The Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, is ‘eagerly awaiting’ Friday 10 September for this is the day that Greater Manchester’s new Police chief reveals his plan to reshape policing across the city region and the Mayor of Greater Manchester finally publishes a secret report into police failings.

Councillor Sykes has previously written to Mayor Andy Burnham demanding a report prepared in the spring at public expense by accountants Price Waterhouse Coopers be published.  His requests have met with obfuscation and outright refusal as Mayor Burnham kept the report under wraps during his re-election campaign and whilst a new Chief Constable was being appointed. 

The report allegedly exposes grave police failings; failings that Councillor Sykes has also repeatedly raised in correspondence with the Greater Manchester Mayor, who is also Police and Crime Commissioner for the city region.

Councillor Sykes said:  “Frankly, the conduct of the Police and Crime Commissioner and certain members of the senior management team at GMP has in recent months been more akin to the Keystone Cops than a professional police service.”

“When your Police officers fail to record over 80,000 reported crimes in a year; when you introduce a new computer system (iOPs) at massive public expense that fails so lamentably that offenders are let off from court scott-free and Police officers have to go back to taking notes with pen and paper; and when your Chief Constable leaves under a cloud, and your force is placed in special measures, then you know you have got things seriously wrong.”

On Friday 10 September, a meeting of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority will consider the Greater Manchester Police Implementation Plan, presented by newly appointed Chief Constable Stephen Watson.  Mayor Andy Burnham also promised in a tweet in August that he would release the PwC report on that date.

Councillor Sykes laid down a challenge:  “Mayor Burnham has got things seriously wrong.  He needs to come clean and admit that, and both he and the new Chief Constable Stephen Watson, must clearly set out how they intend to make things seriously right, and soon, at Greater Manchester Police.  The time for this is now.  Public and front-line police officer confidence in the leadership team is now at an all-time low.”

The tweet from Mayor and Police and Chief Commissioner Andy Burnham read:

Crompton Liberal Democrat Councillor Louie Hamblett has written to the newly appointed local NHS supremo Mike Barker to express his grave concerns that shortages in medical supplies will impact on patient health over the autumn, with blood tests and flu shots being rationed.

Councillor Hamblett, who serves as Shadow Cabinet Member for Heath & Social Care, wrote to the new Interim Accountable Officer of the Oldham Clinical Commissioning Group, Mike Barker, over the recent shortages of test tubes which will prevent some patients receiving their annual blood screening tests at this time.  On top of this, Louie was alarmed to hear news that flu vaccinations may also be limited by a shortage of supplies.

Commenting, Councillor Hamblett said:  “Oldham has been especially hard hit by Covid-19 and sadly many of our residents also suffer from ongoing chronic ill health.  A shortage of test tubes means less blood testing; testing essential to monitor the status of patients with existing serious health conditions and to test patients for possible new diseases”. 

“With a huge collective effort by medical and support staff, this year we have vaccinated most of our residents from Covid-19 vaccinations, but at a time when local GP’s and clinics gear up to begin booking flu shots for those eligible, a worrying lack of supplies may mean hold-ups”. 

“My fear is that the current disquieting situation will mean existing patients needing blood tests needlessly suffer and new patients remain undiagnosed and that our good work on Covid-19 could be undone if we are hit with a seasonal flu epidemic that may be deadly to our vulnerable residents with a weakened immune system,” added Councillor Hamblett. 

Councillor Hamblett hopes for a quick resolution to the current medical shortages.  “It is completely unacceptable that in Oldham, the home of the world’s first test tube baby, test tubes are now at a premium.  I really hope we can see some positive movement on this issue, and soon, for the future health of the people of this borough.”

For real time information: https://oldham.roadworks.org/

Council 8 Sept 2021

Leaders Question 1 – What is the future for the Tower block and civic centre building

Madam Mayor,

My first question tonight relates to the future of the Council’s estate and climate change.

Many employees across the private and public sectors have been working from home since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, including much of the Council’s workforce and those of our partners in Unity, Miocare, and Oldham Community Leisure.

Homeworking means employees no longer must commute, and they can achieve a better work – life balance.

Given then we are likely to have less employees in our workplaces at all and see less of those that do, we shall have less need for office space.

Less buildings will need to be heated, lit, cleaned, and maintained and there will much lower bills for utilities.  Many will be surplus to our requirements.

This will also mean lower carbon emissions, so we will also benefit by moving closer to our aspiration to become a carbon neutral Council.

It is likely that in the future we shall have our core staff, working mostly in public-facing roles, in the new repurposed offices in the Spindles Shopping Centre, and perhaps some here on the Rochdale Road site supporting ceremonial and Council functions, but the rest of the Civic Centre will become redundant.

Can the Council Leader please tell me tonight what is being planned to identify and dispose of the unwanted office space, especially the Civic Centre tower block, or may be the whole Tower block and Rochdale Road site?

And what is planned or the vision for this large and strategically important town centre site when it becomes vacant?

Council 8 September 2021

Leaders Question 2 – Discharging untested and infected patients into care homes

Madam Mayor,

I had hoped to ask my second question tonight under the agenda item ‘COVID-19 response questions’, but I see that yet again for the second time this item has been omitted from tonight’s agenda.

I have received a reassurance from the Leader that this omission was a result of administrative error rather than a change in the policy of this Administration, so I look forward to seeing this item back on the agenda for November 2021 Council, as it should be on every agenda until we have seen the back of this terrible pandemic.

So here then is my question.

A response to a recent Freedom of Information request revealed that the Pennine Acute Hospital Trust – part of the Northern Care Alliance – discharged 152 patients to care settings between March 19 and April 15 last year.  96 of these patients were untested and of the 56 tested, 18 tested positive for COVID-19.

It seems to me a gross dereliction of the ‘duty of care’ that patients were discharged from hospital to care homes when they were untested or tested positive with a deadly disease.

Sadly, a significant number of care home residents died during the COVID-19 pandemic, and undoubtedly some instances of transmission occurred because of transfers into care homes from hospitals.

Can the Leader please provide me with assurance that revised procedures are now in place to ensure that in future all patients will be tested for COVID-19 before being discharged from hospital to care settings, so that never again will a situation arise where patients testing positive or not tested at all are discharged from hospital to unwittingly, and sometimes fatally, infect their fellow residents and staff in care homes?

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A plea from Shaw Liberal Democrat Councillors for a gold post box in the town to mark the recent Olympic success of local hero Matthew Walls has been refused by Royal Mail.

Shaw cyclist Matthew won a Gold and Silver medal at the recent Tokyo Olympics.

Councillor Howard Sykes MBE who made the request on behalf of his Shaw colleagues to the Chief Executive was ‘very disappointed’ at the response.

“It is clear that Royal Mail regard the action they took after the 2012 London Games in painting postboxes gold as a never-to-be-repeated homage to this nation’s Olympic success,” said Councillor Sykes.  “It is a real pity that they do not feel able now to continue the practice as a gold postbox is a clear symbol to local residents that one of their own has done them proud.”

Councillor Sykes added: “I am sure that the residents of Shaw will want to see a suitable public tribute to Matthew, and they can rest assured that as local Councillors we are now actively exploring ways that we can show our appreciation of his achievements in a public space.”

“And in the meantime, I will be delighted and honoured to second the proposal at the September Council meeting to confer upon Matthew the Freedom of the Borough of Oldham,” concluded Councillor Sykes.

Many thanks to ALL of you, and all you do for us all.

Oldham Liberal Democrats are fighting to ensure the adoption of new standards for planning decisions in the borough.

Transparency International, the leading global anti-corruption organisation, recently looked at the planning system in the UK, and produced “Permission Accomplished” – a report detailing how the planning system can be improved to ensure that residents can see a process designed to ensure integrity, impartiality and transparency.

Local Liberal Democrat Councillor Mark Kenyon said: “Faced with nonsensical planning decisions like we’ve seen at Knowls Lane, many people have completely lost faith in the planning process in Oldham. Planning rules imposed from Westminster, backed by local Conservatives, may force some decisions upon the Council, but the lack of a clear, transparent process means that residents feel that their views are excluded and decisions can’t be trusted. We need to urgently change the way we are working.

“Rebuilding people’s trust in our Council is vital if we want to help those who need help most in our borough. That process has to start with planning and, whilst it will take time, adopting the recommendations of Transparency International is an important first step.”

The motion will be heard at the September 8 Council meeting. The Council has recently appointed a new head of planning, and the Liberal Democrat team are aiming to ensure that a new broom really does sweep clean.

Fellow councillor Sam Al-Hamdani, who is seconding the motion, said: “Planning is without a doubt the hardest part of my job as a councillor. There are so many laws that you have to comply with, otherwise the Council would get sued, and that would come out of the taxpayers pocket.

“At the same time, there is probably nothing that we do as councillors that has a more direct impact on so many people. It is a matter of principle that I want to be able to look people in the eye and say that we made a fair decision.

“Trust can be destroyed in an instant, and it takes years to rebuild. People need to have confidence that councillors are always working in their interests. I want this motion to be passed, so that we can lay good foundations for that.”

The Oldham Liberal Democrats want to see government financial support for the UK’s mountain and cave rescue services; air ambulance services; and the Royal National Lifeboat Institute.

At the next meeting of the Full Council (Wednesday 8 Sept, 6pm), Crompton Councillor Dave Murphy and Shaw Councillor Hazel Gloster will be calling for government cash for these unsung emergency services run by courageous and selfless volunteers.

“With the ending of COVID restrictions, more people will be out and about on our moors or visiting the seaside, and there will be greater demands on these services as a result”, said Councillor Murphy.  “It is great that the public have historically given generously to support these services, but after the lockdown, a great many people will be losing their jobs and charitable donations will come a distant third to paying the bills and putting food on the table”. 

The 9 September is Emergency Services Day, and the Liberal Democrats believe that ‘some government funding should be provided to guarantee these invaluable services a certain level of income every year’.

Councillor Hazel Gloster explained: “The Prime Minister has talked about the levelling up agenda, and we believe that as part of levelling up the government should provide some funding to these local and regional services to ensure they all have a guaranteed income to meet their core costs.  We don’t want to discourage charitable giving by the public, and perhaps the government could match donations pound-for-pound up to a certain level”.

The Leader of the Oldham Liberal Democrats has written to a senior Council officer with his concerns that elements of the current plan to refurbish Spindles mean spending again on something Oldham already has.

In his letter to the Director of Economy Emma Barton, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE points out that Oldham already has a dedicated space for new creative industries and an unused food court in Create Oldham and the Egyptian Room respectively, and he is concerned that the Labour Council will be spending more public money on duplicating the same in Spindles rather than using what Oldham already has better.

Councillor Sykes said: “This is like seeing double.  Oldham’s Labour Council spent at least £1.5 million to refurbish an old night club on Yorkshire Street into Hack Oldham / Wayra; now Create Oldham.  This was established specifically to be a space from which new creative businesses could work, but it is underutilised for this purpose, so why are we not referring new businesses there rather than spending yet more of the public’s hard-earned money on creating a second hub?”

“My second complaint concerns the food court.  Why do we need yet another food court when a fortune has been spent on refurbishing and repurposing the Egyptian Room in the old town hall development?  This has never been let, despite the huge expenditure”, continued Councillor Sykes.  “Why create a second Spindles food hub?  My worry is this represents more unnecessary spending and could affect the viability of the Egyptian Room.  I think we should focus on getting the Egyptian Room up and running and established before we consider a second food court for Spindles.”