Sparks fly over Metrolink cash

SPARKS flew during a report into Oldham’s financial commitment to the town centre Metrolink scheme.

Proposals would see Oldham paying £447,000 from council tax next year, rising to £3.2m in 2018 and continuing until 2045. It will also pay £5.8m out of capital over the same period.

Councillor Dave Hibbert claimed while Labour supported the project, the impact on council services had not been properly assessed.

He said under the proposals, every council tax payer would be contributing for 36 years.

He also said Oldham’s town centre extension was close to the bottom on a list of priorities, and the Labour group wanted to see “tangible evidence of a firm commitment to the town centre extension”.

However, chief executive Charlie Parker said the listing of schemes had not been in order of priority, but Oldham was a scheme with priority.

Councillor Mohib Uddin said: “It’s more than simply Metrolink, it’s the wider infrastructure such as park and ride schemes.”

Councillor Lynne Thompson said: “If we don’t stick together now, if some start getting cold feet, we will never see that prize.”

Cabinet approved two amendments which said the additional expenditure arising from the decision will be included in the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy from 2010/11.
And any investment is linked to the early prioritisation, within the Transport Fund, of the extension of Metrolink through the Oldham Town Centre.


OLDHAM Council is clawing its way back to financial fitness, with some accounts hundreds of thousands in the black.

The revenue account, which provides day-to-day services, ended the last financial year (2008-09) £703,000 in credit.

Councillor Lynne Thompson, member for finances and resources, told last night’s meeting that firm action early on had helped achieve the underspend.

She said: “It’s very good news — £700,000 is quite close to coming in on budget, but the important thing is we are on the right side.”

An additional £985,000 has also been made available for areas marked up as Lib Dem priorities, including street cleaning and apprenticeships for young people.

Peter Timmins, Borough Treasurer Interim, said it was the first year of underspend following three years of overspend.

He said systems were in now place to help balance budgets and keep to an underspend.