Join us and decide land’s fate

Reporter: Janice Barker
Date online: 11 August 2010

Oldham’s only Green Party councillor is joining the call for Failsworth people to be on the new Trust Committee deciding the future of land at Failsworth Lower Memorial Park.

Failsworth West Councillor Ian Barker is angry that he is still waiting for a reply to an email he sent to a senior council officer about the committee’s make-up seven weeks ago.

The land, which is part of the proposed site of a new Oldham Athletic stadium, is charitable trust land, and the new committee will have to decide if the trust could be moved to a new site in Failsworth.

Labour leader Councillor Jim McMahon, also a Failsworth councillor, has made a formal complaint to the Charity Commission about the way the trust issue is being handled, and is also calling for local councillors to be on the Trust Committee.

Councillor Barker said: “I feel that such an important issue for my residents has been ignored by a senior officer and it is simply not good enough.

“The second issue relates to the make-up of the committee which, since my original email was written, has been formed as a cabinet sub-committee and contains no members from Failsworth or indeed any Failsworth representation at all.

“Why shouldn’t Failsworth’s elected members be entrusted with making a decision on this important local issue?”