Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council, branded and commonly referred to as Oldham Council, is the local authority of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham in Greater Manchester, England. It is a metropolitan district council, one of ten in Greater Manchester and one of 36 in the metropolitan counties of England, and provides the majority of local government services in Oldham. It is composed of 60 councillors, three for each of the 20 electoral wards of the borough.
The council is controlled by the Labour Party, the leader of the council is Arooj Shah who has been in post since May 2023. The main opposition party is the Liberal Democrat. The Conservative Party, along with the Failsworth Independents Party, Oldham Group and four independent members also make up the other opposition parties.[3]
Many, but not all, of the council's staff are based at Oldham Civic Centre in the town centre.
History
Oldham Council is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. The borough is named after its largest town, Oldham, but also includes the towns of Chadderton, Failsworth, Royton and Shaw and Crompton, the village of Lees, and the parish of Saddleworth.
The borough was formed in 1974 as part of the provisions of the Local Government Act 1972. It is an amalgamation of the former County Borough of Oldham with the Chadderton, Crompton, Lees, Royton urban districts of Lancashire and the Saddleworth Urban District of the West Riding of Yorkshire.
For its first 12 years, the borough had a two-tier system of local government: Oldham Council sharing power with the Greater Manchester County Council.
Since the Local Government Act 1985, Oldham Council has effectively been a unitary authority, serving as the sole executive, deliberative and legislative body responsible for local policy, setting council tax, and allocating budget in the district. The Metropolitan Borough of Oldham has two civil parishes and 20 electoral wards. Each Ward has 3 Councillors. The parish councils are involved in planning, management of town and parish centres, and promoting tourism. In 2001, 46,072 people lived in Oldham's two civil parishes—Saddleworth and Shaw and Crompton—20.9% of the borough's population. The rest of the borough is unparished.
Since 2011 Oldham is one of the ten-member authorities of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) which is a top tier local authority with responsibility for Transport, Health, Housing and Economic matters. The membership of the Combined Authority is drawn from the Leaders or Executive Mayors of each of the ten councils.
In 2011, Oldham declared its ambition to become a Co-operative Council, which it describes as "one where citizens, partners and staff work together to improve the borough and create a confident and ambitious place...Put simply, becoming a co-operative borough is about everybody doing their bit and everybody benefitting."[4]
An early progress report by the RSA thinktank in 2012 said Co-operative principles could help councils manage and reduce demand for services and create ‘a sustainable economic and social future’.[5]
Oldham leads the national Co-operative Councils Innovation Network – a group of local authorities who say they are committed to finding better ways of for, and with, their local communities.[6]
Oldham Youth Council, formed in 2006, now has constitutional power on Oldham Council – a national first. The Youth Council is democratically elected every two years via a borough-wide election run in schools, colleges and youth organisations.[7] The group now has its own section on the agenda of each meeting of Full Council at Oldham Council where it can raise and debate issues and hold councillors to account.[8]
In mid-September 2020, Oldham Council announced that it had acquired the shopping centre "The Spindles" with the intent of renovating the shopping centre and local market grounds.
Honours
The council can confer the title of Honorary Alderman of the Borough on persons who have, in the opinion of the council, rendered "eminent services" to it as a past member. Recipients to date are Ralph Semple, Ellen Brierley, Jack Armitage, George Edmond Lord, Sidney GW Jacobs, David Roger Jones, Christine Wheeler and Richard David Knowles.
The Freedom of the Borough is the highest honour the council can bestow. It is awarded rarely and dates back to the Middle Ages when freemen had commercial privileges and route into a position of power in a town or city. Associated with this is a ‘freedom of entry’ which the council can award to service units that have "rendered conspicuous service" and are closely associated with the borough. Freedom of entry grants the service unit the right, privilege and honour of marching through the streets of Oldham on ceremonial occasions with swords drawn, bayonets fixed, drums beating, bands playing and colours flying.
Recipients to date are: Dame Sarah Anne Lees, Dr Thomas Fawsitt, Alderman William Schofield, Charles Ward, Marjory Lees, Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, JR Clynes, William E Freeman, James Bannon, Frank Tweedale, Thomas Driver, John Fletcher Waterhouse, the 41st (Oldham) Royal Tank Regiment TA, Sir William Turner Walton, Alice Amelia Kenyon, Charles Leslie Hale, Sir Frank lord, Dame Eva Turner, Arnold Tweedale, 75 Engineer Regiment (Volunteers), Ellen Brierley, Sir Norman Kelvin Stoller and Michael Hugh Meacher.
The most recent elections took place in May 2023. As of May2023[update] the political makeup of the council is:[3]
Labour group – 32 members
Liberal Democrat group – 10 members
Conservative group – 8 members
Failsworth Independent Party - 3 members
Oldham Group - 3 members
Independents – 4 members
Arooj Shah has returned as leader of Oldham Council since May 2023. Previous leaders Arooj Shah, Sean Fielding and Amanda Chadderton lost their seats whilst serving as leader, each after one year in office.
Coat of arms
The borough's coat of arms is based on the crest of the former Oldham County Borough and includes within it symbols to identify the other six districts that make up the Borough. These are the former urban districts of Chadderton, Crompton, Failsworth, Lees, Royton and Saddleworth.
The Shield is derived from the former arms of Oldham showing three white owls (a pun on "Owldham") and three red rings giving the initial letter "0".
Above it is the closed helm proper to Civic arms with its twisted crest-wreath and decorative mantling. Upon the wreath stands the Crest. The owl is shown on its rock rising from a gold circlet charged with the three red rings from the shield.
The two red griffins identify the other districts by the heraldry of their chief manorial families which are some of the most famous in history. They include the Chaddertons (connected with Chadderton, Failsworth, Crompton and Lees) and the Chethams (connected with Crompton). Both families are branches of the de Traffords whose red griffin is also seen at Eccles and elsewhere. As a necessary difference, they wear collars with fluted edges like those in the arms of the Radcliffes (Oldham, Royton and Chadderton). On the collars are the three red "bendlets" on white, of the arms of the Byrons (Failsworth, Crompton and Royton).
From each collar hangs a white heptagon symbolic of the united seven authorities. On the left one is the black "mullet" of the Asshetons (Oldham and Chadderton) and on the right Saddleworth is represented by a black saddle in reference to the name of its derivation – a settlement on a saddle-shaped ridge.
The Oldham Council motto "Sapere Aude" means "dare to be wise" with the word "Aude" containing the syllable "Owd" of the local pronunciation of "Owdham" or "Owldham."
Youth Mayor
This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(August 2022)
Oldham Council introduced the office of Youth Mayor in 2009 when Mohammed Adil became the first-ever holder of the post. The post was the idea of – and is chosen by – members of the Oldham Youth Council.[9]
Wards
Oldham Council has 20 electoral wards across its six districts of Chadderton, Failsworth and Hollinwood, Oldham, Royton, Shaw and Crompton, and Saddleworth and Lees.
These are:
Alexandra
Chadderton Central
Chadderton North
Chadderton South
Coldhurst
Crompton
Failsworth East
Failsworth West
Hollinwood
Medlock Vale
Royton North
Royton South
Saddleworth North
Saddleworth South
Saddleworth West and Lees
St James
St Mary’s
Shaw
Waterhead
Werneth
Notable recent achievements
Oldham’s ‘Bloom and Grow’ campaigns have seen it win the ‘Best City’ category four years running at the North West in Bloom competition up to 2013. It has also represented the region at the national Britain in Bloom in the same category and won the ‘Best City’ gong in 2012.[10]
Oldham was ‘Most Improved Council’ at the Local Government Chronicle awards in 2012.[11]
Jean Stretton was named ‘Community Champion of the Year’ and councillors Amanda Chadderton, Sean Fielding and Arooj Shah jointly won ‘Young Councillor of the Year’ awards in 2013.[12]
Council Leader, Jim McMahon was named ‘Leader of the Year’ at the C’llr Achievement Awards in February 2014.[13]
Oldham was ‘highly commended’ at the LGC Council of the Year awards for the top prize in 2014.[14]
First Female Muslim Council Leader Arooj Shah 2021[citation needed]
Failsworth is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham in Greater Manchester, England, 4 miles (6.4 km) north-east of Manchester and 3 miles (4.8 km) south-west of Oldham. The orbital M60 motorway skirts it to the east. The population at the 2011 census was 20,680. Historically in Lancashire, Failsworth until the 19th century was a farming township linked ecclesiastically with Manchester. Inhabitants supplemented their farming income with domestic hand-loom weaving. The humid climate and abundant labour and coal led to weaving of textiles as a Lancashire Mill Town with redbrick cotton mills. A current landmark is the Failsworth Pole. Daisy Nook is a country park on the southern edge.
The Metropolitan Borough of Oldham is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in England. It is named after its largest town, Oldham. The borough had a population of 242,072 in 2021, making it the sixth-largest district by population in Greater Manchester. The borough spans 142.3 square kilometres (54.9 sq mi).
Oldham East and Saddleworth is a constituency in outer Greater Manchester represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since January 2011 by Debbie Abrahams of the Labour Party.
Oldham West and Royton is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. It has been represented by Jim McMahon of the Labour Co-op party since 4 December 2015, after winning a by-election following the death of Michael Meacher on 21 October 2015.
North Chadderton School is a mixed gender secondary school and sixth form, located in Chadderton, in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, Greater Manchester, England.
Shaw and Crompton is a civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, Greater Manchester, England, and lies on the River Beal at the foothills of the South Pennines. It is located 2.3 miles (3.7 km) north of Oldham, 3.6 miles (5.8 km) south-east of Rochdale and 8.7 miles (14 km) north-east of Manchester. Its largest settlement is Shaw.
Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council elections are generally held three years out of every four, with a third of the council being elected each time. Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council, generally known as Oldham Council, is the local authority for the metropolitan borough of Oldham in Greater Manchester, England. Since the last boundary changes in 2004, 60 councillors have been elected from 20 wards. New ward boundaries are due to come into effect from the 2023 election.
Prestwich was a constituency in the county of Lancashire of the House of Commons for the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, it was represented by one Member of Parliament. The constituency was abolished in 1918.
The Stotts were a family of architects from Oldham, North West England, of Scottish descent who specialised in the design of cotton mills. James Stott was the father, Joseph and his elder brother Abraham Stott had rival practices, and in later years did not communicate. Their children continue their practices.
The 2000 Oldham Council election took place on 4 May 2000 to elect members of Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council in Greater Manchester, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Liberal Democrats gained overall control of the council from the Labour Party.
Newton Heath and Moston is a Manchester Metrolink tram stop on the Oldham and Rochdale Line (ORL), in the Newton Heath area of Manchester, England.
Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive was the public body responsible for public transport in Greater Manchester between 1974 and 2011, when it became part of Transport for Greater Manchester.
James Ignatius O'Rourke McMahon is a British politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Oldham West and Royton since 2015. A member of the Labour and Co-operative parties, he has also served as Chair of the Co-operative Party since 2020.
Oldham Local Studies and Archives holds the archives for the town of Oldham. The archives are held at Union Street, Oldham, and run by Oldham Council. The archives date back to 1597 and include local authority records for the areas of Chadderton, Crompton, Failsworth, Lees, Oldham, Royton and Saddleworth.
Arooj Shah is a British Labour politician and since May 2023 is the leader of Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council in Greater Manchester, a position she also previously held between 2021 and 2022. As leader she is a member of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and is the combined authority's portfolio lead for Equalities and Communities. She was the first Muslim woman to take charge of a council in the north of England.
The 2022 Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 5 May 2022. One third—20 out of 60—of councillors on Oldham Council was elected. The election took place alongside other local elections across the United Kingdom.
Amanda Chadderton is a British Labour politician and former leader of Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council. Prior to becoming leader, she was the deputy leader and cabinet member with responsibilities for neighbourhoods.
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