OLDHAM Council has published the list of candidates for the local elections on Thursday, May 2.
There is a total of 90 candidates across Oldham’s 20 wards with one seat being contested in each area.
To view all of the candidates in full, visit Oldham Council’s website.
To register to vote, simply visit https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote and to register for a postal vote, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apply-for-a-postal-vote.
These are the candidates for Shaw and Crompton Wards:
SHAW
Catherine Hunter-Rossall Green Party
Catherine lives with her partner Andrew and works for an insurance company.
She is active in the community: running a community choir in Failsworth and regularly volunteering with Street Pastors.
She is keen to stand up for our NHS, halting and reversing the privatisation of health services.
Catherine is also concerned about the serious damage fracking could cause to our landscape and our health.
Greens across the country have been at the forefront of anti-fracking campaigning, and Green councillors have passed motions to protect their local areas from the damaging impacts of fracking.
At a local level, Catherine has reservations about the processes Oldham Council uses to approve planning permissions.
She says: “The developments I have seen in recent years don’t seem to make sense.
“Green spaces and recreational areas are being lost to housing and many do not meet the recommended quotas for affordable homes.
Meanwhile, brownfield sites are left derelict. If we invested in these instead we could have newly renovated areas for housing as well as retaining green space.”
The local Green Party have campaigned against many reckless developments and have made detailed responses to the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework, arguing for better protections for our green spaces.
Electing a Green councillor will send a strong message that local people care about protecting public services and standing up for their environment.
Having one Green councillor on Oldham Council will mean new ideas will be put forward and old ideas will be scrutinised.
Lisa Smirk Conservative Party
I am Shaw born and bred and I am proud that I can call Shaw home. I am a former nurse and still work in healthcare.
It is an area I am passionate about. Having lived here all my life I have a proven track record in campaigning and working hard for Shaw.
I campaigned alongside residents against JD Williams building a 127ft towering automated warehouse in Shaw.
I have also campaigned with residents on traffic issues, school safety, opening up the countryside and more dog fouling bins.
I am a vocal campaigner in protecting Shaw’s greenbelt and it is why I continue to oppose the GMSF and I am committed to protecting our greenbelt
My six-point plan is focused on:
1. Opposing the GMSF. Using brownfield first.
2. Fixing potholes, with £1.2m of extra funding.
3. Cleaning up our streets of litter, dog mess and fly-tipping with £1m of extra funding.
4. Tackling crime, by making yobs clean up litter, graffiti and dog mess.
5. Restoring our fortnightly black bin services.
6. Cutting the number of Councillors saving nearly £1m.
It is time we had a voice in Shaw, and it is time we looked after our town’s interests. Instead of ambition we are faced with mediocrity.
For too long local issues in Shaw have been ignored by the old men in grey suits on Oldham Council. Let’s sweep away these talking shop politicians. Let’s put Shaw first!
Ken Rustidge Labour and Co-operative Party
I am Ken Rustidge and I am the Labour and Co-Op candidate for Shaw. I am a Trade Union officer and a Major in the Army Reserves with operational experience in campaigns abroad.
I grew up in the local area and attended Royton and Crompton school before moving on to sixth form at North Chadderton School.
I worked as a history teacher for 25 years and as such am concerned about the direction the Tories are taking our education sector.
I share Oldham Labour’s aspiration to make all schools good or outstanding by 2020 and believe the £30 million investment we are making in education will increase our chances of achieving that outcome.
Chris Gloster Liberal Democrats
It has been an absolute privilege to represent the people of Shaw for the last four years. I was born and bred in Shaw and have lived here all my life.
Before I became a councillor, I spent the majority of my career in Oldham becoming Shaw’s first community police inspector. I am often surprised when I go out into the community how many people know me!
I became a councillor simply because I care deeply about Shaw and the people who live here and recognise the demise in services at times unfairly inflicted upon Shaw residents by the Labour administration at Oldham Council such as the Health Centre renewal and theft of our Baths.
In the last four years I have been presented with many challenges such as major flooding, the armed siege at Napier Street, issues at Dunwood Park, an increase in crime and the biggest logistical one by far, the collapse of St Paul’s Church.
I rise to a challenge and have worked hard with partners to lessen the impact on residents.
My key aims if re-elected are to ensure that St Paul’s isn’t left as a crumbling monument, work to combat the daily issues of dog fouling and fly tipping, challenge the ill thought out Labour land grab of our green space, and continue to hold the Labour administration to account to ensure Shaw isn’t forgotten.
I work for Shaw all year round, not just at election time. Can any of the other candidates say that?
Rob Vance UKIP
The candidate did not provide details by the time the Correspondent went to print.
UKIP statement by Paul Goldring, local party chairman
In the local election of councillors for Oldham, the local branch of UK Independent Party (UKIP) is fielding candidates in both Royton wards (Paul Goldring in North and Anthony Prince in South) plus in Crompton (Colin Jones) and Shaw (Rob Vance), as well as 10 others across the borough.
Local party chairman Paul Goldring advises that while UKIP is a national party it is also involved in local as well as EU (unfortunately) elections and has a growing membership in Oldham.
Borough-wide issues that affect Royton, Crompton and Shaw, as advised by the electorate on the doorstep include building on greenbelt which UKIP will oppose vigorously as long as brown field sites are available for development.
Also on UKIP’s long list of target subjects are council costs e.g. the money being paid to councillors in allowances; lack of policing on the streets which allows “petty crime” offenders to become emboldened; fly-tipping because of bins being emptied only one week in three; anti-social behaviour by tenants of multi-occupancy dwellings where police appear unable (or unwilling in this PC world) to deal with the resulting drug dealing, brothels, noise at night, and rubbish bins overflowing.
All this is causing the quality of life in the once proud town of Oldham to be sucked out of it with no end in sight as we continue to fall into ever deepening pot holes.
CROMPTON
Louie Hamblett Liberal Democrats
I’m an Oldhamer born and bred. I spent a large part of my youth growing up in Saddleworth, going to school within its area.
I’ve been living in Shaw and Crompton for over 10 years, moving here to be closer to my family who live in Crompton.
After talking to my neighbours and local businesses I decided I wanted to make a difference.
I was elected to Shaw & Crompton Parish Council in 2015 and I have joined many of the committees to support fellow councillors and colleagues with local issues.
As well as my council duties, I also serve the community by working with groups such as Friends of Dunwood Park, Shaw and Crompton Open Forum and Shaw and Crompton Events group.
I have campaigned very hard against the closure of level 1 heart operation facilities at Manchester Royal Infirmary which both myself and good friends have been affected by.
I have also been campaigning for local LGBT+ and disability rights, fighting alongside disability campaigners against the closure of The Link Centre (which we won!), fighting against GMSF greenbelt building plans with local campaigners such as Save Shaw Greenbelt, and campaigning for better education and rights for people with autism.
I continue to campaign for a new health centre, keeping our green belt free from mass development, ensuring that schools accept local children first and working with communities to keep streets free from dog fouling and anti-social behaviour. These are issues that matter and that the community deserves.
Phelyp Bennett Conservative Party
I was born in Crompton in 1953, and proudly served in the Royal Air Force and worked in the retail sector for 40 years.
I am also the organiser of the Remembrance Sunday Parade and Service. I am a firm Brexiteer.
But I would like the electorate to remember that this is a local election about local issues. One major local issue is the GMSF, which will decimate Crompton’s greenbelt.
I stand opposed to the Labour Mayor’s greenbelt grabbing plan and attended with residents the recent protest march. Brownfield first not greenbelt!
It is time we had a strong local voice, It is not good enough that Oldham has allowed care home standards slip to some of the worst in England, having been a carer for the last 15 years I know that our carers and care workers deserve the resources they need and our full support
Shaw’s roads and highways are getting worse. It is time Labour run, Oldham Council used the nearly £200,000 per week we send in council tax to fix the roads here because it is desperately needed.
Crime is also a major issue within the area. Having recently been a victim, I share the frustrations of the public. I want to take a zero-tolerance policy on public transport in particular to crime and anti-social behaviour.
I don’t promise the earth, but should you elect me to represent Crompton ward on OMBC. I will do my utmost to fight for local issues along with my colleague in Shaw ward. We may be two wards, but we are one community. Having worked in retail for many years I have a passion for working with people.
Alex Jones-Casey Labour Party
I was brought up in Crompton, living here for 20 years, attending St Joseph’s Primary School in Shaw and Our Lady’s in Royton before studying at Teesside University; the heart of Britain’s steel manufacturing history.
Living and learning in Crompton, Shaw and Middlesbrough – all steeped in industrial legacy – has given me an appreciation for the importance of local economies in supporting towns and people; something I appreciate in my day-job working at an SME.
That’s why I’m so proud of Oldham Labour’s pledge to considerable increase council money on local businesses.
Oldham’s Labour council established a £100,000 grant to support businesses in Shaw town centre – so far supporting six new businesses to set-up-shop in Shaw, occupying five vacant buildings, securing 42 existing jobs in the town, creating 11 new jobs; and going through local contractors to get work done.
Electing a Labour councillor in Crompton will ensure future investment extends even further up Rochdale Road. This is despite successive council cuts to local authority budgets made since 2010.
Colin Jones UKIP
The candidate did not provide details by the time the Correspondent went to print.