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Locals ‘duped’ over leisure proposals — Sykes
Reporter: ANDREW RUDKIN
Date online: 26 January 2012
FORMER council leader Howard Sykes believes Shaw and Crompton residents have been “duped” as he slammed plans to replace the local swimming baths.
Lib-Dem leader and Shaw councillor Sykes has been campaigning to stop the closure of Crompton Pool — known locally as Shaw Baths.
Now he believes his worst fears will come true when Cabinet members are asked to support Royton as the preferred location for a new facility — to replace both Shaw and Royton sports centres — at a meeting on Monday night.
Oldham Council revealed nine sites are currently under consideration to serve the whole of Royton, Shaw and Crompton as part of the borough’s leisure-estate review.
The top-six ranked sites are in Royton with King Street car park, the former Byron Street Primary School and unknown commercial land among favoured spots.
Councillor Sykes said: “The report provides no evidence of a detailed assessment being carried out and fails to show how the preferred list of sites was arrived at.
“The citizens of Shaw and Crompton have been duped. This is business as usual for this Labour administration, who continue to thumb their noses at those who have an alternative view.”
Two possible sites fell at the initial appraisal stage — Shaw Market, due to its small size, and land near Bullcote Park, Royton, which was sold at auction last month. Current proposals follow a public borough-wide consultation, which ended earlier this month.
The majority of concerns by Oldham residents was in relation to the proposed closure of Crompton Pool and Fitness Centre.
Other possible council-owned sites include Royton and Crompton School and the former Matthias Pilling House in Shaw.
Labour councillor Hugh McDonald said: “The purpose of these proposals is to ensure each district has fit-for-purpose and high-quality leisure facilities.
“Following a robust appraisal of 14 different sites in the Shaw, Crompton and Royton district it is recommended that a facility to serve this district should be sited in Royton.
“We hope a new leisure centre will become part of a wider re-development scheme for Royton. This report also proposes that we enter discussions with Shaw and Crompton Parish Council to potentially transfer the Crompton Pool and Fitness Centre to them to run.”
Comments
“Locals ‘duped’ over leisure proposals” – in much the same way as the electorate were duped, by Lib-Dem assurances on the raising of tuition fees.
Shaw is LibDem country so its obvious that Liebour will favour Royton.
a facilty in Royton will not be beneficial to the residents of Shaw and Crompton. at the moment there are regular bus services in to shaw, but we have to wait half an hour for a bus to Royton, or are the council assuming that all Shaw and Crompton residents have cars? Yet again Labour council districts get everything and Lib Dem areas get absolutly naff all
Howard Sykes had three years as Leader of the Council to do something about Crompton Pool, but it's much easier to rant about Labour doing the wrong thing especially when he's due for re-election.
Klgexafs - You dont have to wait half an hour for a bus because if you know the time the bus is due, then why not set off near to this time to get the bus, instead of waiting in the rain?
Just put it in the middle and started arguing like pathetic little children.
Why could the new venue not be built on the current site of crompton baths? Does the council have other plans for the site or will it become another fast food takeaway to add to the massive overkill of what we already have?
Hornblower sorry but buses dont always run to time. Look back at reports about first bus service cancelled or service run early yep as normal people with cars tell people without cars what to do. Sorry thats whay I think.
Politics aside - where's the thinking?
Metrolink - want or not - will deliver potential users of a leisure centre right into the heart of Shaw.
Surely this is a no brainer as to where facilities should be built.
These councillors are always at each other, yet they never agree to anything good, Councillor Sykes did things wrong in his time, like allow the metrolink, labour councillors wasted money on Oldham for years only to either allow them to rot or demolish after they built them (such as st marys,shaw road flats ect.
But If councillors listened to Oldham public more, and not do as they please, then they would get more appraise.
Oldham market now destroyed, just for a car park!!!
Charterplan - Oldham itself is almost destroyed with Liebour simply picking over the debris. As you say, "labour councillors wasted money on Oldham for years" - the LibDems did put right a lot of what was wrong but I totally disagree with their decision to go ahead with Metrolink: it will be the final nail in the coffin!
I would very much like to know what the "wider redevelopment plan" is for Shaw - why is it that one area must be "regenerated" at the expense of another?
Are we to continue to see our services slowly ebbed away to prop up other areas in the borough only to find in a few years that Shaw has unsurprisingly gone downhill?
Have Your Say
Councillor Hugh McDonald said: “The purpose of these proposals is to ensure each district has fit-for-purpose and high-quality leisure facilities. In that case when will Hollinwood recives its facility as it is past over every time like many other pats of this borough I suggest you look at who are the councillors in Royton North and South and make up your own mind as to why its going to be Royton
By Barros @ 26/01/2012 15:58:24