Councillors make ‘keep Failsworth together’ plea

Five Failsworth Councillors have issued a plea to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) to respect Failsworth’s identity as a town in its own right in the ongoing review of Oldham Council ward boundaries.

A letter to the LGBCE signed by Councillors Sean Fielding, Liz Jacques, Pete Davis, Elaine Garry and Norman Briggs says: “Failsworth is a community with a clear identity drawn from its heritage as an urban district prior to local government reorganisation in 1974.

"It is also delineated from almost all other neighbourhoods in the Borough by the M60 outer ring road.

“The identity of Failsworth is further reinforced by the common travel patterns of residents and the use of local amenities.

“For example the six ‘feeder’ schools of Co-operative academy Failsworth on Brierley Avenue are six of the seven primary schools in the current Failsworth East and West wards with the seventh, St. Mary’s RC primary, only not defined as a feeder school due to its faith school status (though in practice many children attending St. Mary’s do go on to attend Co-op Failsworth).

“Residents accessing amenities in the current Failsworth East and West wards also overwhelmingly shop at supermarkets within them, such as Tesco and Aldi at Failsworth Quay or Morrisons on Poplar Street, use the sports facilities at Failsworth Sports Centre on Brierley Avenue and worship at religious buildings within the wards.”

The letter calls for the retention of the current Failsworth East and West wards with a minor change to the internal boundary that would move the Ben Brierley Wharf development on the Rochdale canal from Failsworth West in to Failsworth East.

On this issue, the Councillors say: “We propose a minor amendment which would see Ben Brierley Wharf and the properties on Claremont Street currently in Failsworth West moved to Failsworth East.

"These properties comprise a new development that was added to Failsworth West at the time of construction however all other properties on Claremont Street are within Failsworth East and the apartments at Ben Brierley Wharf can only be accessed by entering Failsworth East.

"We therefore consider it logical to take the opportunity that the boundary view provides to correct this anomaly.”

The LGBCE is undertaking the review of electoral ward boundaries in Oldham to ensure that each Councillor in Oldham represents roughly the same number of residents.

Due to housing developments and other population changes since the current boundaries were drawn, some Councillors are responsible for representing many more electors than others.

The LGBCE has already decided that Oldham will retain 20 wards, each with three Councillors, and will now determine the boundaries of those 20 wards.

It is expected that draft recommendations will be published on June 1, 2021.

Following any amendments arising from responses to the consultation on these draft recommendations, the final recommendations will be published in November 2021 with an ‘all out’ election for all 60 Councillors being held in 2023 using the new boundaries.

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