£500,000 boost for regeneration

Oldham Council Cabinet meeting reports by Marina BERRY

A £500,000 boost for Oldham’s New Deal for Communities (NDC) masterplan, so more work can be carried out in the 15-year project has been approved

The extra cash will support work already under way in Hathershaw North, the Borough Mill triangle, and Ashton Road, including a school safety zone, road and signage improvements, property refurbishments and alleyway gates.

New schemes include housing refurbishment and environmental improvements in Ashton Road central, and a new programme of work for the Falmouth Street area.

Plans will be set after public consultation next spring, and could include buying property to allow for the “overall development of the area,” refurbishment of houses, and environmental improvements such as in alleys and parks and traffic calming measures. The extra cash is primarily to buy extra land and property to allow the masterplan to go ahead, and Councillor Mohib Uddin described it as “planning for the future.”

He said: “It’s beneficial to see a long term programme in place, and is something we should applaud.”

Cabinet gave its backing to the plea for an extra £500,000 by NDC chiefs to bring funding up to £1.3 million, on the proviso wording in the report was tweaked to make it absolutely clear how the money will be spent.




English skills are a priority



PEOPLE living in England should be able to speak English, said Councillor David Hibbert.



He spoke in support of Councillor Mohib Uddin who welcomed a move to add Key Stage One English to the council’s Citizen Plan, which brought together priorities put forward by residents for the borough.

Targets under the plan are for March next year, and Councillor Uddin said he had been keen on promoting good English language skills for several years, saying it was vital for the success of regeneration in the borough.

Councillor Hibbert said it was “absolutely crucial” for people living in the borough to be able to speak English well.




Disadvantaged pupils to get university chance



DISADVANTAGED and talented youngsters in England are to be handed cash to encourage them to apply to the country’s top universities, ministers have announced.



Over 1,500 pupils aged 14 and 15 from Greater Manchester, London and the Black Country will be offered £400 to spend on after–school clubs and activities as part of the City Challenge programmes.

All of those set to benefit are pupils who are eligible for free school meals.

They will take part in university–led activities such as forensic science masterclasses, creative workshops and designing equipment for music studios.

Schools minister Andrew Adonis said: “The extra funding will help unlock the talents and potential of all our young people, ensuring that a university education is an option for everyone.

“For many disadvantaged pupils, poverty of aspiration can be the biggest obstacle and there may be financial pressures pushing them towards early employment.”

A series of summer schools run by 37 universities, including Cambridge and seven other elite institutions, will be expanded to offer more places to students this year.




Snags need ironing out



RESIDENTS are still waiting to meet with council officers over “snagging issues” following a £500,000 scheme to improve Delph Bridge and a proposed school safety zone at Delph School.



Councillor Ken Hulme pressed for the meeting to take place, saying poor roadside drainage needed to be put right. Mark Alcock, cabinet member for environment and infrastructure, said a meeting had already been held with contractors.




Sheltered homes lessons learned



ACTION has been taken to safeguard sheltered housing residents from the delays and mistakes experienced by Delph pensioners during development at Holland Close.



Veronica Jackson, executive director for social services, gave the assurance came in response to a call by Councillor Ken Hulme for lessons to be learned in a bid to prevent other elderly people from undergoing the “same miserable experience” where refurbishment of their homes was plagued by delays and mistakes.