My questions at last nights Council meeting – No.1

Oldham Diving Pool:

Oldham Council has for the second time this week attracted negative publicity regionally and nationally – this time in connection with the lack of provision of a pool for board and scuba diving at either of the two new replacement swimming pools in Oldham and Royton.

A petition with 1,350 signatures demanding that this Council: Save Oldham’s Diving Pool, was received in May 2012.

Both the Sub-Aqua Club and Divers have for 30 years used this facility at the Oldham Stadium and apparently their campaign has the support of Olympic diver Tom Daley.

During public consultation, the Council has been less than truthful with these users, and, for nearly a year, they have been strung along with the false expectation that their needs were being looked into and might be catered for.

I say a false expectation as the specification for the leisure re-provision never included a diving pool within the proposed scope of works.
And latterly the sites chose for the Oldham replacement facilities were physically not big enough ever accommodate a replacement diving pool.

Would the Leader not agree that failing to provide a replacement facility is very regrettable, especially given Oldham’s past association with diving at the highest level, with Naomi Bishop competing in the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games?

Does he also agree the actual decision to not have a diving pool was taken some time ago and he and his colleagues could have and should have shared that with the current users of the diving pool before now?

My questions at last nights Council meeting – No.2

High Street Innovation Fund:

Mary Portas – a successful high street retailer and the so called Queen of Shops – was appointed by the Government to conduct a review about the future of the high street.

Following this review, around 400 towns across the UK were offered Government money from the High Street Innovation Fund to reinvigorate their high streets.

Oldham received £100,000 from this fund a year ago in Spring 2012.

Will the Leader tell me why is it, when this administration is always claiming to be poor, that after a year we have yet to spend a penny of this money?

No one would suggest we should spend this cash wastefully however I do find it hard to believe some or most of it could not have been used so far to support our hard pressed High Streets.

In addition the failure to spend does undermine Oldham’s case for cash/better treatment when we fail to spend such amounts.

And we do not even detail how and when we will spend it or why it takes so long to spend it or is the best idea to wait, if it actually is?

And can he also tell us how this Administration will use this money to support the Oldham retail economy, and the other district centres in our Borough, and when is it planned to use this cash to support our colleagues in the retail sector?

My questions at last nights Council meeting – No.3

The Scrap Metal Dealers Act:

Metal theft has become an increasing problem with the rise in metal prices.

The Local Government Association has reported that 9 in 10 Councils have been affected by metal theft.

This has included manhole covers putting road users and pedestrians at risk of a serious of life threatening accidents.

Even more shockingly parts of war memorials and plaques installed in churches and the grounds of crematoria to remember loved ones have been removed.

In the past many of these crimes have gone unpunished as stolen metal was bought by unscrupulous scrap yards, and such activity was ineffectually regulated.

The Scrap Metal Dealers Act to regulate the industry has recently received Royal Assent. Local authorities will be given the power to refuse to grant a licence to ‘unsuitable’ persons, to revoke licences and to carry out on-site inspections with police officers.

I am sure that Council officers, the Police and the many responsible, law-abiding scrap dealers who operate in Oldham will welcome the legislation.

Will the Leader outline how this Council intends to use the powers of this Act to more effective regulate the scrap metal business in Oldham?

Jubilee, Shaw – tree trimming works – Metrolink

Tree trimming/removal – Jubilee level crossing

Starting on Saturday 9th March, overnight works will be taking place at the Jubilee level crossing..

These works will entail the trimming of trees overhanging the line or obscuring line of sight for Metrolink tram drivers approaching this level crossing.

Due to the proximity of the trees to the operational Metrolink extension, these works must be carried out at night when services are not running and the power to the overhead lines can be isolated.

As such, these works are scheduled for 1am-5am, from Saturday 9th March until Sunday 17th March.

How to find out more:

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact Neil Harrison or a member of my team on 0161 244 1555 (office hours) or email future.metrolink@tfgm.com.

To report any urgent issues or incidents relating to this work, please call 0845 604 2724.

This number will be staffed 24 hours a day.

Flooding at Woodend – up date meeting 24th April, 5-7pm Dunwood Park Community Building

As you are probably already aware, there is an on-going problem with flooding in the area and I am writing to let you know that I have been working with a variety of agencies to try to find a solution to this. In order to share this information with you, I would like to invite you to a “Drop in Session” as follows:

Date: Wednesday, 24 April 2013
Time: 5.00pm – 7.00pm
Venue: Dunwood Park Community Building

Please do pop along any time bewteen 5-7pm.

Officers from Highways & Engineering, Environmental Services, the District Team and of course myself will be there to discuss these matters with you.

For your information, this letter has been sent to residents on Duchess Street, Woodend, Smallbrook Road, Cowie Street, Brook Avenue, Parkside Avenue and businesses on Trent Industrial Estate.

I hope you will be able to join us and look forward to seeing you on the night

Britannia Avenue Residents Permit Scheme – Renewal of Residents Pass

Despite chasing this matter for more than six weeks the Council failed to issue letters/new passes to residents before the current ones expired.

This has caused much unnecessary stress on residents, especially the elderly.

Below is the copy of the text of a letter that I have been promised will be delivered to residents this week.

It also informs you when our promised review meeting will be of the scheme.

Dear Sir / Madam
Re: Britannia Avenue Residents Permit Scheme
Renewal of Residents Pass

I refer to a previous letter from Miss Pauline Phillips (Parking Manager) which was sent to you in November 2013 regarding the implementation of the above residents permit scheme. You will be aware; your permit for the Britannia Avenue resident’s scheme expired on 31st March 2013.

In order to evaluate the success of the scheme you are invited to a further meeting which has been arranged with Councillor Sykes and relevant staff from the Council on 29th May 2013 at Crompton Library, Westway, Shaw commencing at 7pm.

In the interim period, please find enclosed permits for your address, which have been renewed for a further three months, until 30th June 2013.

This will allow an analysis of the feedback from the above meeting to be assessed and any further agreed changes to the current scheme can then be implemented.

We would like to take this opportunity to apologise for any inconvenience and distress caused by the delay in issuing new permits but please be assured that any Fixed Penalty Notices issued during the period to permit holders from the expiry date to your receipt of the new permit will be quashed.

We look forward to seeing you on the 29th May and should you have any queries about this letter, please contact: The Parking Shop, on 0845 680 4274 or by email at parkingshop@oldham.gov.uk.

Yours sincerely

Angela Lees
Parking Shop
0161 770 3638
angela.lees@oldham.gov.uk

FOR HELP AND ADVICE – SHAW WARD SURGERIES

Councillors Rod Blyth, Mark Alcock and Howard Sykes.

Also Parish Councillors Aspinall, Eckersley, Farrell, Hall, Stephens, Dodd, Robinson, Murphy and Wood will also attend.

7.30pm – 8.30pm, Lifelong Learning Centre, High Street, Shaw, OL2 8TB.

Thursday: April 18th.

NO APPOINTMENT REQUIRED

Please note that Cllr Mark Alcock has moved and his new address is as follows:

549 Shaw Road
Royton
Oldham
OL2 6PG

Temp traffic signals Shaw area

Carillion DDK are carrying out work on behalf of BT Openreach to re-set damaged / rocking manhole covers as detailed below:

1. 2 no. covers on Milnrow Road, in the vicinity of the railway bridge near to Wrens Nest, south of Bridge Street. Commencing today for 2 days.

2. Outside 144 Milnrow Road commencing 3 April for 2 days.

3. Outside 342 Milnrow Road commencing 3 April for 2 days

In each case the temporary signals will be off-peak only, 9.30am – 3.30pm and will be manually operated as and when required.

Also, items 2 and 3 will not be commenced until item 1 is complete and only one location can be worked on at any time.

In the case of an emergency the contact for these works is Stefan Clyne who can be telephoned on 07714 178 802