The Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has signed a letter to Government and Prime Minister on behalf of his party colleagues.  The letter endorsed by Liberal Democrat politicians in local government from local authorities across the North of England outlines a five-point plan to tackle Covid-19.

Commenting Councillor Sykes said:  “The Prime Minister has talked about the need for common sense to be displayed by politicians when dealing with the challenge of Covid-19.  This letter, and the plan it contains, is full of common sense proposals born out of the experience of Liberal Democrats who live in, work in and represent those communities in Northern England which have suffered most from both Covid-19 and the measures introduced by government to address it.  I was very happy to endorse it on behalf of my colleagues.” 

Councillor Sykes added:  “London based politicians who live in a London bubble are out of touch and need to wake up – their policies are clearly not working in the North of England, and some like national Track and Trace have been a costly disaster.  At a time when Greater Manchester is threatened with the prospect of joining Lancashire and Merseyside in being moved into the Tier 3, High-Risk category of special measures it is time for government to take on board these sensible suggestions.  They will save lives, they will save livelihoods and they will save businesses.”

The letter sent to government by Liberal Democrat Council Group Leaders from local authorities across the North of England reads:

We are Liberal Democrats from across the North, calling on the government to take urgent action to support people, communities and businesses across the North.

Millions of people across the north have been living under local restrictions for months. They have borne it with fortitude, but infection rates are still rising. Now the government threatens months of further restrictions, without the support needed to underpin it. This risks a death by a thousand cuts for our hospitality and creative sectors – and the jobs that depend on them.

The north of England hosts dynamic businesses, a rich arts sector, world-leading universities and some of the country’s most popular national parks. But we are too often overlooked by a London-centric government. We are proud of our communities and stand ready to work cross-party to deliver the support they need to work together to defeat the virus.

Clearly, with case numbers and hospital admissions rising rapidly, urgent action is needed. But the government’s own analysis makes clear that even Tier 3 may not be enough. And if local lockdowns without additional support were effective, areas like Greater Manchester and the North East, where restrictions have been in place for months, would not be in this position. We need to do better than the same failed strategy.

Regardless of whether regional or national lockdown strategies are pursued we are calling on the government to act rapidly and constructively with local political leaders who are grounded in communities – not act by fiat from Whitehall – to put in place the support we need to sustain a lockdown and come out of it better placed to defeat the virus.

These actions should include:

1. Urgent funding for local action on test and trace. The central system is an expensive failure. Local government has the capacity to help – but not the funding. A rapid infusion of funding to enable local scale-up could be transformative for our fight against the virus, and justify the pain caused by a second lockdown.

• Support to enable people to self-isolate. Fewer people across the North can work from home, which may be one reason why the initial lockdown was less effective. That means that support is more urgently needed for those who cannot work while self-isolating.

• Extension of the furlough scheme to save jobs and support people and communities. While borrowing costs next to nothing, the Chancellor is choosing to leave workers without a salary and forcing viable enterprises out of business. This is a heartless political choice whose effects will last years. He must expand furlough support urgently until June 2021.

• Protect people living in care. People living in care were appallingly let down in the first weeks of this crisis. We must not make the same mistake again. Government must guarantee that all discharges from hospitals into care homes take place only following a negative Covid test. Staff and residents must be able to access regular testing, with results within 24 hours, and the same must apply to people being supported to live independently, as well as those visiting loved ones in care homes.

• Support to children and young people. Government must support schools to stay open, whilst also ensuring they have resources to provide online learning. This means getting laptops and internet access to pupils from low income households. They must extend free school meals and vouchers to ensure every child in poverty can access them, even when schools are closed. They must reach a fair deal for university students who are being charged for accommodation they do not want to use and ensure that actions to tackle outbreaks in the student community consider the rights and needs of both students and local residents.

 Yours sincerely,

Laura Gordon, Chair, Northern Liberal Network
Cllr Lisa Smart, Vice-Chair, Northern Liberal Network and Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
Lord Dick Newby, Baron Newby of Rothwell, Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords
Tim Farron MP, Member of Parliament for Westmorland and Lonsdale
Cllr Keith Aspden, Leader, City of York Council
Cllr Giles Archibald, Leader, South Lakeland District Council
Cllr Karen King, Deputy Leader, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council
Cllr Howard Sykes, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council and Leader of the Liberal Democrat group at the Local Government Association
Lord Stunell of Hazel Grove
Lord Scriven of Hunters Bar in the City of Sheffield and former Leader of Sheffield City Council
Cllr Mark Hunter, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
Cllr Shaffaq Mohammed, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Sheffield City Council
Cllr Hannah Kitching, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
Cllr James Baker, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council
Cllr Mike Ross, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Hull City Council
Cllr Tom Gordon, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Wakefield Metropolitan District Council
Cllr John Lawson, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Kirklees Metropolitan Council
Cllr Nick Cott, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Newcastle City Council
Cllr David Minchella, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
Cllr John Potter, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Preston Borough Council
Cllr David Nolan, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on East Riding of Yorkshire Council
Cllr Stewart Golton, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Leeds City Council and West Yorkshire Mayoral Candidate for the Liberal Democrats
Cllr Richard Kemp, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Liverpool City Council
Cllr Niall Hodson, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Sunderland City Council
Cllr Jeanette Sunderland, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Bradford City Council
Cllr Roger Hayes, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council
Cllr Andy Kelly, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council
Cllr Pat Marsh, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Harrogate Borough Council
Cllr Geoff Webber, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on North Yorkshire County Council
Judith Rogerson, Parliamentary Spokesperson for Harrogate and Knaresborough
Cllr Glyn Nightingale, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council
Cllr Jonathan Wallace, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Gateshead Metropolitan Council
Cllr Virginia Taylor, Leader of Eden Council
Cllr John Leech, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Manchester City Council

B6194 Oldham Road / Heyside / Higginshaw Lane – Resurfacing Works

The works have been phased to ensure disruption to schools / residents etc has been kept to a minimum where possible, and to make the maximum use of the upcoming school half term.

Phase 1 – Big Lamp Roundabout through to Bullcote Lane (Saturday 24^th to Sunday 31^st October).

These works are due to be carried out under a full road closure, with the road being opened up at the completion of each daily shift, as with all road closures emergency services will retain access where necessary. Residents will also retain access however this may come with some delays depending on location of machinery, etc.

Phase 2 – Bullcote Lane to Turf Lane (Monday 1^st to Friday 6^th November)

These works will be carried out under a full road closure, with both Bullcote Lane and Turf Lane junctions with B6194 remaining open ensuring as small a diversion for traffic as possible. As above emergency services will retain access as and when necessary, with residents maybe experiencing some small delays in accessing their properties within this section.

Phase 3 – Turf Lane to Rudding Street (Monday 9^th to Sunday 15^th November)

Due to the widths of the road within this phasing, we are able to safely complete the works within this section under temporary signals.

Should you have any questions now or throughout the works, please do not hesitate to contact:

Matt McGreal, Senior Engineer | Highways & Engineering

T: 0161 770 1955 W: www.unitypartnership.com

Oldham Liberal Democrat Councillors have been instrumental in ensuring that residents across the Borough do not miss out on paying their respects, albeit online, via the Oldham Council website this Remembrance Sunday (8 November 2020).  

Remembrance Day services will be shown live on the Council’s website www.oldham.gov.uk which will allow you to watch your local service.

Due to social distancing rules, only six people will be allowed to attend any Remembrance Sunday event.  This is what the Royal British Legion, who oversee these events, have decided.

In anticipation of this, Liberal Democrat Group Leader, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, contacted senior council officers months ago to ensure that the Oldham Council started planning for the events to be live streamed across the Borough from each individual Remembrance Sunday Service, via the Council’s own website.

Councillor Sykes said:  “I am pleased that the Council have listened to my and others concerns and recognised the importance of ensuring that, even in the current circumstances, these events will be marked appropriately across the Borough.

“Although many people, including me, will be bitterly disappointed not to be able to attend in person, they will be able to participate in their local Remembrance Day service from the safety and comfort of their own homes on a day when the Borough, along with the rest of the Nation, falls silent to recognise the sacrifice of others, particularly this year where we  mark the 75th Anniversary of VE Day and VJ Day.”

There will also be private opportunities for individuals to lay wreaths and pay their respects at the actual memorials (within the Covid -19 rules and regulations) in the days running up to Remembrance Sunday and beyond.

People across the country have endured terrible hardships over the past six months. They’ve lost loved ones, lost livelihoods and been cut off from friends and family.

We have made huge sacrifices and played by the Government’s rules – we deserve to have confidence that these rules will work.

Instead, our efforts are being squandered by the incompetence of Boris Johnson. His Test and Trace system is not fit for purpose, and scientific advice is being ignored.

It is now clear the Government ignored calls from experts for a ‘circuit break’ short national lockdown. We urge them to reconsider. No one wants to see businesses close again but if this gives time to fix the Test, Trace and Isolate system, it could be a vital step to getting the virus back under control and keeping it under control.

Alongside a circuit break, the Liberal Democrats demand Government take the following steps in order to get a grip on this crisis:

1. Fix Test, Trace and Isolate

This must be the Government’s top priority. Every possible resource should be thrown at creating a robust, locally-led Test and Trace system which ensures everyone with symptoms can get a test and receive their results within 24-hours.

Tracing should be led by local authorities and people should be given support and incentives to isolate, not the threat of a £10,000 fine. Frontline NHS staff should have access to regular testing.

2. Extend furlough & self-employed support to save jobs

It is disgraceful that the Chancellor has written off whole sectors of our economy. It is his job to ensure nobody is left behind. While borrowing costs next to nothing, the Chancellor is choosing to leave workers in the arts, in hospitality and other sectors without a salary.

This is a heartless political choice. He must expand furlough support urgently until June 2021.

3. Protect people living and working in care

Vulnerable people living in care were appallingly let down in the first weeks of this crisis.

Government must guarantee that as hospital admissions rise, all discharges from hospitals into care homes will take place only following a negative Covid test. Staff and residents must be able to access regular testing, with results within 24 hours, and the same must apply to people being supported to live independently, as well as residents of care homes.

Residents in care homes have now had six months without being able to see their loved ones. To reduce isolation and loneliness, care home residents should be able to nominate at least one loved one who would be given regular testing, in order that they could visit them.

4. Support children and young people

Young people will still face huge disruption to their education this year, whether because of further lockdowns, or because they have to self-isolate.

Government must do everything it can to support schools to stay open in a covid-secure way, whilst also ensuring they have the resources and skills to provide online learning.

This means getting laptops and internet access to pupils from low income households. They must also extend free school meals and food vouchers to ensure every child in poverty can access them – even when schools are closed.

They must provide certainty about how exams will run next year, in all likely scenarios. They must reach a fair deal for first-year university students who are being charged for accommodation they do not want to use, and ensure that everyone who wants to get home to their families between now and Christmas, is able to do so.

5. Establish a public inquiry into the handling of the crisis

Public trust in the Government’s handling of this crisis is woefully low.

More and more evidence is emerging that the Government has ignored scientific advice and is still failing to do what is needed.

We need an independent, public inquiry, into how this has gone so badly wrong, starting as soon as possible.

Oldham Council’s planning department has responded to calls from Liberal Democrat Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani to extend the deadlines for all planning applications affected by the switchover to a new system.

Anyone who has been affected should contact the case officer concerned, or email planning.admin@oldham.gov.uk to get the full details.

Councillor Al-Hamdani said: “It’s good to get a quick and positive response. The Council needs to deliver a planning service that people can trust, and doing this when there has been a problem is a good step. I hope they continue to respond as well in the future.”

With rumours swirling around whether Greater Manchester will move into Tier 3 of the new warning systems, Liberal Democrat Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani is backing calls for local and national Government to ensure that “window visits” and end-of-life visiting rules are revised to ensure that families get to ensure the care and emotional support that they need.

Window visits are conducted on care homes where families are on the grounds, and their relatives stay indoors – they can see each other and hold a real conversation, but the windows reduce the risk of passing on infections.

Councillor Al-Hamdani said: “I have spoken to local residents who have not been able to offer grandparents the support and love that they need. I absolutely agree with the need to control this virus, but we need to be conscious of the impact that it is having on people’s mental health and wellbeing.

“Where we can find approaches that stop transmission, and allow people to carry on with their lives as best they can, we must do so. Care homes have been hotspots for infections, and it is crucial that we minimise any chance of infections as the most vulnerable people to this disease are there, but we must also find ways of ensuring that they can get the support of their families at the same time.”

A GM-wide policy is being put together addressing window visits and end-of-life visits, to ensure that families get the support that they need.

Pleased to report the 57 bus service is now listed on bus stops in Shaw and Crompton and elsewhere on its route.

Reason for the delay is below:

With Covid and the lockdown changes, amendments to roadside publicity were put on hold and travelling passengers were requested to reference the website for all up to date information.

At the end of August we received permission to begin to update publicity as services began to be restored, however this did involve over 8,000 stops. We are aware that the 57 changed at the end of August and whilst we still encourage passengers to go to the website for the most up to date information I understand this route it is currently being updated, so I would expect to this in place shortly.

Our on-going campaign to protect and improve local bus services continues.

Crompton Liberal Democrat Councillor Dave Murphy, Shadow Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Culture, was disappointed to learn that the bin app introduced in 2018 has been discontinued.

The R4GM bin app for mobile phones contained information such as ‘Where’s my nearest …?’, ‘When’s my bin collected?’, ‘What do I do with..?’, ‘What can I recycle at home?’ And a Contact Us.

At the Full Meeting of Oldham Council in July 2016, Councillor Murphy brought a motion asking for a local bin app for Oldham which was almost unanimously supported across the Chamber.

Councillor Murphy said “I have used the app myself many times which can help sign post you from what to put in the right bin and what goes where.  I was really pleased when I learned that the then Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority introduced an app a year or so later”.

Saddleworth North Liberal Democrat Councillor Garth Harkness, who seconded Councillor Murphy’s motion, added: “I have also used the app and found it really helpful and the feedback I have received from local residents, when I have directed them to it, has been positive.  When we are looking to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill the app can only be a good thing.  It was quick and easy to use, and the information you needed was at your fingertips.”

“We need to use such technology in our fight to increase ‘re use’ and ‘recycling’ and therefore save cash for much need community projects.  I do hope a version of this app can be reintroduced soon!”  Stated councillor Murphy.

The response Councillor Murphy received from Oldham Council Waste Officers reads:

“GMCA did decommission the app earlier in the year.

We have been in discussion with them since though as they are currently trying to understand the requirements from each of the nine districts in terms of the app. As well as understanding cost implications and the effectiveness of the app etc.

So currently it’s with them for them to analyse and make a decision about. They haven’t given any timelines for this”.

For real time information: https://oldham.roadworks.org/