Jean Stretton

Jean Stretton became the Leader of Oldham Council on January 27, 2016.

She succeeded Jim McMahon in the post having served as Deputy Leader since June 2014.

Jean was raised locally on Alt Estate and educated at Alt Primary and Hathershaw Comprehensive schools.  

After studying an MBA at Bolton Institute she returned to live in Hollinwood in 1989.

Jean has lived in Hollinwood since 1989 and was first elected as a ward councillor for the area in 2003.

She has held several Cabinet Member posts covering a wide range of areas that include housing, health and wellbeing, town centres, culture and tourism.

In 2013, Cllr Stretton was named ‘Community Champion of the Year’ at the C’llr Achievement Awards organised by the LGiU for what judges called her “inspiring work to help her community in Oldham recover following a gas explosion” in Shaw.

Married to John, she has two step-children, five grandchildren and a great granddaughter but describes herself as “a very, very young great granny”.

Amongst her other duties, Jean is chair of Oldham Credit Union, a governor at Oasis Academy, Limehurst primary and has served on the Contour Estate Board since 2003. She is also a keen supporter of Oldham Foodbank. 

Jean was re-elected to her Hollinwood seat in May 2014 with a 281 vote majority and 50 per cent of the votes cast.

Councillor Jean Stretton Annual Report