A NEW Shaw and Crompton Health Centre

HS Health Centre compressed

Local Liberal Democrat Councillor Howard Sykes wants to see a dramatic improvement in our local health facilities, especially the Health Centre.

In Shaw and Crompton, Liberal Democrats are campaigning for the site vacated by the sad demolition of Crompton Pool and its car park to be used for a new Health Centre.

Staff at Crompton Health Centre do an absolutely fantastic job in a building that is far from state of the art.  We have a new substation lying empty right near the site, built specially to power a new health centre so NHS Buildings need to make a bid and get the centre built.

Residents in Shaw and Crompton deserve excellent health facilities.  We need more services here, rather than always being expected to travel to Royton or elsewhere.  If you have a car, then it is easy to get to Royton Health Centre, but you can’t park.  If you use public transport, then it can prove a hassle.

Greater Manchester has not made a single successful bid in recent years to fund the building of a new NHS facility.  It’s about time they did so.  We want them to take this opportunity to build now on this ideal site.

If you want a new Health Centre for Shaw and Crompton, please sign the petition, so that we can pass this on to the NHS to show them that the community is behind us in our demands for a new Health Centre.

Sign the petition: http://howardsykes.mycouncillor.org.uk/petition-a-new-health-centre-for-shaw-and-crompton/

Filming on Crompton Moor 11 – 16 April – CLASH OF KINGS

clash-of-kings1

Filming for an advert for a video game called the Clash of Kings will take place on the above date.

The location is around the main quarry area on Crompton Moor.  Scene description: shooting of an epic medieval scene with the king rousing his troop for battle.  Size of crew: 50 crew plus 60 background artists.  Vehicle details: several technical vehicles, including kitchen, dining buses and wardrobe trucks.

All risk assessments have been completed and interested parties like Friends of Crompton Moor (FCM), Oldham Countryside Service, local councillors have been consulted and are well aware and fully informed.  A donation to FCM had been agreed.

The planned programme to date is: Technical day: Monday 11 April; Preparation day: Wednesday 13 April; Rehearsal day: Thursday 14 April; Shoot day: Friday 15 April; Strike day: Saturday 6 April

Permission to set up/film was granted subject to the following:

  • Blink Productions to contact First Response with regards to access and egress arrangements regarding the barrier.
  • Blink Productions to place laminated notices at opportune locations advising the public of filming times and dates and that Oldham Council and Friends of Crompton Moor have been involved throughout the consultation.
  • Blink Productions will provide security at the entrance off Buckstones Road (first barrier) to advise members of public that the only parking available are 3 disabled bays and to politely ask all others to park safely elsewhere.
  • Blink Productions to provide security to manage the public around the shoot site and to enforce a safe working/pedestrian zone.
  • Parking is prohibited on the grass verge on the LHS from Buckstones Road up to the quarry.
  • Vehicles to travel from Buckstones Road up to site at 5MPH with hazard warning lights on.
  • Blink Productions to ensure the site is left clean and tidy.
  • Marian Herod (Friends of Crompton Moor) to provide key to Blink Productions to access the quarry area.
  • Quads used to transport equipment around the site must keep to the paths and travel at no more than 5 MPH with hazard warning lights on.
  • Any damage caused must be paid for.
  • The pitching of tents only within the heather in the centre of the quarry as discussed.
  • No filming within the heather on the LHS of quarry due to nesting birds.
  • As agreed donations to be made to the Mayors Appeal and Friends of Crompton Moor.

Call for Nominations for the Oldham Sports Awards

Friday 1st July at the Queen Elizabeth Hall.  Guest Speaker: Beth Tweddle MBE.  Once again nominations are needed for the following categories:

  • Contribution to school sport
  • Sports Achiever
  • Disabled Sports Achiever
  • Young Volunteer of the Year
  • Volunteer of the Year
  • Changing Lifestyle Award
  • Club of the Year
  • Unsung Hero

The closing date for nominations is Friday 6th May 2016.  The nomination process has been made simpler and can be made through the following link: http://www.oldham.gov.uk/sports_award_nomination_form

Letter sent to Chancellor and HMRC Chief Executive about Oldham Tax Office

CY28921582We are writing to you regarding the proposed closure of the Oldham HMRC Tax Office at Phoenix House on Union Street.

This move will represent a massive job loss for Oldham and a further blow to our Borough’s public sector, following on top of this Government’s proposal to close both of our court houses and the significant cuts in local government spending announced recently in the Autumn Statement.

The Government is proposing to close dozens of other local HMRC tax offices and consolidate their operations in large regional offices in Manchester and twelve other cities across the regions.

In Oldham’s case, such a move makes no financial sense – Manchester’s office rentals are second only to London, whilst Oldham’s are well under half the price.

Public contact with HMRC is largely online or via email or the telephone, rather than by personal visit, therefore there is no need to locate these offices in busy and expensive, cities.

Rather common sense suggests that to save money the Government should instead choose to expand the Oldham operation into a new regional centre, migrating Civil Service jobs into our Borough.

Sites like Union Street (adjacent to a light rail stop) and Hollinwood Junction (adjacent to the motorway network and light rail links) are easily accessible for staff and could represent alternative affordable locations.

We understand that this was the approach taken in London where HMRC are regionalising to Croydon and Stratford, rather than central London.

Can we therefore please request that you work with us to bring a new regional centre to Oldham and the many new jobs that will come with it?

We look forward to hearing from you.

Cllr Jean Stretton Cllr Howard Sykes
Leader of the Council Leader of the Opposition

 

My two allowed Questions to the Leader of Oldham Council for tonight’s Full Council meeting

questions-to-ask-your-LASIK-doctorLeaders Question 1 – Oldham Deprived and Unhappy

 My first question tonight concerns a disturbing recent report published by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) which has identified Oldham as the most deprived town in England.

In the study conducted by the ONS factors such as income, employment, health, education, skills and training, and crime were considered.

The study found that Oldham was the most deprived overall, with over 60% of our areas ranked in the most deprived 20% of all the areas of England.

This is an astonishing fact when you think it includes areas in the North East, Midlands, Yorkshire and elsewhere in the North West ALL OF WHICH are better than us!

I and my colleagues take no pride in topping this league table!

This time last year there was another survey published by the Rightmove estate agency chain; the Happy at Home survey asked UK homeowners questions about twelve factors relating to their experiences living in their area.

Oldham was placed 106th out of 130 local authorities.  And this was the aggregate score – we scored even worse on contentment and community safety at 123rd out of 130.

So, Mr Mayor, Oldham has once again been identified as both the most deprived Borough in England, and one of the least happy towns to live in the UK.

These are hardly accolades that we as elected local leaders aspire to; and they are hardly a great advertisement that will attract new business and new residents to our Borough as their location of choice.

Now we all know – because we live here – that all is not doom and gloom in our Borough.

We have great people, with our famed Northern humour, a ‘can do’ attitude and a proud history of industry and diversity.  We have great countryside and culture, but these national headlines do us no favours.

There has been much talk in this chamber of the significant physical regeneration that is being undertaken in this Borough, regeneration paid for ultimately by our hard-pressed Council Tax payers.

But if this physical regeneration does not lead to a real improvement in the economic fortunes and the physical and mental well-being of our most deprived and unhappy citizens it will have failed in what I see as one of its key objectives.

So my question to the Leader tonight.

What are we going to do to get ourselves not only off the top of this league table of most deprived but actually into another league altogether!

 Leaders Question 2 – Teenage Pregnancy

My second question to the Leader tonight, Mr Mayor, also references a recent publication by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) that equally makes disturbing news.

According to the ONS, Oldham’s teenage pregnancy rate is now the highest in Greater Manchester.  In 2014, 156 girls aged fifteen to seventeen became pregnant – this is a rate of 34.7 per 1,000 girls in this age bracket.

This is clearly concerning.

In October 2014, I rose to ask the then Leader a question about our Borough’s appalling record of tooth decay amongst children, but at that time I was also pleased to congratulate the Oldham Teenage Pregnancy Partnership on their work in reducing the teenage pregnancy rate by almost two thirds since 1998.

These latest figures demonstrate that there is still a lot of work to be done.

Mr Mayor, I am sure that in some instances the pregnancy is planned and the news is received with great joy, but in others this can be a very troubling occasion.

Frequently these teenagers begin motherhood at a great disadvantage, without the maturity, skills, financial and emotional support necessary to be most successful in the role.

Dependent often upon welfare benefits and socially isolated, they can begin their parenting role on the back-foot.

And despite their best efforts, they can also be subjected to disapproval and vilification by family members, by their peers and by the press, being dubbed ‘gym slip mothers’.

Sadly there have also been documented instances where medical professionals also share this prejudice.

So for my second question tonight, I would like to ask the Leader what is being done to ensure that the rates of unwanted teenage pregnancy in this Borough continue to decline and also to ensure that teenage mothers receive the support that they deserve in taking on the challenging responsibilities of parenthood at such a young age.