Growing worry over gun crime

East Oldham Area Committee meeting reports by USMA RAJA

GUN crime is rife — but not appearing on police reports it was claimed.

Councillor Mohammed Masud said he had grave concerns about the number of shootings in Glodwick and St Mary’s recently — and said he was surprised that no gun related incidents had been recorded in a police report distributed at last night’s meeting.

He said: “There was a shooting in Glodwick on Tuesday night in which a 28-year-old man was targeted.

“There has been several incidents in St Mary’s area. It has been ongoing for a number of years.

“I have been very vocal about it and for those reasons there have been false reports submitted to the police about me.

“I feel I am banging my head against the wall as my constituents feel nothing is being done by the police to stop this.

“This is not a race issue but a crime issue.”

In response, PCSO Irfan Jaffri said a number of major operations had taken place in the area and that they were still ongoing.


Super care centre progress gets clean bill of health


OLDHAM’S £20 million Integrated Care Centre is on track to open in September.

Health boss Shauna Dixon said the flagship centre, biggest in the borough, will provide a range of first class services under one roof.

She said: “We want to make this a community building and we will have meeting rooms for people and groups to use.

“Car parking has been an issue but we will provide 215 car park spaces on Hobson Street for staff, 113 parking spaces adjacent to the centre and there will be dropping off points with signs. There will be nine spaces for disabled parking.”

The entrance to the state-of-the-art building will be on Cheapside, and the centre will give people access to health information and advice, services to support them to keep fit and well, emergency dentists, general practice, nursing, counselling and sexual health and pharmacy and urgent care, including out-of-hours medical advice.

But Councillor Roger Hindle asked what would happen to the redundant buildings including Go To Doc on Shaw Road, Oldham, and the Walk In Centre when they move into the Integrated Care Centre.

Mrs Dixon said that another practice will move into the Walk In centre and Go To Doc will be responsible for its site.


Academy plan on show soon

OLDHAM Council’s service director for regeneration, Paul Wight, gave members an update on the proposed Waterhead Academy.

The local authority wants to replace Breeze Hill and Counthill Schools with an academy at the former Orb Mill site, Huddersfield Road, in Waterhead.

Mr Wight said there was a possibility outline plans would be showcased and go before a planning committee in April.

The start date for construction is January, 2011, and it should be completed by July, 2012. It will open two months later.