Councillor Sykes welcomes long-overdue protection order covering Crompton Moor in Oldham Borough

Leader of Oldham Liberal Democrats and Shaw ward councillor, Howard Sykes MBE has welcomed the news that a lapsed public space protection order covering Crompton Moor is about to be reinstated on the 22 April.

Councillor Sykes said, “It’s about time.  Frankly, it’s a scandal that Oldham Council allowed these protection orders to lapse in the first place.  In recent months, spaces like Crompton Moor have been unprotected because Oldham Council failed to renew the legal orders that allow us to prosecute environmental crime.”

“This is serious because we have had some very dangerous incidents up on the moors over the years, including fires started by disposable BBQs.  These are areas of natural beauty and enjoyed responsibly by hundreds of people.  The Council should be proudly protecting them and cracking down on fly-tipping and other offences that blight the land.”

The Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) covering Crompton Moor includes powers relating to offences against those who light fires as well as dog fouling, fly-tipping, joyriding, and offences against animals.  It will come into effect once more on 22 April 2024 after it had been allowed to lapse back in November 2023. 

Councillor Sykes said, “This is a really basic oversight, and it shows the Council’s Labour leadership is not focussed on the job.  I can only hope there haven’t been further instances where our powers as a Council have been undermined because someone forgot to do something.”