Town centre art plan defended

Oldham Council
Council leader Jim McMahon has defended council decisions to invest in a range of public art for the town centre once Metrolink is complete.

Councillor Howard Sykes, leader of the Lib-Dems, had questioned why it was necessary to spend thousands on art and statues when taxpayers face a 3.5 per cent council tax rise.

Councillor McMahon said: “We are looking at how we can pluck out Oldham’s heritage and bring it back into the town centre. If you go to a town centre you should be able to get a feel for the place, but at the moment there is no character.

“Where in Oldham now do you get a sense of its history of productivity and the industrial revolution? Who would know that it was where one of the original components for the very first computer was made?

“All you see on the way into the town now are signs of decline. We need to create something that shows a sign of success. We have a lot to be proud of.”