Oldham Council is celebrating the reopening of the borough’s high streets this week, while reminding residents to continue doing their bit to “stay safe”.
Now that ‘Stage Two’ in the government’s roadmap to lifting England’s current national lockdown has commenced and a raft of venues within the Greater Manchester borough are back open for business, Oldham Council is celebrating the past, present and future of the bustling town centre with the release of a new animation.
The animation – which has been funded by the UK government’s Reopening High Streets Safely Fund – has not only been launched to mark the reopening of businesses, but to also call on the borough’s residents to shop local and shop safe.
Local businesses are working hard to ensure they are COVID-secrure, so that visitors can enjoy the retail and outdoor hospitality opportunities on offer in a safe way.
Inspired by Tommyfield Market trader Marc Crossley of Crossley’s Fish – who has a lifelong history of trading in the town, with the family business having been in Oldham for 31 years – Oldham Council has worked with Delph-based award-winning animation production company, Periscope Studios, to create the short film.
“It’s been a really difficult year for local businesses,” Marc admitted.
“We’ve fought incredibly hard to survive, but we feel like there’s now light at the end of the tunnel [and we can’t wait to welcome back more customers and see the town centre busy with shoppers and visitors again.
“Please support your local high street – local businesses need your custom now more than ever”.
Speaking on the launch of the animation, Jo Perry – founder of Periscope Studios – said: “As Oldham locals, we have so many memories of the borough’s shops, bars, restaurants and markets – both as children and now as parents [so] we’re delighted to be working with Oldham Council to help local high streets reopen safely by highlighting current coronavirus protocols as told from the people it matters to most – the independent businesses”.
Co-founder, Paul Perry, added: “The animation was a real labour of love for us, and one which we hope resonates with Oldham residents”.
“Like all Oldham residents, we’re excited to see high street businesses reopening following the forced closures during lockdown restrictions,” admitted Emma Barton, Director of Economy at Oldham Council.
“But we must remember that there is still a need to be vigilant as restrictions ease and to follow the current guidance”.
Oldham Council
She continued: “Businesses are working hard to ensure they are COVID secure so that you can be confident and reassured that it’s safe to shop throughout the borough [but] residents also have a part to play by being responsible and continuing to stick to safety measures when visiting our high streets, to help keep them trading and lower the rate of infections”.
You can find more information on the reopening of Oldham and COVID safety precautions via the Oldham Council website here.
Featured Image – Jody Hartley
Oldham
Three Greater Manchester boroughs named in UK’s top 10 fly-tipping hotspots
Emily Sergeant
Three Greater Manchester boroughs have unfortunately claimed place in the list of the UK’s top 10 fly-tipping hotspots.
There’s absolutely no denying that fly-tipping has becoming an increasing issue in recent years, with the UK’s rubbish problem piling up… literally. And now new analysis of Government data has revealed that councils in England dealt with more than 2.7 million fly-tipping incidents in the past year.
In theory, this is the equivalent of more than 7,397 illegal dumps every single day.
The research, which has been conducted by garage clearance company, Rainbow Rubbish Removals, ranked local authorities on the scale of their littering crisis, looking at the number of waste and land incidents, as well as the total amount of fines issued.
This was all in a bid to find out who has earned the unwelcome title of Britain’s fly-tipping capital – and it’s not pleasant news for Greater Manchester.
Three Greater Manchester boroughs have been named in the UK’s top 10 fly-tipping hotspots / Credit: Alan Stanton (via Flickr)
Thankfully though, while three boroughs in our region have found themselves on the top 10 list, they’re not right near the top and actually claim the last three places – with Oldham at number eight, Manchester at number nine, and Bolton in the tenth spot.
Oldham recorded 479.28 fly-tipping incidents per 10,000 residents, Manchester recorded 348.36, and Bolton had 503.36.
While Bolton recorded the most incidents out of the three local regions, it actually dished out the least amount of fines for the incidents, hence why it falls below below Oldham and Manchester.
Claiming the non-so-favourable title of the UK’s fly-tipping capital is Lewisham.
Top 10 Fly-tipping Hotspots in the UK
Lewisham
Newcastle
Westminster
Peterborough
Newham
Hammersmith and Fulham
Brent
Oldham
Manchester
Bolton
Several other boroughs in London also found themselves in the top 10, with Westminster, Newham, Hammersmith and Fulham, and Brent all featuring.
“Fly-tipping isn’t just an ugly blot on the landscape, it’s a stubborn public health risk and an environmental time bomb,” commented Miroslav Radov, who is a waste expert at Rainbow Rubbish Removals.
“Our findings reveal a worrying pattern in big cities, especially London [and Greater Manchester].
“If action isn’t stepped up, these areas could become permanent dumping grounds, with taxpayers footing the clean-up bill year after year.
“Solving this crisis means more than just sweeping up the mess – it calls for tougher penalties that bite, more accessible waste disposal options, and a cultural shift where people take real responsibility for the rubbish they create.”
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
Oldham
Urgent appeal after woman, 70, dies after being found unconscious with ‘serious injuries’ on a Tameside road
Emily Sergeant
An urgent appeal has been issued after a woman was found unconscious with ‘serious injuries’ on a road on the Tameside / Oldham border.
Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Serious Collision Investigation Unit is appealing for information after the woman, aged 70, was taken to hospital upon being discovered on Waggon Road in Park Bridge, which is an area on the border of Tameside and Oldham, at around 2:30pm this past Sunday afternoon (10 August).
Police say their investigation is centred on trying to find out how the woman came to be on the road, and ultimately, uncover more about the incident as a whole.
This is why officers are now appealing to the Greater Manchester public.
#APPEAL | Our Serious Collision Investigation Unit (SCIU) is appealing for information after a woman died after being found unconscious on a road on the Oldham/Tameside border yesterday (10/08/25). pic.twitter.com/lzjANgh8Tg
Anyone who saw the incident, or who may have dashcam footage, is urged to call GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit on 0161 856 4741, quoting incident number 1858 of 10/08/25.
You can also call 101, or talk to GMP via the LiveChat function at www.gmp.police.uk.
The Manc -
13th April 2021 
