Planning verdicts are key

Saddleworth & Lees district partnership

SADDLEWORTH and Lees councillors will team up with local police and NHS Oldham to give the community more influence on decisions that affect them.

The first meeting of the district partnership saw councillors from all three wards assign roles, define the year’s budget and set out the format for future sessions.

The district partnership will meet every three months. In between, there will be Partners and Communities Together (PACT) sessions with councillors and police where residents can have their say.

District partnerships replace the old area committee format. Saddleworth and Lees will apply for planning powers for local applications at a future meeting of the full council.

Chairman, Councillor Barbara Beeley, said: “Planning is a huge issue in Saddleworth and Lees and there is a very strong case for local planning decisions to be made locally by the councillors who know the area.

“This area has suffered badly in recent years from some of the planning decisions made by Oldham’s centralised planning committee.”

Councillor John McCann added: “I am confident that we can repeat the success of the former area committee’s role in making local planning decisions that are more sensitive to the needs of the local community.

“Urban design standards need to be replaced with more appropriate rural design standards in Saddleworth’s villages and hamlets.

“Of course, training will be needed for local councillors to ensure that all decisions are made in line with planning law.”

Councillors McCann and Mike Buckley were nominated as vice-chairmen for the district partnership which will meet next on October 8.

Each councillor will be assigned £3,000 and each ward will get a further £6,000. A total of £28,500 will be offered under the “Clean, Safe and Green” banner.