The fight against low-quality HMOs and for more brownfield development has been raised with the Minister for Housing Stuart Andrew MP by local Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet Member Sam Al-Hamdani.

He said: “We keep seeing HMOs appearing on our streets, many of them using the loophole that allows smaller ones to bypass the planning system altogether. Too often they are terribly low quality, crammed in to make the most money out of the smallest space.

“At the other extreme, we keep seeing developers pushing for more and more four- and five-bedroom developments on green spaces. Councils rarely get the financial support to drive brownfield development, and have little or no legal powers to force development to take place on brownfield first.”

Councillor Al-Hamdani wrote to the Housing Minister to demand that this approach is reconsidered, so that meeting the housing targets can be done without the current sacrifices to quality or to green space.

He continued: “The Liberal Democrats have been leading the fight against the lack of support for higher housing standards for years. At the local level, that means we have campaigned for a restriction on building HMOs through the local plan, as well as voting against the Places for Everyone proposals which – despite improvements, still see more building on green spaces.

“We need to see change on this, and it must come from the highest level. The Government must see that loading ever higher targets for building on to local authorities is currently driving down standards, and creating a situation where poorer people are forced into low-quality ‘cattle-pen’ accommodation.

“It should be possible to build the housing we need without sacrificing quality and open spaces. Right now, that is not happening, at either the local or the national level, and there is no progress being made while the two political administrations fight it out.

“If no effort is made to change this, the left hand will continue not to know what the right hand is doing. And it will be the people of Oldham who will be left in the middle with no solutions.”

Crompton Ward Liberal Democrat Cllr Dave Murphy spoke at last night’s Planning Committee (16/02/22) meeting where the application for Denbigh Drive was heard.

Despite one of the local residents, directly affected, speaking passionately to the Committee, telling them about the impact this development will have on him and his neighbours, the majority of the Committee agreed decision to approve.

“The main aim of the Other Protected Open Land (OPOL) policy is that the designation is to protect it from development – but Oldham’s is out of date – which means that this type of land designation becomes a free-for-all to developers.  Haven Lane was passed last year and the flood gates opened for building on OPOL – this includes Cowlishaw and now Denbigh Drive,” said a disappointed Cllr Murphy

Cllr Dave Murphy added “The Places for Everyone policy has not been accepted, so why are we working with that policy.  It seems that we have just got to accept what Oldham wants and get on with it, rather than listen to residents and make a sensible decision.”

Cllr Diane Williamson, who serves on the Committee, put forward a refusal but this was defeated.  The two Conservative Councillors showed utter contempt for the residents of Denbigh Drive and left before the vote was taken and the meeting was over.

Obviously, the residents of Denbigh Drive are extremely disappointed with the outcome, but Crompton Liberal Democrat councillors will support them, when the development starts.

Cllr Murphy said “The residents living in that area, know what the issues are; we heard them last night – sewerage and access to name but two – but it appears residents voices do not matter.  It’s all about filling the Conservative government building targets – it’s a shame Conservative Cllrs Woodvine and Lancaster did not even stay to vote on this important matter.

Liberal Democrat councillors have responded to a recent consultation on the draft heritage strategy for the South Pennines Park by calling for further measures to promote local culture, protect the natural and built environment, and grow the local economy in a sustainable way.  The deadline for responses is 29 October.

The South Pennines Park covers 460 square miles, including the Saddleworth district and Shaw, and stretches between the Peak District and the Yorkshire Dales National Parks.

In their response, the Oldham Liberal Democrat Group call for action to:

• Promote local culture:  The Liberal Democrats want to see recognition of the  work of the Shaw and Crompton and Saddleworth Parish Councils in supporting traditional heritage activities (such as the annual rush cart festival, the ‘world-renowned’ brass band contests, and the celebration of Lancashire and Yorkshire Days) and a greater acknowledgement of the value of the Saddleworth Museum in Uppermill, with its ‘excellent and stimulating’ exhibits.

The Liberal Democrats also want to see established local arts and crafts centres or events for local artists and crafters to come together to collectively work, demonstrate (and pass on) their skills and market their products to the public.

They have also referenced the fact that Greenfield Station remains inaccessible for many people with disabilities or parents using pushchairs, meaning that many day-trippers still cannot access the beautiful Saddleworth villages or countryside by train.

• Protect the environment:  In their response, the Liberal Democrats call for the creation of ‘robust mechanisms’ involving multiple agencies working across local authority boundaries to address the continued and increasing threat to the natural and built environment resulting from climate change or human misbehaviour.

Risks cited include extreme weather events arising from global warming, such as drought, moorland fires and flooding; the pollution of local watercourses; the reckless use of portable barbecues on moorland, the shooting of birds of prey; and unregulated off-road motorcycling.

The Liberal Democrats are also greatly concerned at the threat posed to the Green Belt, protected open land and ancient and veteran woodlands by future housing and industrial development, particularly that proposed under the Mayor of Greater Manchester’s Places for Everyone Plan.

• Growing the Local Economy:  In addition to more support for community artists and craftspeople, the Liberal Democrats want to see ‘Shop Local’ loyalty schemes to encourage local people and visitors to buy locally produced goods from locally owned (rather than national chain) stores and a network of artisan markets established to enable the sale of locally produced goods where producers cannot afford fixed premises.

Local farmers who wish to diversify may have accommodation to let to holidaymakers and may wish to combine this with ‘farm experiences’ for tourists.  The Liberal Democrats suggest that some way should be found to advertise this provision at a low or nil cost outside of the usual Airbnb route, and that an effort must be made to ensure that it is sustainable.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Group Leader Councillor Howard Sykes MBE said:

“In our response, we focused on the need to protect the environment, whilst recognising the importance of promoting and celebrating our local heritage and growing our local economy sustainably to retain jobs and money in our local communities.  It is my hope that some or all of our practical ideas can be incorporated into the final strategy and I very much look forward to reading it.”

Attached is the Liberal Democrat formal submission

The South Pennines Park website can be found at:

HOME

The consultation on the heritage strategy can be found at:

A plan to sustain our South Pennine heritage

Liberal Democrat Councillors have called for the new Local Plan to have as a core objective ‘the creation and maintenance of vibrant district centres in each of our traditional townships’.

Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Main Opposition Group, said: “Oldham’s Labour Council seems to be completely fixated upon regenerating Oldham town centre, with the other townships, Chadderton, Failsworth, Greenfield, Lees, Royton, and Uppermill, and my own Shaw and Crompton, hardly getting a look in.”

“After COVID, more people are visiting their local high street to shop, meet with friends for lunch, or to socialise over a drink”, added Councillor Sykes. “We need to invest in our district shopping centres to make them attractive and vibrant, with a variety of inviting and accessible shops and leisure outlets catering for both the daytime and night-time trade”. 

“We recognise that each centre is different, one size doesn’t fit all – for example in Shaw we have been calling for the establishment of an artisan market selling a range of locally-sourced goods – but they all need investment.”

The Liberal Democrats also want to see a commitment in the Local Plan to invest in three new health facilities for Shaw and Crompton, Saddleworth and Chadderton.

“Labour’s Places for Everyone plan will mean 3,000 more homes, and thousands of more residents, for Shaw and Crompton, and our current outdated health centre simply cannot cope. We have seen a brand-new facility in neighbouring Royton, and the residents of Shaw and Crompton deserve the same.  Local Councillors have been calling for years for a new health centre and once again in our alternate budget this year we found the money to provide it, but still we wait.”

Councillor Sykes is also concerned about the Council’s inaction over bringing long-term empty and derelict buildings in town centres back into use.

“In Shaw town centre, we have the former Butterworths electrical store, Post Office, Midland Bank, and the St Paul’s Church site, all of which lie empty, and most are a blight on our town centre.  We need a plan to bring them back into use, possibly as housing as they are all within walking distance of the Metrolink stop so ideal for commuters.”

Saving the borough’s green spaces and ancient woodlands should be an ‘absolute and clear commitment’ in the new Local Plan, say Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Councillors.

In their response to the consultation on the Local Plan published by Oldham Council, the Liberal Democrat Group has called for ‘the strongest possible protections from development for Green Belt, OPOL (Other Protected Open Land) and other green spaces not included in those categories’.

Planning spokesperson, Shaw Councillor Hazel Gloster said:  “It was clear from the howls of protest with which the public responded to Labour’s Greater Manchester Spatial Framework plan to build on our green belt that our beautiful countryside is as precious to them as it is to us, and the Liberal Democrats will continue to fight for it.” 

In March 2017, the Full Council approved a policy proposed by the Liberal Democrats that:  ‘new housing development should first take place on brownfield or derelict sites, on sites with existing planning permission; and by converting long-term empty mills, shops and offices into homes; and that existing long-term empty homes should also be brought back into use, before any consideration is given to allocating green-belt or other protected open land for housing’.

“Our position is simple.  We believe that there is no need to build on any of Oldham’s green spaces,” commented Councillor Gloster.  “We want the Local Plan to reflect the policy adopted by Council. In the latest Places for Everyone plan, approved by Labour despite our objections, green belt sites elsewhere in Oldham have been removed from development, so with more work they can do it in Shaw and Crompton too”.

The Liberal Democrats are also delighted that the Local Plan refers to the need for greater protection for the borough’s ancient woodlands and veteran trees, something they asked for at the December 2020 Council meeting.

Councillor Gloster added:  “We want the Council to refuse approval to any development which requires the destruction of ancient woodland or which goes against our established policy favouring tree planting.  For the sake of our planet, we need to save the ancient trees we have and plant many more new ones”. 

Oldham residents can now have their say on Labour’s latest Places for Everyone plan and the Oldham Liberal Democrats are urging everyone to say No to Labour’s Green Belt and green land grab.

Liberal Democrat Leader Councillor Howard Sykes said: “The Liberal Democrats tried at the last Council meeting (July 28) to seek Oldham’s withdrawal from Places for Everyone because it will still mean the loss of much of our precious and irreplaceable Green Belt, but Labour used its bloc vote to get it through.  Now the public can have their say in this latest consultation to say No to Labour’s latest version of Mayor Burnham’s Green Belt land grab’.

Places for Everyone is the successor to the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF) which was derailed after Stockport Liberal Democrats succeeded in getting their Council to withdraw at the end of last year.

“Labour will tell you that Places for Everyone is better because less houses will be built across Greater Manchester and there will be less development on Green Belt land”, added Councillor Sykes.  “But this is of no consolation to the people in my own district of Shaw and Crompton where over 3,000 new homes are proposed. This will not only mean the destruction of our Green Belt, but that our overstretched health centre and oversubscribed schools will be swamped.”

The Liberal Democrats believe that the Council’s Green Belt development policy is unnecessary.  Councillor Sykes explained:  “A large number of homes on several Green Belt sites across Oldham have already been pulled from the new plan, but we believe that so much more could be done.  We want a real Local Plan shaped by Oldham people to meet Oldham’s needs.”

“Our policy is to see homes first built on Brownfield sites and on sites where planning permission for housing development has already been granted.  We also believe that, where practical, redundant business premises, such as empty mills, factories, pubs and shops that are no longer commercially viable, should be converted for housing and that the large number of empty homes in our Borough should be brought back into use.”

The public consultation on Places for Everyone will now be open until October 3. Members of the public can have their say at www.gmconsult.org

Liberal Democrat Councillors will be proposing that Oldham Council refuse to participate in Labour’s ‘Places for Everyone’ plan and instead develop only a Local Plan for housing development to save the borough’s Green Belt.

At the special Council meeting (from 6pm, Wednesday 28 July), Liberal Democrat Group Leader Councillor Howard Sykes MBE will be proposing an amendment to the report presented to Council calling for withdrawal from ‘Places for Everyone’ and the creation of only a Local Plan. The amendment will be seconded by the Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet Member for Housing, Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani.

Councillor Sykes said: “Places for Everyone is simply the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework repackaged; it is still predicated upon the flawed assumption that it is right and necessary to build thousands of new homes on our precious and irreplaceable Green Belt and on other protected open spaces.” 

“Liberal Democrat Councillors have from day one been vehemently opposed to Labour’s green belt land grab,” added Councillor Sykes.  “The policy we have consistently advocated is one of brownfield development only, as well as focusing on building out sites with existing planning permission for housing; repurposing redundant factories, mills, shops and offices as homes, where practical and appropriate; and bringing our empty homes back into use.”

The Liberal Democrat amendment calls for the development of only ‘a Local Plan for the Borough of Oldham, in consultation with the people of this borough, which is focused upon the development of Brownfield sites and takes proper account of the infrastructure capacity of each Ward and District’.

“We want to see a Local Plan that meets the housing needs of this borough that is shaped through meaningful public consultation and that also delivers balanced development across the borough which takes account of existing pressures on local health facilities and schools,” explained Councillor Sykes.  “Labour’s plan still favours building hundreds of new family homes in and around Shaw and Crompton, at a time when we desperately need a new health centre, with greater capacity and with more modern facilities, and when our schools are already oversubscribed”.

The Liberal Democrats will be voting YES to the amendment favouring a Local Plan and NO to Labour’s preferred option to join with eight other Greater Manchester local authorities (Stockport has withdrawn) in creating the ‘Places for Everyone’ plan.

Council 28 July 2021

Proposed Amendment from the Oldham Liberal Democrat Main Opposition Group to the report titled ‘Places for Everyone Publication Plan 2021: A Joint Development Plan Document for 9 Greater Manchester Local Authorities (Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan)’

With reference to the options and recommendations found on pages 11-12 of the report.

Reword Section 3.2, Option 2 to read: ‘Members reject the Places for Everyone: Publication Plan 2021, and agree to formally withdraw from the Places for Everyone process, and instead develop only a Local Plan for the Borough of Oldham, in consultation with the people of this borough, which is focused upon the development of Brownfield sites and takes proper account of the infrastructure capacity of each Ward and District’.

Reword Section 4 Preferred Option 4 to read: ‘The preferred option is for members to reject the Places for Everyone: Publication Plan 2021, and agree to formally withdraw from the Places for Everyone process, and instead develop only a Local Plan for the Borough of Oldham, in consultation with the people of this borough, which is focused upon the development of Brownfield sites and takes proper account of the infrastructure capacity of each Ward and District’.

Proposed by Councillor Howard Sykes MBE

Seconded by Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani

Oldham Liberal Democrat Leader Councillor Howard Sykes MBE and his party colleagues will vehemently oppose the Places for Everyone plan when it is debated by Oldham Council at a special meeting on 28 July.

Oldham Council’s Labour Cabinet is expected to approve taking the plan to Council when it meets on 28 July, and Councillor Sykes and the Liberal Democrat Group will be leading the battle in Council to save Oldham’s green belt from the threat of housing development.

 “Oldham residents should be in no doubt that Places for Everyone is simply the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework rebadged and repackaged.  It contains the self-same fatal flaw – an assumption that it is right and necessary to build thousands of new homes on our precious and irreplaceable Green Belt and on other protected open spaces,” said Councillor Sykes. 

“Liberal Democrat Councillors believe that it would be wrong, indeed I would say criminal, to build even one new home on any of our green spaces, when there are many brownfield land sites in Oldham town centre and in our districts that remain undeveloped and when we have empty homes, shops, pubs, offices and mills that can be repurposed as accommodation.  I am confident that, if we stuck to these sites, we could meet our borough’s housing needs”.

The Liberal Democrats will be voting NO to adopting the Places for Everyone plan, and they instead want the authority to withdraw from the process and develop a local plan for the borough.

“This is a top-down plan forced upon Oldham by the Labour Greater Manchester Mayor and the leaders of eight other authorities in Greater Manchester,” added Councillor Sykes.  “We want to follow the lead shown by our Stockport Liberal Democrat colleagues and withdraw from Places for Everyone and instead develop our own bespoke housing and commercial development plan with input from local people and communities that fits Oldham’s circumstances and meets its needs, based on the principle of brownfield development ‘first and always’”.

Liberal Democrat Group Leader, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has today announced his Real Opposition team for 2021/22.  The Liberal Democrat Group has also elected its officers.

Councillor Howard Sykes said: “I am looking forward to once more leading the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council.  I am especially pleased that the Group is being joined by Mark Kenyon who joins Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani representing Saddleworth West and Lees. I  know that Mark will really help make a difference.”

“The Liberal Democrats remain the only group holding Labour to account on Oldham Council, and we shall continue to take that responsibility seriously,” added councillor Sykes.  “Voters can rest assured that the Oldham Liberal Democrats will continue to oppose Labour’s waste at the Civic Centre and their indulgent spending on vanity projects, such as £68 million on ‘Spendles’, to direct more of our residents’ hard-earned Council Tax money into the front-line services that most matter to people, such as street cleaning, parks maintenance, road repairs, social care and alike.”

“The Liberal Democrats will also be fighting for better facilities and an improved retail and leisure offer in our district centres, and new health centres for Shaw and Crompton, Saddleworth and Chadderton.  We shall continue to be opposed to Green Belt development, Labour’s ‘Places for Everyone’ plan and the Royton incinerator.”

“These are our priorities because they are the people’s priorities,” he added.

Details of the appointments follow:

Group Officers:

Councillor Howard Sykes MBE – Group Leader

Councillor Chris Gloster – Deputy Group Leader

Councillor Dave Murphy – Group Chair

Councillor Diane Williamson – Group Secretary

Councillor Hazel Gloster – Group Treasurer

Councillor Louie Hamblett – Group Political Secretary

Shadow Cabinet Members:

Economic and Social Reform – HOWARD SYKES MBE

Corporate Services – HOWARD SYKES MBE

Finance and Low Carbon – CHRIS GLOSTER

Housing – SAM AL-HAMDANI

Health and Social Care – LOUIE HAMBLETT

Education and Skills – HAZEL GLOSTER

Children and Young People – DIANE WILLIAMSON

Employment and Enterprise – MARK KENYON

Neighbourhoods – DAVE MURPHY

Official Spokespersons / Lead Members on Boards and Committees:

Chris Gloster – Audit Committee, Licensing Committee, Traffic Regulation Order Panel.

Hazel Gloster – Planning Committee.

Louie Hamblett – Health Scrutiny.

Mark Kenyon – Performance Overview and Scrutiny.

Diane Williamson – Policy Overview and Scrutiny, Standards Board.

District Leads:

Diane Williamson – Chair, Shaw and Crompton.

Sam Al-Hamdani – Official Spokesperson, Saddleworth and Lees.

At a Group meeting held on 8 May, the Oldham Borough Liberal Democrat Group appointed, unanimously and un-opposed, councillor Howard Sykes MBE as their Leader and councillor Chris Gloster as their Deputy Leader. 

Councillor Howard Sykes said: “I am grateful once more to my colleagues for their unanimous support for my work as Group Leader and delighted that Chris will continue to serve as my Deputy.  It was great to welcome newly elected councillor Mark Kenyon from Saddleworth West and Lees to the team, and to welcome Diane Williamson back for Crompton. I was also more than a little pleased to be re-elected myself.  It was a shame that Garth Harkness will not be with us.  After last Friday’s results, the Liberal Democrats retain eight councillors and I know that all eight of us will continue to try to make a difference.”

“Liberal Democrats will be the only real opposition party holding Labour to account on Oldham Council.  We will work as a united team to offer common-sense solutions to the Borough’s problems and challenge the Labour Administration to cut waste and focus spending on the value-for-money services that the public wants,” added councillor Sykes.

“Labour is now at a crossroads.  With just 20 of the 60 seats up for election six Labour councillors were defeated at the polls, including their Leader; several more had some close calls.  Labour now must elect a new incumbent and it will be interesting to see who emerges as the winner from the contest.  I sincerely hope that that person understands that the Labour needs to make a major course correction to focus on what really matters.”

Councillor Sykes set out the Liberal Democrats’ priorities for Oldham Council:

“Council Tax payers hard-earned money should be spent on front-line services, such tackling fly-tipping and dog-fouling, repairing our roads and pavements, maintaining our much loved parks and green spaces, providing quality social care, and revitalising our district centres, not on civic centre bureaucracy or costly vanity projects, like £68 million on ‘Spendles’, that usually come in with massive cost overruns or frequently come to naught.”

“We also need to address the endemic levels of poverty, unemployment, educational underachievement and mental and physical ill-health that have festered for decades under Labour in our Borough, made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic, with a reinvigorated, innovative, multi-agency approach that gets residents out of poverty, skilled-up and into work.”

“We also need a new deal for our district centres, with new health centres for Shaw and Crompton, Saddleworth and Chadderton, an improved local retail and leisure offer, and local youth facilities, not just a single centre of excellence in Oldham.  Last but not least, we need to forsake the Royton incinerator project and Mayor Andy Burnham’s Son of GMSF ‘Places for Everyone’ plan, and develop our own home-grown plan with a Brownfield ‘first and always’ strategy to save all of our Borough’s irreplaceable Green Belt and green spaces from housing development.”

“These are our priorities because they are the people’s priorities,” he added.