Traffic grid lock on Beal Lane

Many of you have contacted me and other councillors about the current nightly situation with HGV grid locking up Beal Lane.

Please be assured we are doing all we can to work with the council, police and other agencies.

Below is an extract from an email about this matter we sent earlier this week by Cllr Chris Gloster who is leading on this matter on behalf of us all.

“The situation in Shaw town centre has now become untenable.  Yet again tonight I have been contacted by numerous residents who have been stuck in gridlocked traffic due to HGVs queuing to get into the Yodel site. 

Tonight traffic was all the way through Shaw up to Rochdale Road.

We have emailed Yodel, written to them, phoned them and been into the site personally but I have yet to have a positive response, in fact any response. 

When I visited, I was told that they can’t let the LGVs into the yard to clear the backlog for Health and Safety reasons.  Their Logistics are appalling.  I have also written to JD Williams who have sent me a letter in reply telling me it is down to Yodel, which it is, and they have even offered their yard for overflow to prevent gridlock.

Yodel have had enough chances and we need some sort of legal remedy to cure this, although I’m unsure what can be done.

This needs to be something done by the Council aimed at Yodel rather than the drivers who are victims of circumstance.

There are also issues of community safety ‎as regards goods vehicles with engines running are stationary  outside residential homes on Beal Lane.  The road has been identified as one of the worst for air pollution in the Borough.

 Any ideas?   I’m thinking the threat of an injunction not to obstruct Beal Lane for starters.”

Above is a video we have captured.  We will continue to pursue this matter on behalf of local residents, business and their visitors.

Bogus Callers – advice and leaflet

How to beat the bogus caller leaflet

Dear Resident,

We have been conducting House to House enquiries in the area, after reports of Burglars purporting to be Workmen have been committing offences in your area.  The offenders are very convincing. If you have not requested someone to visit your address regarding work that needs carrying out, please do not engage with them or be tricked into paying them for work you don’t need.

If you have any CCTV or information that could assist with the prompt arrest of the person(s) responsible for these crimes please contact Greater Manchester Police on 101 and ask to speak to the Shaw/Crompton neighbourhood team.

Please be vigilant. Keep a look out for suspicious vehicles.  If you notice a Red van with roof ladders on bearing the sign, “Rossendale Roofing Services” phone 101.

If you would like to talk to your Neighbourhood Officers, or have any questions please ring 0161 856 8825 or e-mail with your details and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Oldham Borough Policing Team.

Contact Details

INCIDENTS: 101 EMERGENCY: 999

GENERAL ENQUIRIES 0161 856 8825

e-mail   oldhamborough@gmp.police.uk

Surface water Buckstones Road

A number of people have been in contact regarding the surface water on Buckstones Road, Shaw (above and below 300 Buckstones Road).

I have pursued the matter with the Highways Department and I have the following to report.

Highways have been on site a few days ago and opened up the channel behind the kerb line and cleared all gullies.

There is an issue lower down with water coming off private land that Main Drainage Department is dealing with but does not appear to be the main reason for the current surface water in this area.

The opened channel is now capturing any water coming from the embankment before it reaches the highway.

The Drainage Section are due to start their investigation on the 16 November.

Shaw Road and Oldham Road temporary traffic signals

As people will be aware 2 sets of temporary signals have gone up on the above road.

I have been informed this is due to two emergencies along the Shaw Road and Oldham Road route.

The 1st set at Oldham Road, Heyside was due to a gas leak and the signals will be taken down by Thursday (16/17/2017) at the latest.

The 2nd set of signals are at Shaw Road’s junction with Windsor Street.  These are for a water burst in the carriageway and will be taken down by end of play Wednesday (15/11/2017).

Liberal Democrats slam Oldham Council’s inadequate Special Educational Needs Provision

Oldham Liberal Democrats have slammed the decline in standards for students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities in the borough.

A recent assessment has rated Oldham Council “inadequate” for its provision of students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities with students having to wait much longer than other areas for assessments for Education, Health and Care Plans.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Garth Harkness, Shadow Cabinet Member for Employment and Skills and an Autism Spectrum Disorder lead teacher at a Manchester school said:

“We have had a long standing problem in Oldham in providing the best start for our young people.  As someone who works in specialist Autism Spectrum Disorder provision myself and works closely with the Local Authority in Manchester on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities I know how important it is to provide the right support to our young people.

“In Oldham we are not doing that and it is unacceptable.  This has clearly been a problem for some time yet nobody has acted on it

“We have spent a fortune on the Oldham Education Commission but this Council has let the most vulnerable young people down in ensuring a satisfactory provision for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.”

The Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE has been very concerned for some time at the steady decline in educational performance at many of Oldham’s schools since the change in Administration in 2011.  Councillor Sykes said:

“We have spent a fortune on setting up the Oldham Education Commission yet we are bottom of the class for students getting the education place of their choice and we are providing an inadequate service at the Council for students with Special Educational Needs.

“As an opposition group we have been raising our concerns for quite some time.

“Young people with conditions like Autism, Dyslexia, learning difficulties or physical difficulties can often achieve great things if we provide the right support and bring down the barriers.  Sadly, too often in Oldham this is not happening.  Enough is enough – Oldham Council needs to have a hard look at itself and get these issues addressed.”

As always we are willing to work with the Labour Administration if they genuinely want to work with us in achieving this laudable objective.”

Notes

Question Cllr Garth Harkness gave notice of for Oldham council meeting on 8th November 2017 but was not called to ask:

I read with alarm in the press that the service provided by Oldham Council for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities is inadequate.

Bright Futures in Saddleworth, a specialist Autism provider, had to crowdfund for tribunals because the Council did not provide the support that was required.

We have had a long standing problem in Oldham in providing the best start for our young people.

And as someone who works in specialist Autism Spectrum Disorder provision myself, and works closely with the Local Authority in Manchester on provision for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, I know how important it is that we provide the right support to these young people.

Despite the Oldham Education Commission, this Council has let the most vulnerable of our young people down in failing to ensure there is satisfactory provision for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. What plan does this Administration have to address this issue?

I for one will be happy to offer my support in order that we may work together to ensure we get the best outcome for every one of our Borough’s young people.

Garth Harkness, Liberal Democrat Councillor Saddleworth North Ward, Shadow Cabinet Member for Employment and Skill

Metrolink Fare Hike represents another Blow to Hard-Up Passengers

The Leader of the Opposition and Liberal Democrat Group Leader on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has condemned the decision by the Labour-controlled Greater Manchester Combined Authority to increase Metrolink fares by almost 6% from January of next year, well above inflation, as “another blow for hard-up passengers”.

Councillor Sykes represents Oldham Council on the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee.

“This decision made by the Labour Leaders of nine of the Greater Manchester local authorities, with the support of the Greater Manchester Mayor and the Tory leader of Trafford Council, shows how out of touch they are with the financial situation of many tram passengers.  This increase comes on top of an increase of 3.6% in fares on our railways which were introduced in July of this year.”

“This is the first of three years of pain as Metrolink fares will be steadily increased year on year, but the pain will not end there as from January 2021, fares will increase annually by 1% above inflation.”

“Labour complains constantly about Tory austerity and wage freezes in the public sector and then hits passengers who are feeling the pinch with unremitting fare increases.  This is simply not fair – Metrolink is in profit.  We should be encouraging more passengers to use the service and cracking down on fare evasion to increase revenue not hammering the fare-paying passengers who already use it.”

Councillor Sykes is also concerned about the impact this increase may have on our environment:  “I repeat the comments that I made in advance of the rise in rail fares in July.  Price hikes discourage rail use and encourage passengers to get back in their cars increasing air pollution and traffic congestion – this is not good for us or for our planet or Greater Manchester.”