Ex-council leader Jean Stretton dies

Councillor Jean Stretton pictured in 2017

Former Oldham council leader Cllr Jean Stretton has died, aged 64.

Cllr Stretton was raised locally on Alt Estate and educated at Alt Primary and Hathershaw Comprehensive schools.  

After studying an MBA at Bolton Institute she returned to live in Hollinwood in 1989.

Cllr Stretton was first elected as a ward councillor for the area in 2003. 

She has held several Cabinet Member posts covering a wide range of areas that include housing, health and wellbeing, town centres, culture and tourism.

In 2013, she was named ‘Community Champion of the Year’ at the Cllr Achievement Awards organised by the LGiU for what judges called her “inspiring work to help her community in Oldham recover following a gas explosion” in Shaw.

Married to John, she has two step-children, five grandchildren and a great granddaughter, and described herself in   biographic notes as “a very, very young great granny”.

Amongst her other duties, Cllr Stretton wass chair of Oldham Credit Union, a governor at Oasis Academy, Limehurst primary and has served on the Contour Estate Board since 2003.

She was also a keen supporter of Oldham Foodbank.

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