Councillor Roy Oldham

Participation at Council Meetings and Panels:

I have attended the following meetings, in a formal or quasi-formal activity:

• The Council meetings
• The Annual Council meeting
• The State of the Area meeting
• The Budget Council meeting
• Executive Cabinet meetings (Chair)
• Executive Board (Chair)
• Tameside Strategic Partnership (Chair)
• Hattersley Land Board meetings (Chair)
• Carbon Reduction Panel
• Overview (Audit) Panel
• Audit Commission meetings
• Briefing meetings with the First Cabinet Deputy and Chief Executive
• Progress meetings with Cabinet Deputies
• Progress meetings with Cabinet Secretaries
• Progress meetings with Project Heads of Heritage and Recreation
• Policy meetings with Heads of Service Units and Cabinet Deputies
• Liaison meetings with Tameside Senior Police Officers and relevant Officers of the Council
• Capital Project Monitoring Panel
• Budget preparation and regular Finance meetings
• Briefing meetings with Members of Parliament
• Strategy meetings re: Area Improvements
• District Assembly meetings - Longdendale/Hattersley
• Ken Ward Management Board (Chair)

Participation at District Assemblies

• The Longdendale and Hattersley District Assembly

Participation on Outside Bodies and Partnerships

• 4NW Regional Transport Forum
• 4NW Leader’s Forum (substitute member)
• Association of Greater Manchester Authorities - Executive
• Special meetings re: the setting of the Greater Manchester Police Precept
• Salford University Archaeological Unit re: Heritage of Tameside
• Business and Commerce Groups
• Local Government Assembly
• Conferences and Strategic Seminars
• Greater Manchester Pension Fund (Chair)
• Officer Briefings and meetings regarding Pension Fund activities
• Parliamentary Lighting Group - Westminster
• Discussions with Government Ministers - Westminster and Tameside
• Local Groups and Community organisations
• Attendance at openings of prestigious buildings, new build or major refurbishments
• Opening of a number of works of Street Art
• Standards Committee
• Public forum relating to the preparation of the Budget of Council
• Business meetings (general)
• National Nuclear Waste Disposal Group

Training and Development

I have attended numerous training events throughout the year.

Achievements during the Year

The Council continues a pace to improve and to maintain its lead position, finding itself in the top UK Councils with regard to the CAA where we have a score of 4 stars. The final marking total adds up to the top score in the whole country.

We have maintained the promise of a 3-year budget where Council Tax is held below a total of 9%, this being the third year. Despite the global financial problems, we have embarked on a substantial Capital Programme including a facility of £12 million more added to the ongoing £12 million assigned to Tameside Works First.

Regeneration of the borough continues via capital and revenue funding.

• Stalybridge Railway Development Park
• ‘Waterworks’ Visitor Centre
• Droylsden Marina
• Hyde Library and the Rutherford Art Gallery
• The commencement of the work for BSF with an additional £120M.
• A successful bid to the Lottery Fund for £5 millions to refurbish Stamford Park
• The recreation services and pools at Ashton, Copley and Hyde are completed.
• The Ken Ward Centre, Longdendale Recreational Centre and the Etherow Centre near completion, together with the restoration of the Longdendale Football pitches.

The Longdendale Bypass has been set in the Greater Manchester Transport Fund at £100m and is on track for completion in 2013.

The Ashton Northern Bypass has been commenced and the Metro Tram has been contracted to continue to Ashton.

All 10 Greater Manchester Councils have signed up to the Sub-Regional Governance of the area.

The whole range of projects from Art on the streets, In-Bloom, through to domestic waste recycling via a managed collection system have seen significant additions and improvements over the year.

Again the year has been important in that it has prepared the Council and area on to receive the next stages of our long term goals and programme which are commensurate with the communities’ priorities.

Ward Issues

Significant developments in Longdendale Ward have been achieved, however, the preparation work required for the refurbishment of Hattersley has slowed due to the financial recession but refurbishment and a start to houses have begun.

Community groups, churches and sporting bodies have all benefited from the activities of the local District Assembly. Individual problems have been met and generally dealt with, in the main to a satisfactory conclusion.

Borough Wide

The whole borough continues to improve, both at physical and service level. This is in line with the Council’s objective programme of maintaining the area at the forefront of local government. An inclusion of the local Community Groups into DA Panels with funding for their discretion arising from savings on household waste collection has commenced.

The Council has been instrumental in building a Medical Centre/Hospital in Kenya, and providing piped water, which will save many lives and reduce suffering.