Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group and Leader of the Opposition on Oldham Council, is trying to rally Greater Manchester bosses around a new way to help victims of domestic abuse.  The ‘Rail to Refuge’ scheme, is an essential but little-known lifeline.  It provides a lifeline to those fleeing domestic violence.  Rail to Refuge supports victims of domestic abuse by advising them to seek safety in a refuge well away from their abuser.  There have been worries that the scheme is not well publicised and that this is a temporary fix.

Rail to Refuge helps by purchasing a rail ticket for the victim to flee a situation of abuse.  Unfortunately, the Scheme has been time limited to the Covid-19 lockdown period.  Councillor Sykes is calling for a more permanent solution because it is a good model.

Councillor Sykes said: “It is my firm belief that the scheme should NOT be time-limited.  Many victims of domestic violence will still be denied access to family finance, and so still controlled by their abuser.”

“Victims will still need access to free rail travel after Covid-19.  This is in order to flee their abusive situation,” stated Councillor Sykes.

Notes:

These tickets can be accessed through the member services of Women’s Aid Federation of England, Welsh Women’s Aid, Scottish Women’s Aid and Imkaan, once they have received an offer of a refuge place.

More information here: https://www.womensaid.org.uk/rail-to-refuge-faqs/

Copy of letter (no reply to date):

12 May 2020

Dear Andy Burnham,

Re:  Rail to Refuge Scheme

I am writing to you in connection with the ‘Rail to Refuge’ scheme, which is an essential but little publicised service providing a lifeline to those fleeing domestic violence.

I am sure that you will be as shocked as I by the huge increase in reports of domestic violence in the home during the Coronavirus lockdown.

The victims of domestic abuse are advised to seek safety in a refuge well away from their abuser, but the cost of rail travel can be prohibitive, particularly where the victim is being denied access to money by their abuser.

Commendably, in response the Rail Delivery Group, representing Britain’s Rail Operators and Network, established, in partnership with Women’s Aid, the ‘Rail to Refuge’ scheme which offers free train tickets for women and men suffering domestic violence, and their children, to travel to a recognised refuge.

These tickets can be accessed through the member services of Women’s Aid Federation of England, Welsh Women’s Aid, Scottish Women’s Aid and Imkaan, once they have received an offer of a refuge place.

Members of these organisations book the tickets via a bespoke booking system for the people they are referring to, or receiving in their refuge accommodation.

However, it is disappointing that the current nationwide ‘Rail to Refuge’ scheme has been caveated by being time-limited to only 12 weeks, or for the length of the lockdown. 

It is my firm belief that the scheme should NOT be time-limited, either by the number of weeks or the abolition of lockdown. Many victims of domestic violence will still be denied access to family finance, and so beholden to their abuser, and they will still need access to free rail travel in order to flee their abusive situation.

I am writing to you to seek your support for this position and for us to both to lobby the Rail Delivery Group and the Secretary of State for Transport to ensure this scheme is retained as a permanent programme.

Yours sincerely – Howard Sykes

https://refugeeweek.org.uk/

Liberal Democrat Councillor Chris Gloster, who has responsibility as shadow cabinet member for Finance is appealing to all Oldham Borough business owners.  This is to ensure they have applied for a business grant if they have not already done so.  

Councillor Gloster said:  “With the outbreak of Covid-19, and the subsequent lockdown, £55 million became available to fund qualifying local businesses in the sum of either £10,000 or £25,000 dependent upon the rateable value of their business premises, even if rates were not payable.  This is a grant, not a loan, and is designed to help businesses through this difficult time.  

“Currently the council have paid out in excess of £40 million, to about 80% of qualifying businesses, and have written to business premises twice to alert them to this grant.  Approximately £15 million remains in the pot that if not claimed, will have to be sent back to London under the terms of the business grants scheme.  This money needs to stay and be spent in Oldham and not given back.  Full details of the Grants Scheme including the online application form are available on the council’s main website”.  

Where someone else pays the rates, such as multi occupancy mills, funding is also available.  Details of this fund as well as the online application form can similarly be found on the council’s main website.

Councillor Gloster finished with:  “I would encourage business owners check to see if they qualify, this fund has been a lifesaver for some businesses, and I do not want people to go out of business when they can access this funding”.

Council main website: www.oldham.gov.uk

Further details if required: Councillor Chris Gloster chris.gloster@oldham.gov.uk

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

Social isolation impacts on personal mental health and physical health.  Liberal Democrat Councillors Dave Murphy and Chris Gloster bring a motion for the 17June Oldham Council meeting.  Loneliness has a significant negative impact on the community.  The idea behind Chatty Checkouts and Chatty Cafes is to get people speaking to one another. This is at designated tables in cafes and shop checkouts counters.  People can forge friendships and escape the trap of isolation.

Oldham has already begun to pioneer this idea, but the Liberal Democrats want to take this further and get Oldham Council behind it.

Councillor Murphy comments: “Councillors should be constantly to looking at new ways to solve this ever-present issue.  Oldham Borough is aspiring to be an Age-Friendly local authority.  We need to take the first step as Councillors in backing this.”

Councillor Gloster had this to say: “Loneliness and isolation don’t just affect the elderly in society.  The highest suicide rates apply to single men aged in their 40’s.  The Oldham Liberal Democrats want people from all backgrounds to get talking.  Together we can combat the evils of segregation.”

The Council meeting will be held on 17June and starts at 6pm.

Copy of Motion:

Council June 17, 2020 – Notice of Opposition Business, Motion 3 – Chatty Checkouts and Cafés

Social isolation impacts on personal mental health and physical health.  This also has a negative impact on the community.  Councillors should be committed to looking at innovative ways of addressing this issue.  This commitment must form part of Oldham Borough aspiring to be an Age-Friendly local authority.

Council notes that:

• In the UK the Chatty Café Scheme (https://thechattycafescheme.co.uk/) has been established with 900 participating outlets so far offering opportunities for customers to converse at Chatter and Natter Tables.  Costa Coffee has become the scheme’s first national partner.
• The Pub in the Hub scheme is offering support to public houses joining the scheme.
• In the Netherlands Chatter Checkouts have been introduced in supermarkets, dedicated lanes where interaction between the customer and staff member is purposefully expected to take longer as conversation forms part of the transaction.
• Local authority run premises, such as libraries, leisure centres, and the local markets; health centres and hospitals run by the NHS; and pubs, cafes, shopping centres and retail parks run by business partners have potential to host such schemes.
• Operators of supermarkets and other retailers in the Borough may wish to establish Chatter Checkouts, maybe at quieter times of the trading week.
• There will be many people suffering from mental ill-health from the isolation of lockdown measures following the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Council resolves to:

• Ask the Chief Executive to write to the Chatty Café Scheme offering this Council’s support after Coronavirus lockdown measures have lifted.
• Ask the Overview and Scrutiny and Health Scrutiny Boards, in consultation with Age UK Oldham and District Teams, to 1.  Examine the practicalities of introducing Chatter and Natter Tables in Council premises, 2.  Identify where they could be established, 3.  Identify how referrals to such provision might form part of social prescribing.
• Ask the Chief Executive to write to Town Centre Partnership Board and major supermarket chains in the Borough for their views and suggestions for establishing Chatter and Natter Tables and Chatter Checkouts.
• Ensure that the Council’s website has a link to the Chatty Café Scheme.
• Engage with local market stall holders and vendors asking them to participate.

Proposed by:  Councillor Dave Murphy, Seconded by: Councillor Chris Gloster                                                         

Liberal Democrat Councillors Diane Williamson and Hazel Gloster want to make centres of the community more accessible.  They wish to set aside funding and offer improved access for those with mobility issues.  Councillor Williamson and Councillor Gloster bring forward a proposal to do just this to the 17June Oldham Council meeting.

The motion wishes Oldham Council to partner with: Age UK, Alzheimer’s Society, Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), Action on Hearing Loss and other charities to carry out assessment of buildings and shopping areas.  Then, with the funding set aside the improvements will be made.

Councillor Williamson says: “Covid-19 has pushed elderly and ‘at-risk’ people from our high streets.  This motion aids those made vulnerable by Covid-19 to make an easier return to accessing what our communities have to offer.”

Councillor Gloster states: “We want to see the provision of ramps, hand rails, additions to entrances, removal of steps. These plus any necessary alterations needed to make our district shopping centres become more accessible.”

The Council meeting will be held on 17June and starts at 6pm.

Copy of Motion:

Council June 17, 2020 – Notice of Opposition Business, Motion 2 – Accessible Shopping Districts

Council notes that:

• Regulations are in place so that future improvements are Disability Discrimination Act compliant.
• That there are low-cost improvements businesses can make.
• Charities and Oldham Council can support and provide better guidance as to what those improvements might be.
• There is proven success in directly investing in our town and district centres.
• That all members need to be aware of dementia awareness training available.
• Oldham Council knows simple steps that can be taken to improve the use of the shops for people with dementia in our communities.
• Improvements such as these would help and support the local economy.

Council resolves to:

• Set up a district panel like that of the High Street Grants scheme.  This is where local elected members have an input and approval of applications to ensure an accessible commercial centre with the Cabinet Member having the final say on applications. 
• To ask Highway Engineers to carry out inspections of shopping area footways to ensure they meet current guidelines.  It doesn’t matter if this is in a town centre or a row of shops on an estate, accessible shopping must take place right across our Borough.
• Ask that an assessment of shopping area and town centre signage is clear and that brail information points are installed across these zones.
• Prepare a guidance campaign for businesses that could be used to raise accessibility awareness in commercial districts.
• Refer motion to Overview and Scrutiny and ask the mover and seconder to be part of any investigation.
• Read the report on Town Centres by Trailblazers a group of disabled campaigners from across the UK titled “Short-changed” to see if there is anything that we can learn from the report findings.

Proposed by: Councillor Diane Williamson, Seconded by: Councillor Hazel Gloster

Since October 2013, then journalist and now Prime Minister Boris Johnson called for employees to be ‘allowed to pay for their season tickets from their pre-tax income.’

Oldham Liberal Democrat Councillors Garth Harkness and Louie Hamblett are now calling the Prime Minister’s bluff.  This is with a new motion to the first Oldham Council meeting since the start of the Coronavirus Pandemic.  The idea behind the policy is to make a saving for passengers whilst actively encouraging people to reinvest in public transport.

The scheme would be on seasonal travel tickets throughout the public transport network in Greater Manchester.  Passengers would save hundreds of pounds a year.

Councillor Harkness comments:  “It will be interesting to see if the Prime Minister makes good on this.  After all, it is his idea!  Tax relief for public transport is a great way for workers and businesses to cooperate.”

 “Public health comes first.  However, whilst we all must be cautious when using public transport, we should still invest ourselves in its worth.  If not now, then when things return to normal.”  Said Councillor Hamblett.

The Council meeting will be held on 17^th June and starts at 6pm.

Copy of Motion:

Council June 17, 2020 – Notice of Opposition Business, Motion 1 – Tax relief for Public Transport

This Council notes that:

• In his article for the Daily Telegraph ‘Tax Relief just the Ticket’ (6 October 2013), then journalist Boris Johnson called for employees to be ‘allowed to pay for their season tickets from their pre-tax income.’

• The impact of such a scheme would mean that employees would have less taxable income reducing their liability for income tax and national insurance and the employer would also save on national insurance contributions.
• The economy has been hit by the Coronavirus Pandemic.  This would be an easing measure for people returning to public transport.
• An annual season ticket costs a Metrolink tram commuter from Shaw to Manchester £1,154, a Train commuter from Greenfield to Manchester is £1,208, and a Bus commuter with First Manchester is £670.
• Such a tax-relief scheme would represent a significant financial saving for Oldham Borough’s commuters and be a real kickstart to the local economy.
• Council further notes that now Mr Johnson is Prime Minister he has it within his power to put his aspirations for tax relief on seasonal travel tickets into practice.

Council resolves to:

• Council resolves to ask the Chief Executive to write to the Prime Minister and Chancellor of The Exchequer to request that this Government introduce such a tax-relief scheme.
• This would be on seasonal travel tickets (following the principles outlined in Mr Johnson’s Telegraph article in 2013) making this effective as soon as possible.
• Write to the Mayor of Greater Manchester saying that we all should support such a scheme.

Proposed by: Councillor Garth Harkness , Seconded by: Councillor Louie Hamblett                                                                      

Repairs will be taking place on Buckstones Road, over the weekend period, to patch the fault in the road that has re-opened in the vicinity of Grains Road; traffic will be controlled by temporary signals.   

Signs are currently in place asking motorists to ‘Slow Down Uneven Road’ until the signals can be erected.

https://www.cyclinguk.org/bikeweek

Following a recent Group meeting in May, the Oldham Borough Liberal Democrat Group has announced their appointment, unanimously and un-opposed, of Councillor Howard Sykes MBE as their Leader and Councillor Chris Gloster as their Deputy Leader. 

Councillor Sykes has also announced the appointment of his Shadow Cabinet Team for 2020/21.

Councillor Howard Sykes said: “I am delighted and honoured that Chris and I have once again received the unanimous support of our party colleagues.  The Liberal Democrats remain the only effective opposition holding Labour to account on Oldham Council.”

“Citizens can rest assured that the Oldham Liberal Democrats will continue to oppose Labour’s waste, inefficiency and centralisation tendancies and we will always speak up for fair treatment for our residents and for value-for-money services and common sense solutions”.  He added.  “As ever, the Liberal Democrats remain the only party holding Labour to account on Oldham Council, and we shall continue to take that responsibility seriously.”

Shadow Cabinet Members:

Councillor	Portfolio
Howard Sykes	Economy and Skills (Opposition Leader) HR & Corporate Reform
Garth Harkness	Education
Hazel Gloster	Children and Young People
Louie Hamblett	Health and Social Care
Dave Murphy	Neighbourhoods and Culture
Diane Williamson	Covid 19 Recovery
Sam Al-Hamdani	Housing & Homelessness
Chris Gloster	Finance and Low Carbon (Opposition Deputy Leader)

Group Officers:

Councillor	Role
Howard Sykes	Group Leader
Chris Gloster	Deputy Group Leader
Dave Murphy	Group Chair
Diane Williamson	Group Secretary
Hazel Gloster	Group Treasurer
Garth Harkness	Group Political Secretary

 Official Spokespersons / Lead Members on Boards and Committees:

Councillor	Board / Committee
Chris Gloster	Audit Committee
Garth Harkness	Performance and Value for Money Committee
Diane Williamson	Overview and Scrutiny Board
Hazel Gloster	Planning Committee
Chris Gloster	Licensing Committee
Diane Williamson	Standards Committee
Dave Murphy	Petitions and Traffic Regulation Orders

 District Leads:

Name of Councillor	District
Diane Williamson	Lead, Shaw and Crompton
Sam Al-Hamdani	Official Spokesperson, Saddleworth and Lees