Lib-Dems cutting Failsworth adrift - claim

FAILSWORTH is being cut off from the rest of the borough, the leader of Oldham’s Labour group claims.

Councillor Jim McMahon is furious over recent decisions which he argues divide the borough and leave Failsworth worse off.

He says a new credit-card sized booklet, distributed by Oldham Council in a bid to encourage people to vote in favour of the congestion charge, ignores the impact on his ward.

It follows news that a £30 million regeneration plan for Failsworth, including a new community centre, has been put on hold because of the credit crunch.

But last week plans were approved to extend Tesco that will mean demolishing Whitekirk Hall.

Councillor McMahon said: “It’s divisive to use taxpayers’ money to separate Failsworth from the rest of the borough and to completely ignore its 21,000 inhabitants.

“We have spent so much time trying to create unity in the borough yet the council is trying to separate Failsworth to get the rest of Oldham to support them.

“I’m really angry as Failsworth always gets a raw deal because of the representation down there.

“They are just not interested and no energy is going into it. Regeneration is going swimmingly but not in Failsworth.”

Councillor McMahon said promises that Whitekirk Hall would not be demolished until a new community centre was built had been broken.

“There are no plans for a community centre but they are still going to demolish Whitekirk Hall,” he said. “It’s interesting it’s suddenly found to be unsafe just before a developer comes in to buy it. The people of Failsworth have been let down.

“The council has a social responsibility to underwrite the cost of the community centre.”

The leader of Oldham Council, Howard Sykes, denied that Failsworth is being ignored and demanding that Labour decide where its stands on the TIF scheme which says the congestion charge would fund massive improvements to public transport.

He said: “Are they in favour or against, as they are doing a lot of fence-sitting? I want to know whether the Labour party is in favour of £3 billion of public transport improvements.

“There are winners and losers but on balance it is good news for the borough and that’s why I’m in favour.

“Some people would argue that Failsworth has had a much better focus than other parts of the borough over the last few years. But all the districts are considered equally important.”

Councillor Sykes added that meetings are being held to try to progress Failsworth’s town-centre plans.