OSWALDTWISTLE ISSUES - 29th AUGUST 2012

Cllr Colette McCormack has been addressing several issues within Oswaldtwistle recently:

• The welfare of the animals in Rhyddings Park during the hot weather
• Dog fouling
• The state of the potholes in various places
• The re-opening of the footpath near Rhyddings Mill

Cllr McCormack also had a half hour slot on Radio Lancashire last week regarding the WI and has contacted by the Sunday Express about the story.

GRAHAM JONES MP BLOG

In addition to the Hyndburn Labour group blog, local MP Graham Jones also runs his own personal site which chronicles his activities in Westminster and gives details of national issues which affect the borough. His blogspot can be found by clicking this link:

Graham Jones MP

HYNDBURN CASHBACK CHALLENGE

Are you taking Hyndburn’s Cash Back Challenge? The Cash Back Challenge is an innovative and exciting new recycling campaign where residents will be rewarded for recycling more of their waste.

Cllr Munsif Dad, Cabinet Member for Recycling and Deputy Leader, thanked Hyndburn residents for their enthusiastic recycling since the kerbside recycling scheme was launched nine years ago but said “we still need to do more to reach our target of 40%. This is not only for the sake of the environment and future generations, but to save money and keep Council Tax bills down, as sending waste to landfill is an expensive business – over £85 per tonne.”

Cllr Dad said, “Here’s where the Cash Back challenge comes in. The challenge is for residents to increase recycling by 200 tonnes from April 2012 to Sept 2012 and then another 200 tonnes from October 2012 to March 2013 – a 2% increase in our recycling rate. Residents who take up the challenge and recycle more will have the chance to win cash back equivalent to the Hyndburn element of their Council tax.”

Cllr Munsif Dad concluded, “After launching our new and improved recycling service in June there are now even more items that residents can recycle. As well as the usual plastic bottles, paper, textiles, cardboard and glass jars residents can now recycle things such as plastic yoghurt pots and meat trays, margarine tubs and even household batteries.”.

Additional recycling containers can be collected from the offices at Willows Lane, Accrington.

ROYAL PAINTING PRESENTED TO MAYOR

Accrington Artist, Peter Sherburne, presented a copy of the portrait he painted for the Queen, to the Mayor of Hyndburn, Cllr John Broadley, on 14th August 2012.

Peter, 63, presented the original painting, which features an English Springer Spaniel in the foreground of an Oswaldtwistle moorland scene, to the Queen during her visit to Accrington in May. 

Peter said: “I’m delighted to be able to present a copy of the portrait to the Council. It brings back memories of a wonderful day, where the Queen told me the painting was lovely twice and made a real effort to study it. The Queen was so pleasant and made us feel at ease, it made all the late nights and long hours I spent working on the painting worthwhile.” 

Receiving the portrait, Mayor, Cllr John Broadley said; “We’re really grateful to Peter. This is not only a fabulous piece of artwork, but also real piece of history for future Hyndburn generations to enjoy.”

VIEWPOINT - CLLR CIARAN WELLS

Congratulations to Team GB on their record medal haul! It really does make you proud to be British and as Hyndburn Cabinet Member for Sport and Leisure I was also thrilled that the Olympic Torch came through the Borough in June. What an exciting atmosphere in Hyndburn when thousands of people became part of this moment in history as they came out to line the streets and cheer the torch through the Borough. Mercer Hall Leisure Centre is currently going through a refurbishment of the changing rooms and the new gym only opened this week, make the most of the Olympics and get down and see about membership. We may not all be athletes, but we can all stay healthier by getting out in the fresh air and having a run or walk through our parks!

It’s good news then that six of our parks are among the best in the country and have been awarded the prestigious Green Flag recently. Wilson’s Playing Fields & Woodlands in Clayton-le-Moors is the latest park to be awarded and joins our Lowerfold Park in Great Harwood, Cutwood, Oakhill, Mercer and Gatty Parks in scooping the Green Flag. Our parks are fabulous green spaces for the whole com! munity to enjoy and the award shows that they are well managed and maintained, are welcoming, safe for users and have good links with the local community.

Still on the healthy theme, did you know that the Council has a wide range of growing spaces available now at Meadoway and Woodnook allotment sites? We have recently filled all vacancies in Great Harwood so please have a look at the other sites.

Sites on offer range from small, easy manageable but highly pr oductive raised beds where you can grow a lot of food with easy access and no digging required, to the larger allotment plots, where some good healthy digging will ! be needed, but well worth the reward, when you’re tucking into food you’ve grown yourself.

Meadoway on Queens Road West and Woodnook allotments at the end of Rothwell Avenue are great places to be, with stunning views and a friendly atmosphere in the company of other local people. If you fancy having a go, give our Allotments Manager a call on 01254 388111.

I wanted to let you know that recently Cabinet approved plans to buy land for the development of an additional cemetery site at Great Harwood, to act as a! n extension of the current site. I know this will be an immense relief to residents who plan to be buried in the same place as their loved ones, as generations of Great Harwood., Rishton and Clayton-le-Moors families are buried at the cemetery and it’s important that it remains in use.

HARWOOD FIRST

A new blog has been created by the Labour councillors in Great Harwood to report on their activities within the town. The blog, Harwood First, has been set up by Cllrs Ciaran Wells, Kerry & Gareth Molineux and Noordad Aziz and can be found by following this link:

Harwood First

Harwood First is an echo of Rishton First, something which was set up in 2010 by Cllrs Harry Grayson, Clare Cleary and Ken Moss to report on village news and be more interactive with residents. The site now has over 1,000 visitors every month and an accompanying Facebook page where residents can interact directly with their councillors on a daily basis:

Rishton First

Rishton First - Facebook

ST JAMES CHURCH IMPROVEMENTS

Work is under way to improve the grounds of St James’ Church in Accrington. Council Leader, Cllr Miles Parkinson, said; “It’s great to see work underway here in this important green space within the town centre, which will make this whole area more welcoming for visitors with an events space for the whole community to enjoy.” 

The improvements include new stone paved paths, with the focus on the 18th century grade II listed church, which will also have new lighting to the church’s facades.  Cllr Parkinson added; “The refurbishment of the grounds will complement the planned opening up of the church for community use, music rehearsal and performance. An outside seating and performance area next to the west tower will be created with a low stone wall to define the events space, which will also provide seating.”

Hyndburn Green Spaces Forum have helped to secure £40K towards the cost of this project. Neil Mooney chair of HGSF said ‘the forum recognised the importance of this green space as it is the only green space of a reasonable size in Accrington Town Centre and that is why we put a bid into the Lancashire Environment Fund to contribute towards the overall cost of the improvement works to make it a fantastic area for people to use during their lunch breaks or while visiting the town centre’.

ELECTION 2013 - MILES PARKINSON

Rishton, Clayton-le-Moors and Altham County Councillor Miles Parkinson is once again standing to retain the seat he has held since 2009. Miles has been heavily involved with community groups during his time on the council and has also been a district councillor since the 1990s, eventually rising to become Leader of Hyndburn Borough Council in 2011 when Labour took power after nearly eleven years of local Conservative control.

Cllr Parkinson and the campaign team have already been out leafleting and door-to-door canvassing will start shortly. For more information or if you would like to speak to Miles directly please follow this link for contact details:

Cllr Miles Parkinson

PEEL & BARNFIELD MEETING - 23rd AUGUST

Cllr Wendy Dwyer, Chair of Peel & Barnfield is inviting people to the next area meeting on Thursday 23rd August at 7pm in the Supper Room at Accrington Town Hall. For more information please call Cllr Dwyer on 01254 235698.

ELECTION 2013 - GARETH MOLINEUX

The 2011 winner of the Overton ward election, Cllr Gareth Molineux, is now standing to represent Great Harwood in the 2013 County Council elections as well. His campaign has already got underway for next May's vote and he and his wife (and fellow ward Councillor) Kerry, winner of the 2012 Overton election, are pictured here delivering the Lancastrian newsletter to residents.

If anyone would like to speak to Gareth about any issues please follow this link:

Cllr Gareth Molineux

£1 TRIPS TO THE COAST

If you’re Over 60 and a Hyndburn NoWcard holder, there’s still time to get some bracing sea air in Blackpool and the Fylde for just £1. Council Leader, Cllr Miles Parkinson said; “The £1 trips to the coast are very popular and have been running over the summer, with Rigby’s Travel providing the service for Hyndburn residents with a NoWcard for trips to Blackpool and on to Cleveleys and Fleetwood. This scheme is all about keeping people active as this excursion gives them a chance to get out to the coast during the summer, take in some fresh sea air and maybe have a stroll along the prom.”

The excursions run until the August Bank Holiday at the end of the month. To book your place, or for more information, call Rigby’s Travel on 01254 388866.

ACCRINGTON SUPERLOO

The superloo on Peel Street in Accrington is to be closed in a cost-saving measure by Hyndburn Borough Council.

Hyndburn Conservative Leader Peter Britcliffe agreed a contract at a meeting of his ten-member Cabinet on 16th January 2002 which required it to be used 386 times a day 365 days a year for over twenty years just to break even. In order to be financially viable the toilet needed usage every 3.7 minutes at 20 pence a time to recover an annual rental agreement of £28,245.

Although the cost of prematurely ending the contract was expensive, Labour ended it and saved the ratepayer £200,000 over the term of the original agreement, a move which has been criticised by the Conservatives. The public conveniences on Peel Street will remain open and are not under threat from this decision.

A news report from the Lancashire Telegraph can be found here:

Lancashire Telegraph - £18 to spend a penny

ELECTION 2013 - COLETTE McCORMACK

Cllr Colette McCormack (pictured above presenting the Mayor's Award to Accrington Swimming Club in 2011) is standing to represent Labour in Oswaldtwistle for the 2013 County Council elections. She has recently been working on various projects in and around Immanuel ward, including restarting a Luncheon Club that Lancashire County Council cut the funding for and liaising with residents and other councillors to resolve the waste problem at the Nippa site on Nook Lane. Other issues which Colette has worked on during her time on Hyndburn Borough Council include flytipping, Neighbourhood Watch, cold calling, scrap metal thefts and dog fouling.

Cllr McCormack's contact details can be found here:

Cllr Colette McCormack

ELECTION 2013 - MUNSIF DAD

Springhill Councillor Munsif Dad has been chosen to represent Labour in the 2013 County Council elections in Accrington West and has started his campaign with a leaflet drop giving some information about his activities to improve the area. Cllr Dad is currently Deputy Leader of Hyndburn Borough Council and portfolio holder for Recycling and Green Issues.

Cllr Dad (pictured here with Deputy Leader Cllr Clare Pritchard and fellow ward councillor Pam Barton) organised Cabinet Action Days in Springhill and Central in July, plus held an event recently where over 500 residents came to air their concerns. For further information on Cllr Dad please follow the link in the Contacts section on the right hand side of this blog.

SELECTIVE LICENSING OF LANDLORDS

Hyndburn Borough Council has introduced a scheme that requires private rented properties in parts of Accrington and Church to be licensed, and therefore subject to regulations. The area includes parts of East and West Accrington and Church covering an estimated 4,850 properties, of which it is estimated 1,520 are rented privately.

The Council expects the licensing scheme to improve the management practices of landlords and therefore improve the quality of life for tenants and residents in the licensing area. HBC has consulted extensively with residents, landlords and other stakeholders. Nearly 80% of residents supported the scheme, but 68% of landlords were against it.

The scheme will start on the 1st December 2012, and the licensing designation will last for five years. During that time, rented properties will need to be licensed. The courts can impose fines of up to £20,000 for any landlord found to be renting property without a licence. Any landlord breaching the licence conditions could be committing an offence and may be liable for a fine of up to £5,000. The scheme is being introduced as part of a wider set of measures to deal with low housing demand. Cllr Clare Pritchard, Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Regeneration and Housing said:

“We want to ensure that private rented properties are well managed and meet a good standard. There are good landlords in Accrington and Church and we want to work with them. Unfortunately, there are some poor landlords, which this scheme will target. Good landlords have nothing to fear from this scheme. For bad ones this is a clear message that standards need to improve. I am delighted with the support from residents because we hope the scheme will improve the quality of life for tenants and communities.”

JUDICIAL COMMITTEE - 7th AUGUST 2012

The next meeting of the Judicial Committee will be on Tuesday 7th August at 4.00pm at Scaitcliffe House in Accrington. Cllr Clare Cleary is Vice-Chair of this committee and matters for discussion will include a review of licensing procedure and guidelines, plus several applications for taxi licences.

This meeting was rearranged from 19th July.

AUDIOBOO - BBC RADIO 4

Whitebirk Retail Park in Rishton featured in an edition of Face the Facts on Radio 4 on 25th July 2012. The site was being discussed due to the controversial nature of recent planning applications by Peel Holdings who own the business park. The programme featured contributions from Jack Straw MP, a representative of Peel Holdings and audio clips of Cllr Ken Moss from the recent Hyndburn Borough Council Portas Pilot scheme.  Face the Facts and other Rishton-related sound clips can be heard on a new Audioboo channel by following this link:

AudioBoo - Director Who

WOODNOOK INVESTMENT PLAN

Deputy Leader of Hyndburn Borough Council, Cllr Clare Pritchard, submitted the a report to Cabinet on 1st August 2012 to further stimulate regeneration in the Woodnook area of Accrington which was unanimously approved:

'This report seeks approval to develop an investment plan for Woodnook in partnership with PlaceFirst and Twin Valley Homes. The investment plan will identify the investment needed to achieve the regeneration of Woodnook.  The plan will take into account the funding that we have secured to date, but also identify other funding opportunities that will form the basis of a comprehensive regeneration programme. As part of this plan, PlaceFirst propose to set up a local office and appoint a Neighbourhood Manager.  The report seeks approval for the Council to contribute a one off payment of £35,000 towards the set up costs estimated at just over £110,000. I move the report.'

The full report can be viewed by clicking this link:

Cabinet - 1st August 2012 - Woodnook Investment Plan

OSWALDTWISTLE WASTE PROBLEM

Hyndburn Borough Council is continuing to work closely with the Environment Agency to deal with the alleged illegal dumping of approximately 4000 bales of household and commercial waste at the former Nippa chemicals site in Oswaldtwistle.

Following discussions with the landowner and Blakeley’s last Thursday, work began on site this morning to remove the waste. Approximately 300 tonnes have already have been removed and it is expected that around 500 tonnes will be removed each day from here on until the site is cleared of the bales. We understand that it is Blakeley’s intention that most of the waste should be taken to a landfill disposal site in Pilsworth.

At this stage there are indications that the pesticides being used to kill the flies at the site are proving effective and there has been a major reduction in the volume of complaints generated as a result. This will continue to be monitored throughout the removal operation. At this point in time there is no evidence from the tests that have been carried out that the activities on site have resulted in any additional pollution to the water course at Lottice Brook but this is something that the Environment Agency will continue to test and monitor over coming weeks.

While HBC appreciate that there is a lot of public interest in what is happening, it is requested that people please refrain from entering the site as there are deep ditches and other potential hazards that could expose members of the public to risk. 

ELECTION 2013 - BERNARD DAWSON

Cllr Bernard Dawson has been out campaigning in Peel ahead of the Lancashire County Council elections in May 2013. Cllr Dawson currently sits as member for Peel ward on Hyndburn Borough Council but is hoping to also take the county seat for the area in next year's elections on May 2nd.