Sam Al-Hamdani

Cllr Sam Al-Hamdani – Saddleworth West and Lees Ward

 

MY WARD PRIORITIES

 

•                    Coronavirus response

•                    Speeding and traffic issues

•                    Environmental health and waste

Work in thecommunity

•             Shadow cabinet member for Housing and Homelessness. Member of the cross-party environmental group, Oldham Music Service (Music Awards) and Oldham Economic Development Board at Oldham Council. Substitute member of the GMCA Overview and Scrutiny Committees. Substitute member of planning committee, performance and value for money committee, and traffic regulation order panel at Oldham Council.

•             Board member of Oldham Coliseum and Oldham Credit Union.

•             100% attendance at Oldham Council meetings

•             Participated in the cross-party boundary review group, and on the response to Planning for the Future

•             Moved successful Council Motions on Ancient Woodlands, making street harassment a crime, tackling litter, preventing modern slums in Oldham, and urban meadows and bee corrridors. Successfully revised the Council Motion on Planning for the Future.

•             Questions asked to Full Council on the national Home Office-sponsored Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), business support ahead of the customs changes after departure from the EU, emergency funding for walking and cycling support under coronavirus, antibody testing, equality objectives, reporting from the independent investigation into CSE, the impact of Covid on social housing, and the environmental impact of the development of Saddeworth School, among others.

•             Other work directly addressed to the council has covered Equalities Objectives (currently 15 months overdue), revisions of the Council’s employment practice and communications strategy in response to the independent investigation into CSE, identifying sites with potential environmental contamination for review, review of the PFI contract with EOn for street lighting, review of the Council’s approach to alley gating and environmental health, Assets of Community Value, tree planting programmes among others.

 

Highways/works

 

•          Pothole repairs across the ward, including identifying extensive road issues in need of greater repair ahead of next year’s creation of the 2022–25 plan for resurfacing.

•          Agreement of the introduction of a new 20mph limit on Den Lane in Springhead, as part of the introduction of more 20mph speed limits across the district where appropriate.

•          Part of the team discussions to address the traffic issues around the schools in Medlock Way, including getting a clear analysis of traffic levels inside and outside school times, introducing additional signage for the schools, and bidding in for funding to introduce traffic reduction schemes across the area.

•          Reserved funding from 2019–20 and 2020–21 councillor budgets to reintroduce a VAS on Rhodes Hill.

•          Pursuing appropriate weight restrictions for specific streets in the neighbourhood.

•          Work underway to introduce double yellow lines in limited locations to address road safety issues.

•          Addressing incomplete repairs and works in response to residents’ issues

•          Roads surveys undertaken in multiple locations across the ward (Under Lane, Cooper Street and Medlock Way) to identify specific traffic patterns and issues

 

Parks and public environment

 

•          Organised clearance of fallen trees on Medlock Way and Old Street

•          Advice and support for residents on overhanging trees, including working with neighbours where trees are on private residences

•          Delivered overdue work on Philimore Street in Lees, to repair and reinstate the wall adjacent to the graveyard

•          Identifying Japanese Knotweed for treatment on private and public locations

•          Tracking works done by infrastructure contractors and ensuring reinstatement of public space to original levels

•          Ensured graffiti is cleared from various public domain sites, including substations, fences, and public buildings

•          Organised repairs to bridges on Thornley Brook, Medlock Way, and on steps from new Academy to Old Street.

•          Replacement of unsafe fencing between Oldham Road and linear path

•          Organised reinforcement work to retaining wall on Cooper Street (outstanding since 1990s)

•          New handrail and cleared path for residents in supported housing and Old Mill House and Hood Square

•          Installation of new warning signs on dog fouling in multiple locations across the ward.

•          Reporting and follow-up on fly-tipping at sites across the ward

 

Housing, planning and enforcement

 

•          Supporting residents with applications to social housing (including organising specific support for residents without internet access during lockdown).

•          Support for residents with issues around homelessness, and those in long term temporary accommodation.

•          Supporting residents to ensure their views are heard as part of the planning process. Particularly during the first lockdown, resolving a number of issues when public notifications on applications were not providing residents with sufficient time to respond. Similar problems have also been identified during the introduction of the new IT systems in the planning department. Have ensured that the planning department have extended deadlines to ensure residents have had sufficient time to respond.

•          Specific support for the campaigns on Knowls Lane and Stonebreaks, where there are significant implications for local infrastructure, including transport, healthcare and education.

•          Multiple support for residents on enforcement issues, including around conservations areas, health and safety during construction, breaches of planning conditions or restrictions.

•          Support for residents with complex applications, including listed buildings, work in conservation areas, and with solar power installation.

 

Business grants and coronavirus support

 

•          Support for businesses including: resolving issues around business rates that were preventing grants being issued, following up to ensure payments come on time, resolving issues around eligibility and payment.

•          Providing information on grants and support for community groups, including specific funding for making Springhead Community Centre coronavirus safe.

•          Working with GMCA to get guidance issued around care homes visits, and support for residents to enable them to meet with relatives under lockdown.

•          Providing support and information around use of sporting facilities and parks.

•          Ensuring supported collections for waste in place for residents where needed

 

Drainage and flooding issues

 

•          Specific support for residents with issues around drainage, particularly where there has been water ingress into individual houses

•          Identification of responsibility for flooding issues between owners, United Utilities, the Council, and the Environmental Agency to ensure the appropriate response can be taken

 

Crime and antisocial behaviour

 

•          Liaison with the community safety officer and local police to identify specific locations for anti-social behaviour and get appropriate police involvement

•          Promoting Neighbourhood Watch activities, including identifying any crime hotspots and distributing targeted information on safety and recommendations from Neighbourhood Watch.

 

Funded work

•          Grit bins (fill on request)

•          Support for Christmas Lights

•          Support the provision of district trees

•          Summer/winter planting

•          Lees Park Growing Hub

•          Springhead Community Centre

•          Bench and junction of Under Lane and Thornley Lane

 

It is not possible to record all casework here, in particular where there are issues around confidentiality. Some casework has been specifically excluded, and others included deliberately in summary to ensure privacy confidentiality is respected. Others have been included in summary to minimise the length of the report.

 

CONTACT ME

E: sam@samalhamdani.org.uk

T: 07378 637637

Twitter @samlibdem

Facebook www.facebook.com/samlibdem

SURGERIES

 

Face to face Ward Surgeries are cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions.  Please contact me by phone or email for any issues or problems.