Seeing red over green scheme

GREEN row. Councillor Jim McMahon with one of the planters.

OPPOSITION leader Jim McMahon is seeing red over a green scheme in Failsworth which he reckons has been short-changed by around £14,000.

He claims that only a fraction of the £15,000 agreed by the council has been spent on the project in Roman Road — and is threatening to complain to the local government watchdog.

But Oldham’s highways boss said it had not been completed, and stressed that all the money would be spent.

The row has broken out over the project to provide greenery to brighten up the area.

The £15,000 initiative was agreed by the council’s cabinet committee in March and is being funded by Oldham’s dividend from Manchester Airport.

Labour group leader Councillor McMahon claims he has got nowhere after lodging two corporate complaints about delays to the scheme, and that more than 20 e-mails about the matter have been ignored

He is now furious after four planters turned up in Roman Road and explained: “Only four have been placed which are not big enough to take trees, even ornamental as the original project envisaged and which we consulted on.

“I believe this is way short of the £15,000 allocated by cabinet and I am firmly of the opinion that Failsworth has been short changed.

“If the planters cost more than a couple of hundred pounds, even at the ridiculous prices the council paid, I would be surprised. I think they owe us £14,000.”

The Failsworth East representative alleged that the scheme had fallen victim to a council spending freeze and is threatening to lodge a complaint of maladministration to the local government ombudsman.

However, Tony Noblet, service director for highways and operational services, said another planter would be added soon.

The rest of the money would be spent on items such as hanging baskets and on-going maintenance, and officers would meet with local councillors to discuss the options.

He said that the size of the planters was influenced by road safety considerations, and put the delays down to the suppliers and bad weather.

He added: “It has taken longer than we thought and we apologise.”