Foxdenton demonstrates the hypocrisy of Oldham Council’s green dividend, veg in the park, community energy and food chains 4 eu

  1. We are only a month away from Oldham council beginning the fifteen year destruction of the green fields and open spaces of Foxdenton, this is a council that regularly spins its self-imagined green credentials in the shape of Oldham schemes such as #GetOldhamGrowing , green dividend, sustainable food chain 4 eu, community energy and a multitude of other limited appeal and limited outcome publicity schemes all of which should have the word central placed before the word Oldham. Social discrimination is the order of the day in Oldham from both the local authority and some social housing providers. These service providers now charge people in flats and apartments for cutting grassed areas they have no control over and in many cases cannot access or even see the areas from their windows. In contrast there has been hundreds of thousands spent in selective areas on community and social housing lead growing schemes. Returning to the theme of Foxdenton it is the opinion of most local people we have spoken to that Foxdenton always was and still is an housing lead development that was masquerading as primarily an employment development just to achieve planning consent. Official statistics show that 500 homes will create an additional 565 new cars in the area served by an already over utilised Broadway. Only in Oldham would you see an area full of empty warehouse units astride a gridlocked road be designated for a further three quarters of a million square feet of new warehouse space. Oldham Council selling points:

Foxdenton will deliver a number of major economic benefits, including:

  • Around 2,000 new jobs
  • £5m in New Homes Bonus payments
  • Over £830,000 per year in Council Tax payment

“Around 2,000 new jobs” it was originally said the scheme would create 4,405 jobs so employment has fallen by 55%. Oldham Council’s “work and skills” strategy clearly shows that the Foxdenton development will generate the lowest GVA of any scheme in Oldham. Low GVA from such a large scale employment scheme is a clear indicator that the site is set to deliver mainly unskilled jobs. It is not only the biggest Oldham development generating the lowest per capita economic value but is the only one being built on a huge expanse of green land. We are firmly of the opinion Oldham Council should build warehouses in the areas with the highest social and financial costs instead of seeking photo opportunities by building community vegetable gardens and what can only be described as community deprivation hubs.

Oldham council work and skills strategy

“£5m in New Homes Bonus payments” The number of houses to be built has increased by 32%. New homes bonus is £5 million Oldham Council receives from the government for granting planning permission. By all rights that money should be spent in the area the council is devastating such as renovating Foxdenton Hall which falls under the planning remit and which the council has allowed to become derelict. Alas no, the money like the majority of Oldham Council spending will migrate to central Oldham to be used to subsidise new homes for the non-contributory masses and the council’s failing expensive master plan.

“Over £830,000 per year in Council Tax payment”

If all the concealed families, who use all the services provided by council tax but don’t contribute, in the Oldham ward’s of St Mary’s, Werneth & Coldhurst paid council tax at the lowest rate it would raise the same council tax revenue as the destructive Foxdenton scheme. Foxdenton is Oldham’s​ socialist sacrificial lamb paying the price for decades of Labour party social and economic mismanagement.

 

Foxdenton From a residents window

Foxdenton after Oldham Council partners did exploratory work