Howard’s Personal Manifesto

Howard Campaigning to Save Shaw Baths Last Weekend

I’m Howard Sykes and I’d like to outline why I deserve your vote.

First and foremost I am a local lad, having grown up in Shaw and still living in the heart of the town – something which cannot be said for some of my opponents.

I and my colleagues work hard all year to get the views of local residents.

I listen to what people have to say and make sure these views are taken account of.

I can be contacted at www.howardsykes.co.uk; via email; phone; my address in Shaw and, at my regular advice centres.

I’ve fought hard for the things people tell me they want to see for themselves and their families, such as a new health centre, improvements to the roads and to tackle anti social behaviour.

There have been some successes recently with highway works completed on Grains Road and Beal Lane and alley- gates have been installed in a number of locations.

I have also been heavily involved with the successful bid to attract £1m of investment into Dunwood Park and in the recent improvements to Crompton Moor/Brushes Clough.

But I know there’s more to do.

I am the only candidate campaigning to save Shaw Baths from closure because I believe that the people of Shaw need this amenity in the local area rather than having to travel to Royton.

I’m also working hard for local people fighting the effects of the closure of Beal Hey Tip, and the increased litter and fly tipping being experienced as a result.

No wonder all some candidates in this election want to talk about is national politics.

This is a local election about local issues and about who is best placed to represent Shaw on Oldham Council.

I do hope I can count on YOUR support on Thursday 3rd May.

Best wishes and many thanks for reading this post.

Vote Liberal Democrat – Best Choice for Shaw and Oldham

These local elections are not about the Government. They are about what is happening here in our own Borough, in our own back yard, in our own communities.

Whoever wins on May 3rd it will not change the government.

The Liberal Democrats are the only party who take seriously the quality of the day to day environment of this Borough, things such as keeping the streets clean, keeping green spaces neat and tidy, investing in our roads and pavements, ensuring grids/gulleys are cleaned out regularly, and addressing anti social behaviour.

The last Lib Dem administration proved what we were about, despite inheriting an appalling financial position by the previous Labour administration in 2008:-

Youth anti social behaviour reduced by nearly 50% through the ‘GO Oldham’ initiative – now under threat because of Labour cuts to the youth service.

The Keep Britain Tidy Group officially recognised the streets of Oldham as the cleanest in Greater Manchester in 2010 – as everybody knows that is certainly not the case now!

We found the money to arrest the decay of Oldham Town Hall and stopped it from falling down – something which Labour vigorously opposed.

We found the money for the current refurbishment of the Coliseum Theatre.

These elections remember, are about local issues, local people and local decisions and, who you want to run Oldham Council.

There is a clear choice between Labour who promise expensive grand schemes which will put the Council back into serious debt versus the Liberal Democrats who have proven financial competence and look after your money responsibly.

However, we also ensure the things that matter day to day to people are sorted, like clean streets, anti social behaviour and bringing pride back to our communities.

The last 12 months has seen a litany of misleading information, half truths and undeliverable promises from Labour, so much so that the public are finding it hard to believe a single word they say.

Labour has said: “We will need to change, adapt and, most importantly listen.”

I suspect the residents of Shaw feel those words are very empty indeed – more than 700 of whom were ignored when the decision was made to build a new pool/ leisure complex in Royton Town Centre.
We showed in our alternative budget earlier this year there is enough money for new pools in both Royton and Shaw – it is all about choices and priorities. What was surprising was to see a majority of the five Conservative councillors supporting Labour in its budget plans.

In the last 12 months the streets have got dirtier, fly tipping has gone through the roof, hundreds and hundreds of people’s views dismissed as irrelevant and countless examples of Labour saying one thing and doing another.

Remember this is a local election and is about local communities, local people and local issues – the Liberal Democrats are the only alternative to Labour; the Conservatives can’t win here.

Please make sure your vote counts on 3rd May 2012.

Labour’s Candidate is Shy About Living in Royton

Labour’s campaign material is heavy on ridiculing Howard and light about what they would do for the residents and the area of Shaw and Crompton as emerged earlier.

It seems one reason for this is that the candidate is a resident of Royton, although you’d never know it from his election material.

So he has no plans to stop the closure of our local swimming pool and has nothing to say about the closure of Beal Hey Tip.

Wonder if there’s anything else he’s staying silent about?

Don’t Forget – Return Your Postal Vote Today

Howard PV Knock Up
The link above is a short step by step guide to how to vote by post.

And don’t forget to support your hard working local councillor and Shaw resident Howard Sykes.
Howard is working hard to earn your vote and has a track record in fighting for and getting improvements for Shaw and Crompton.

Your vote for Howard will mean continued positive ACTION to deal with important local issues and DELIVER improvements for Shaw and Crompton.

DON’T DELAY – USE YOUR VOTE TODAY

Shaw and Crompton Traffic Chaos

There was traffic chaos in Shaw again today (23rd April) with the impact of the Mancheter Road roadworks (closure) being felt very keenly by rushhour communters.

Howard Sykes said, “The residents of Shaw have been dealt yet another blow by a Labour administration who has not consulted and adequately planned these roadworks. The impact has just not been thought through. If it had, the sequencing of the Blackshaw Lane/Bullcote Lane traffic lights would have been altered to cope with the increased volume of traffic, particularly at peak times.”

He continued, “I will be taking up this issue with Oldham Council to see if there is anything that can be done quickly to improve the situation for residents of Shaw and Crompton.

In the more medium term, I shall pursue again an answer to the question I put to the Labour Leader of the Council at last week’s full council meeting (18th April) concerning the opening of Metrolink, as this will take away some of this traffic volume along this stretch when the line opens.

However, I was told at the Council meeting last week by Cllr McMahon that he had no knowledge of when the Metrolink line was going to open, that it was not his concern and didn’t seem at all interested in the impact on the quality of life on the people of Shaw and Crompton of this and the roadwork projects being undertaken currently by Oldham Council.

But don’t just take my word for it. People can see it for themselves if they view the Council’s webcast of the meeting of full Council available via the Oldham Council website.”

Oldham Council’s website can be found via the quicklink on the menu to the left of this page.

Howard Sykes: Your Local Candidate for Shaw

Shaw Calling Card April 2012

The link above shows you why Howard Sykes is the candidate who is working hard to earn your vote at the local elections on 3rd May.

Howard has a track record in fighting for and getting improvements for Shaw and Crompton.

Recent achievements have included:

Highways Improvement Works, including making sure diversions are correctly sign posted and cleared away at the conclusion of the works, at Beal Lane, Grains Road, Manchester Road, Queen Street, Longley Street, Sumner Street, Lyon Street, Kershaw Street, Victoria Street and Chapel Street to name just a few!

Acted upon the responses of the Shaw Focus survey, which have included alleygating projects to respond to pockets of antisocial behaviour; and helped attract investment in local open spaces, including £1M for Dunwood Park and investment in Crompton Moor and Brushes Clough.

But he knows there is more to do, in particular fighting the Labour proposals to move investment and facilities out of Shaw, in particular:

Protest at the closure of Beal Hey Tip and working to ensure that Oldham Council deals satisfactorily with the subsequent rise in litter and fly tipping in the Shaw and Crompton area;

Fighting to keep Shaw Baths open for local residents and their children and grandchildren to use and enjoy;

and maintaining pressure for the provision of a new health centre for Shaw and Crompton.

Your vote for Howard Sykes on 3rd May will mean continued positive ACTION to deal with these, and other, important local issues and DELIVER improvements for the Shaw and Crompton communities.

Outrage at Labour Election Campaign Literature

Indignation has been expressed by many local residents at the purile material included in the Labour election campaign.

Howard Sykes, the target of this material, seemed resigned to the nature of this saying, “When you enter public life sometimes people say things about you that are both untruths and half truths and you have to be prepared for this, although it isn’t nice for family and friends to have to endure.”

A Shaw resident said,” Labour’s material attempting to ridicule Howard in charachature is an outrage and an example of the sort of negative campaigning which does the Labour Party no credit at all. All it does is slag Howard and his team off. It says nothing about what the Labour candidate will do for us residents of Shaw.”

If you happen to bump into the Labour campaign people or their candidate from Royton, perhaps you could take the opportunity to ask them exactly what they are going to do for you and for Shaw?

Conservative Disingenuousness Over Shaw Baths

A key issue with the people who have spoken to Howard Sykes on the door step and their families is the proposed closure of Shaw Baths.

If you feel strongly enough please sign the petition hosted by Howard Sykes and your Liberal Democrat Focus Team at
www.SaveShawBaths.co.uk

Howard and your Focus Team are fighting to keep the pool open and your support through signing the petition means the Labour adminstration at Oldham Council will have to listen. The stronger the protest expressed through the number of signatures, the better the chance of fighting the proposed closure.

Howard and your Focus Team are the only party fighting to retain this well used service in Shaw.

Labour’s position to close the pool is well known and a clear majority of Conservatives voted in support of Labour’s stance in the Council Chamber earlier this year.

This is your service paid for by your taxes so ensure your voice is heard through supporting Howard on 3rd May and by adding your name to the hundreds who have already signed the petition.