Oldham Council 22nd Oct. – Questions to the Leader

1: Devolution

My first question to the Leader tonight concerns the all-important issue of Devolution.

The enthusiasm of the people of Scotland in campaigning in the Referendum and in casting their ballot on 18 September provides a model for participatory democracy that we should hope to emulate in this Borough.

Particularly noteworthy, when related to the business brought before this Council by the Youth Council is that young voters in Scotland, especially those voters aged 16 and 17, became fully engaged in the Democratic Process.

The Leader is, I know, well aware that the Scottish Referendum has led to increased discussion on the Devolution of further powers and revenue not only to Scotland, but from Central Government in Westminster and Whitehall to Town Halls throughout England.

The desire amongst elected Members and voters in England for Devolution is also great.
For too long now, Central Government has been seen to be just that – central and remote from the lives of people in their own localities. With powers and monies flowing downwards from the centre and sometimes grudgingly given.

Yet elected Members and local people know what is best for their own towns and communities. And Councils have well-established partnership arrangements to enable them to work effectively with key local players in the statutory, voluntary, faith and business sectors.

These two factors mean that Councils could deliver a greater range of Devolved Services more efficiently and responsively.

I am sure that every elected Member in this Chamber would welcome more authority to do things that benefit the people of this Borough and to keep more of the revenue raised locally in order to do so.

The Liberal Democrat Group would certainly welcome the chance to work with this Administration to secure for Oldham the powers and finance to build a successful and prosperous future for our Borough and its people.

Can the Leader tell me how the Liberal Democrat Group can work with Labour to press the case for Devolution?

And can he please tell us what progress has so far been made by the Leaders in the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities in making the case to Government?

And what the proposal for ‘an Eleventh Leader’ of the Combined Greater Manchester Authority actually means in practice?

2: Tooth Decay

My second question relates to Public Health.

I want to highlight two Public Health issues.

First a success story; this Borough has recently recorded one of the biggest falls in teenage pregnancies in the Country.

The Office for National Statistics has recently confirmed that the Teenage Conception Rate has dropped by almost two thirds since 1998; the largest reduction anywhere outside of London and Darlington.

This is all down to the outstanding work of the Oldham Teenage Pregnancy Partnership to whom I want to place on record my congratulations and thanks for a job well done.

However I now want to highlight a health issue in which Oldham is far from the leader.

In recently released Public Health England data, that compared all Local Authorities in England, more than one-quarter of three-year-olds in Oldham were found to be suffering from tooth decay.

We are not the worst – in Leicester it is tragically 34 per cent of three-year-olds – but we are far from the best.

The high level of tooth decay is in large part due to the fact that parents are giving infants too much fruit juice and squash.

Tooth decay is no small matter.

Quite apart from the discomfort and pain that is suffered, it has been shown that small children struggle to feed nutritiously and it has an impact on social skills and vocalisation.

So there is much work to be done in this area, yet it is estimated that this year there will be a significant underspend in Public Health funding.

I should very much look forward to the day on which I can rise in this Chamber to congratulate our Public Health Team on being number 1 on this issue also.

So can the Leader please tell me what has been done so far to educate parents on this issue?

And can he tell me how much of the under-spend from the Public Health Budget he will use to re-double our efforts to educate parents about tooth decay in young children?

3: Geothermic Heat

My final question concerns geothermic heat; that is heat sourced from below ground to heat homes and other buildings.

Let us be clear from the outset – I am not referring to fracking.

The Times reported recently that a 350-million year old volcano located deep beneath Stoke-on-Trent could help to heat more than a thousand homes.

On reading this article I naturally checked the facts as my first thought was that this must be a late-running April Fools’ Day joke.

But no; Stoke-on-Trent City Council has prepared a business case to drill a 2.5km borehole to an aquifer in which the water is heated naturally to at least 85C (185F in old money).

This heat would be transferred to the surface to heat homes and the Government has pledged £20million to fund it.

This got me thinking.

It is unlikely that Oldham sits on an ancient volcano, but we do have a rich coal mining heritage (as those amongst you who have seen the 19th Century photographic panorama of the Town Centre in Gallery Oldham will know).

So I wondered do former coal mines give off residual ground-source heat which we could possibly utilise as part of the borough’s renewable energy strategy.

And guess what they DO….

The Herald in Scotland reported in November 2013 that:
“As much as a third of the heat needed to keep Scotland warm could be provided by tapping geothermal energy from old coal mines across the central belt, a major new study for the Scottish Government has concluded.

“Warm water piped up from abandoned mine shafts between Glasgow and Edinburgh and in Ayrshire and Fife could help heat many thousands of homes and other buildings for decades, Researchers said. They are urging Ministers to embark on an ambitious attempt to make geothermal energy a major new source of clean, renewable power within a few years.”

As Oldham is far from unique in historically sourcing power from coal, would the Leader be agreeable to looking to commission with the other Leaders of the Greater Manchester Authorities a study of the potential of this power source across our county?

Howard Sykes
22 October 2014

Changes to 23 Bus service

No. 23 Bus – Change of route to not include Oldham Town Centre

I have now received a reply regarding the no. 23 bus changes a number of people have raised with me.

Below is the reply which explains why the bus service has been changed and what controls if any the Council through Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) have over these matters.

I understand that this may not be the reply people are looking for and neither was I.

Rest assured I will at every opportunity continue to raise this issue as I do appreciate how important this service is to those of you who live in this part of Shaw who depend upon public transport.

No 23 Bus – TfGM response

As you will be aware, since de-regulation of bus services around 80% of services in Greater Manchester are operated commercially by a number of privately owned companies. Operators run services on a commercial basis in areas and at times where they consider there are sufficient passenger numbers to enable services to be profitable. The remaining 20% of journeys are funded by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM).

Service 23, which you make reference to, is operated commercially by First Manchester and was introduced in September 2014. This replaced the 428 service which was operated on a commercial basis by First Manchester and provided an hourly off-peak service on Monday to Friday and operated from Buckstones to Oldham, via Shaw, Thornham and Royton. The new 23 service operates into Manchester via Chadderton rather than into Oldham as per the route of service 428. However, service 408 continues to provide a direct link into Oldham town centre for the majority of passengers. Unfortunately, the service change introduced by First Manchester has led to some residents in the Thornham and Buckstones areas losing their direct daytime links with Oldham town centre.

TfGM Officers have contacted First Manchester on the points raised. As this is a new service, the operator has advised us that it is under constant review and your comments will be taken into consideration.

I hope the above information explains TfGM’s position in relation to the service 23. If I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me or our Customer Relations team on customer.relations@tfgm.com or by telephone on 0161 244 1000.

Alternatively, should you wish to contact First Manchester directly regarding this issue, they can be contacted directly at Manchester.West@firstgroup.com.

Lib Dems propose Curb on E-Cigarettes

At next Wednesday’s meeting of Oldham Council, Lib Dem Councillors Howard Sykes and Rod Blyth will be proposing a motion for curbs on electronic (or so called e-) cigarettes.

Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, Cllr Sykes said:

“The World Health Organisation (WHO) published a report in August warning about the dangers associated with e-cigarettes. The WHO also remains to be convinced that e-cigarettes are an effective way to stop smoking.

“In Oldham we have many former smokers who have moved to e-cigarettes either because they think they are ‘healthier’ or as a means to quit. We wanted to highlight the fact that e-cigarettes still contain nicotine, and so continue to pose a danger to public health, but also that they are unregulated, meaning many of these products contain unidentified ingredients of dubious quality.

“The WHO called on Governments to introduce regulation in the industry to stop these products being marketed to young people and first time smokers and to carry out more research into their ingredients and their efficacy as a means to quit.”

Since 2005, the e-cigarette industry has grown to an estimated £2 billion global business with 466 brands. Many manufacturers are unregulated cottage industries in China, but this is a business in which the established tobacco industry is gaining an increasing market share.

E-cigarettes and similar devices are frequently marketed by manufacturers as aids to quit smoking, or as a healthier alternative to tobacco.

The World Health Organisation found that:

· There is insufficient evidence that e-cigarettes help smokers to quit. The organisation therefore recommends that smokers should first be encouraged to quit smoking by using a combination of already-approved treatments.
· The marketing of e-cigarettes with fruit, candy and alcohol-drink flavours makes them particularly attractive to young people, with an estimate that e-cigarette use amongst adolescents has doubled between 2008 and 2012.

· Whilst e-cigarettes are likely to be less toxic than conventional cigarettes, they do contain nicotine so their use can harm adolescents and the unborn children of pregnant mothers, and those in the vicinity of a user are exposed to nicotine and other toxicants.

The World Health Organisation has called for:

• The introduction of international regulations to:
– Impede e-cigarette promotion to non-smokers and young people
– Minimise health risks to e-cigarette users and non-users
– Prohibit unproven health claims about e-cigarettes
– Protect existing tobacco control efforts from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry

• Further research on the impact of e-cigarette use

The report makes several recommendations to national Governments to:

• Establish an appropriate body to restrict e-cigarette advertising, promotion and sponsorship, to ensure that these products are not targeted at young people and non-smokers.
• Enact legislation to end the use of e-cigarettes indoors in public or work places.
• A ban on e-cigarettes with fruit, candy or alcohol-drink flavours to deter take up by young people.
• A ban on the sale of e-cigarettes to minors and the prohibition of vending machines
• Regulate the involvement of the established tobacco industry.

In their motion, the Liberal Democrats are asking for the Director of Public Health to take practical action to educate people about the dangers of e-cigarettes and the UK Government to take action to implement the WHO’s recommendations.

Supporting Cllr Sykes, Cllr Blyth said:

“I know from personal experience how difficult it is to stop smoking. This month it is Stoptober, a month where smokers are being asked to quit. It may seem simple to transfer to an e-cigarette, but there are far more effective ways to stop smoking that are proven and promoted by the NHS. We also want the Council to recruit Community Health Champions from amongst its staff to promote smoking cessation to their colleagues and to residents from across the borough.

“Our motion is also calling on the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to introduce the necessary legislation and regulations to make the WHO recommendations real and to publish the findings of a Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency enquiry into the effectiveness of e-cigarettes as soon as possible.”

Copy of motion below:

Council 22nd Oct. 2014 – Notice of Opposition Business – Motion 1
E-cigarettes
This Council notes the publication in August by the World Health Organisation (WHO) of a report on e-cigarettes.
Since 2005, the e-cigarette industry has grown to an estimated £2 billion global business with 466 brands. Many manufacturers are unregulated cottage industries in China, but this is a business in which the established tobacco industry is gaining an increasing market share.
E-cigarettes and similar devices are frequently marketed by manufacturers as aids to quit smoking, or as a healthier alternative to tobacco.
The WHO has concluded that:
· There is insufficient evidence that e-cigarettes help smokers to quit. The organisation therefore recommends that smokers should first be encouraged to quit smoking by using a combination of already-approved treatments.

· The marketing of e-cigarettes with fruit, candy and alcohol-drink flavours makes them particularly attractive to young people, with an estimate that e-cigarette use amongst adolescents has doubled between 2008 and 2012.

· Whilst e-cigarettes are likely to be less toxic than conventional cigarettes, they do contain nicotine so their use can harm adolescents and the unborn children of pregnant mothers, and those in the vicinity of a user are exposed to nicotine and other toxicants.

The WHO calls for:
· The introduction of international regulations to:

– Impede e-cigarette promotion to non-smokers and young people

– Minimise health risks to e-cigarette users and non-users

– Prohibit unproven health claims about e-cigarettes

– Protect existing tobacco control efforts from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry

· Further research on the impact of e-cigarette use

The report makes several recommendations to national Governments to:
· Establish an appropriate body to restrict e-cigarette advertising, promotion and sponsorship, to ensure that these products are not targeted at young people and non-smokers.

· Enact legislation to end the use of e-cigarettes indoors in public or work places.

· A ban on e-cigarettes with fruit, candy or alcohol-drink flavours to deter take up by young people.

· A ban on the sale of e-cigarettes to minors and the prohibition of vending machines

· Regulate the involvement of the established tobacco industry.

Council notes also the work of the UK Government’s Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency review of the efficacy of e-cigarettes in helping smokers to quit.
This Council resolves to:
· Ask the Director of Public Health to:

– ensure that measures are in place to make Council staff and the public aware of the dangers associated with the use of e-cigarettes

– promote the use of existing proven treatments and support services, rather than the use of e-cigarettes, as the means to stop smoking

– support the recruitment and training of Council employees to become Community Health Champions to help take these messages to their colleagues and to the public

· Ask the Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Health, The Rt. Hon Jeremy Hunt MP, asking the minister to:

– adopt the recommendations of the WHO report as part of Government policy, enacting the necessary legislation and regulations as soon as possible

– publish the findings of the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency review at the earliest possible opportunity

Proposed by
Cllr Howard Sykes

Seconded by
Cllr Rod Blyth

Crompton Moor

CROMPTON MOOR

NO CAMPING

NO LIGHTING FIRES

NO QUADS OR MOTOR CYCLES

This site of Crompton Moor, including Brushes Clough car park, is managed by Oldham Parks and Countryside Service.

As part of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (CROW), Crompton Moor, along with many other hectares of land across the country, has been designated as Access Land.

‘Camping’, ‘lighting, causing or risking a fire’, ‘driving a vehicle’, ‘damaging hedges, fences and walls’ and ‘leaving litter’ are all expressly prohibited under the CROW Act. Anyone found carrying out any of these activities will be asked to leave the site; the police will be informed of any person who, after being reasonably requested to do so, refuses to leave the site.

• PLEASE RING 101 TO REPORT ILLEGAL CAMPING OR ANY OTHER ILLEGAL ACTIVITY TO THE POLICE OR OLDHAM COUNCIL’S FIRST RESPONSE TEAM ON 0161 770 2222.

PLEASE CONTACT 0161 770 4067 DURING OFFICE HOURS FOR FURTHER INFORMATION. FOR EMERGENCIES PLEASE RING 999.

• ACCESS FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES VEHICLES TO BRUSHES CLOUGH CAR PARK IS VIA THE ACCESS ROAD AT THE SIDE OF SHORE EDGE CHURCH, OFF BUCKSTONES ROAD, OL2 8LS GRID REF: SD952101.

Crompton Moor – bag it and bin it

CROMPTON MOOR

Please Keep Your Dog under Control and if your dog fouls

BAG IT AND BIN IT

[Oldham Council enforcement officers operate in this area]

Natural England provides the following advice when taking your dog for a walk in the countryside and on Open Access Land (Most of Crompton Moor is Open Access Land):

The Countryside Code has a special section dedicated to dogs and the importance of keeping dogs under effective control. This means that you:

• Keep your dog on a lead, or
• Keep it in sight at all times, be aware of what it’s doing and be confident it will return to you promptly on command
• Ensure it does not stray off the path or area where you have a right of access
As a general rule, keep your dog on a lead if you cannot rely on its obedience. On a bridleway or byway this could be especially important as you may meet horses and could be liable for damages if your dog causes an accident.

It’s always good practice (and a legal requirement on ‘Open Access’ land) to keep your dog on a lead around farm animals and horses, for your own safety and for the welfare of the animals. A farmer may shoot a dog which is attacking or chasing farm animals without being liable to compensate the dog’s owner.

However, if cattle or horses chase you and your dog, it is safer to let your dog off the lead – don’t risk getting hurt by trying to protect it. Your dog will be much safer if you let it run away from a farm animal in these circumstances and so will you.

Please also ensure you pick up after your dog – please ‘bag it and bin it’; Oldham Council enforcement officers do operate in this area.

• TO REPORT DOG FOULING PLEASE CALL 0161 770 2222 OR EMAIL environmentalhealth@oldham.gov.uk

ALSO:

• IF YOU NEED TO SPEAK TO ANYONE ABOUT SITE MAINTENANCE, OR REPORT ANY VANDALISM PLEASE RING OLDHAM COUNCIL AT ALEXANDRA PARK ON 0161 770 4067

• IF YOU NEED TO CONTACT THE POLICE TO REPORT ANY CRIME OR ANTI – SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR PLEASE RING 101 – FOR EMERGENCIES RING 999.

• ACCESS FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES VEHICLES TO BRUSHES CLOUGH CAR PARK IS VIA THE ACCESS ROAD AT THE SIDE OF SHORE EDGE CHURCH, OFF BUCKSTONES ROAD, OL2 8LS GRID REF: SD952101.

Cllr Howard Sykes welcomes Lib Dem Promise to Create Northern Economic Powerhouse

Cllr Howard Sykes welcomes Lib Dem Promise to Create Northern Economic Powerhouse

The Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Cllr Howard Sykes MBE, has welcomed news that the Liberal Democrats will transform the North of England into an economic powerhouse, should the party form part of the next Government.

Lib Dem party leader and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg MP announced at this week’s party conference that the party will boost transport infrastructure in the region by developing and implementing the “One North” proposals.

“One North” – a transport plan developed by key northern cities – will maximise economic growth across the region and will feature prominently in the Liberal Democrat manifesto.

Nick Clegg said at the party conference in Glasgow:

“For too long the North of England has been neglected by central government.

“To close the north-south gap we need better transport infrastructure in the region. This means better motorways and better railway connections.

“The Liberal Democrats will develop and implement the One North proposals advocated by local authorities across the region.

“We are putting our commitment to transport infrastructure at the front and centre of our election campaign in the north to help build a strong and powerful regional economy”.

Cllr Sykes, who represents Oldham Council on the board of Transport for Greater Manchester, warmly welcomed the promised investment:

“One North” will mean improvements to roads and railways for the residents of our borough meaning Oldhamers will enjoy better, faster journeys using the enhanced transport infrastructure. Rail users will be able to catch 125mph trains using a newly-electrified, trans-Pennine route linking Greater Manchester to the new High Speed 2 rail service between Leeds and Sheffield, whilst road users will also benefit from upgrades to and the expansion of the M62, M60, M56, M6 and M61 motorways”.

Notes

One North is a “strategic proposition for an interconnected north”, placing “a transformation of connectivity at the heart of an aim to maximise economic growth in the North”.

It was signed by the leaders of Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield City Councils and by the Mayor of Liverpool, and launched on 4 August 2014.

The vision of One North is based on six guiding principles:

•Benefitting the national economy by raising the North’s productivity and competitiveness;
•A multi-modal vision for both logistics and personal travel, recognising that road is the dominant means of travel in the North but cannot meet the burden of all expected growth;
•Rail is the fastest-growing mode and will have to play a much increased role in the decades to come;
•Anticipation of economic and population growth;
•Seeking to maximise value by prioritising investment that will deliver the best overall return to the taxpayer in terms of net national growth;
•Being transformational in intent, with the major capital expenditure required being justified by the economic growth.

LIGHTS GO LIVE – CROMPTON WAY / MILNROW ROAD / LINNEY LANE / SALTS STREET JUNCTION

I have just had confirmed that the signals at the above junction will be switched on tomorrow morning 2 October. There will be some minor addition works after the switch on.

There may be some continuing traffic disruptions for the next month or so, during the ‘bedding in’ period, but this is common with any junctions having had major modifications.

The junction and the local highway network will be monitored closely after the switch on date, and reviewed to optimise vehicle and pedestrian demand.

TEMPORARY TRAFFIC SIGNALS ROCHDALE ROAD / FRASER STREET, SHAW

The delay was with the insurers waiting for a structural report which they now have.

Builders have been appointed and work has now commenced on site.

There are no time scales as of yet but the owner wants it completing ASAP as he is losing business.

Until such time as the work is complete to such a standard that allows the footways on Rochdale Road and Fraser Street to be re-opened to the general public, the temporary signals will need to remain in place on safety grounds.

With regards to the cost of the signals, this will be borne by the insurance company of the vehicle that caused the damage to the shop.

The signals are four way temporary signals where each leg of the cross roads operates in a four way cycle. This means that there will be a time lapse of between 2 and 2.5 minutes between cycles on each leg. This can give the impression to some motorists that the signals are not working when in fact they are.

The Traffic Management Company is called Amberon Ltd.

The contact name and telephone number is: Paul 07875 815 542 should the signals fail or stop working.