Oldham’s foster carers have been left waiting months for a response after raising concerns about the cost-of-living with senior council figures.
Shaw representative and Liberal Democrat Opposition Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE called the situation “shameful” as he and his colleagues called for answers on behalf of local foster carers. Oldham Council has so far been unable to provide answers to foster carers in the Borough who have raised concerns about making ends meet during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. (See attached letter which is one of many councillors have received at the end of March/early April).
Councillor Sykes said, “This is an incredibly stressful time for foster carers who are rightly raising concerns about Oldham Council’s policy towards supporting them financially. Other local councils offer foster carers reimbursement through council tax exemptions and or through increased allowances but here in Oldham, the Labour administration has not made that support available.”
“People provide foster care because they want to offer children and young people a stable and loving home and they deserve supporting in that. One foster carer who is a resident in my ward has been waiting since March for any substantive response to her questions and queries. Labour cannot call themselves a ‘listening council’ when clearly aren’t listening or even responding to such a crucial group of people as those who foster. This sort of inaction is shameful, and it is just the latest example that shows just how far this Labour administration need to go just to get the basics right.”
Since July 2019 Crompton Councillor Louie Hamblett has repeatedly asked when Oldham will have its own splash of rainbow in the town centre.
While many other authorities up and down the country have painted their steps or zebra crossings in a show of support to the LGBT+ community Cllr Hamblett may have finally been told it could go ahead after nearly 4 years.
Councillor Hamblett added, “Such splashes of colour would also help to give the town both vibrancy and a fun, welcoming and uplifting feel to those who visit. It’s important to support all members of the community and this would be a great way to do it while adding that fun factor into it.”
Councillor Hamblett said “As the Liberal Democrat Diversity and Inclusion spokesperson along with being one of the openly LGBT+ members on this council, I think it’s quite poor it’s taken them this long to give me and the community an answer. I am grateful that the council have finally come to offer Oldham pride funding and other support to ensure the weekend goes ahead.
Liberal Democrat Leader and Shaw representative councillor Howard Sykes MBE is campaigning against the use of pesticides that are harmful to Bees. Pesticides containing neonicotinoid thiamethoxam are known to be extremely damaging to bees and other insect life.
Last year, the government overturned a ban on pesticides containing neonicotinoid thiamethoxam. Use of thiamethoxam had previously been banned within the European Union but Britain’s departure from the EU paved the way for the ban to be lifted.
Councillor Sykes said, “British Bees are already in danger and that makes the government’s decision to overturn this ban so disappointing. Bees are essential to the local environment as pollinators and conservationists are clear that the use of this pesticide will threaten not only bees, but also wildflowers and the human population itself as water courses could be contaminated.”
“The Liberal Democrats are calling for a UK wide ban on pesticides that contain neonicotinoid thiamethoxam. It is shameful that the Conservatives have lowered UK standards in the name of ‘Getting Brexit Done’, leading to potentially irreversible damage to our natural environment.”
Oldham’s Liberal Democrat councillors have called on government ministers to tax water companies responsible for over 750,000 sewage dumps over the last two years.
Last year the Environment Agency found that every river in England suffered from pollution. All local rivers including the Beal, Irk, Medlock and Tame rivers failed the most recent chemical pollution tests carried out by the agency.
Oldham Liberal Democrat Leader and Leader of the Opposition councillor Howard Sykes MBE said, “It’s despicable that the Conservative government has allowed these harmful sewage dumps to happen in the first place. The very least a responsible government would do is to make these polluting companies pay for the clean-up. This pollution has a lasting effect on eco-systems for aquatic, bird and insect life not to mention the effect on people who live by our watercourses, or who visit them for recreational reasons.”
“The Liberal Democrats successfully brought a motion to Oldham Council in November committing Oldham Borough to tackling river pollution. But we need Ministers in London to stand up to the big water companies and others who ride roughshod over our local environment.
“There are a number of things the government could choose to do to tackle pollution. Restoring Environment Agency funding would be a start, but we need a Sewage Tax on companies that continually harm our rivers and waterways. They aren’t going to stop unless the government makes it painful for them to continue.”
Liberal Democrat ‘Save Our Rivers’ Motion
Passed by Oldham Council – 03/11/21
This Council notes that:
Every river in England is now polluted beyond legal limits; with the Environment Agency rating only 14% as Good in 2019.
Our local rivers, the Beal, Irk, Medlock, and Tame all failed the most recent test for chemical pollution carried out by the agency.
This chemical pollution is mostly caused by sewage discharges from water companies and the run-offs of nutrients from farms.
The Rivers Irk and Tame are particularly threatened by further sewage-water discharges.
Government funding to the Environment Agency to monitor river quality and regulate farms and water companies has dropped 75% since 2010/11.
Farms are now almost never inspected, water quality is rarely tested, and water companies can pump raw sewage into rivers with virtual impunity.
In addition, tyre rubber particles, metals from brake pads, and hydrocarbons from vehicle emissions, wash off road surfaces and into rivers, endangering wildlife and potentially introducing carcinogenic material into the water supply.
Council believes that, as host nation of COP-26 (the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties) in Glasgow on 31 October – 12 November 2021, the UK Government should commit to:
Restoring Environment Agency budgets
Increasing inspections of water companies and farms, and rigorously prosecuting offenders.
Funding local and highways authorities to introduce treatment systems to prevent road pollutants from entering our water courses.
Council resolves to request the Chief Executive write to:
The Environment Minister calling for the Government to make these commitments as host nation of COP-26.
The Chief Executive of United Utilities calling for further urgent action to address the impact of wastewater discharges on our local rivers, particularly the Irk and Tame.
The Regional Director of the National Farmers’ Union requesting clarification on the action being taken locally by farmers to prevent the run-off of nutrients into our rivers.
The charity River Action expressing this Council’s support for their campaign to restore the health of Britain’s rivers. With our three MPs to be copied into this correspondence and asked for their support.
The Greater Manchester Green Spaces Fund is now live – and local groups can apply for funding.
A total of £2.6m is available across Greater Manchester for community projects that could make a real difference to residents and local areas.
Grants will be given to communities so existing green spaces can be improved or new ones created where they are needed most.
The fund makes small and large grants available, particularly where there is currently poor access to good quality green space. These projects could take place in parks, community gardens, streets, schools, housing estates, canals, streams, rivers and existing nature reserves.
Examples of the type of projects funding could support include:
Improving existing or creating new accessible green space for people and/or wildlife
Permanently greening streets
Creating new pocket parks
Community gardening and food growing
Turning paved over areas to green areas
Cleaning up and restoring streams, rivers, canals and ponds
To make things easier for applicants, several Green Spaces Fund Advisors are on hand to help with applications and offer support and guidance.
Please can you share this information with people in your wards. More information about the fund, and how to apply, can be found at www.gmenvfund.org
Oldham’s Liberal Democrat councillors have renewed their calls for Metrolink conductors/staff presence to be put in place on the Rochdale – Oldham line after it emerged that fear of anti-social behaviour preventing people using Metrolink, something the Liberal Democrats have said for several years now (2018).
Leader of the Liberal Democrats and Shaw representative councillor Howard Sykes said, “The Metrolink is a huge asset for our communities. The continuing failure of Metrolink and Oldham’s Council to tackle anti-social behaviour has led to residents telling us that they are afraid to use the tram.”
Last month, a report from Onward UK gave a damning insight into the realities of travelling around Oldham by tram. One respondent to the Onward UK study confessed they felt as though “you take your life into your hands for a £3.60 return!” Whilst CCTV cameras have been rolled out in some central Oldham stations, councillor Sykes argued that they must go further in order to make trams safe for residents.
“CCTV in Oldham town centre is welcome, but it has the effect of pushing anti-social behaviour towards other areas of the tram network. Liberal Democrat councillors have been calling for conductors to be present on our trams for many years now. It is a step that would have an immediate effect in tackling anti-social behaviour consistently, and it would go a long way in reassuring our residents. Oldham Council agreed to back conductors in July 2019 – where are they?” Asks councillor Sykes.
“This report from Onward UK is damning. It should never be the case that people feel at risk on public transport. But it needn’t be this way. It’s time for council bosses to work with Transport for Greater Manchester and back the Liberal Democrat call for conductors on trams,” he added.
Liberal Democrat Opposition Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE has called for common sense as Andy Burnham’s war of words with the government over the Clean Air Zone (CAZ) continues.
The Greater Manchester Mayor is locked in a bitter stalemate with Conservative ministers after he rejected Government proposals to limit the Clean Air Zone to Manchester City Centre only.
Councillor Sykes said, “It’s about time we had some common sense instead of bickering between Mayor Burnham and the Conservatives. The Liberal Democrats want to see people’s jobs and income protected at a time when many are struggling. Keeping CAZ free is the best way forward if we want to protect jobs during the cost-of-living crisis.”
“If the Conservative government force a charging zone on Greater Manchester then the area affected by CAZ should be kept as small as possible. In that scenario, CAZ should be limited to the City Centre.”
Councillor Sykes has recently called for Andy Burnham to come clean about how much money he has spent on the Clean Air Zone, raising concerns about CAZ road signs which have all had to be updated as the Mayors plan was placed under review.
Councillor Sykes said, “The public have a right to know what Mayor Burnham is spending their money on. He slaps Greater Manchester council taxpayers with his mayoral precept tax hikes every year, so he must answer questions about wasteful spending. The CAZ road sign fiasco is still ongoing. He spent money to put them up. He spent money correcting the signs telling us CAZ was under review. Soon he might be spending money to take them down in areas outside the City Centre. My question is how much will this now cost?”
Oldham Council has been slammed for its pitifully low recycling rates. Data from LetsRecylce.com shows that, in Oldham Borough, only 36.7% of household waste was sent for reuse, recycling or composting last year.
Labour controlled Oldham council ranks 231st on the national recycling league tables and is tied with Manchester City Council as the worst local authority in Greater Manchester for recycling.
The best local councils in the country are St. Albans, South Oxfordshire, Three Rivers and Vale of White Horse Councils. All four are run by the Liberal Democrats.
Oldham Liberal Democrat Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE said, “These figures are a disgrace. Residents expect the council to be leading on recycling. People want to do their bit for the environment, but these figures show that nearly two thirds of what we throw away isn’t getting recycled or composted, all because Labour locally can’t get the basics right.”
“We need actions not words. I’m proud that the Liberal Democrats are leading the way on recycling. Oldham’s Labour leadership has to wake up and start learning from areas of the country that are getting this right, because they are failing our environment.”
