Fabric of the community under threat - McMahon

OLDHAM Council leader Jim McMahon issued a chilling warning last night after council tax was frozen for a second year.

After the approval of a budget containing £35million in cuts he warned: “The very fabric of our community is under threat. Most people have not noticed the effect of these reductions, but they will begin to notice when front-line services start to go wrong.”

He added: “I take absolutely no pleasure at all in recommending this budget. This has been a very difficult five years for Oldham Council and we have made reductions of 40 per cent when other councils have had increases.

“We were told by the Tory Government that the cuts were to pay off the deficit but we now know that central government has not reduced the deficit. You could argue it was all for nothing.”

The only exception in the council tax freeze is for Shaw and Crompton residents who have a 0.017 per cent increase in their precept.

A Council Tax Band D property will now pay £1,618, compared with last year’s £1,617.71.

But rent on council properties will rise by 2.2 per cent, from an average of £76.05 to £77.72 a week.

Councillor McMahon announced the figures while praising frontline staff and services for their work in the face of severe cuts..