Couples celebrate Diamond Anniversary

Hyndburn’s Mayor, Cllr John Broadley, was joined in the Mayor’s Parlour on 9th October by two very special couples who celebrate their Diamond Wedding Anniversaries this month. 78 year old Maureen & 83 year old James Grady along with 90 year old Doreen & 86 year old Kenneth Wade, joined the Mayor and Mayoress for afternoon tea to celebrate being married for 60 years.

The Mayor, Cllr Broadley, said, “It’s been lovely to be able to celebrate this really special occasion with Maureen & James and Doreen & Kenneth. Both couples came along to my Mayor Making ceremony back in May as part of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations. It was an honour and a pleasure to welcome them back today, they are both very special couples and we’ve enjoyed their company very much.”

Maureen and Jim have a son Michael and two daughters Sharon and Kathleen, they also have eight grandchildren and one great grandchild with another two due in November. Maureen said “ We had our party last week with over 200 family and friends. The celebrations have been wonderful and we’ve also really enjoyed coming here today.”

Doreen and Kenneth have two sons Michael and Keith, daughter Teena, plus six grandchildren and three great grandchildren. Kenneth added; “Our anniversary is later in the month and we’ve got a celebration planned with all the family. We’ve been made really welcome today and we’ve all had a great time.”

Clean Britain Awards - HBC gets 5-star rating

The Council scooped two awards for clean streets when it was awarded 5 Stars and a Gold Award in the small local authority category at the national Clean Britain Awards, held in Birmingham in September. This year’s awards featured three categories incorporating Small, Medium and Large local authorities and each of the entrants faced a tough judging process, with anonymous inspection visits assessing 13 key criteria, including general litter, chewing gum and smoking-related litter, fly-tipping, graffiti and the provision and condition of litter bins.

Cllr Munsif Dad said; 'To be awarded 5 stars and then to also pick up the gold award in the small population category is great news for our residents and visitors and a testament to the hard work of our superb waste and recycling crews. They are out and about in all weathers keeping the borough clean and it’s absolutely wonderful to have this recognition of the great work that goes on day in, day out.'

Judges praised the standard of cleanliness in the Borough saying, 'The standard of cleanliness which was evident at the time of inspection clearly indicates that Hyndburn Council attaches great importance to maintaining a clean street environment. Across a range of sites from busy shopping streets in Accrington town centre to modern suburban estates and Victorian streets close to Accrington centre, there was a uniformly high standard of cleansing in evidence. The Council can justifiably be proud of the standards which have been achieved.”

Council Leader, Cllr Miles Parkinson said; “The cleanliness of our streets is so important to how we feel about our environment, and we’re thrilled to have been awarded not only 5 stars but also a gold award in the Clean Britain Awards, which recognise and reward the efforts made by Councils and other organisations to keep our local areas clean and welcoming.”

Cllr Ciaran Wells - Bowling Greens

Cllr Ciaran Wells has toured bowling greens in the Borough during the past month after bowlers got in touch with concerns about the effects of the wet summer weather on the greens. 

Cllr Wells said; “We’ve had the wettest summer on record for a hundred years, which, whilst it has kept the sites green has also created drainage problems for some of them.We have a number of enthusiastic bowling clubs in the Borough and it’s frustrating for them when playing conditions aren’t the best, so we’ve had a whistle stop tour of the greens this morning including Oak Hill, Mercer Park and Rhyddings Park and Lowerfold. We’ve had record breaking amounts of rainfall this summer which has taken its toll on some of the greens. We’re coming to the end of the season now, when our gardeners will be able to aerate the soil and put top dressing on the sites, which will improve drainage there.”

Fast Politics Event - 23rd October 2012

The LCC Young People’s Service (Hyndburn Youth Council) hosted "Fast Politics 2012" on Tuesday 23rd of October from 6.00pm – 9.30pm in the Ball Room of Accrington's Town Hall. The event was held to mark Democracy Week and was to encourage young people from across the district to come and engage with key decision makers from the County and Hyndburn Councillors along with members of the Children and Young Peoples' Trust.

The event had presentations from the Youth Council, open consultation on key issues to include drug and alcohol misuse and a chance for the young people to engage with Councillors one-to-one to push what are seen to be the most current and pressing issues. A diverse group of young people attended from the Schools, Young People's Service and voluntary youth provision and some of the young people were very direct in their opinions and views.

Changes to Council Tax Benefit

A presentation was given at Rishton Area Council on 18th October by HBC staff on the proposed changes to Council Tax Benefits and how they will affect residents of Hyndburn. A public consultation is currently taking place and will end on 4th November 2012. To find out more and to air your views to the Council please take part in our online survey by following this link:

Changes to Council Tax Benefit

Woodnook Regeneration

Following the broken promises of a Conservative Council who for 8 years promised up to £35m for Woodnook but did nothing, the new Labour Council has stepped in despite being left no money for regeneration and are now on the verge of delivering a £10m public-private redevelopment. Place First, backed by a pension investment company are taking on the project.

In this video I talk about the history of regeneration in Woodnook, the abject failures of the previous Conservative administration, the new development, the supplementary action that is being taken and the way forward for the neighbourhood. The video includes an interview with Place First.

Baxenden report by County Councllor Graham Jones

Last week was the Baxenden Area Council. Graham Jones remains the County Councillor, though Bernard Dawson is his replacement candidate for next May's elections. Below is Graham's County Council report to residents in Baxenden.

First of all Graham has led the campaign to save Baxenden's dedicated Neighbourhood Policing Team which would have been merged into Accrington otherwise had the 2.5% precept increase not gone through in May. Graham was the only councillor to pick this detail up and campaign against the cut. The increase works out at around £2 to £4 a year depending on band or 4p to 8p per week. Graham believed the planned cuts if a 0% Police precept rise had been set was bad for Baxenden.

Following a failure of the grass protected verges on Rock Street Graham has had them tarmaced.

Boundary Commission Proposals

 

The proposed changes to the parliamentary boundaries will be voted on in Westminster next Autumn although there is currently some doubt as to whether they will generate enough votes to be passed due to a withdrawal of support from the Liberal Democrats. If the proposals are accepted then wards would change from being in Hyndburn to the following:

Ribble Valley: Rishton and Great Harwood

Rossendale: Altham, Clayton Le Moors, Church, Central, St Andrews, Immanuel, St Oswalds

Burnley: Huncoat, Milnshaw, Peel, Baxenden, Barnfield, Spring Hill

The new boundaries are expected to alter the balance of votes in what are traditionally known as strong Labour areas to give better results to the Conservatives.

Phone Scam Warning

Councillors have received an email from East Lancashire police regarding a phone scam which residents need to be aware of:

'If you receive a phone call on your mobile from any person, saying that he or she is a company engineer, or telling that they're checking your mobile line, and you have to press #90 or #09 or any other number, end this call immediately without pressing any numbers. There is a fraud company using a device that once you press #90 or #09 they can access your 'SIM' card and make calls at your expense. Forward this message to as many colleagues, relatives and friends as you can, to stop it.'.

Hyndburn residents face rises to Council Tax from April 2013

Hyndburn Labour are deeply concerned by the impact the localisation of Council Tax Benefit will have on Hyndburn residents.

Millions of people around the country, including here in Hyndburn, are facing rises in their council tax from April 2013 on the orders of Eric Pickles, the Conservative Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

The move will see Council Tax Benefit scrapped and replaced with a grant to councils that only covers 90% of the cost.

Local Authorities must now work out how to pay for this shortfall, and communicate these changes to residents.

However, the government have instructed local authorities, like Hyndburn, not to cut the benefit for pensioners. They are also unable to reduce the single person’s discount. This leaves councils with the option of reducing eligibility criteria for working-age people or filling the funding gap themselves. It is unlikely that any council will be able to afford the latter option.

Hyndburn's new scheme is currently out for public consultation, the consultation ends on 4 November. However, the main change is likely to be that everyone of working age will be expected to pay at least 15% of his or her council tax liability. In the past the unemployed, disabled, full-time carers and people on low incomes would not have had to pay their full council tax – now everyone of working age will be forced to contribute.

Cllr Miles Parkinson, Leader of Hyndburn Labour Group, said:
“Eric Pickles has lectured councillors that they have a moral duty not to increase council tax bills but in fact he has been planning a £450 million council tax bombshell of his own by increasing the bills paid by people on low incomes. Just as happened with the poll tax, Hyndburn Council will be forced to chase people on low incomes for money they simply don’t have.”

Hilary Benn MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, said:
“Local authorities face a terrible dilemma. Do they increase council taxes on the working poor – over 760,000 people nationally work but have lower council tax because their income is low – or the disabled or families with young children?
“The Budget killed off David Cameron’s claim that we are all in this together, but to see tax cuts for millionaires and tax increases for those on low incomes planned to come in on the very same day next April tells us everything we need to know about whose side the coalition is on.”