She deserves your support.

Labour and Conservative live miles away.

Hazel Gloster.

Do not forget your ID on Thursday.

One day to go.

1,069 Oldham residents get £60 vouchers after councillor identifies payment problem

Over 1,000 residents in Oldham have been sent a voucher for £60 after Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani identified that they had been missed off for a household support fund payment over Christmas.

After a resident had contacted him because their mother had not received the voucher, he organised her payment, but also asked why the problem had happened and if it had affected anyone else.

After pursuing the issue for three months, it was identified that the Department of Work and Pensions had changed the way in which they provided the qualifying data to the Council, which hadn’t been picked up. Once it was, and the data was processed correctly, an extra 1,069 residents were identified who had not received the initial payment.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani said: “I was frankly taken aback when I saw the number of people that it had affected.

“Both the council officers and I wanted to make sure that the problem couldn’t happen again. They did all the hard work of tracking down how the data from the Department of Work and Pensions had changed, resulting in it not getting processed properly. I just kept asking the question ‘Why has this happened?’.”

The payments are made to carers, disabled residents and housing benefit claimants who are not in receipt of Council Tax reductions.

Sam continued: “As a councillor, you take care of the problems that people come to you with, regardless of the number of people it affects. In this case, I started off just fixing one payment for one person.

“It’s definitely not every day that you end up doing something that benefits over 1,000 people. But it’s the sort of thing that you can only do by doing this job, and it really makes it worthwhile.”

West Street and West Street Bus Station closed 13 – 19 May 24.

This is a total closure, and no vehicles will be allowed on West Street. Most bus services have been relocated onto Cheapside Bus Station, except for the 409 Service which will continue on Rochdale Road both directions omitting the Bus Station.

Cheapside Bus Station will be extremely busy for the week, bus drivers have been asked to arrive as late as possible to their departure times as they may be asked to load and go in exceptional circumstances, or to circle around if the Stand is busy.

Sykes hits out at government delay on single-use plastics deposit scheme

Oldham Liberal Democrat Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE has hit out after the government announced further delays to its long-awaited deposit scheme for single-use plastic bottles.  The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) announced a two-year delay to the plans, which were first promised under David Cameron’s government.  No new policy is expected before 2027.

Councillor Sykes said, “We’ve gone through four Prime Ministers since a deposit return scheme was first promised.  And yet it will be nearly a decade until they have something to show for it.”

“How many millions of single-use plastic bottles have been used and gone into landfill in the time that the government have wasted on this?” 

Scottish councils already have single-use plastic deposit schemes in place after a new policy came into play in Scotland on March 1^st of this year.  England and Wales are lagging behind as fresh disagreements emerged between government officials on whether glass bottles should be included in the scheme.

Locally, councillor Sykes and his Liberal Democrat colleagues have criticised Oldham Council after it was revealed that single-use plastic cups were still in use inside council buildings nearly six years after the council voted to ban them. 

Councillor Sykes said, “Oldham Council and the government seem to be locked into a competition over who can take the least action on this.  Oldham Council supported a Liberal Democrat motion banning single-use plastics in Council buildings back in March 2018.  Yet earlier this year those plastics were still in use.  It is not good enough.”

“The government needs to end the delay and introduce a deposit scheme for single-use bottles so that people can recycle more easily.  Stop the bickering and get on with it.”

More from Oldham Liberal Democrats on single-use plastics
Single-use plastics still in use at Oldham Council nearly six years after they voted to ban them – Howard Sykes (mycouncillor.org.uk)

Chamber Road Shaw One Way Emergency Notice – Cadent Gas repairs 29 April.

The restrictions are required to allow Cadent Gas emergency repairs 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 alternative route for those affected by the restriction shall be B6194 Rochdale Road and A663 Crompton Way.

Election FACTS.

Oldham Liberal Democrats back RSPCA Manifesto for animal welfare   

Oldham Liberal Democrats have backed RSPCA’s local government manifesto for animal welfare which aims to encourage councils to step up animal welfare measures. 

RSPCA’s manifesto includes measures to promote responsible pet ownership, preserving natural habitats by cracking down on litter and fly-tipping; and championing sustainable ‘high-welfare- foods throughout council led procurement policies and health initiatives. 

Leader of Oldham Liberal Democrats councillor Howard Sykes MBE said, “The RSPCA is a national treasure.  Their manifesto for local government is a great piece of work full of common-sense policy changes that councils like Oldham can implement to make support the welfare of all animals.”

The RSPCA manifesto also endorses the work of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Animal Welfare, which has called for the creation of regional ‘welfare forums’ to allow for cooperative work between councils, the RSPCA and other conservationist groups. 

Councillor Sykes said, “It is important that all stakeholders with an interest in animal welfare and conservation can work together in a joined-up way.  The Liberal Democrats fully support RSPCA’s manifesto, and we will work towards implementing its policies in Oldham.”

More from Oldham Liberal Democrats on RSPCA campaigns

Oldham Liberal Democrats back RSPCA ‘Local Voice for Animals’ campaign    – Howard Sykes (mycouncillor.org.uk)