Easter Bin collections

Waste and recycling collections will take place on Good Friday (March 29) and Easter Monday (April 1). So if your bins are due to be emptied, put them out as normal.

Buckstones Road – closed from Tuesday 2 April for two weeks

The closure is made to allow Cadent gas connect works and will be in force from Tuesday 2 April for two weeks or until the works are completed.

These works have been delayed from when first requested to be undertaken during the school holidays.

It will prohibit vehicles from proceeding along that part of Buckstones Road B6197 from Milnrow Road for 15 metres south easterly.

Alternative route (see map below)

Southbound– Milnrow Road, Crompton Way, Oldham Road, Heyside, Higginshaw Lane, Shaw Road, Huddersfield Road and Ripponden Road.

Northbound – Milnrow Road, Newhey Road and turn back at the roundabout to approach Buckstones Road to then follow the southbound diversion.

Keeping your children occupied this Easter

There are lots of exciting events taking place across the Borough during the Easter school holidays as part of Oldham Council’s Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme.

Free places are available on the programme to children aged between 5 and 16 who are in receipt of benefits-related free school meals with activities including karate, yoga and archery, soft play sessions, craft workshops and coding classes. For more information on our HAF programme and how you can book your sessions today, please visit www.oldham.gov.uk/HAF

On Sunday 24 March Oldham, Rochdale and parts of Bury and Salford’s buses join the

BeeNetwork! 🐝

Find out more at:

Say yellow to the Bee Network | Bee Network | Powered by TfGM

Hopefully this will be the start of improving local services, something I have been campaigning and fighting for over many, many years.

From Sunday 24 March the R9 and R10 will be re numbered the 435 and 436 respectively.

For a complete list of bus numbers as the Bee Network (bus franchising) goes live on Sunday 24 March:

Bee Network bus services | Bee Network | Powered by TfGM

Labour councillors vote down Liberal Democrat plan to remove Oldham from Places for Everyone Greenbelt development  

Oldham Council’s ruling Labour Group has voted down a proposal from the Liberal Democrats that would have removed Oldham from the controversial ‘Places for Everyone’ housing strategy.

Places for Everyone – which contains controversial plans to build on Greenbelt sites in Oldham – was signed off by Labour councillors at a Full Council meeting on Wednesday (13 March). 

Liberal Democrat Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE said, “Labour’s decision to plough ahead with this Greenbelt development is a betrayal of Oldham residents.”

“Expensive luxury housing is not going to help people onto the housing ladder.  All Labour are doing is handing a blank cheque to developers.”

The Liberal Democrats have long argued against Places for Everyone and so far, the only council to remove itself from the Greater Manchester-wide plan is Stockport, which is controlled by the Liberal Democrats. 

Councillor Sykes said, “Oldham needs a ‘brownfield first’ strategy that prioritises ex-industrial sites and the sites and former housing developments that have been demolished but never replaced – like in Derker.” 

“Liberal Democrats have always argued that Oldham should develop its own plan for housing development instead of being led by the rest of Greater Manchester.  But Labour have taken the easy way out and signed over Oldham’s greenbelt which will be lost in return for unaffordable housing.”

Liberal Democrat amendment to final Places for Everyone report:

Recommendations

This Council resolves to:

i. Reject the Places for Everyone Joint Development Plan 2022-2039 and remove Oldham Borough from Places for Everyone.

ii. Pursue the development of an ‘Oldham Local Housing Strategy’ which prioritises ‘Brownfield First’ development and truly affordable housing.