TWO Saddleworth councillors have been appointed to Oldham Council’s new look Cabinet team.
But none have been handed any of the nine top roles by the authority’s leader, Councillor Sean Fielding.
George Hulme, one of Oldham’s youngest councillors and elected for the first time in Saddleworth North two years ago, has been named deputy to Finance and Low Carbon lead Cllr Abdul Jabbar.
Cllr Val Leach, who represents Saddleworth West and Lees, is deputy to Cllr Eddie Moores in Children and Young People.
The full list of Cabinet appointments is as follows:
• Economy and Skills:
Cllr Sean Fielding
Deputy: Cllr Mohon Ali
• COVID-19 Recovery:
Cllr Arooj Shah
Deputy: Cllr Cath Ball
• Education:
Cllr Shaid Mushtaq
Deputy: Cllr Chris Goodwin
• Finance and Low Carbon:
Cllr Abdul Jabbar
Deputy: Cllr George Hulme
• Health and Social Care:
Cllr Zahid Chauhan
Deputy: Cllr Marie Bashforth
• Housing and Homelessness:
Cllr Hannah Roberts
• Children and Young People:
Cllr Eddie Moores
Deputy: Cllr Valerie Leach
• Neighbourhoods and Culture:
Cllr Barbara Brownridge
Deputy: Cllr Ateeque Ur Rehman
• HR and Corporate Reform:
Cllr Amanda Chadderton
Deputy: Cllr Steve Williams.
Confirming the apopintments, Cllr Fielding said: “Covid-19 is the biggest challenge Oldham has faced in generations.
“It is so important we all pull together to build back better, and our new cabinet team will do just that.
“We cannot afford to simply step back and hope to minimise the damage.
“I have asked my cabinet to give a renewed focus to the actions we can take today that will make the lives of Oldham residents better over the long term.”
The following Chair positions have also been appointed:
• Miocare: Cllr Steven Bashforth
• Unity Partnership: Cllr Fida
Hussain
• Health and Wellbeing Board:
Cllr Jean Stretton.
Meanwhile, two more Saddleworth councillors have been appointed to the Liberal Democrat Group Shadow Cabinet Team for 2020/21.
Saddleworth North councillor Garth Harkness takes the education portfolio while Sam Al Hamdani, councillor for Saddleworth West and Lees, is handed responsibility for housing and the homeless.
Cllr Howard Sykes and Cllr Chris Gloster are confirmed as leader and deputy of the main opposition to the controlling Labour group.
i would like to comment about the proposed building development in springhead. The council have stated that you can only protest on line, therefore this rules out anyone who has not got a computer and as you know this probably rules out a lot of the older residents in the area, this is a crafty move by the council in my opinion, surely people should be able to protest in anyway possible.