‘It’s no wonder our streets are so dirty,’ said Liberal Democrat Leader when he learned that Oldham Council recently revealed it only spent £845 on new bins over the last three financial years.  And zero in 2020 and 2019.

Councillor Howard Sykes MBE has complained about the failure in his own Shaw ward to replace bins at the Crompton War Memorial and the Kershaw Street Car Park.

“Labour may have promised a grand plan on tackling the rubbish and fly-tipping on our streets in coming months, but what is clear is that for years Labour has failed to spend money to replace the bins needed for people to put rubbish in.”

“Liberal Democrat Councillors recognise you need to get the basics right – and one thing we need to get right moving forward is this Labour Council making a commitment to replacing the bins we have lost.”

“Even more importantly we need an end to the boom-and-bust approach to keeping our borough clean – starve it of cash and its gets dirtier, then announce a big injection of cash.  It need constant investment and attention if we are to make a long-term real impact on litter, dog fouling and fly-tipping.”

Oldham’s valiant volunteer litter pickers cannot even get free bin bags from the Council to aid them in their work.

Liberal Democrat Leader Councillor Howard Sykes MBE was shocked to hear that the previous policy to provide them free has been changed under this Labour Administration and is currently ‘under review’.

Councillor Sykes made his request for free bags on behalf of one of his constituents and her friend:

“This lady is a keen litter picker, and has also had a friend come on board, but they have both now ran out of bags.  They have been paying for their own as they have had great difficulty getting through to the Council to request more.” 

He was surprised when he heard that the Council is ‘unable to provide any bags’ and the policy on litter picks is under review.

Responding Councillor Sykes said: “It’s a poor show when this Labour Council cannot even provide free bin bags for our wonderful local volunteers who are working so hard to make their communities clean.”

The Leader of the Oldham Liberal Democrats has written to the Leader of the Council to seek her assurance that a special council meeting will be held in the autumn to discuss the much-awaited report on historic child sexual exploitation in Oldham.

In his letter to the Leader, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE asks for sufficient time to be made available to discuss the report at the scheduled November or December meeting of the Full Council, or, as he would prefer, that ‘a special one agenda item meeting of the Full Council [be convened] as soon as is practicable after publication to enable discussion to take place.’

The Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has stated that his intention is to publish the CSE report ‘by November or, at the very latest, by the end of the year.’ The report will be the culmination of a two-year investigation into allegations of child sexual exploitation in Oldham.

In November 2019, Oldham Council and the Oldham Safeguarding Partnership commissioned the independent review from the Mayor of Greater Manchester.  Two experienced investigators, Malcolm Newsam MBE, a childcare expert, and Gary Ridgeway, formerly a senior police officer specialising in public protection, have previously concluded similar investigations at Rotherham and Manchester.

Commenting Councillor Sykes said:  “At my request, the Leader updated members at the July Council on the progress made by the investigation team.  Given the significant public and elected member interest in the findings of this report, I now hope that the Leader will agree to my request to make proper time available at a scheduled Council meeting or, as I would prefer, convene a special one-agenda item meeting to discuss this report once it is published.  In my view, this issue is simply too important to do anything else.” 

The Oldham Borough Council hereby gives Notice that no person shall cause any vehicle to proceed along that part of Buckstones Road, Shaw from its junction with Cliff Hill Road for a distance of 159 metres in a south easterly direction

The restrictions are required to repair a leaking water main and will be in force for a period of 21 days from the date of this notice or until the works are completed whichever is the lesser period. The works are expected to take 4 days.

The alternative route for those affected by the restriction shall be Milnrow Road, Crompton Way, Oldham Road, Higginshaw Road, Shaw Road, A62 Huddersfield Road, A672 Ripponden Road, Buckstones Road in both directions

Shaw and Crompton Parish council are proud announce the beating the bounds!

The walk is a circular route of about 13 miles, taking in sites including, Jubilee, Pingot Quarry, Crompton Moor, Brushes Clough, Fullwood, and Ellenroad; walkers can expect to see stunning views over the Pennines and Oldham and beyond.

The walk will leave from Dunwood Park at 09.30am Sunday 26 September 2021.

Walkers will need to be physically fit to take part in this intermediate-to-hard walk. Please bring a packed lunch and drinks sufficient for the walk together with water proofs and suitable footwear.

FOR MORE DETAIL SEE THE LINKS BELOW:

This is not a charity walk but by all means you may be sponsored on behalf of individual charities. Alternatively, you may wish to make a voluntary donation to the Chairman’s charities (Age UK and Royton, Shaw and Crompton Blind Support Group based at Downey House, Royton)

9:15am sign in at Dunwood Park café for a 9:30am start.

For more information, please contact: the Clerk to the Council, 1 Kershaw Street East, Shaw OL2 8AB, Tel. 01706 847590 / 07436 229083. Email clerk.shawcrompc@btconnect.com

OR

Councillor Joseph Beeston Chair of Events, Promotions & Grants Committee, Tel: 07340 168754, Email: cllrjoseph.beeston@yahoo.com

For details of approvals, refusals etc please clink on the link:

Police officers and the victims of crime across Greater Manchester continue to be let down by a new computer system backed by £29 million in public money from Greater Manchester’s Labour Mayor and Police and Crime Commissioner, Andy Burnham.

A report by accountants Price Waterhouse Coopers into police performance was finally published last Friday after being hidden for many months by Mayor Andy Burnham. Pressure from the Liberal Democrat Leader of Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, helped bring the findings to light.  It includes a damning litany of the inadequacies of the iOPs (Integrated Operational Policing System) system.

Councillor Sykes said:  “Police officers have complained to me about the inadequacies of iOPs from the time it was first introduced in June 2019.  The PwC report candidly records the frustration of police officers in trying to use the Police Works element of the iOPs system in the course of their day-to-day duties.  It seems to be a system that is specifically designed to help criminals because it stops police officers doing their work!”

“It has crashed repeatedly, hidden data out of sight, and takes ages to load.  Due to its failings, offenders have escaped prosecution and the victims of crime have been failed.  Not for nothing has it been called i-Oops and i-Flops,” added Councillor Sykes.

“For the last two years, I have raised my concerns with Mayor Burnham in emails and in face-to-face meetings so I am glad that the new Chief Constable Stephen Watson has in his plan for police improvements recognised the criticality of getting this right and now – for future Police performance in the fight against crime and public safety depend upon it.”

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