BUCKSTONES ROAD SHAW – Road closure – 18 January 2021 for 5 days

TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF DRIVING  NOTICE 2021

Carriageway Parching Works for 5 days from Monday 18th January 2021

The Oldham Borough Council hereby gives Notice that no person shall cause any vehicle to proceed in that part of Buckstones Road, Shaw from Grains Road to Shore Edge Methodist Church 

The restrictions are required to facilitate carriageway patching works and will be in force for 5 daysfrom Monday 18th January 2021 between 9am and 5pm or until the works are completed whichever is the lesser period 

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

Liberal Democrats say Conservatives should buzz-off with their pesticide threat to British bees

The Conservative Government has just overturned a promise they made not to allow farmers to use bee-harming pesticides on their fields. 

Use of the neonicotinoid thiamethoxam has just been permitted for emergency use on sugar beet seeds this year, despite an explicit pledge the Government made to maintain a ban.  Neonicotinoids are known to be extremely harmful to bees, and Britain’s bee population is already in serious decline.

Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Leader, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, thinks the government should buzz off with their threat to one of Britain’s best-loved insects.

Commenting he said: “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.”

“It is notable that the ban on neonicotinoids which applies across Europe has been lifted here in Britain as one of the very first acts of this Conservative Government upon leaving the European Union.  ‘Taking back control’ clearly means in this case contaminating your own country, destroying the eco-system and further damaging the already fragile bee population of Britain.”

RAPID TESTING

This is the latest news on the Coronavirus rapid testing plans for asymptomatic people particularly our resident facing key workers and staff that find it difficult to socially distance in their workplace.

The good news is that from Monday 18th January they will begin testing at four sites at Oldham (times and details on the link below). These are:

  • Shaw Life Long Learning – 6 High St, Shaw, Oldham, OL2 8RQ
  • Failsworth Town Hall – Oldham Road, Failsworth, M35 0FJ
  • Oldham Community Leisure Centre – Middleton Road, Oldham, OL9 6AF
  • Uppermill Civic Hall – Lee Street, Uppermill, Saddleworth, OL3 6AE

https://www.oldham.gov.uk/info/201170/coronavirus/2557/coronavirus_book_a_free_test/4

This asymptomatic testing will play an important part in Oldham’s continuing attempts to contain, manage and ultimately defeat Coronavirus.

Who is this test available to:

•           Anyone working with the public

•           Anyone working in a shared workplace

•           Anyone performing a key worker task who can’t ‘work at home’

No appointment is necessary, however invited people will need to bring identification which confirms place of work or status as a key worker, for example work identification badge or key work letter. 

Over the course of this week you will begin to see these sites being set up. This will include involvement by military who have been seconded onto the project by the Government.

Massive incinerator planned

Plans for a major industrial incinerator on the edge of Shaw, at the Mossdown Industrial Estate beside Metrolink, are to be submitted shortly.  Waste is likely to be brought in through Royton via Broadway and Shaw via Milnrow Road, a likely 18,000 extra HGV journeys a year.

While the site is in Royton, emissions and traffic from this plant will impact on Shaw and Crompton. “We are supporting local groups and will be actively opposing this development,” stated Councillor Howard Sykes.

Shaw Liberal Democrat Councillors ensure plans for former Weavers Answer PH open for public comments and considered by Council Planning Committee

A Planning Application has been submitted to Oldham Council seeking to convert the former Weavers Answer public house on Milnrow Road, Shaw into an 18-room temporary homeless hostel.

A planning application was eventually submitted towards the end of November after Shaw Ward Liberal Democrat Councillors asked Oldham Council planning enforcement officers to visit the premises twice to investigate apparently unauthorised works that were taking place. 

After their intervention and to ensure that the planning application is properly considered in the public arena, local councillors exercised their right to ask that the application be considered by councillors at a meeting of the full Planning Committee rather than decided by planning officers under delegated powers.

Liberal Democrat Councillor for the Shaw Ward, Howard Sykes MBE said: “Once we became aware of the initial unauthorised works we ensured action was taken to address this, and upon being told an application had been submitted, in early December 2020, we asked that this application be considered by a meeting of the full Planning Committee, rather than just planning officers.”

“The public consultation with neighbours has been limited to only seven addresses, as is required by planning law, but our actions will ensure that all residents can still make their views known and these will be considered as late as the day of the meeting of the Planning Committee.  This date has yet to be determined,” he added.

“I am also pleased report the rubbish and fly-tipping left when a large refuse skip was removed from the site has also been reported for action last week,” stated Councillor Howard Sykes.

Shaw and Crompton Parish Council, as a statutory consultee, will also consider the application at its own Planning Committee meeting on 26th January 2021 after which their views will form part of the report considered by Oldham Council’s Planning Committee.

Residents are encouraged to share their views on the Oldham Council website planning portal under reference FUL/ 345796/20.  You can search for the application at:

https://www.oldham.gov.uk/info/200351/planning/1866/search_for_an_application

 

Business support

Coronavirus support is available to employers and the self-employed, including sole traders and limited company directors. People may be eligible for loans, tax relief and cash grants, whether their business is open or closed.

To find out what support is available for specific businesses, use the business support finder online here.

A summary of the national support offer is below:

  • Government has extended the furlough scheme until the end of April 2021. The government will cover the cost of 80 per cent of the wages of furloughed employees for hours not worked – employers will only be asked to cover NICs and pension contributions.
  • The self-employed scheme has also been extended until April 2021. This third grant, covers 80 per cent of average trading profits between November and January 2021, capped at £7,500 in total. A fourth grant, to cover February to April, will be introduced in due course.
  • Businesses forced to close can claim grants of up to £3,000 per month. For businesses with a rateable value of between £15,000 and £51,000, the amount is £2,000 per month, and for businesses with a rateable value of £15,000 or below, the amount is £1,334 per month.
  • Retail, hospitality and leisure businesses forced to close can claim a one-off grant of up to £9,000. This is £6,000 for businesses with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000; or £4,000 for businesses with a rateable value of £15,000 or below.
  • Councils are to be given an additional £500 million discretionary funding to support their local businesses. We will share more information on this when we have it.
  • All “wet-led” pubs in areas that were in Tiers 2, 3, or 4 for any part of December will receive £1,000 as a Christmas Support Payment. This will be administered by local authorities, and we will share more information on this when we can.

Barred!! New Year blow to hospitality industry

Under the latest government lockdown restrictions pubs and restaurants will be barred from selling alcohol to take away from their licensed premises or by click and collect.  The new ruling means that from today they can only sell alcohol if it is delivered to their customers’ homes.

Liberal Democrat Leader, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, thinks that is just plain wrong.  Commenting he said: “Anyone can go to a supermarket, corner shop or off-licence to buy booze and take it away, but from this week our struggling pubs, micro-breweries and restaurants will be unable to.  They can continue to sell food to customers from their premises, so why can’t they buy a few pints of fresh cask ale to go with it.”

“I asked the Council Leader at the December meeting of Oldham Council if we could publicise those local breweries and pubs which are making off-sales as this has proven to be a financial lifeline for them; now they cannot make off-sales unless they deliver.  Many of the smaller outlets will be unable to do this.”

“With this announcement, the Prime Minister has dealt yet another body blow to our struggling hospitality industry and I fear that if this lockdown lasts until Spring many of our pubs and smaller breweries will be permanently closed.”

Council staff can be ‘eyes and ears’ in ongoing fight against child sex abuse

Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Councillors want Oldham Council staff to be trained to become ‘eyes and ears’ in the community to help detect instances of child sexual exploitation.

Oldham Council has recently asked all Councillors to complete a mandatory training module into combatting child sexual exploitation. This is being delivered by experts in this field from the renowned Barnardo’s Charity.

Councillor Sykes would like to see similar training made available to Council staff who regularly meet the public in person or speak to residents over the telephone, such as street cleaners, refuse collectors or call centre operatives.  He said:  “Although social workers and child care workers would routinely receive such training and would be aware of what signs to look out for, it would be very valuable to have other council staff in front-line roles trained to be our eyes and ears when they are out in the community.”

Councillor Sykes has recently written to the Council’s Chief Executive with this suggestion and since received a positive response.

Letter sent to the Chief Executive and the Director of Workforce and Organisational Design on 10 December 2020

Dr Carolyn Wilkins OBE, Chief Executive, Oldham Council

Cc Julia Veall, Director of Workforce and Organisational Design

Dear Dr Wilkins,

I wanted to write to you in support of the proposal that elected members shall in future attend a new training session on ‘child sexual abuse and exploitation’ on a mandatory basis as part of the Member Development Programme.  I wondered if we could extend this kind of training to other key staff members who in the course of their duties work in community settings and provide services directly to the public?

Although elected members can, and must, play an important contribution in safeguarding, there are many other staff who, whilst not working specifically with children and young people, can be our ‘eyes and ears’ when working out in the community – for example, street cleaners or refuse collectors – or dealing with members of the public over the telephone – call centre operatives – and perhaps, given current budgets, a modified version of the member training could also be made mandatory for such staff?

I shall look forward to receiving your comments.

Best wishes and stay safe.

Councillor Howard Sykes MBE