Hope you can join me this Sunday, our tasks being subject to the availability of the ‘Landie’, and a short length of drainage pipe !
The weather
forecast for Sunday is light rain and a moderate breeze, likely
temperatures of 9º/11º and 11 mph winds (hardly a moderate breeze!) so ensure
you have your favourite hot & or cold liquids, warm clothing, appropriate
footwear and a packed lunch if you are up for the day – it may feel colder than
it really is depending on where we are on the moor.
If you have any
issues that you may wish to discuss prior to Sunday, please do not hesitate to
email (on either address) or text / phone me on 07961107860.
For those of
you that have not already done so, please could you let me know if you
intend to join us on the day.
I look forward
to seeing you in the Crompton Moor Car Park from 10.30 onwards on Sunday. Thank
you.
Kindest Regards – Edward John Fulton (aka Ed / Eddie). Countryside Volunteer Ranger, (Mob) 07961 107860 [Calls may be recorded], (Text) 07961 107860, (Fax) 01706 61813, (E) edward@edwardjohnfulton.uk , (E) edward.fulton@btinternet.uk
The
Liberal Democrats are the only effective opposition to Labour. Oldham’s four
Conservative Councillors say and do nothing’. The eight Liberal Democrats speak
up on the issues that affect you, challenge Labour when their decisions hurt our
borough’s residents, and seek improvements to Council services.
Oldham
Council has lost £208 million a year from its budget because of Conservative
Government cuts and services are under serious threat.
We
believe that Oldham Council must get the basics right. In our ‘alternate annual budgets’ we have
found more money for:
street
and gully cleaning;
tackling
fly-tipping and dog-fouling;
resurfacing
roads and fixing pot holes; and
youth
services.
We
would pay for this by cutting back on Civic Centre bureaucracy.
We
would also reduce the number of councillors from 60 to 40.
We have made
proposals to revitalise our town and district centres, improve our environment
and public transport, and tackle the poverty that is still so prevalent in the
Borough.
The
Liberal Democrats also remain implacably opposed to the monstrous green land
grab represented by the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework.
This
Framework comes from the ten Labour Council Leaders and the Labour Mayor of Greater
Manchester, following instructions from a Conservative Government which wants
to build 50,000 more homes than are necessary.
The
Liberal Democrats oppose any housing or industrial development on our irreplaceable
green belt and open land. There are
enough brownfield sites and derelict or empty buildings to accommodate any new
housing or businesses.
We
believe that empty homes should be brought back into use, empty mills and shops
converted into houses, and that more homes can be built in Oldham town centre
where the amenities are located, rather than burden our outer districts where infrastructure
is lacking.
In
Saddleworth, smaller sites, some of them astoundingly unsuitable for development have been
offered up by Labour for housing in the next phase of the project.
In Springhead
the green spaces of Thornley Brook and Ashbrook are under threat again, with
developers currently appealing against the recent decision to reject their
plans. We will continue to campaign
against the development which would turn vital green space into executive
homes.
In
Shaw and Crompton, Labour closed our swimming baths, our youth centre, and our
municipal tip. Labour has failed to
address the shortage of local school places or replace our aging health centre.
We believe that a new larger health
centre with more specialist services should also be built to serve the people
of Saddleworth.
This
year, please vote Liberal Democrat to elect Councillors who:
Are
not afraid to face the challenges in local government head on – delivering on
the basics like cleaner streets, fly-tipping, safer roads, and better schools while
squeezing better value from your Council Tax.
Put
people and communities first.
Are
totally opposed to building on our green belt.
With
the Liberal Democrats you will get Local Councillors who are on your side!
Commenting on the news that the Government has missed its own deadline for a fifth time
in failing to publish details of care system reforms for disabled adults and
older people, the Leader of the Opposition and the Liberal Democrat
Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, said:
“It is inexcusable that while
people with social care needs are no longer receiving the care they need
because of a lack of resources, causing distress to individuals and their
families and putting additional strain on the NHS, the Conservative Government
has yet again shown how uncaring it is by kicking the can down the road.”
“The Conservatives are so
distracted with Brexit, that one of their key policy promises at the last
election – to fix the problems in social care – is being completely ignored. The Government said it was going to first publish
the social care green paper in the summer of 2017, but it has been put back
again and again. The Health Secretary Matt Hancock
told Members of Parliament in January of this year that he would publish by April
2019 and now he has again reneged on that promise.”
Councillor
Sykes added: “The delay has had a real impact on older people. Shockingly Age
UK claims that 50,000 older people have died whilst waiting for the promised
support.”
“The Liberal
Democrats have repeatedly called on the Government to publish its Green Paper
as a first step to tackling the crisis in social care, and we stand ready and
willing to face the challenges in social care. We would transform the care older people
receive and reduce the inequality in provision, and we would put a penny in the
pound on income tax to directly invest in social care as a first step to
address the funding crisis. Our older
people deserve nothing less. How we
treat them speaks volumes about the type of society we wish to live in!”
The Leader
of the Opposition and the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor
Howard Sykes MBE. has roundly condemned the Conservative Government for unilaterally
withdrawing a £68 million housing fund promised to Greater Manchester that
would have mostly been used to make brownfield sites suitable for housing
redevelopment.
The Outline Housing
Package, agreed in 2017 between the Government and the ten local authorities in
Greater Manchester, included £50m to help remediate brownfield land.
Councillor Sykes added: “Greater Manchester was the
location of the first industrial revolution.
Oldham Borough was at the heart of the cotton industry. Consequently, many of our brownfield sites
suffer from significant contamination, which is the result of previous
industrial use as cotton mills; chemical and coal gas plants; coal mines; and
dye works. It has been estimated that
remediation costs on average at least £250,000 per acre and redevelopment is
often unaffordable without this subsidy.”
Councillor
Sykes said: “Put more bluntly this is effectively the Conservatives forcing local
authorities to build on our precious green belt and this illustrates their
complete hypocrisy when their own supposed policy is to encourage Councils to
‘maximise the contribution’ of brownfield sites in meeting housing need. Locally Liberal Democrats remain opposed
to whole sale green belt development and we always will be.”
Note:The reference to ‘maximising
the contribution’ of brownfield sites comes from the Conservative Government’s
own White Paper ‘Fixing our Broken Housing Market’.
The Leader of the Opposition
and the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE has
welcomed recent news that the Animal Welfare (Service Animals) Act (more
commonly known as Finn’s Law) has finally been given Royal Assent and entered
the statute books.
The new law will give
additional legal protection to dogs and horses serving alongside police
officers or other emergency services personnel. It means that anyone causing
such an animal suffering commits a serious offence in England and Wales.
Councillor Sykes said: “These
animals serve bravery, loyally and selflessly alongside police officers
tackling criminals and they deserve our thanks for their work and our
protection when they are injured. This legislation came from an incident where
a German Shepherd dog called Finn was brutally stabbed by a thug he was trying
to apprehend in Hertfordshire. Despite being badly injured in the attack, Finn
held onto the offender until help arrived. Finn’s owner PC Dave Wardell also
credited Finn with saving his own life as he was also injured in the incident.”
Before the change in
legislation, offenders injuring such a dog faced only criminal damage charges.
Councillor Sykes added: “The Oldham Liberal Democrats brought a motion to Oldham Council, in December 2017, recognising that animals have sentience, feeling and emotions and that they feel pain and can be traumatised by suffering. I am pleased to say that Finn did ultimately recover from his life-threatening injuries, but he was forced to retire. Finn’s Law finally recognises that animals are more than just property, and I welcome it.”
If you did not apply
for a postal vote but will be unable to vote in person, you may want to find
out about applying to vote by proxy.
Proxy voting – appoint someone to cast your vote
A proxy vote is for
when you cannot get to the polling station on polling day so you appoint
somebody to cast your vote for you.
Your appointed person
must be allowed to vote in UK elections and willing to vote for you.
You can only appoint
someone to cast your vote if:
You are an overseas
or service voter
You have a physical
disability
You are away from
home due to work or a course
In all these cases
(except if you are registered blind) you must ask someone to certify on your
application that the reason is valid (for example, your doctor or employer).
You can contact the
Elections Office for an application form or download one from the About My Vote
website.
