocked nobody is quite certain what will happen.  I would like to suggest one extra precaution you can take now to safeguard yourself and your family. 

A busy polling station is one situation you can avoid, and the prospect of socially distanced queues outdoors is a daunting one, especially if the weather is bad.   Illness, bad weather and busy lives can get in the way at the best of times.

I have been standing up for Shaw interests for more than 30 years now – defending our green spaces and our so called bus services, fighting for a health centre, tackling speeding, fighting crime and ASB, campaigning for improvements to our pavements and highways – all the while keeping you in touch, all year every year, via our Focus newsletters.

But whether you support me or not on May 6, your vote is precious.  I would not like to see you lose it.

Many of you have told me that you like the ceremony of voting in person – I know I do.  Or, you mistrust postal voting, and I understand that.  But changes in recent years have made postal voting at least as secure as the polling station.

To register for a postal vote please download and complete an application to vote by post:

• Application to vote by post – gov.uk website

Once completed this form should be returned to the elections team

• By email: election@oldham.gov.uk
• By post: Elections Office, Oldham Council, West Street, Oldham, OL1 1UL

The deadline to register for a postal vote is 5pm on 20 April 2021

Meanwhile, whatever you decide to do and whoever you decide to vote for, please take care and stay safe.

Best wishes

Howard Sykes

The Conservative Government last night chose to vote down legislation establishing a register of serial and serious perpetrators of domestic abuse and stalking.

The register, which was backed by a motion to Oldham Council by Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Chris Gloster, would have meant active support for women at threat of violence from serial abusers.

Local Liberal Democrat Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani said: “It is shameful that this amendment – and others aimed at protecting the safety of anyone who is the subject of domestic abuse – have been removed from the Bill. They received overwhelming support across the political spectrum when they were proposed in the House of Lords.

“The Domestic Abuse Bill will make a huge difference to many people’s lives, but there are opportunities to save people from violence that are being missed, and that is not good enough.”

The Bill also had amendments struck out which were designed to protect migrant women from the risk of violence.

Councillor Al-Hamdani added: “Whatever your views on immigration are, no-one can argue that women don’t deserve to be protected from violence and sexual abuse. This is the thick end of the wedge on the ‘hostile environment’ – it doesn’t stop at preventing those who abuse the system, it targets those who need help the most.

“This Conservative Government keeps saying that it is putting women’s safety first. It is not backing that up with action. It has been being said for over a hundred years, and it is sad that it still needs to be said: deeds not words.”

It has now been confirmed that a funeral service on Saturday will begin with a National Minute’s Silence at 3:00pm on Saturday 17 April.

Locally, there will be a service held at Oldham Parish Church on Friday 16 April where invited attendees will be paying their respects.

I am very proud to attend on behalf of the Liberal Democrat Group.

Flags on council buildings and flagpoles across the borough will remain at half mast until Sunday, 18 April.

An electronic Book of Condolence is now available for people wishing to express their condolences. Access the online book of condolence here:

• Prince Philip online book of condolence

Thoughts and condolences are with Her Majesty The Queen and the Royal Family during this sad time.

Despite the pledge made to Shaw Liberal Democrat Councillor and Chair of Crompton Moor Users Group, Howard Sykes MBE, Oldham Council has still failed to put the signs up on Crompton Moor by the end of March like they promised. 

The signs advertise the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) which is in place on Crompton Moor which allow local authorities to proscribe certain types of behaviour, imposing financial penalties upon those offenders who choose to ignore them.  On moorland, a PSPO would typically prohibit the lighting of fires, the use of Chinese lanterns and irresponsible cycling and motor-cycling other than on certain defined routes, and place certain restrictions on dog-walking, hunting and dog fouling  They are intended to keep the public safe and prevent harm to the natural environment.

There are around 200 PSPOs in place across Oldham to help protect our public spaces.

Councillor Sykes has been badgering Oldham Council to ensure that the Council’s website lists all the Public Space Protection Orders, the areas they cover and what they mean for the public.  Most importantly he wants to see the signs on Crompton Moor, which were promised by the end of March, installed.  The existing Public Space Protection Orders were reviewed as required by law in 2020.

Commenting, Councillor Sykes said: “We have now entered Spring and are about to leave Lockdown.  Regrettably Crompton Moor and our green spaces are from time-to-time invaded by a few selfish and mindless idiots who chose to despoil our green spaces and ruin the quiet enjoyment for the vast majority.  Last week a large part of Marsden Moor was incinerated, and the use of barbeques and fires always represent a grave threat to our moorland in the Spring and Summer.  PSPOs are one means we can fight back against this lawless minority, but we cannot prosecute them if we do not publicise them.”