THE axing of a new Shaw and Crompton Health Centre has been widely condemned by Oldham’s political groups.

The Oldham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) announced it was scrapping the scheme due to increases in ‘costs and inflation’ in a bombshell announcement over Zoom last week.

The shock move has been met with heavy criticism from councillors from across the political spectrum in Oldham.

Shaw councillor and Liberal Democrat group leader, Howard Sykes, who has fought for the new health centre over several years, described the dropping of the plans as a ‘massive kick in the teeth’.

He said: “Shaw and Crompton councillors have worked incredibly hard to reach the position where this was ready to go, with the site ready to go, capital funding allocated, a developer commissioned, and plans developed.

“This is a massive kick in the teeth and a great disappointment to our local community and those who use and work in the current Health Centre.”

Shadow cabinet member for Heath and Social, Liberal Democrat Crompton councillor, Louie Hamblett has meanwhile warned that councillors will not be ‘fobbed off’ and has written to Oldham CCG’s accountable officer Mike Barker to demand an ‘urgent meeting’.

Cllr Hamblett added: “Increased costs; as a result of covid, events in Eastern Europe and the cost-of-living crises, are excuses the CCG uses for it now not being affordable and they quote a figure of an increase of half a million pounds in costs.

“We are demanding an urgent meeting so this decision can be justified and fully explained – Shaw and Crompton demands nothing less. “We will not be fobbed off and we now need to negotiate a plan B to get the Heath Centre Shaw and Crompton so rightly deserves.”

All six Shaw and Crompton councillors are continuing to campaign for a replacement health centre, according to Cllr Sykes.

The councillors are being backed by Conservative Royton North councillor, Dave Arnott, who called the cancellation of the new health centre a ‘significant setback’ for the area.

He added: “The Conservatives have long been very uneasy about the ability of the infrastructure to support the hundreds of new homes that are being built in the area as part of the Greater Manchester, Places for Everyone plan, and this news will do nothing to allay those fears.

“From what we can see, the original funding package and the land earmarked for the development are still available, and so, I would hope that a solution may still be found to deliver this project in some way.

“I would imagine that Liberal Democrat councillors will wish to see urgent discussions to agree an alternative proposal, and I wish them well, as there is no doubt that they have campaigned hard to deliver this project over a number of years.”

Arooj Shah, leader of Oldham Council and a Labour councillor, said: “It is disgraceful that this Government isn’t doing enough to reduce the impact of rapidly rising inflation rates which are pushing up prices at a time when we are facing huge reductions in public service finances.

"Their lack of action is jeopardising schemes like this one in Shaw and it is not acceptable.

“It is disappointing that colleagues in the NHS are now at this late stage having to go back to the drawing board to work up an alternative financing model.

"As leader I am committed to ensuring that our NHS colleagues have the land and support available from the council to develop an alternative set of options.”