Changes to permitted development announced by the Government mean that far more substandard houses are likely to be built in the UK over the next few years. 

Sam Al-Hamdani, the shadow cabinet member for Housing and Homelessness on Oldham Council said: “We cannot abandon housing standards for the sake of getting these extra houses. The Conservative Government is rushing through rules that are going to create a new generation of slums. And the places that are most going to be affected are the places which are already struggling to get new housing – such as Oldham.

On the same day that the changes were rushed through, a damning report investigating the results of the previous changes to permitted development showed that only 21% of houses created using permitted development would meet the national standard for space, compared to 73.4% of those created using planning permission.

According to the report, there were flats being built under the permitted development rules where the entire dwelling measured 4m x 4m – only slightly larger than a Vauxhall Zafira. 

The Liberal Democrat councillor for Saddleworth West and Lees continued: “At the last council meeting, I brought a motion to address exactly these issues – permitted development has resulted in cramped, ill-suited housing, some of which doesn’t even have windows in. It is ironic that while we were successful in getting that motion passed, the Government is doing even more to undermine housing standards in this country.

“There is a problem in the UK with a lack of housebuilding, and it does need addressing. This is not the way to do it – it will consign a new generation of people to being trapped in substandard accommodation.

“Our high streets will changes dramatically in the next few years, and residential use is going to be one of the main changes. We should be changing the rules to encourage great housing in our towns and cities – not throwing humane standards out of a non-existent window.” 

1. The report Quality standard of homes delivered through change of use permitted development rights is available from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/quality-standard-of-homes-delivered-through-change-of-use-permitted-development-rights?utm_source=90808469-b077-4856-a053-e8216e2321bc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_content=immediate

Slight update on previously posted information.

A mobile temporary site at the Market Place/Westway car park will be available between Tuesday 4^th – Thursday 6th August and offers ‘walk-through’ testing, so you don’t have to have a vehicle to access the site.

Anyone who suspects, or is concerned, they have coronavirus can go to the NHS booking website or call NHS 119 to book an appointment at the site which is open between 10-4pm

A face covering must be worn at all times by those attending the facility and they are also asked to observe social distancing guidelines while waiting.

The main symptoms of coronavirus are:

High temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)

New, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)

Loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you’ve noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal

Most people with coronavirus have at least one of these symptoms.

Results of the test will be sent to you within 24 hours and If positive, you will be provided with the appropriate advice to limit its spread.

This is something your local Liberal Democrat Councillors have been working on for some time.

I am pleased to report that a mobile testing unit will visit Shaw Tuesday – Thursday next week.

The unit will be on the Market Place/Westway car park. We have asked the team running the site if the unit can be located at the Rochdale Road end of the site if this is feasible within operational requirements.

Residents will be able to access testing by car, public transport or on foot, and tests can be booked via the gov.uk website or by calling 119.

The site will only become available for booking the day before, so the Council will make sure they do some promotion of the site from Monday onwards.

If this works well as a location for testing, then we can make further bookings for a mobile testing unit in this location.

I DO HOPE LOCAL PEOPLE WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE AND USE THIS FACILITY.

Enjoy but please follow the latest Covid-19 advice and stay safe.

Liberal Democrat Leaders from across Greater Manchester have heavily criticised last night’s shambolic announcement to impose social restrictions across the 10 Boroughs in the region in response to a rise in Covid-19 cases.

Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, said:  “It would appear that the Johnson administration with its focus on the South-East doesn’t have a handle on what’s going on in the North.”

“As well as sending mixed messages encouraging people to use restaurants and pubs by offering them discounted meals next week, people are feeling scared by confusing messaging about not being able to meet in their own gardens, but a pub beer garden is ok.”

Councillor Sykes also has real concerns about the timing of the announcements: “There are also community cohesion issues here too.  Making this announcement the night before Eid has triggered a mis-targeted blame game, when in fact we should be working together to protect against this dreadful virus.”  

“The group with the highest infection rate is young people.  The Government would do better by providing local councils, like Oldham, with more funding for our local youth services.  We need more youth workers out on our streets and on our trams working to ensure that young people take the right precautions to ensure they keep themselves and their family members safe from infection, rather than this ‘sledgehammer to crack a nut’ approach.”

“Everyone needs to understand that if we are to beat coronavirus together and stay safe, we all need to wear a mask when required by law and when if it impossible to maintain social distancing, wash our hands more frequently and for longer, and continue to rigorous observe social distancing.”

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

Local Liberal Democrat campaigner Mark Kenyon has discovered that Oldham Council’s budget for disabled parking spaces is only enough to provide five this year, even though the Council now has a backlog of 122 residents waiting, after none were provided last year.

He said: “Residents should be told what is going on when they are applying. At this rate, it would be over 20 years before the people currently on the list would get a parking space.

“The cost of getting a space put in is £3,000 per space. If it costs this much, a budget of £15,000 for the year really is a drop in the ocean. We either need to get them done for less, or get realistic about how much we would actually need to spent.”

The waiting list is only getting longer at the moment, with approval still needed for an updated policy on applications. 

Local councillor Sam Al-Hamdani said: “Budgets are tight, but there is a gulf between what is needed and how we are responding. There are always going to be more demands for money than resources, but when there is such a clear issue as this we need to talk to residents openly and clearly.

“It is no wonder that people get frustrated with our services when they disappear into a black hole of a waiting list like this. 

“National funding for councils has been cut severely, and these are the sort of services which are losing out because of it. But Oldham Council needs to tell disabled residents what is happening, and not let them think that they are in a waiting list to get a parking space, when it is not remotely realistic.”

Mark Kenyon continued: “This is not a good enough service for residents. We need a good dose of honesty and realism about this. This is a failure for the residents in our community who are most in need of our support.”

You and your family stay safe and follow the most recent Covid – 19 advice.

Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council has given a warm welcome to a recent announcement from Company Shop that families in receipt of free school meal vouchers can receive a £15 weekly top-up voucher and also take advantage of the discount prices they offer over summer, but he advises they act quickly to get in before the deadline.

Councillor Sykes said:  “Company Shop sells a wide range of surplus grocery and household products to its members at discounted prices.  It does this by working in collaboration with manufacturers and retailers from the industry.  This benefits members with stretched personal budgets to provide for their families and it ensures that perfectly good food and household items do not end up in landfill”.

Company Shop is currently offering families in receipt of free school meal vouchers an amazing offer, and Councillor Sykes wants everyone who is eligible to know about it:  “If you receive free school meal vouchers Company Shop will match them with another £15 voucher to give you £30 to spend on groceries and household products each week over the summer.  This represents a real lifeline for our hard-pressed families, especially at this time when many people in Oldham have been made recently unemployed or face redundancy”.

The promotion is open to non-members, as well as to members, of Company Shop and the free weekly £15 voucher can be claimed by anyone calling into the local store with proof that they are receiving government funded school meal vouchers.

Councillor Sykes urges everyone who can benefit to act quickly as there is a deadline to register by the end of trading hours on Saturday 1 August:  “As with all good things this must come to an end so please get down to the store as soon as you can, and do share the good news with friends, family members and neighbours who are also eligible.”

The nearest Company Shop is located at Stakehill Industrial Estate, Touchet Hall Road, Middleton M24 2SJ. Tel. 0161 655 6600. Opening hours are 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm Saturday and 10am to 4 pm Sunday. 

Details of the free £15 voucher offer can be found at:

https://www.companyshopgroup.co.uk/free£15voucher