Netherton: Cllr Noordad Aziz interviewed on BBC Radio Manchester

Cllr Noordad Aziz recently visited Srebrenica and his adventure has been recounted in a BBC Radio Manchester interview which can be listened to by following this link:

http://srebrenica.org.uk/lessons-from-srebrenica/noordad-aziz-speaks-of-his-recent-visit-to-srebrenica/

LCC: Jenny Mein on the Young Women's Network

Jenny Mein is the Leader of Lancashire County Council and keeps a regular blog on the Lancashire Labour website. This is her latest entry:

Under this Government, and for the first time in five years, we have seen the gender pay gap in Britain widen. Women today earn on average £5000 less than their male colleagues and will lose out on 63 out of every 100 private sector jobs to a male applicant.

At every turn women have borne the brunt of this coalition’s austerity drive; with around 80% of the cuts and benefit caps estimated to have affected women more , and more severely, than men.

Yvonne Roberts wrote in last week’s Guardian that “You just can’t trust a man with the nation’s budget […] without a woman co-advising, redirecting, reminding him, again and again, how the other half really live.”  The fact is that women in this  country have paid a hefty price for four years of Coalition Government, they have seen their living standards, job prospects and pay levels decrease disproportionately . We have a cabinet in this country of 18 men and 4 women and a Government that simply doesn’t understand the importance of putting pay to the gender equality gap that has been allowed to grow since they came to power.

In local government we are still failing to do enough to encourage women in our communities to stand for our local councils. Today women account for only  31% of Councillors in Britain when they make-up over 51% of the population; this has to change.

It has to change not just to achieve a level of female representation that better represents the make-up of our community locally but because so many of the decisions we make and the services we provide affect women directly. I want our daughters to see strong positive female role models in business, Government and industry and to know that the qualities of a good Member of Parliament or Councillor are not inherently male qualities.

It is not just our daughters who will benefit from these changes, our society as a whole and our policy making will be enriched by perspectives and experiences that have for too long been unjustly marginalised.

I am pleased to say that Lancashire County Council has a long and proud history of female Leaders including  Louise Ellman MP and Hazel Harding CBE before myself  and, in the days before we had an executive cabinet structure, women in positions of leadership at the authority, including the now Baroness Josie Farrington and Baroness Ruth Henig. These women have helped to shape Lancashire to be the County it is today and we stand on their shoulders.

As an administration we want to play our part in encouraging and supporting Lancashire’s young women to stand for office both locally and nationally and to use their unique skills and talents to work with and support their local communities.

To this end I am today announcing the launch of my first Young Women’s Network in Lancashire to be held on Friday 20th June at 12.00.

The network aims to bring together a range of young women from across Lancashire who are interested in becoming involved in working in their local communities and, particularly, who are interested in working in politics at a local or national level.

The network will build a supportive environment for these young women, to share their experiences and to work alongside female politicians and community leaders to inspire confidence and access practical advice and support from local and national female community leaders as well as helping to arrange and facilitate meaningful work experience.

If you would like to be involved in the first Young Women’s Network to take place in Lancashire and you are aged between 16 and 24 we want to hear from you. Please drop me an email at Jennifer.Mein@Lancashire.gov.uk with the subject header Young Women's Network to be added to our invitation list.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Jenny

Rishton: Election 2014 Candidates

The candidates for the forthcoming local election in Rishton have now been officially announced, with four prospective names in the running to be one of the three local Councillors.

Ken Moss announced that he would be standing for a second term last August and has been campaigning to retain his seat until at least 2018. He has the support of the other two Rishton Councillors, Harry Grayson and Clare Cleary, County Councillor Miles Parkinson and the Hyndburn MP Graham Jones.

Ken said, "It has been a good first term as an officially elected representative of Rishton and very rewarding to be able to make lots of small changes that can be seen on a day-to-day basis. However, my work is far from done and I would like to continue on HBC."

He added, "There are a lot of promises being made by my opponents on the doorstep, many of which I believe to be completely unrealistic, such as dropping council tax by 5%. That to me is unfeasible and I have no fancy election gimmicks to trick people into voting for me. All I can promise is to continue doing what I always have done, helping residents and trying to improve life here in Rishton as much as possible."

Local and European elections take place in England on 22nd May 2014.

Central: Frederick Street seating area renovations complete

Central ward Labour Councillors Mohammed Ayub and Abdul Khan have proudly announced that the renovation work to the Frederick Street seating area has been completed.

The work was funded through the Central Area Council capital funds on the request of residents. The Councillors would like to thank Kath Gregson (ABARA), County Cllr Munsif Dad and all others involved for their continued support during the renovation work.

They would also like to thank the Member of Parliament for Hyndburn, Graham Jones, for making time to be there and the unveiling.

Huncoat: Independent Councillor works with Labour to improve the area

Cllr Dave Parkins has received complaints from residents on Sutton Crescent in Huncoat regarding dog fouling. LCC has been clearing drains in the area and the excess runoff has sluiced into a nearby stream. This has unfortunately shown that people are putting bagged up dog waste into the storm drains and this is clogging up the sewerage system.

Independent Cllr Parkins said, "I was successful in getting an extra ten dog bins from the Labour group at HBC in Huncoat and people are still inconsiderate enough to dump their dog waste elsewhere. We are spending thousands on Spout House Woodland and this is how the minority abuse our public land. The dog warden has been informed and I will be asking for extra patrols to monitor this situation."

Clayton-le-Moors: Community Roadwatch

Cllr Tim O'Kane has been out and about with Community Roadwatch again, this time on Whalley Road in Clayton-le-Moors. Reports have been made by residents of cars achieving speeds of up to 40mph on the run up to a nursery school so the local police officers have been on the scene investigating with their speed guns.

Peel: Joyce Plummer tackles A-board problems

Peel candidate fro 2014, Joyce Plummer, has raised the issue of A-boards and their effect on visually impaired people in a letter to Lancashire County Council:

A resident has been in contact with me regarding A Boards and  forwarded me your e mail to him and his response.

I do know that only recently a resident was walking down Infant Street and a car was parked well onto the pavement his guide dog directed him away from the vehicle but unfortunately due to the narrowness of the remaining pavement the dog walked into one of the A Boards. There is a shop on Abbey St close to the top of Oak St that has a least 5 boards on the pavement, some of them very close the the kerb edge.

Whilst I appreciate that to a person with 20/20 vision might not find any problem with the number of A-boards within the borough, they pose a different problem to a guide dog and its owner.

Perhaps someone could walk round some of the places he mentions and see the problem from his point of view

Yours sincerely,

Joyce Plummer
Peel Residents Group

St George's Day 2014

The Hyndburn Labour group would like to wish everyone a happy St George's Day, the patron saint of England. Flags will be flown around the borough to celebrate everything English and residents are encouraged to get involved and show their patriotism.

Readers may be interested in a website dedicated to St George's Day. This is in no way affiliated to the Labour party but gives a little of the history of our patron saint's day here in England:

http://www.stgeorgesday.com

Area Council Budgets 2014-2015

Figures have been released by HBC showing the money allocated to the Councillors in each of the Hyndburn townships for the 2014/15 financial year to address problems in their wards. This is money which local representatives can use at their own discretion to help local groups and spend on projects specifically for their own wards.

Despite a scathing column in a recent edition of the Accrington Observer by former Conservative Council Leader, Peter Britcliffe, claiming that Oswaldtwistle only had £4,199 for the year, it actually has £31,724 to spend and is the largest single amount in Hyndburn.

The money is allocated pro-rata depending on the number of residents living in each township and is equally divided.

HBC: Easter refuse collections

Cllr Paul Cox, Cabinet member for Environmental Services, is responsible for overseeing waste collections in Hyndburn and has spoken this week on the Easter service.

He said, "Like Christmas we will be running a reduced service at Easter but all of our front line teams will be out collecting as normal Friday and Monday. If you have any issues please let both myself and the HBC Enquiries hotline know."

HBC Enquiries can be contacted on 01254 388111 (offices closed until Tuesday) or by email enquiries@hyndburnbc.gov.uk

Cllr Cox can be contacted using these details:

Contact - Cllr Paul Cox

Baxenden: Haworth Art Gallery events

Please find details of our forthcoming workshops for children and families during April 2014. Due to increasing costs of materials, we are asking for a nominal charge of £1 per child, accompanying adults get in free. We have also introduced a booking system over 2 afternoon sessions to avoid over-crowding.

FREE EASTER ACTIVITIES
Saturday and Sunday 19th and 20th April – 12.00pm to 3.30pm – The Chicken and Rabbit Run (find the hidden chicks and bunnies hidden in the gallery)! Easter Colouring and Quiz Sheets.

CREATE YOUR OWN CHICKEN AND EASTER EGG NEST
Sunday 20th April, sessions run 1.30pm to 2.15pm and then 2.30pm to 3.15pm. Places must be booked, nominal fee of £1 per child to cover materials. Contact the gallery on 01254 233782 to book a place.

Thank you for your continued support.

Netherton: Cllr Noordad Aziz reports from Sarajevo

Netherton Councillor Noordad Aziz has been touring in Sarajevo and met some important foreign dignitaries, including the Bosnian President. The first extract of his blog entry can be read below:

"We came into Sarajevo to land and one thing that was noticeable was how green the landscape was. The airport was very basic and you could tell it wasnt very busy. The airport had history during the war in that it had been where many of the negotiations had taken place durig the war.

We passed through security without a hitch and we boarded the coach. All of us were introduced to the delegation and the leader of delegation was the minister for communities and local government Stephen Williams, he is a Liberal Democrat from Bristol. The delegation was made up of community activists, civil servants, community workers and local government officials. The background was varied and I was the only from the North West.

We were taken to the hotel and then given 10 minutes to freshen up and be ready as we were going to meet the Director General of International Commission of Missing Persons (ICMP).
The ICMP are the people appointed by the Bosnian government, the international community and united nations, to identify bodies that have been discovered in mass graves across Bosnia, with loved ones who have reported them missing.

The Director General talked about the challenged the ICMP faced such as denial, credibility, volume of mass graves and also man power given that when the commission began Bosnian only had 6 registered pathologists, one of whom was retired and the other was declared clinically insane.

The DG then moved onto the advancement of DNA matches in the early 2000s, which led to a massive increase idenity from double figures every year to almost upwards of 1800 people for the years between 2002-2005. However, it become apparent early in their investigations that in many instances mass graves has subsequently been dug up and moved to secondary and teritary graves and this led to bodies being covered across a number of different sites as well bodies becoming co-mingled and thereby DNA becoming difficult to extract. This brought home the scale of the issue as to date only 6400 bodies from the Srebrenica have been identified in some instances that is just a single bone and there over 1000 bodies waiting to be identified and 1000 still missing from Srebrenica.

He then moved onto the overall conflict on Bosnia and there are over 30000 bodies still missing and in some instances the Serbia officers have refused to even entertain the idea of identifying potential  graves. This really hit me hard and I wanted to understand why wouldnt someone just give the locations of the bodies to help the grieving recieve closure. He then carried on saying that every 11 July, bodies identified throughout the year are buried in the memorial at Potocari in Srebrenica, a place we would visit tomorrow.

This was brief introduction to what we could expect over the coming days and it really blew me away.

We then moved on to the Srebrenica Picture Gallery at the Central Museum and we were given a guided tour by the photographer Tariq Summers whose has dedicated his life now to educate the Genocide of Srebrenica via photographs. The attention to detail for every photograph he took was mind blowing with each one really hammering a message home. It is true a picture paints a thousand words.

We were then shown a BBC documentary where a mother and brother fight for justice was shown and rhe challenges they faced. The mother who lost her two sons also lost her husband and she described how the Serb soldier split them and she goes I gave my husband away without even a whimper and till this day.  It gives me shivers as my husband whose hand was on my left shoulder moved away and We were seperated and I never saw him again and I regret not screaming but I did nothing.

This really brought a tear to my eye and I asked myself the question what would I do if that was my family and I really struggled to see how I could forgive and forget. Tariq then said it was his mission to continue to highlight the genocide through his picture and it would act as a form of reflection and reconcilation.

We then moved to the British Consulate for a reception hosted for us by the British High Commissioner. The British High Commission highlighted the role they have played in helping to raise awareness of the genocide in Srebrenica as well as the role in helping people rebuild their lives once they have returned to their homes.

We were then introduced to the Chief Prosector Serge Brammertz from The Hague who is curently looking into the Trials of the Srebrenica , and is the key person who currently is bringing the charges against the Serb President Radovan Karadzic and the Serb Paramillatary Geberal Ratko Mladic. He highlighted the delicate nature of the trial given both are considered heroes in Serbia and the need to be seen to be given a fair trial. He highlighted the role that ICMP had played in compiling the evidence of the victims, as well video evidence in some onstance recovered from the Bosnian Serb Army itself with the soldier themselves highlighting what they were about to do. He also mentioned the survivors from Srebrenica who walked the death march giving vital evidence.

We then got to speak to the Chief Prosecutor, survivors of Srebrenica and various other dignitaries. A young man who was part of the delegation at only 22 years old impressed by his simple manner during the delegation in which asked if it was ok to pray and the High Commissioner herself give space in her private quarters for us to pray. This gesture was touching and was emphasised by one of her workers confirming  the direction.

We then made our way back to the hotel but not before walking past theSarajevo cemetery  where many of the Sarajevo victims are buried. I made a silent prayer for all of them and then boarded the coach on the way back.  As I making a silent prayer for the victims, from the hills around Sarajevo the muslim call began to  be called, four or five different masjid began their calls and it was a majestic sound and it give me goosebumps

Back at the hotel, we were given a meal of Bosnian cusine and it was very different to any cuisine I've ever had before as it had no spices whatsoever. The meal was a great way to round the day off and also get familar with the delegates.

The debate on my side ended up being based around politics and the democratic system. It got heated on the debate of all women shortlists and it was interesting to see all the different arguments."

Cllr Aziz's personal blogspot can be found by following this link:

http://noordadaziz.blogspot.co.uk/

HBC Housing Needs telephone survey

Over the past few weeks NEMS Market Research Consultancy has carried out a ‘Housing Needs telephone survey’ across Hyndburn.

To supplement the telephone survey NEMS Market Research Consultancy will be carrying out approximately 100 door to door interviews across Hyndburn over the next 10 days to 2 weeks in an attempt to boost the number of target respondents - specifically those households living in private rented properties. This sector forms a significant percentage of Hyndburn’s housing market and we need an increased sample to make the results robust.

This information will be used to help produce the Council’s Strategic Housing Market Assessment and in turn help the Council develop its housing and planning policies to best meet these needs, including whether there is a local need for affordable housing in areas and, if so, of what size and type.

The final report should be available at the start of May 2014.

For further information please contact Stuart Sambrook in the Corporate Policy Team at Hyndburn Borough Council on 01254 380695 or Fiona Goodfellow in Regeneration and Housing on 01254 380195.

Hyndburn Labour election campaign in full swing

The Hyndburn Labour election campaign is now in full flow as figures show Hyndburn residents are £1,600 a year worse off under the Tories and Lib Dems. The Tories and Liberal Democrats claim hardworking families are better off. The truth is they are £1,600 a year worse off under David Cameron.

Miles Parkinson, Labour Group Leader said, “This Tory-led Government is claiming that people are better off. But David Cameron, George Osborne and Nick Clegg simply don’t understand the cost of living crisis facing hardworking families in Great Britain.

“The truth is, hardworking people in are £1,600 a year worse off under David Cameron. Britain is facing a cost of living crisis in rising prices, stagnant wages, long hours, falling living standards and declining opportunities for their kids.

“From Oswaldtwistle to Great Harwood, people in communities across the borough will be better off with a Labour council, prioritising housing and front line services, not worse off with the Tories who will cut services and not plan for the future.”

Bernard Dawson, Labour’s Huncoat Candidate said, “Working people in Huncoat know the Tories are making the cost of living crisis worse not better. In local councils, in Westminster, in Europe, the Tories
repeatedly put a privileged few before hardworking families. Hardworking people, the next generation, our schools and hospitals – all are worse off under this Tory-led government.

“The Tories, supported by their Liberal Democrat allies in government, can’t solve the cost of living crisis because they put the privileged few before working people. UKIP are not capable of holding the Tories to account and getting fairness for working in Hyndburn.

“These elections are your chance to tell this Tory-led government to put hardworking people first and take real action to tackle the cost of living crisis. Only by voting Labour can you send a message to this Tory-led government.”

Hyndburn Green Spaces: BBC Countryfile giving away free flower seeds

BBC Countryfile are still giving away free packs of wild flower seeds in case anyone is interested in ordering some. Both the Hyndburn Green Spaces Forum and the local Prospects panels are taking part in the scheme.

The link to the Countryfile website can be found here:

BBC Countryfile

There is also a direct link to the seed order page:

BBC Countryfile - Grow Wild Seeds

Clayton-le-Moors: Traffic monitoring

Clayton-le-Moors Councillor Tim O'Kane has been out and about with traffic patrols in his ward. The patrols monitor traffic behaviour, notably speed, and previous exercises have led to the erection of speed indicator signs and in some cases prosecutions.

Increase in Labour members in 2014

There has been a marked increase in the number of people actively joining the Labour party in Hyndburn since January and more and more people are becoming interested on the doorsteps as canvassing continues ahead of the 2014 local elections on May 22nd.

Simon (pictured above on the right) contacted Cllr Miles Parkinson to ask what he could do to get involved with Labour so he went out canvassing and enjoyed getting to know what local representatives are involved in.

A meeting is planned for all members later this year to meet their MP Graham Jones and talk to the Leader of the Council. To find out more about Labour please follow this link:

https://join.labour.org.uk

New taxi licencing policy to improve safety in Hyndburn

Labour controlled Hyndburn Borough Council will be introducing a new taxi licensing policy at a Cabinet meeting in June this year.

The new policy will see increased vehicle checks, a requirement for improved vehicle emissions and increased safety measures. The measures also include a removal of the arbitrary age limits on vehicles.

Miles Parkinson, Leader of the Council commented “Safety is paramount in deciding any new proposals for taxi licenses. We need to make sure that residents feel confident about the vehicle they are in and that the service they receive is the best it can be. Following consultation with residents and taxi drivers I am confident that we will see a better service with these proposals”.

The new proposals are listed in detail below:

HACKNEY CARRIAGE SWIVEL SEATS

• The swivel seat must be in situ when the vehicle is presented for MOT, or the vehicle will fail
• The seat will require a certificate that:
• The seat is compatible with the vehicle
• The seat has been fitted by an authorised person
• The seat has been fitted in accordance with manufacturer’s recommendations

Here the over-riding aim is to ensure the safety of the travelling public.


SUPPLEMENTARY TESTING MANUAL
This sets the technical standard for private hire vehicles and hackneys over and above usual MOT requirements. The manual will be updated in accordance with the consultation version and will represent a significant improvement on the current manual. This will contribute towards raising the standard of our taxi fleet and will enable us to focus on vehicle condition and road-worthiness, rather than vehicle age.


VEHICLE EMISSIONS
A new licencing condition will be imposed that will require all vehicles to achieve:

• Euro 3 by 2015
• Euro 4 by 2016
• Euro 5 by 2017

The intention here is to protect the environment by reducing potentially harmful emissions such as nitrogen dioxide. This should see a move to cleaner, more fuel efficient vehicles.


VEHICLE AGE LIMITS
The current 7 year age limit for first licensing as a taxi will be removed
No upper age limit will be imposed for hackney carriages
The 10 year upper age limit for private hire vehicles will be removed

The primary concern is the comfort and safety of the travelling public and other road users, we wish to focus on the condition and road-worthiness of vehicles, rather than their age, as vehicle age is potentially an arbitrary test.


LICENCE PERIOD AND TESTING REQUIREMENTS
Vehicles will continue to be tested regularly to ensure they meet the new, higher standards set by the supplementary testing manual, as well as the new emission standards – as now, vehicles under 7 years will be tested twice a year and vehicles over 7 years will be tested 3 times a year .

EXTERIOR SIGNS, LIVERY AND MARKINGS
As the safety of the travelling public is a primary concern, we will not allow any signage or markings on windows, so that nothing obscures the view into vehicles.

The Council acknowledge that vehicles may be needed for personal use and that permanent signage can make vehicles vulnerable to vandalism by marking them out as taxis so we will continue to permit magnetic signage. However, we wish to ensure that the required signage is displayed at all times when vehicles are in use as taxis, so we will move to introduce a 'three strikes' approach, with licences being reviewed and potentially removed where there is a persistent failure to comply with signage rules.

The Council will prescribe a minimum size for the required signage to ensure it is more noticeable to the travelling public. In the same way, “wrap rounds” and advertising on door panels will no longer be allowed as they can obscure the prescribed signage, though we will continue to permit advertising on car bonnets. We will also allow a grace period of 6 months for removal of wrap rounds and advertising after the new rules are introduced.

The planters on Highams Playing Fields are in full bloom

In October Councillor Paul Cox and some members of Laneside Residents Association were involved in the planting of spring bulbs in the new wooden planters at Highams Playing Fields. This week they were very pleased to see the results of their efforts and the planters now have beautiful displays of tulips and daffodils. 

Rishton: Cllr Clare Cleary at the opening of a new dementia ward

Cllr Clare Cleary attended an event at the Royal Blackburn Hospital on 9th April 2014 to mark the opening of a newly refurbished ward. C5 is an acute medical ward offering a dementia and elder-friendly environment, which aims to make the patient feel more at home.

Clare said, "The facility is a fantastic example of a well thought out and researched place for patients and their families. The ward is a beautiful addition to the hospital and hopefully can be mirrored in hospitals across the county."

Cllr Cleary had a tour of the ward with staff and other invited guests and had a cup of tea and a cake with patients in the brightly coloured and comfortable day room.

Oswaldtwistle: Election 2014

The Oswaltwistle Labour team have been out campaigning in the three wards that make up the town to canvass votes ahead of the forthcoming local elections on May 22nd 2014.

Susan Young (left) is representing St Oswalds and is a keen Labour activist, attending Council meetings and getting involved with local causes.

Stewart Eaves (centre) is representing St Andrews and is no stranger to campaigning having narrowly lost two district elections in 2011 and 2012.

Colette McCormack (right) is the sitting councillor in Immanuel ward and wants to keep her seat and promote the welfare of the elderly as Older People's Champion for Hyndburn.

Milnshaw Park footpaths complete and ready for use

Hyndburn’s oldest community space, Milnshaw Park, has received a £100,000 facelift to its footpaths. Over several years the parks paths had been deteriorating and becoming a real issue for the residents of Accrington. Its rejuvenation has been a priority for both Milnshaw Ward Labour Councillors, Paul Cox & Clare Pritchard, and something they have pledged to improve.

The work has focused on restoring the pavements in the park, Cllr Cox said -

“The park is something I’m really proud of and over the last ten years I have seen it slowly become a shadow of its former self. Investment was desperately needed to repair the footpaths. The investment is a firm commitment that this Labour Council values this public open space and believes as I do that Milnshaw Park is a valued community asset”.

Along with the footpath repair work a new gate has been installed which forms part of a new wider entrance area. A spokesperson for The Friends of Milnshaw Park was overjoyed with the work and hopes that this will help drive forward other projects planned for the park. One such project is a new multiuse games area that would hopefully replace the former tennis courts.

Councillor Cox continued this point “more work needs to be done, but this is an excellent start. The redevelopment of this park is something that has been needed for years and is something I’m going to carry on working to achieve”.

Milnshaw: Highams Picnic Area gets new all weather footpaths

Highams playing fields are undergoing some major redevelopment works at the moment. The sports pitches are in the middle of a £500,000 re shaping scheme to resolve the historic drainage problems. However due to the recent heavy rain the project has been delayed forcing the contractor to wait until the ground can again take the large machinery later this month.

But thanks to Laneside Residents Association and Church & Milnshaw Community Group work carries on in upgrading the area. The chair of Laneside Residents Association, Malclom Sommerville, said “with the pitches having this drainage work done we thought the picnic benches should also be assessable for all whatever the weather”. The Residents Association obtained funding from the local area council, Church & Milnshaw Community Group, to help provide this multipurpose flooring.

Milnshaw labour Councillor, Paul Cox, added “All weather mating has now been placed on and around the picnic area that borders the play area and leads to the planter beds, really providing a great place for all residents no matter what the weather.” He also stated “this type of flooring, part funded by the council, will allow buggies and pushchairs or any individual with mobility issues to enjoy the picnic benches and parks all year round, showing again how we encourage cooperation between groups and delivering best value to Laneside residents”

Highams playing fields, along with the park, are valued community assets in Hyndburn. The work done here again shows the commitment to improve the area by the local Labour team. From the local ward Councillors all the way to the County Councillor working for Milnshaw all year round.

Great Harwood: Mercer Hall in bloom

The flower bed outside Mercer Hall in Great Harwood has come to life with spring flowers and has created a very attractive frontispiece for the town centre. The Parks department at HBC have been busy planting new flowers all over the borough and these can now be seen brightening up our townships.

Are you With Us? A You Tube video from the Labour Party

 

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzxXm7tFZBk&sns=em

We are for the many, not the privileged few.

That is what the next Labour Government will fight for.

LCC: New 0300 numbers replace 0845 to save residents money

The Labour-led Lancashire County Council has made a decision to move away from 0845 numbers to 0300 numbers to make it cheaper for customers to call. The switchover happened at midnight on March 27th 2014.

The old 0845 numbers will run in tandem with the new 0300 numbers for an indefinite period as there is still plenty of literature and notices which bear the old contact details. Customers will be given an option of the cheaper 0300 number whatever they dial but the replacements are completely new numbers rather than just a different prefix and a full contact page can be located here:

http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/corporate/contact_us

Cllr Noordad Aziz takes part in the first Ron Hill 10k Run

More than 1,000 people packed into Accrington to celebrate the first ever Ron Hill 10km race and Cllr Noordad Aziz (pictured here with HBC Leader Miles Parkinson) from the Hyndburn Labour group was among them.

Around 500 runners from across the country joined with the borough-born Olympic legend for the race which went from the town centre to Rising Bridge and back.

The Accrington Observer has run a story here:

Accrington Observer - thousands-join-accrington-ron-hill

Hyndburn postal voting makes up 17% of all electors in the borough

New national statistic show that 11,748 postal voters in Hyndburn make up 17% of the 69,020 residents who are eligible to vote in the borough elections. With elections this year due to take place slightly later on May 22nd in order to accommodate the European elections, residents still have time to register for a postal vote with Hyndburn Borough Council. Get in touch with the Council by phoning the switchboard on 01254 388111 and ask for a postal voting form.

The Hyndburn Labour group have made the decision this year not to hand out postal voting registration forms on the doorstep as the borough is under scrutiny from the Electoral Commission who are watching East Lancashire following a higher than average number of voter fraud claims.

The Lancashire Telegraph ran a story on this some time ago:

Lancashire Telegraph - Greater_risk_of_poll_fraud_in_East_Lancashire

LCC Lancashire is open for business

The leader of Lancashire County Council, Jenny Mein, posts regular blogs of her work. Her March edition has this to say about investment in Lancashire:

In February I made a trip to meet with the Guangdong Provincial Office of Science and Technology in the city of Guangzhou to help promote trade relations between our County and China's fourth most populated province! I joined a delegation from Lancaster University to sign a five-year memorandum of understanding to promote enhanced partnerships between UK and Chinese small and medium sized enterprises specialising intechnology through collaborative research projects leading to the development of new products and services for world markets.

The £5 million Lancaster-China Catalyst Programme, part-funded by Lancashire County Council, aims to revitalise the UK’s position in the global exports market, create 240 jobs, help 400 domestic businesses and boost the economy by £40m. Lancaster University's research excellence and their pre-existing links with China are a real beacon for our County in helping to build our global export market and support the vital work of our County's SMEs. Working together with the University we are putting the spotlight on technology businesses in Lancashire and ensuring thatwe have a seat at the top table of international investment and trade for the sector.

We're putting a lot of work into supporting business right across our County. As a Party it is one of our key priorities in office to promote the creation of sustainable and meaningful employment for residents in Lancashire. The City Deal which I signed off in September is set to bring over £1 billion in the way of new economic activity over the next ten years. We will seethe development over of 20,000 new jobs, 15,000 new homes and a £450million investment in critical and strategic infrastructure, employment development and housing. Investment in our infrastructure cannot be overstated in fostering the commercial environment and distribution links our businesses need to thrive.

I was pleased, to this end, to cut the first sod for the Heysham to M6 link in February. The development and construction alone will see over 3,000 people employed with 100 of these being local, currently unemployed, job seekers who will betrained up and taken on. Access routes to existing industrial areas and development sites alongside a new 'park and ride' scheme are all designed to help boost Lancaster's local economy and that of the region as a whole. £123 million will be invested in the project with early reports indicating that for every £1 spent we will see £4.40 returned for residents in Lancaster and throughout Lancashire.

These are just a few of the projects we have been working on over the last nine or so months to keep Lancashire's economy moving forward. Labour is serious about supporting businesses in Lancashire to deliver the jobs, wealth and services our County needs, we are very much open for business.

Hyndburn Children Performance Summary 2013

Several charts have been produced by Hyndburn Borough Council showing issues and areas of concern regarding children. The charts give statistics and information ranging from ethnicity to the percentage of those who are breastfed.