Saddleworth councillor hits out at ‘secretive’ Oldham authority

A SADDLEWORTH councillor says he has ‘significant concerns’ about the Oldham borough authority keeping people in the dark.

And Garth Harkness believes how he found out chief executive Harry Catherall is set to take on the same job at neighbouring Tameside at the same time – as the Independent detailed – shows its ‘arrogance.’

The Liberal Democrat representative for Saddleworth North had two years outside the chamber before being re-elected in 2023.

Cllr Garth Harkness

Now he believes standards of transparency have dropped, calling for leaders – both political and non-political – to stop being ‘secretive.’

Cllr Harkness said: “I have significant concerns that residents do not get responses to enquiries from council departments.

“Elected members are told to follow the same channels and get the same lack of response.

“Members are now having to put in Freedom of Information requests, which is a shameful indictment on this council’s transparency and accountability

“Opposition councillors often don’t get access to information or answers. We find out the chief executive is going to Tameside through the press.

“This is just an example of arrogance of the leadership to exclude elected members.”

Cllr Harkness called for a review on communications at Oldham Council on September 11.

He also says he suggested some remedies, including each department having a dedicated member’s email enquiry inbox monitored by a senior officer, who hands work to the appropriate member of staff.

Yet he claims to have heard nothing, adding: “It is ironic that the point about not getting responses has not had a response.

“What we see as opposition councillors is a lack of transparency and culture in an organisation is down to leadership.

“Rather than troubleshooting other boroughs, we need to address the issues in Oldham.”

 

2 Replies to “Saddleworth councillor hits out at ‘secretive’ Oldham authority”

  1. Unfortunately what he’s sayings is true and there are always half a dozen excuses, (too often spurious,) always deployed as reasons for not making such information publicly available, such as confidentially, being commercially and good old data protection..

    Without transparency there can be little real accountability, which suits the Labour group just fine.

    Who was, remind me, who once said, “If you’ve nothing to hide you’ve nothing to fear ?”

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