Anyone can ask to vote by post.
If you don’t want to vote in person, or cannot due other commitments (work/ill/away etc.) at the elections on Thursday 4 May, 2023, for any reason, then you can apply for a postal vote by writing to:
Elections Office, Oldham Council, West Street, Oldham OL1 1UL. Or calling: 0161 770 4718. Or emailing: elections@oldham.gov.uk
Completed applications need to be returned NO LATER than 5pm on Tuesday 18 April.
The Leader of Oldham Council’s Liberal Democrat Opposition, councillor Howard Sykes MBE has called on Oldham Council bosses to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.
Councillor Sykes said, “On Friday February 24th, it will be a year since Putin invaded Ukraine. I have called on Oldham’s leadership to respectfully mark the date that Putin made war in Europe a terrible reality once again.”
In a letter to the Oldham’s Chief Executive, councillor Sykes said, “Over the last year, we have seen the horror and hardship that the people of Ukraine have been subjected to at the behest of a tyrant. But we have also seen the bravery and courage of ordinary Ukrainians in defence of their homeland.”
“Most people I have spoken to expect the Council to lead on an appropriate marking of this very tragic event 12 months ago,” added councillor Sykes.
Oldham Liberal Democrat Leader and GM Transport spokesperson councillor Howard Sykes MBE has called on Greater Manchester’s transport bosses to consider a trial period for allowing bicycles on trams.
Councillor Sykes said, “We should be focused on making public transport as accessible to as many people as possible and as joined up with other forms of active travel as possible. Greater Manchester’s Transport should explore the possibility of allowing people to bring cycles onto trams on a trial basis.”
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) recently concluded a successful trial for dogs on trams, which resulted in the policy being made permanent earlier in January.
Councillor Sykes said, “I first called for dogs to be allowed on trams more than eight years ago. Hopefully it doesn’t take TfGM another eight years to bring forward a trial for bikes. There will be some complications because extra space and storage will be required. Trams may require some adaptations and we’ll need to see proper dual-carriage services consistently throughout peak times. They may also have to be a limit at times on the number allowed.”
“But these are problems we need to be able to solve because demand for Metrolink services has never been higher. People want choices when they travel, and our public transport system has to reflect that.”
Following the Earthquakes across Turkey and Syria and the unfolding humanitarian disaster, Action Together has updated its international crisis support info on the website, with information on on how local people can help if they want to.
For more details follow the link here.
Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Opposition Leader and GM transport spokesperson councillor Howard Sykes MBE has again called for “common sense” on Greater Manchester ‘clean air zone’ proposals. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is expected to announce the latest on the Clean Air Zone soon following indications from the government that they will allow/force a charging zone to go ahead.
Councillor Sykes said, “The Tory Government and the GM Mayor must finally show some common sense. Everyone can see the original proposals were oversized and ridiculous. If anything, we need a very small city centre Clean Air Zone and for the charges to be scrapped. Why on Earth would we want to see more costs heaped onto the people of Oldham during a cost-of-living crisis?”
The Liberal Democrat Leader also slammed a “staggering waste of money” on Clean Air Zone signage across Oldham and Greater Manchester.
Councillor Sykes said, “Last year, the Liberal Democrats revealed that Clean Air Zone signs across Greater Manchester costed more than £3million. It’s a staggering waste of money given the future and scope of the scheme is still unclear.”
NOTES
CAZ signs costed more than £3m
Howard Sykes MBE, and leader of Oldham Councils’ Liberal Democrat Opposition said, “For all the talk of levelling up, the Council and the Government have had a decade to really make a difference for our town.”
In 2013, a ten-year refurbishment of the Oldham Coliseum building triggered a raft of plans to rejuvenate arts and culture in Oldham.
Councillor Sykes said, “Instead, plans came and went. The clock was run down, until the Arts Council pulled the rug from under the feet of an organisation that was only just still standing. Now the Coliseum has simply run out of time and resources. A decade of missed opportunities from the Government and the Labour Council have brought us to this situation.”
In 2013, proposals for a new building collapsed. In 2019, the same happened again. Then in 2022, a third set of plans reduced the options to a much smaller 260 seat theatre (the current capacity is 550 and would lead to major changes regardless), one which would not open until at least 2026, and that is now in doubt. There have been 10 wasted years and the window to do something has now been slammed shut
Councillor Sykes said, “If the Oldham Labour administration had put more time and effort on this jewel in Oldham’s crown instead of wasting it on failures like Prince’s Gate and Hotel Futures, we would now have a brand new theatre and a safe and thriving Coliseum.”
While the plans for a smaller theatre are approaching the planning stage, they are heavily watered down from the original proposals in size and scale.
Councillor Sykes said, “It’s heart-breaking to see the old building close. When I saw the panto this year, I did not think that it was the last time I would get to see one in the old building. I remember taking my children to see their first panto there and can recall being taken as a child myself!”
“What a travesty it is that future generations stand to miss out on this jewel in Oldham’s crown. I have signed the “Save Oldham Coliseum” petition and I encourage people in our Borough and beyond to do the same, more than 7.500 people already have. We need to make our voice heard.”
Save Oldham Coliseum
https://chng.it/fKj7SQmTnP
