If it was not bad enough that Oldham Council have the audacity to charge the fourth highest UK Council Tax, at the council meeting yesterday they managed to both approve cuts to refuse services placing bin collection on a three week rota and approved additional spending for more green policy tokenism with additional solar panel installations at PFI sheltered accomodation. The council also green stamped more improvement spending for its ailing Town Centre which will lead to road users finding even less road space in Oldham allocated for actual road traffic as the council continues an agenda trying to force people to use the Metrolink tram service.
Oldham Council states refuse collection changes are to encourage more recycling and cut the annual £15 million waste collection bill. Oldham Council recently found enough money to purchase Metropolitan Place, yet more Oldham Town centre spending, which had an auction price asking for offers above £500,000. Oldham Council then refurbished the fourth floor and moved the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority into the refurbished office space. Amazing how Oldham Council has the gall to complain about the £15 million it spends, sorry, £15 million of public finances that pays for refuse collection when you consider the other payments the council makes but does not publicise. Oldham Council does not complain about both the £9,647,900 it pays in PFI liability payments and £19,561,100 it pays in PFI interest, a collective £29,208,900 with two thirds being interest payments it will pay every year for the next ten years at which time many of the loans will still have ten years or more of repayments to make. Oldham Council also had contractual commitments as of 1st April 2016 of £11,547,000 to spend on the Old Town Hall which has swallowed tens of millions of public reserves and budget allocations a scheme costing a ludicrous £37 million and we still have Prince’s Gate to add which has not even made an appearance on the accounts yet.