St Andrews: Stewart Eaves confirmed as 2014 election candidate

Stewart Eaves has once again been confirmed as the Labour election candidate in St Andrews ward in Oswaldtwistle for 2014. Stewart is an active member of the community and newsletters will be delivered to every household shortly giving more information about what he will do for the public.

Peel and Barnfield: Councillor Calls

The Hyndburn Labour Councillors are making more regular calls to households to enquire whether there are any problems in the area and Councillors June Harrison and Bernard Dawson have been covering the Peel and Barnfield area. The move has proven very popular with residents and allowed a number of issues to be addressed and resolved quickly.

Councillor Calls will continue to be rolled out in other wards as it is an excellent way for problems to be raised with HBC.

Springhill: Pam Barton election campaign underway

Cllr Pam Barton's election campaign to be re-elected as member for Springhill has begun in earnest and leafleting to show what she has done in the ward started recently (ably assisted by Deputy Mayor, Cllr Munsif Dad, pictured here).

Pam is a well-respected member of the community and is also Cabinet member for Health and Communities, one of the six most senior Councillors at HBC.  Anyone wishing to get in touch with her can do so by ringing 01254 385824 or 07792298545.

Great Harwood: Labour newsletters being delivered

After attending the Town Crying of the Market Charter on Wednesday 21st August, local Councillors Ciaran Wells, Miles Parkinson and Kerry Molineux went out delivering information leaflets around Great Harwood regarding Labour activities in the area.

The Labour group are trying to keep residents more aware of their activities through leafleting and blogging and a dedicated Great Harwood blog can be found here:

Harwood First

Central: PACT meeting on Tremellen Street

Central ward Councillors Mohammad Ayub and Abdul Khan were involved this week in a public Police and Communities Together (PACT) meeting for residents to come and air their concerns.

The service was well-used by people of all ages and ethnicities and more are hoped to be held in the future.

Baxenden: Haworth Art Gallery to appear on Showcase

The Haworth Art Gallery in Baxenden is due to appear on the 'Animals in Art' preview programme on Showcase (Sky channel 191, Freesat channel 400). Deputy Mayor, Cllr Munsif Dad, was interviewed for the programme with Gallery Co-ordinator Yvonne Robins on 22nd August.

The programme is to be shown in two parts on Monday 26th August at 5.00pm and Monday 2nd September at 5.00pm.

Oswaldtwistle: Scouts Fun Day

Barnfield Councillor June Harrison and Milnshaw Councillor Paul Cox were busy helping out at the Scouts fun day at Oswaldtwistle Mills on Saturday 24th August.

Cllr Cox said, "It was a really good turn out, busy from 10.00am until we left at around 2.30pm. June was the definition of hard sell, shifting plenty of the Accrington Pals commemorative gear! Events like this are great for communities and we really enjoyed being involved."

Rishton: Waste service enforcement notices

During the last few weeks the Waste Services enforcement team have been monitoring the Stourton/Livesey/Lord/Clifton Street area of Rishton.

Recently this has become a problem area in that many residents have been presenting large amounts of side waste, flytipping bulky items, leaving their refuse bins out for long periods, stealing other residents bins and also putting their extra waste in someone else’s bin.

Cllr Paul Cox, Cabinet member for Waste Services, said, "On Monday 19th August, the enforcement team carried out a side waste inspection and was quite alarmed to see the scale of the problem, in fact they have subsequently issued 9 Section 46 notices on the back of this. They will continue to monitor the situation and hopefully help in advising people into both bringing their bin back in after collection and retain ownership by numbering their own bin."

Church & Milnshaw Community Group open meeting

Local people are warmly invited to the next Church & Milnshaw community group meeting on 27th August at 7pm at Antley Methodist Church on Blackburn Road. 

This meeting will be a chance for residents to have a say in how there area can be improved with a chance to speak with the local authority. It will also allow the local community to bring forward any concerns they may have. Cllr Paul Cox, Lead Councillor for Church & Milnshaw, said; “The meeting is a great chance for residents to raise local issues and ask questions. There’ll be representatives from Lancashire County Council there giving a short briefing on the Healthy Streets programme, along with the Hyndburn Homes community engagement officer and the Church & Milnshaw local Councillors. So please come along, everyone is welcome.”

 

The open meeting will focus on providing information to Church & Milnshaw residents. However this meeting will encourage groups to come forward and apply for assistance with funding they may have. Cllr Smith stated "we are looking at helping groups in the area, but we are also looking for projects that will really add something to the area. We are here to help please come along and put your ideas forward" 

Profile: Councillor Kerry Molineux

Councillor Kerry Molineux, is one of the three Councillors representing Overton in Great Harwood and was elected in May 2012, she has been appointed to the following committees at HBC this year:

• Communities and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Vice-Chair) 
• Great Harwood Area Council 
• Health and Communities Working Group

Kerry is also on the following outside bodies and organisations:

• Great Harwood (Bank Mill House) Management Committee 
• Hyndburn Area Citizens' Advice Bureau 
• Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Domestic Abuse Forum

Cllr Molineux said, "I was elected just over a year ago and so far I have found being Councillor very rewarding, being able to see projects in Great Harwood come to life has been exciting.  I am particularly looking forward to the completion of the new Health Centre on Water Street, the renovation of Towngate Clock and the continued success of the Great Harwood Farmers Market. We are extremely lucky to have such active community groups in Great Harwood, who along with the local Councillors are willing to put in the time and commitment it takes to get projects such as these off the ground.

I am also very keen on the health and well being of the residents of Great Harwood and the Borough of Hyndburn as a whole. So I am pleased to be part of both the Scrutiny Committee for Health and Wellbeing and the Health and Communities working group. As a Councillor but also as a resident and mum of children in Hyndburn I feel that the ensuring the future of the residents is a very important aspect of Hyndburn's continuing success."

Kerry can be contacted by phoning 07969915173 or emailing kerry.molineux@hyndburnbc.gov.uk

Cuadrilla to face questions from Labour Councillors

At the request of the Leader of the Council, Miles Parkinson, Cuadrilla will be making a presentation to full Council on 5th December. Cuadrilla is an exploration and production company for natural gas from shale, currently focussed in the north west on the Lancashire west coast. The company also has a number of exploration sites in what is known as the Bowland Shale basin.

The presentation has been requested to allow the opportunity for Councillors to ask questions on behalf of residents.  If you would like to ask Cuadrilla for information on a specific point, please get in touch with your local representative. A list of all Labour Councillors can be found here:

Hyndburn Labour Councillors

Fulfilling Lives - Ageing Better

Expressions of Interest are invited from Voluntary and Community Sector organisations to become the lead organisation for our Partnership and work up the ‘vision and strategy’ under this Big Lottery Funded programme. Only those voluntary/community sector organisations who meet the following criteria need only apply:

1. Are a voluntary and community organisation established in England (this includes registered/unregistered charities, charitable trusts, community interest companies, charitable companies limited by guarantee, industrial and provident societies and co-operatives).
2. Have a UK based bank or building society account in the name of your organisation
3. Provide a letter of endorsement from your parent organisation if you are a dependent branch
4. Able to provide a copy of your most recent approved accounts (or projections if you have been running less than 15 months)
5. Must be a local organisation with experience of working with older people in East Lancashire.

If you are able to produce the above documentation and would like to be considered please submit your Expression of Interest via email to audrey.drinkwater@pendle.gov.uk, no later than 12.00 noon on Tuesday, 3rd September.

Shortlisted organisations will be invited to deliver a presentation (max 20 mins) of how their organisation will develop the partnership and its vision and strategy for the overall project.   This will take place on Tuesday, 10th September at Burnley Community Fire Station. You will be expected to include the following:

• What experience do you have in managing and delivering similar projects/supporting older people?
• How will you ensure older people are actively involved in the project with their views and participation valued more highly?
• How will you ensure older people are more engaged in the design and delivery of services?
• How will you ensure effective participation of older people?
• How will you identify and select partners in the partnership?
• How will you manage the finance aspect of the project?
• How will you ensure the needs and gaps in service provision identified in the expression of interest application are addressed?
• What legacies will your project leave?
• How will you evidence the effectiveness of the project?
• How will you ensure sustainability of the project?

The presentation will be followed by questions from a panel made up of officers and representatives of older people’s forums from the Partnership. If your organisation is shortlisted further details will be sent out to you nearer the time.

If you require any further information please contact :

Fiona Goodfellow, Housing Strategy and Policy Manager, Regeneration and Housing, Hyndburn Borough Council. Telephone number is 01254 380195 or email fiona.goodfellow@hyndburnbc.gov.uk

Campaign to support Accrington retailers

A campaign encouraging shoppers to support Accrington retailers will culminate this week in the launch of a flyer set to be distributed to 37,000 Hyndburn homes.

Part of a campaign led by Hyndburn Council and marketing agency Scott Dawson Advertising, the interactive flyer features more than 50 Accrington businesses who each contributed a small fee to be involved.

The flyer is set to give shops, cafés, restaurants, takeaways, sandwich shops, estate agents, opticians, hairdressers, beauty salons and other businesses across the town a boost after seeing trade diminish over the last 12 months.

It follows the success of a similar campaign in Oswaldtwistle which saw retailers enjoy an upturn of up to 50% in trade.

Cllr Clare Pritchard said: “We’re delighted to finally unveil the finished product to the public after months of hard work from everyone involved.

“It’s been inspiring to see a heightened sense of community and camaraderie among town centre businesses as they’ve come together for a common cause – reminding people what’s great about our town and enticing them back to see what’s on offer.”

The flyer features a QR code linking to a short promotional video for each of the businesses who took part in the campaign. It also includes sections on the town’s history, leisure facilities and all the latest events in Hyndburn’s social calendar.

A Twitter page has been set up to support the campaign - follow @AccringtonShops to stay up-to-date with the latest news.

The official launch of the flyer will take place on Tuesday 20 August at 3.00pm outside Accrington Market Hall, where a bus advert promoting the flyer and campaign will also be unveiled.

Altham: Parish Councillor steps down

Mrs Elsie Hallworth has resigned as an Altham Parish Councillor and has been replaced by Mrs Karen Davies, Walton Arms, Burnley Road, Altham, Accrington, BB5 5UL.  She can be contacted on 01282 774444.

The contact details for all Altham Parish Councillors and the Parish Clerk are available on Hyndburn Council’s website and can be accessed using the link below.

Altham Parish Council

Great Harwood: Crying of the Fair 2013

Wednesday 21st August will see the traditional ‘Crying of the Fair’ taking place on Towngate in Great Harwood. The Town Crier will Cry the Fair at 9.00am and the Great Harwood Civic Society will be providing refreshments shortly afterwards.

All residents are invited to attend.

Allotments Week 2013

Hundreds of people were fascinated and inspired to ‘grow their own’ last week.

Fifteen events were held at Accrington allotments and in the town centre as Hyndburn celebrated National Allotment Week.

A whole range of activities celebrated the fun and enjoyment of allotment life, ranging from artistic, photographic, wildlife friendly and practical events, along with social gatherings and inspirational visits.  On Broadway, an artist painted a fruit and veg design to inspire people to ‘Grow your own’.

The programme of activities was organised by Ian Hodgson, Community Food Growing Officer with the Prospects Foundation, supported by Hyndburn Council.  It’s part of a comprehensive effort to involve as many people as possible in the benefits of food growing and allotment life.   Activities benefited from funding from the Big Lottery Local Food grant.

Cllr Ciaran Wells, Cabinet Member for Allotments said; “Allotments Week was a great success and many thanks to Prospects for all their hard work in organising all the events. Activities were held on Meadoway allotments, off Queen’s Road West and Woodnook Allotments, off Rothwell Avenue, both sites are attractive and friendly hidden gems that people can enjoy.  There is still a small number of allotment plots available, with viewings held every week during August.  Come along and see for yourself how good it is.”

Get in touch with the Allotments Service on 01254 388111 if you, or someone you know would like to take a look at the spaces available now.

Great Harwood: Farmers Market 1st September 2013

This popular Farmers Market, which was recently runner up in the Association of Town Centre Management awards, is back in Great Harwood on the Town Square Sunday 1st September.  Featuring lots of independent food stalls ranging from cheese, jams, chutneys meats, fish, scrumptious cakes and pies plus a range of cheeses, and also locally produced beer.

Cllr Clare Pritchard, Cabinet Member for Town Centres, said; “The market is fast becoming established on the Farmers Market calendar with over 30 stalls and lots of people from across the region coming along each month.  Please come along on 1st September and enjoy this traditional community event.”

Nick Gaskell, of Gaskells Motors said; “It’s wonderful to see the market gathering momentum and becoming established on the Farmers Market calendar.  It’s also great the market is raising lots of monies for local good causes, so please come and see us on the 1st September on Towngate.

If you’d like to book a stall visit http://www.hyndburnbc.gov.uk/farmersmarket.   For more information call Rob Grigorjevs, Town centre Manager on 01254 388111 or email rob.grigorjevs@hyndburnbc.gov.uk.

Clayton-le-Moors: Clayton Forest Park proposals

Everyone is welcome to come along to the Arthur Wilson Centre in Clayton next Monday 19th August, between 1-7pm, to have their say about a proposed scheme for Clayton Forest Park.

The consultation is part of the Council’s grant bid to the Forestry Commission, in order to fund improvements for access and biodiversity on the site.

Proposals include approximately 2.5 km of new footpath, a new cycle link from the North of the site running down to the canal, approximately 1 hectare of coppicing along with a series of volunteer training days,
which will train people in coppicing, general woodland management and charcoal burning.

Council Leader, Cllr Miles Parkinson said “ We want as many people as possible to come along next Monday, to have a look at the proposals and have their say to make sure that the scheme meets their needs.”

For more information call Council’s Trees & Woodlands Officer, Phil Johnson on 01254 38811 or email philip.johnson@hyndburnbc.gov.uk

Milnshaw: Councillors helps bring more enviromental blight cases to court

Cllr Clare Pritchard, Deputy Leader and today praised Council Enforcement Officers for bringing another two cases of environmental blight to court, where magistrates imposed hefty fines and costs, totalling over £2000. Cllr Pritchard said; “Our Enforcement Teams work hard to identify people who blight our Borough with rubbish and these two prosecutions again show that we will not tolerate this kind of nuisance. We take a hard line on this type of anti-social behaviour and will always take people who dump rubbish in their own back yard, in the alley behind their home, or anywhere else in the Borough to court if necessary.”

Fellow Labour Ward Councillor, and cabinet member for Enviromental Services, Paul Cox added

"These convictions show how seriously we take anybody found to be dumping their refuse, unfortunately we are left with no alternatives but to take this course of action. Action I believe is necessary to send a message that this is not tolerated within Hyndburn"

In one case Andrew Bloomer, (39), of Midland St Accrington, dumped bags of rubbish in the alley behind his property, officers cleaned up the mess, traced the rubbish back to him and served him with a fixed penalty notice. However, Mr Bloomer, who had a previous conviction for a similar offence last year, ignored the notice and letters requesting him to come for interview. This led to him being taken to court where magistrates found him guilty and ordered him to pay £1145 in fines and costs.

 In a separate case, 27 year old Toni Oxton, of Penny House Lane in Accrington, was ordered to pay £1,000 in fines and costs for having more than twenty black refuse bags and lots of scattered waste in her back yard and many more black bags in her garage there too.

Ms Oxton also ignored requests to clean up the mess and the abatement notice which officers served on her. Therefore Council teams again cleared the mess and Ms Oxton was taken to court, where she didn’t turn up and was convicted in her absence of contravening an Abatement notice,  contrary to s 80 (4) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Ms Oxton was fined £200, plus a victim surcharge of £20 and ordered to pay £780 costs, made up of £125 legal costs and £655 investigation and clean-up costs.

Weed control in Hyndburn

The weed spraying contractor has commenced work in the Borough this week, starting in the Baxenden area and working North up through the Borough. This will take approximately 4 or 5 weeks to complete and the following information may be of interest to residents:

• Hyndburn Borough Council manage this service on behalf of LCC
• We are using the most environmentally friendly product known - Roundup ProBiactive 450
• Under legislation we are not permitted to use ‘residual’ chemicals (i.e. where the chemical sits on the surface and kills any growth that comes up later). The only chemical we are permitted to use is ‘contact’ chemical (i.e. if there is growth around when they are spraying then it will be killed but new growth can come up a couple of days later it will not).
• Under legislation we are not permitted to ‘blanket’ spray areas, we can only spray actual growth (i.e. this will look like the contractor is randomly spraying but actually he is just hitting areas of growth). As this is a ‘contact’ chemical this is also more cost effective as areas with no growth are not being sprayed.
• Under legislation we are not permitted to spray around open watercourses, which includes road gullies. If weeds are growing out they will be left until LCC clear the gully.
• Although the chemical is fast drying (about 1 hour), the contractor cannot spray when it is raining, or about to start raining and also will not spray in windy conditions, for obvious reasons.

If anyone has any further queries, please contact your local Labour Councillor.

Profile: Councillor John Broadley

Cllr John Broadley is one of the two representatives for Church ward and has just completed a year-long tenure as Mayor of Hyndburn. John sits on the Church and Milnshaw Community Group on Hyndburn Borough Council and also on the following outside bodies:

• Eagle Street Senior Citizens' Centre 
• Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Domestic Abuse Forum 

John can be contacted on 01254 234022 or by emailing john.broadley@hyndburnbc.gov.uk

Planning Committee - 14th August 2013

The next meeting of the HBC Planning Committee (chaired by Rishton Councillor, Harry Grayson) takes place on Wednesday 14th August at 2.00pm in the Queen Elizabeth Room at Scaitcliffe House in Accrington.  A full list of papers can be found online here:

Planning Committee - 14th August 2013

Members of the public can come and view proceedings from the seating area but will only be permitted to speak on an application by pre-arranging this with Michael Cunliffe on 01254 388111. All applications to speak must be made my noon on 14th August.

Baxenden: Haworth Art Gallery events

There is a free family workshop at the Haworth Art Gallery in Baxenden entitled 'The Ugly Bug Ball' with Susan Watson on Sunday 11th August. A further event, 'Animal Clackers' again with Susan Watson is being held on Sunday 25th August from 2pm to 3.30pm. There is no need to book – just drop-in.

You can also find ‘The Mouse in the House’ and complete lots of colouring and quizzes in addition to viewing the fantastic ‘Animals in Art’ exhibition created by the Association of Animal Artists! Everyone is invited to join in - grown-ups as well as children!

Come along for a fun afternoon at the Haworth Art Gallery, Manchester Road, Accrington BB5 2JS. For more information contact the gallery co-ordinator, Yvonne Robins, on 01254 233782

Milnshaw: Clare Pritchard chosen as 2014 election candidate

Milnshaw Councillor and Deputy Leader of HBC, Clare Pritchard, has be re-selected by the local Labour party to represent Milnshaw in the 2014 local elections.

If you have any issues you would like to raise with Clare then please call 01254 381394 or 07850928485 or email clare.pritchard@hyndburnbc.gov.uk

Hyndburn ward profiles now online

Information profiles on the borough's wards are now live on the Hyndburn Borough Council website. The profiles provide a statistical snapshot of each of the 16 wards in Hyndburn, providing comparison and analysis on the latest available data including population, crime, health, employment, education and housing information.

Clicking on a ward on the webpage will download the profile in a pdf format. The profiles will be constantly updated with the latest data when it becomes available and have been based on information gathered from the 2011 Census:

Hyndburn Interactive Ward Profiles 2013

MMR Vaccination Campaign

A total of 962 cases of measles have been confirmed in the first four months of 2013, this is the highest recorded number of cases since the enhanced surveillance commenced 18 years ago. The cases are distributed across England, with the highest totals being recorded in the North-West and North-East.

The key message from Public Health England is that unvaccinated individuals of any age will be at risk of contracting measles. Therefore, it is important that parents of unvaccinated children, as well as older teenagers and adults, who may have missed their routine MMR vaccinations, should make an appointment with their General Practitioner to get vaccinated.

Lancashire County council has responded to the national MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) catch up campaign by developing a young person's friendly campaign that will not only inform parents and encourage parents to check their child immunisation status but also inform young people of the dangers of not being vaccinated against measles.

The campaign was officially launched across Lancashire on the 1st July.

• Measles is at its highest level for the past 18 years. The only way to prevent measles outbreaks is to make sure there is good uptake of the MMR vaccine across all ages.
• Measles is often associated with being a disease of the past and as a result people may be unaware that it is dangerous and can lead to complications and event death in severe cases. Parents should ensure their children are fully protected against measles, mumps and rubella with two doses of the MMR vaccine.
• Experts believe the current rise in measles cases can be attributed to the proportion of largely 10-16-year-olds who are unprotected because they missed out on vaccination in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when concern around a now-disproved link between autism and the MMR vaccine was widespread.
• Parents of unvaccinated children, as well as older teenagers and young adults, who may have missed MMR vaccination, should be aware it is never too late to get vaccinated against measles and they should make an appointment with their GP to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
• If you are unsure whether you or your child has had two doses of the vaccine, speak to your GP who will have a record.
• The illness: measles is an unpleasant illness which starts with a few days of cold-like symptoms and is then followed by a rash accompanied by high fever, red eyes and a cough. It can be particularly severe in babies under the age of one year, teenagers and older people, especially those who have a weakened immune system. In these groups, measles can cause complications including pneumonia, ear infections, diarrhoea and encephalitis (swelling of the brain).
• Around one in every 10 children who get measles is admitted to hospital. In rare cases, people can die from measles. Measles in pregnant women can also be very serious and threaten the pregnancy.

HBC conducts taxi safety checks

On 15th July 2013, Hyndburn Council enforcement officers, the Police and Cllr Chris Fisher (Chair of the Taxi Licensing and Private Hire Judicial Committee) led a covert operation to check the compliance of local taxis and private hire vehicles.

Chris Fisher said, "Since the last operation in November, again it was appalling - bald tyres, defective brakes and serious safety defects on seat belts and airbags. Out of 18 vehicles brought in by the police over 50% were deemed unsafe, including one minibus which was prohibited from use by police traffic officers due to a serious brake defect."

Cllr Fisher commented further "It's a shocking statistic, and we are clamping down very, very hard on these vehicles and operators with more operations planned in the very near future. If operators can't maintain their vehicles to be clean, safe, and signed up as per their licensing conditions, it won't happen on my watch,  I'm out to get them and I have a zero tolerance in the interest of public safely, simple as, we'll revoke licenses. It stands to reason and was apparent on the night, that the older the car the worse the defects."

Rishton: Ken Moss chosen as 2014 election candidate

The Rishton Labour Party have officially selected Cllr Ken Moss as their candidate in the 2014 local elections. Councillors get a four-year term once elected and it is the custom that they are officially re-selected by their local party branch rather than automatically being allowed to stand again. This ensures that local members have the chance to make comment on whether or not that person is doing a good job. All party members within Rishton were written to and invited to the meeting or asked to send comments.

The Rishton branch also endorsed Graham Jones as Hyndburn MP candidate in the 2015 general election and praised his continuing hard work throughout the borough.

County Councillor Miles Parkinson was in attendance to represent the Labour Party executive and Cllr Clare Cleary has been acting as secretary at most of the selections across Hyndburn. The elections are likely to take place in June 2014 (as opposed to the usual May) to coincide with the European Parliament elections.

It is understood that a Rishton Conservative candidate for 2014 has not been officially selected.

Magnificent Seven Green Flags for Hyndburn

A magnificent seven green spaces in Hyndburn are among the best in the country and have been awarded the prestigious Green Flag recently, with, for the first time, Accrington’s Cemetery and Crematorium grounds being added to the ever growing list.

Accrington Cemetery and Crematorium is the latest site to be recognised with this award and joins Wilson Playing Fields and Woodlands, along with Lowerfold, Cutwood, Oakhill, Mercer and Gatty Parks in scooping the Green Flag - a sign to visitors that they are well-maintained and well-managed, with excellent facilities.

Cllr Ciaran Wells, Cabinet Member for Parks said, “A lot of hard work, by a lot of people has gone into getting these Green Flags and their award is a testament to the sterling job done by the many community groups and staff involved. The fact that we now have seven sites, including for the first time Accrington Cemetery and Crematorium, now holding the prestigious Green Flag is great news for everyone, as this shows that they are well managed and maintained, welcoming, safe for users and have good links with the local community.”

Cllr Wells added; “A big thanks should go to the Friends and support groups associated with the parks; Hyndburn Green Spaces Forum; PROSPECTS, Hyndburn Athletics Club, Residents Associations, the Local History Society and our dedicated parks, cemetery and crematorium staff who all worked so hard to make these magnificent seven sites  reach the high standards to get Green Flag status.”