Sam Al-Hamdani (Liberal Democrat)
SAM lives with his family in Lees and is Saddleworth born and bred. He has a background in fair tax campaigning and works as an editor and designer.
He said: “It’s hard to believe how much has happened in the four years I have been a councillor (COVID for one).
“However, it is some of the individual cases that mean the most – probably the one I remember above all was helping a lady to get access to the money to pay for her brother’s funeral.
“Being able to help someone in a time of crisis is hard work but incredibly rewarding.
“I am also incredibly proud that the council supported my motion to back criminalising street harassment – the legislation for that is currently going through Parliament.
“Local people can help make national change.
“Whether it is helping tackle one person’s problem, fighting for green spaces and crime prevention for our villages, or challenging Oldham Council to work better for the people it represents, I hope you will support me to carry on this work.”
Dave Barter (Labour)
DAVE lives in Lees and taught mathematics in Oldham from 1992 until 2013, as well as providing ICT support.
He has been a governor at two Oldham schools, is a past president of Oldham NUT and is active in the NEU.
He has fundraised for food banks and helped with local support for Ukrainian refugees.
He said: “I am standing for Labour in this election because the thing we need most in Lees is a change of Government – we need a Labour Government to undo the damage of the past 13 years and restore integrity to public life.
“We need a strengthened Labour council in Oldham more than ever to provide the best services possible in these conditions, with Labour councillors as the advocates for their local communities – whether on traffic calming, congestion around schools, rights of way, or any other issues where people need the support of their local councillors.”
John Battye (Labour)
JOHN has lived in Saddleworth all his life and in Grotton for 47 years.
He worked in the Pathology department at Royal Oldham Hospital for 34 years and managed the blood transfusion department for 25 years.
John has 33 years’ experience as a councillor. He was Oldham Council Leader for 15 years and has been a Saddleworth Parish Councillor for the last three.
From 1998, he was chair of the Mayor of Oldham’s Charity Appeal Committee helping to raise well over £1 million for local charities.
John was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of Greater Manchester in 1999 and was director of Manchester Airport from 1986 to 2000. He was Mayor of Oldham 1999 to 2000.
He has chaired mental health tribunals since 1998 and has been Chair of Saddleworth School Governors.
John welcomes the £1 million investment in the new pitch at Boundary Park Community Stadium to return Oldham RLFC to the town in 2024.
Sophie Johnson (Oldham Borough Independent)
A PROUD mother of four children, her credentials of the practicality of what parents require from our council could not be better.
Again, Sophie lives local, is most popular and has the enthusiasm and drive to make a real change in the council chambers.
Very much into seeking to save what little countryside remains in Saddleworth West, she would be a formidable asset to all who share her views on wildlife, the environment and her community.
She is most keen on supporting local businesses and will use her time to seek to attempt to encourage our council to spend “locally”, which is way overdue.
HMOs are another issue that Sophie seeks to halt, as these often leave residents in cramped conditions, in buildings originally designed for four people now altered for 20+ and more often than not profit-based.
The ward’s infrastructure has been in steady decline this past 30 years despite in recent years the government giving Oldham Council £137 million, which in her opinion is not finding its way to its intended source.
Mark Kenyon (Liberal Democrats)
I HAVE lived all over Oldham and for the last eight years I’ve loved living being back in Saddleworth. For work, I started a business, then worked in IT and for the last 16 years I’ve been helping people with green energy and heating.
It is telling that in Grotton, Springhead and Lees, we have not seen hide nor hair of the independents – or indeed the other two main parties – until election time came around.
They just complain online and then come out of the woodwork when they want people’s votes.
Voting for me, Sam and Alicia this May is a vote for local councillors with a local focus. We’re fighting for:
- Road safety measures at key traffic hotspots
- Protecting our green spaces, like Maltby Court and Stonebreaks, and stopping the Green Belt land grab
- Getting more police on local streets to make people safer and more secure.
Valerie Leach (Labour)
I WAS a Labour councillor for Saddleworth West and Lees until 2021 and worked with Labour councillor Steve Hewitt to initiate plans for Safe Streets around St Edwards and Hey with Zion schools.
We provided support for Lees, Springhead and Grotton business hub to get started and to work to create thriving villages.
I worked for more than 20 years with UNICEF. I brought my passion for children’s rights to Oldham Council and had responsibility for early childhood development.
Children in Saddleworth West and Lees have legal rights for sound development. Reform of childcare services and their proper funding is necessary to ensure these rights.
Sound development at an early age has lasting benefits for children raising their capabilities for meaningful employment and reducing antisocial behaviour.
I will continue to be an advocate for early childhood development and I will strongly support youth services and community policing.
Alicia Marland (Liberal Democrat)
I WAS elected in May 2022 as a councillor and very quickly realised two things – how much improvement you can actually make in a community but also that not everything is possible, no matter how hard you try!
My family and I have lived in Grotton for more than 20 years and I am out in the villages every day so I see first-hand what is happening, what needs to be actioned and hearing what changes people would like to see.
It has been a privilege to meet and help so many residents and make a difference to their lives. I have loved the variety of issues I’ve dealt with whilst being a councillor and I’m proud to have achieved success in providing more defibrillators to our villages.
I would love to be re-elected in May and I intend to continue making a positive impact where we live and concentrate on those issues that affect many of us including crime prevention, tackling speeding, saving our green spaces and reducing littering.
I will continue to challenge the Oldham Labour council on their many frivolous financial decisions so that we, as residents, can enjoy more of the Liberal Democrat core values including community, liberty, democracy and fairness for all.
Chris Marshall (Oldham Borough Independent)
CHRIS is from a family that has been in Saddleworth West, Lees, Grotton and Springhead for generations.
He knows the area like the back of his hand and more importantly its history, losses and present needs.
Not only is he very much his own man, he’s a well-liked local who is from a professional background.
He will bring much needed integrity, honesty and common sense to a council that many people believe lacks substantially in all three.
Chris cares passionately about his ward, its over-development and unfair disproportion of available funds that is currently not being reinvested in the area.
A very popular, delightful and well known individual, whose personal achievements include being one of the UK’s strongest men in the amateur division.
Not afraid of rolling his sleeves up and helping out, he’d be an amazing asset to the ward and it’s a great opportunity for the locals to have someone of his ilk in our council.
Paul Shilton (Oldham Borough Independent)
WITHOUT doubt literally got to be the most deserving person ever of a vote anywhere in any ward to be councillor.
His efforts are literally second to none.
He fought tooth and nail for Save Our Valleys, was the treasurer in raising the funds to fight the Judicial Review, turned up to every meeting, turned up to all the fundraising and rolled his sleeves up to help out.
He was a formidable part of an excellent team to give Oldham Council its toughest fight yet on its continued quest to over-develop areas of Oldham and Saddleworth.
He has fought equally passionately on the development of the quarry and has been the “go-to-guy” for the ward for four years now.
Grit boxes, Paul raised funds himself, and together with Sophie Johnson and Chris Marshall installed them in Lees.
Maltby Court? Again Paul Shilton was the go-to-guy of the residents, others gave a running commentary of what the Council do!
Viewing mirror on Rhodes Hill for traffic safety? Paul Shilton, again!
Paul is a doer. A man of the people, polite and very well liked.
He would be a fantastic asset – finally someone who speaks up for the ward and the community as a whole.
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