Leader's Viewpoint - Cllr Pam Barton - August 2014

First of all, I’m thrilled to be able to tell you that we’ve secured funding which will allow the Community Safety Partnership to continue their great work to protect vulnerable children and young people from the dangers of alcohol and therefore reduce associated anti-social behaviour. The money will be used to run more successful Community Alcohol Network (CAN) and CANSafe Operations, schemes which go beyond simply removing alcohol from children, they’re also about  offering advice, support and ensuring parents are aware of their children's behaviour.   It’s fantastic news that this joint initiative, which involves agencies working together to address the negative impact underage drinking and anti social behaviour is set to continue.

Whilst the England football team may not have done very well in the World Cup, a  campaign to raise awareness of the consequences of domestic abuse, arson, drink-driving, alcohol-fuelled violence and cooking fires this summer, did very well indeed. Along with partners across Lancashire we promoted the "Ugly Consequences of the Beautiful Game" campaign with posters, banners, roadshows and social media, with a clear message to offenders - there are no excuses. Don't pay the penalty.

Hyndburn Road Safety Forum has been working hard to improve road safety in Hyndburn.  Their work included a 20 mph campaign and a Community Roadwatch scheme. They’ve also been out and about talking to children in local primary schools and people in Accrington Town centre about keeping safe on our roads.
I hope you and your family have been having fun this summer, there’s certainly been plenty to keep the whole family entertained over the summer holidays, with a whole host of activities packed into the Summer Fun Booklet, funded by The Children’s Trust.

Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner is urging residents to come forward and bid for a share of £50,000 to help their community.  Clive Grunshaw is handing out the cash through his Community Action Fund, and wants residents to spread the message around their neighbourhoods that grants of up to £2,500 are available for grassroots projects which will make a real difference.  I urge anyone who is interested to visit www.lancashire-pcc.gov.uk  for further information.

And finally, don’t forget that  it’s easier for Mums to breastfeed their babies whilst they’re out and about in Hyndburn, with a network of over thirty breastfeeding friendly establishments across the Borough signed up to the Breastfeeding Pledge.  The importance of breastfeeding is acknowledged nationally and internationally as the best way to give your child a great start in life, but mums are often put off breastfeeding in public because of lack of suitable places or because of unsupportive comments or behaviour. With this network of progressive businesses signing the Breastfeeding Pledge, mums know that they are welcome to breastfeed their babies in these establishments and won’t be asked to leave or asked to feed their baby in the toilet. For a full list of Hyndburn’s Breastfeeding Friendly Businesses visit Hyndburn Council’s website at www.hyndburnbc.gov.uk.

Cllr Pam Barton

Cabinet Member for Health and Communities

BBC Accrington Pals Centenary Concert - 27th September 2014

An Accrington Pals Centenary Concert, presented by East Lancashire Concert Band and hosted by BBC Radio Lancashire’s Sally Naden, is set to take place at 7.30pm on Saturday 27th September at Accrington Town Hall.

On the last Saturday of September 1914 the band, then Accrington Old Band, played as the newly recruited Accrington Pals Battalion marched past the Town Hall. Captain John Harwood, the Mayor of Accrington who had spearheaded the recruitment initiative, stood proudly in front of the building as the parade passed by.

This concert marks the events of exactly 100 years ago. It is in the form of an evening of entertainment that might have taken place at this venue at that time. Spirits were high and there was an air of patriotism and excitement.

It includes the world premiere performance of Letters for Home, a Symphonic Poem especially composed for this event by Dr. Peter Meechan.

Musical Director of the Accrington Pals Centenary Concert, which will be recorded by Radio Lancashire for broadcast at Christmas, is Dale Grindrod.

Before each movement of the new piece, there will be a reading. Dylan Owen, the "Bard of Oswaldtwistle" is one of the narrators. Feelgood Theatre Productions "Not About Heroes" actors Alisdair Craig, who plays Wilfred Owen and Simon Jenkins, who plays Siegfried Sassoon will deliver excerpts from their play and will be joined by Artistic Director Caroline Clegg who will read a piece by Vera Brittain.

The packed programme will also include an extract from Peter Whelan's play "Accrington Pals" to be performed by Oswaldtwistle Players.

There will be solo performances by singers Steve Taylor, Sophie Proctor and Stephanie Johnson.

"The Accrington Pals" will be performed by musician and song writer Ephy Clarke.

Council Leader, Cllr Miles Parkinson, said; “The East Lancashire Concert Band has a rich and proud history linked with the Pals and this is set to be a superb event to mark the Centenary of when the newly recruited Accrington Pals Battalion marched past the Town Hall.”

Ian McGuinness of East Lancashire Concert Band said “It is a great privilege for us to be marking the momentous events in Accrington 100 years ago in which our Band predecessors were directly involved. We look forward to supporting the people of East Lancashire in their commemorations over the next four years.”

To apply for tickets, for this FREE event, visit the BBC Tickets website at http://www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/shows/accrington_pals_concert_27sept14

For more information about East Lancashire Concert Band visit www.eastlancsconcertband.org.

HBC: Cllr Gareth Molineux promoted to Cabinet

Cllr Gareth Molineux is to be promoted to the Cabinet after the forthcoming departure of Cllr Joan Smith on 1st September. Gareth is currently vice-chair of the Resources Overview and Scrutiny committee and will now take over as Cabinet member for Finance and Resources.

Cllr Molineux said, "This is a great opportunity for me and I am excited about the new position. I am looking forward to my portfolio and ensuring that I continue Joan's work of keeping HBC on a secure financial footing."

Julie Hesmondhalgh nominated for Freedom of the Borough

Former Coronation St star, Julie Hesmondhalgh, is set to be nominated to receive the title of Honorary Freeman of the Borough, the Borough’s highest honour, at Hyndburn’s Council meeting on 11th September.

Born in Accrington on 25th February 1970 and educated at Hyndburn Park Primary School, Moorhead High School and Accrington & Rossendale College, Julie found nationwide fame as an actress in the long running Granada soap opera, Coronation Street, as much loved character Hayley Cropper.

Julie moved away to London in the late 1980’s to study music and drama, but she never forgot about her local roots and is a patron of Maundy Relief supporting the Charity with close links to the founder, the late Dorothy McGregor.

Cllr Ken Moss, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Arts, said; “Julie is a local lass who has never forgotten her roots and has done some incredible work locally supporting the Maundy Relief Charity. We want to recognise her achievements at both local and national level and what better time to award Julie the Freedom of the Borough, in the year she left Coronation Street with her portrayal of the death of her character Hayley Cropper receiving industry wide recognition. This resulted in her winning the ‘Best Actress Honour’ at the 2014 British Soap Awards and ‘Best Serial Drama Performance’ at the 2014 National Television Awards.”

The Freedom of the Borough award ceremony is set to take place Autumn 2014.

Peel: Arden Hall play area to be upgraded

A play area in Peel Park in Accrington is set for refurbishment soon, after the Friends of Arden Hall and the Coppice secured grant funding of up to £30,000 from the Lancashire Environmental Fund, with a further £25,000 added from the Council.

The money will be used to extend and improve the play area, with exciting plans for a cableway, a basket swing, a modern climbing frame and large rotator to be installed there. The final plans have come about after talking to children from nearby Peel Park Primary School and local residents about what improvements they would like to see in the park.

Cllr Joyce Plummer, who is a long standing, active member of the group said; “I’m delighted we have been awarded this grant. Many children and young families live near the park and their views have helped to influence the plans for the play area, so I’m expecting it to be very popular.”

Cllr Ken Moss, Cabinet Member for Parks added; “This is great news, the Friends of Arden Hall and the Coppice have done a fantastic job securing the funds. This new play area upgrade will complement years of investment into Peel Park and the surrounding area to improve footpaths into the local countryside and to the summit of the Coppice in East Accrington.”

The play area will be installed later in the year and you can see the final design on the Council’s website at www.hyndburnbc.gov.uk.

LCC: Recorded crime in Lancashire 2013-2014

Updated the recorded crime article, and the latest figures from the Crime Survey for England and Wales estimate that there were 7.3 million crimes in England and Wales, based on sample interviews with representative households and resident adults in the year ending March 2014. This represents a 14% yearly decrease, and is the lowest since the survey began in 1981. It is now less than half its peak level in 1995.

Police recorded crime at the national level showed a minor yearly decrease of 1%. In the 14-authority Lancashire area however, police recorded crime increased by 3% (95,372 criminal offences) in 2013/14 compared with 2012/13. This was slightly higher than the rise in the northwest region of 2%. However, crime has been falling consistently since 2002/3 and the small rise in Lancashire this year does not take total crime back up to its 2011/12 levels. 2012/13 was a particularly low crime year, whilst the long, hot summer in 2013 saw increased criminal activity across the county, which settled back to more normal levels once the weather cooled.

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabularies is currently running an audit of police recording practice to improve consistency in applying the crime counting rules between forces. This may have introduced some variability in crime recording across the country in this set of results but should ensure more confidence in comparing areas in the future.

The LCC web statistics can be found here.

Great Harwood: World War I Exhibition at Churchfield House

A First World War exhibition has been organised by Great Harwood Civic Society at Churchfield House, Great Harwood. The exhibition was opened on 21st August by the Mayor of Hyndburn, Munsif Dad.

He said, "It’s a lovely exhibition, with old photographs and memorabilia and also featuring artwork by local schoolchildren. The Civic Society have worked very hard on this and it’s well worth a visit."

The exhibition runs from 24th August to 30th September 2014.

Peel: Grant funding secured for park upgrade

A play area in Peel Park in Accrington is set for refurbishment soon, after the Friends of Arden Hall and the Coppice secured grant funding of up to £30,000, with a further £25,000 added from the Council.

The money will be used to extend and improve the play area, with exciting plans for a cableway, a basket swing, a modern climbing frame and large rotator to be installed there. The final plans have come about after talking to children from nearby Peel Park Primary School and local residents about what improvements they would like to see in the park.

Cllr Joyce Plummer, who is a long standing, active member of the group said; “I’m delighted we have been awarded this grant. Many children and young families live near the park and their views have helped to influence the plans for the play area, so I’m expecting it to be very popular.”

Cllr Ken Moss, Cabinet Member for Parks added; “This is great news, the Friends of Arden Hall and the Coppice have done a fantastic job securing the funds. This new play area upgrade will complement years of investment into Peel Park and the surrounding area to improve footpaths into the local countryside and to the summit of the Coppice in East Accrington.”

The play area will be installed later in the year and you can see the final design on the Council’s website at www.hyndburnbc.gov.uk.

Barnfield: Regeneration of Nuttall Street

Regeneration of the Woodnook area of Accrington is continuing and properties on Booth Street, Royds Street and Augustus Street are currently being converted into 2,3 and 4 bedroom homes

Cllr June Harrison said, "When I was asked to stand for the Barnfield ward in the 2011 local elections, I took this as an opportunity to fight for the regeneration of Woodnook and together along with members of staff of the Council we are helping towards achieving this. It is nice to finally see all the scaffolding up for the facelift work being undertaken on Nuttall Street and once this regeneration is completed then I feel that I have kept my election promise."

Some of the empty properties below Nuttall St are also being brought back into use and the show home is now open to the public.

National Allotment Week 2014

National Allotment Week came to an Accrington allotment with a fun Question Time on organic gardening.

Food growers from three allotment sites around Accrington gathered at Meadoway allotment to throw tricky questions at two local experts, surrounded by great views and attractive allotment plots.

People shared their own food growing knowledge and ideas and generally said how much they enjoy being on their allotments.  A big part of the pleasure of allotment activity is the supportive and sociable atmosphere, making it a great place to spend leisure time.

Interesting historical artefacts were also on view and people were amazed to see that the allotment has been in continuous use for nearly a hundred years.

Cllr Ken Moss, Cabinet Member for Leisure, urged more people to grow their own saying; “There are allotment plots of different sizes available now for local people to grow their own food, with small or large spaces to suit individual needs, with a range of facilities available including polytunnels, storage sheds, and a fully accessible toilet.  Allotments also offer a good opportunity for people with health or mobility needs to build up strength and are a great way to get exercise and fresh air with a great community atmosphere.”

Meadoway allotments are easy to get to, just off Queen’s Road West, near St Christopher’s school and also accessible for pedestrians coming from the Hyndburn Road, Church and West Accrington directions.

Please contact the Council’s allotment service on 388111 if you would like to take a look.

Great Harwood: World War I Remembrance Service and Civic Society Market - 23rd August 2014

The Great Harwood Branch of the Royal British Legion is to hold a short Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph in Memorial Park at 11.30am on Saturday 23rd August to mark the 100th anniversary of the start of WW1.

At the service, conducted by the Branch’s president and padre, two wreaths will be laid - one from the British Legion and one from the children of Great Harwood. After the service everyone will be invited to parade down Church Street to Towngate, singing war-time songs and this will be a themed event with members of the public being encouraged to dress in clothes of the period. All residents are invited to take this opportunity and take part in this Great Harwood commemorative event.

Following the parade to Towngate, the Civic Society’s annual Charity Market will take place on the Square where local voluntary, community and faith groups will be trying to raise money for their worthwhile organisations. Please come along and support them, giving encouragement to those volunteers that greatly enrich our lives in Great Harwood.

Groups will set up their stalls in time for the Town Crier to open the Fair/Market as close to 12.00noon as possible.

HBC: Cllr Paul Cox to become new Deputy Leader

Milnshaw Councillor, Paul Cox, is to become the new Deputy Leader of HBC following the resignation of Cllr Joan Smith from the position. Paul is currently the Cabinet member responsible for Waste Services and will continue in the role.

Cllr Cox said, "This is a great honour for me and I am delighted to take on the role of Deputy Leader. Joan is a good friend of mine and we are all sad to see her leave the Cabinet but I am excited about taking over from her and am grateful that she has offered any help I might need over the first few weeks."

Paul will take over as Deputy Leader of HBC from 1st September 2014.

Clayton-le-Moors: Mercer Park community event on 23rd September

A community event will be held in Mercer Park, Clayton-Le-Moors this coming Saturday, 23rd September from 2.00pm until 4.00pm. Todmorden Community Brass Band will be playing and there will also be a BBQ, plus tea and cakes.

All residents are invited to attend.

Peel: Go Peel 2014 is another success

Last weekend saw the yearly Go Peel event for children in Accrington. The event was arranged for youngsters between the age of 7-16 from 11.00am until 4.00pm, with professional coaches for rugby, football, archery, netball and athletics. This year there was also a bucking bronco machine and an arts and crafts teaching session.

Peel Councillor Joyce Plummer (centre) said, "Michael Clarkson and myself, in conjunction with the police, formed GO PEEL and every year we raise funds to hold the event. We could not have done this over the last few years without the valued assistance from Wendy Dwyer, June Harrison and Bernard Dawson.We also appreciate the support of our local MP, Graham Jones."

All the children received a free T-shirt, healthy eating food and drink at no cost and each year a number of the youngsters sign up with difference clubs.

Netherton: Councillor walkabout

Netherton ward Councillors, Bernadette Parkinson and Noordad Aziz, undertook another of their regular walkabouts on 16th August in order to log any problems in their area of Great Harwood.

Cllr Parkinson said, "The response to these walkabouts is very positive. We want people to feel that their local representatives are keen to help if there is something that they want us to address."

HBC: Cabinet member steps down

Cllr Joan Smith, Cabinet member for Finance, will step down from the role on 1st September due to ill health. Joan has been a Cabinet member and Treasurer for the Labour group since the party took control of HBC in 2011. She is also stepping down as Deputy Leader of the Council.

Cllr Smith said, "I love being part of the Labour party and have enjoyed every aspect of my work in the Cabinet but my health is not what it was and the job is becoming harder for me. It has also been a difficult year for me personally as we have lost several close relatives and it has made me want to spend much more time with my husband and family.  I will continue as Councillor for Church but it is time for someone else to take up the Cabinet reins."

Cllr Miles Parkinson, Leader of HBC, said, "Joan has been absolutely invaluable to the group and has been helping the local Labour party for over two decades but she has not been well recently and has informed me that after many years of service she wishes to spend more time with her family. Both myself and the other members of the group will be sad to lose her from the Cabinet but I am delighted that she still wants to continue in her role as ward Councillor."

Baxenden: Family Fun Day at Haworth art Gallery - 24th August 2014

Above is a flyer for our free Family Fun Day at the Haworth Art Gallery in Baxenden on Sunday 24th August commencing at 12.30pm. There will be lots of activities for all the family young and not-so-young, plus free refreshments including Asian snacks and chocolate brownies.

We look forward to seeing you!

Clayton-le-Moors: Hare & Hounds junction upgrade

As part of the Pennine Reach works, the Hare and Hounds junction in Clayton le Moors will be 

improved to optimise traffic flow, reduce delays for buses, and create safer pedestrian and cycle 

facilities. 

In advance of this work, preliminary work is due to start at the junction on Monday 8 September 

2014 for approximately 10 weeks. These advanced works will include installation of new traffic 

signal equipment, resurfacing the highway and footway and kerbing works.  Once this work is complete, the junction will continue to operate as it does now. The full plans for the junction, as outlined in the Pennine Reach initial proposals, will not be implemented until a later date (to be confirmed). 

The current parking and Traffic Regulation Orders will remain as they are, and the bus priority lane 

that is proposed as part of Pennine Reach, will not be installed until a later date. As outlined in the full proposals for Pennine Reach, we will be providing new, alternative car parking in the local area to mitigate for any loss of on-street parking on Whalley Road. This parking will be made available at a later date (to be confirmed) before the introduction of the bus priority lane.

Work will begin on 8th September 2014, with the major highway work taking place between 13th and 31st October. Where possible, work will be carried out during the off-peak hours of 6.00pm-11.00pm to minimise access disruption to local properties and business.

Temporary traffic lights will be in operation at the junction throughout the works. These traffic 

signals will be programmed to operate as the existing traffic signals do, but we have the flexibility

to adjust phasing dependent on the work being carried out.

Buses will still be able to run through the junction as usual. However, it may be necessary to 

temporarily relocate some of the bus stops to an alternative position close by whilst works are 

taking place in the vicinity of the stop. The temporary stops will be clearly marked.

Access to properties and businesses on Whalley Road will be maintained at all times. However, 

there may be occasions when parking in front of properties will be temporarily restricted. 

Advanced warning will be given to any properties that will be affected.

For more information about the full Pennine Reach plans and proposals visit 

www.lancashire.gov.uk and search for 'Pennine Reach' in the A-Z. Plans will also be made 

available in Clayton Le Moor Library, Pickup Street, Clayton Le Moors. 

For more information about the Hare and Hounds works call Lancashire Highways on 0300 123 

6780.

Central: Environmental issues addressed

Central ward Councillors Abdul Khan and Mohammed Ayub recently held a joint public meeting with officers from Environmental Health and the Police during a community walkabout identifying environmental issues.

The Councillors would like to thank everyone who took part.

Rishton: Canal Masterplan moves forward

A masterplan for the canal corridor through Rishton is being drawn up. Councillors in the town hope to attract developers by drawing up the development plan, as well as building ‘very attractive’ canal-side housing. The brief should be completed by the end of the year, and will also require any future planning applications to ‘compliment each other and be in the best interests of Rishton’s future’.

Coun Ken Moss secured funding for the project last year, and fellow Labour councillor for the town, Clare Cleary, has now taken up the baton to move forward with the scheme.

Coun Cleary, who was recently made responsible for housing in Hyndburn, said: “This is a great scheme and I am excited to take it to the next stage. We are sitting on bags of untapped potential along the canal and with so much undeveloped land at the moment it makes sense to state what we want from it rather than leaving it purely in the hands of property developers."

Leader of Hyndburn Council, Miles Parkinson, added: “Along the canal we have a number of sites in the Rishton area that offer the potential for some very attractive canal side housing. The council has recently agreed to fund a development brief that should help to stimulate the market and attract the interest of developers.”

The purpose of the Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) is help guide future development, and therefore the detail will emerge from the SPD.  The primary development is expected to be housing but other potential uses could include leisure, small retail and environmental improvements to the canal side.

The SPD will cover a rectangular area of land extending in a north – south direction, either side of the canal, incorporating five specific sites along the Rishton canal side. It will establish the planning context and framework for development and developer interest should be generated on completion of the SPD.

The Council’s Cabinet on the 6th February 2013 approved a budget not exceeding £20,000 towards the preparation of the SPD.  The actual cost will be subject to tenders.  With regards to investment, this is far too premature albeit most of the investment is expected to be private.

Oswaldtwistle: Private hire driver fined

A private hire vehicle driver has been convicted  in court of plying for hire without a licence, contrary to section 45 Town Police Clauses Act 1847 and of using a motor vehicle  without the required  insurance, contrary to s 143 Road Traffic Act 1988,  with driver Muhammad Mahfooz, incurring fines and costs of £1000.

Muhammad Mahfooz, of College St, Accrington, pleaded guilty to plying for hire without a licence contrary to s 45 Town Police Clauses Act 1847, after picking up two plain clothed police officers in his private hire vehicle on Union Rd, Oswaldtwistle without a pre booking.

Mr Mahfooz was fined £200 for the plying for hire offence and £330 for not having insurance cover. His driving licence was also endorsed with 6 penalty points. Mr Mahfooz was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £30 and prosecution legal costs of £440.

Cllr Joan Smith, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Licensing, said; “Our primary concern is for the welfare of the travelling public. Private Hire Vehicles cannot ply for hire in the street or at taxi ranks and this most recent prosecution reinforces the clear message that journeys with a private hire vehicle must always be pre-booked through the operator, failure to do so is an offence and invalidates the vehicle's insurance cover. If you flag down a private hire vehicle in the street the insurance will be invalid for the duration of your journey, please don’t take the risk”

Great Harwood: Councillor arranges Blindfold Walk

Cllr Jenny Nedwell from Overton has arranged for a team from Guide Dogs to do an information session and guided walk around Accrington for Council officers and elected members who are interested in experiencing, for a short time, what it is like to have some form of visual difficulty.

Cllr Nedwell is registered blind and speaks openly of her disability to put others at ease. She hopes that by demonstrating guide dogs and mobility aids to others it will create a simulation experience of the difficulties people have getting around on a day to day basis.

Accrington Post Office to undergo refurbishment

Accrington Post Office on Abbey Street is set to close for refurbishment on 2nd September and re-open on Tuesday 16th September in a move which will greatly upgrade the facilities there.

Opening hours are very slightly reduced but full details of the modernisation can be found by clicking the images above.

Milnshaw: Councillor gathers petition for traffic calming

Milnshaw Councillor Paul Cox (with wife and Church ward Labour candidate Loraine) have been out collecting residents' signatures to apply for traffic calming on the Laneside estate.

Paul has also posted the next batch of Councillor Calls leaflets for his Saturday morning walkabout. Anyone who wishes for Paul to call in and address issues should leave the leaflet in the window on Saturday morning.

National Allotment Week 2014

National Allotment Week came to an Accrington allotment with a fun Question Time on organic gardening.

Food growers from three allotment sites around Accrington gathered at Meadoway allotment to throw tricky questions at two local experts, surrounded by great views and attractive allotment plots.

People shared their own food growing knowledge and ideas and generally said how much they enjoy being on their allotments.  A big part of the pleasure of allotment activity is the supportive and sociable atmosphere, making it a great place to spend leisure time.  

Interesting historical artefacts were also on view and people were amazed to see that the allotment has been in continuous use for nearly a hundred years.

Cllr Ken Moss, Cabinet Member for Leisure, urged more people to grow their own saying; “There are allotment plots of different sizes available now for local people to grow their own food, with small or large spaces to suit individual needs, with a range of facilities available including polytunnels, storage sheds, and a fully accessible toilet.  Allotments also offer a good opportunity for people with health or mobility needs to build up strength and are a great way to get exercise and fresh air with a great community atmosphere.”

Meadoway allotments are easy to get to, just off Queen’s Road West, near St Christopher’s school and also accessible for pedestrians coming from the Hyndburn Road, Church and West Accrington directions.  

Please contact the Council’s allotment service on 388111 if you would like to take a look.

Spring Hill: PACT meeting on Richmond Road

Cllrs Pam Barton and Mohammed Ayub (pictured far left) held a Police and Communities Together (PACT) meeting on Richmond Road this week and have managed to address several issues with local residents.

Open air PACT meetings occur regularly in the Central and Spring Hill wards and for more information please contact your local Labour representatives.

Huncoat: Woodland Action

Hyndburn people are invited to come along and get active to improve a beautiful woodland at Spout House Community Woodland this month.

Be part of something special.  It’s a lovely place with large old trees running through a little valley and lots of new woodland planted earlier this year, to create a renewed landscape that local people can enjoy and be proud of.

Join with keen local people to help improve this really special hidden gem, by coming along to a conservation session on Monday 11th August from 10.30am until 2.30pm, at ‘Woodland gateways’.

Guidance and tools are provided and you can stay for as much or as little time as you like. Brews provided but please bring a snack or packed lunch. Over 16 years only please. Wear old clothes, boots and be prepared for all weathers. Meet at the meadow across the playing fields from Bolton Avenue, Huncoat.

Cll Ken Moss, Cabinet Member for Leisure said; “Please come along and help develop this beautiful woodland.  We’d also love to hear what else you would you like to see happening.

For more information, please contact Anne Hourican on 01254 388111 or
anne.hourican@hyndburnbc.gov.uk.

Lights Out - 4th August 2014

 

The lights were turned out at various public monumnets at 10.00pm on Monday 4th August to mark 100 years since the start of the First World War. The Town Hall was plunged into darkness, save for one solitary lamp in the Mayor's parlour.

The Labour Councillors, plus Council Leader Miles Parkinson and Graham Jones MP all attended a special service at the Accrington War Memorial organised by the Royal British Legion. The Accrington Pipe Band played a selection of musical pieces before readings by Deputy Mayor Marlene Haworth and former Mayor Judith Addison.

The event attracted hundreds of people and finished at 11.00pm with the last post being played.

Unveiling the Bill Turner Plaque

Labour Councillors and Graham Jones MP were among the gathering of people who attended the unveiling of a plaque dedicated to the memory of local historian Bill Turner.

The plaque was unveiled at Accrington Library in acknowledgement of his work and research into the Accrington Pals.  Bill dedicated a great deal of his time researching the Accrington Pals and used this information to write his book ‘The Accrington Pals’.

His wife and family were in attendance at the event to unveil the plaque which took place on Monday 4th August 2014 in the Richard Ainsworth Room, Accrington Library, St. James St., Accrington.

The short ceremony began at 4.15pm and was introduced by Deputy Mayor Marlene Haworth, with a few words from library manager, Victoria Haworth. After the plaque was unveiled, refreshments were made available in the Lecture Hall.

Great Harwood: Towngate Square re-opens

Sunday August 3rd saw the official re-opening of Great Harwood’s Towngate by County Councillor Gareth Molineux. The Towngate as seen major renovations over the last 12 months with over £250,000 being spent.

Last year The Mercer clock went through a restoration project started by Councillor Molineux and finalised by a partnership with Great Harwood Area Council, Great Harwood Civic society and the national lottery heritage fund.

The market square was introduced at the same time as the the old town hall in 1901 when the Great Harwood urban district council and the towns people commissioned the square followed by the mercer clock 1903 and as seen little investment since.

Councillor Molineux said, “Over the last three years Great Harwood as seen hundreds of thousands of pounds invested in it. the new square opens up the area to create a more usable space for the Sunday farmers market, the civic society's annual charity market and the Christmas lights switch on. These are exciting times, Great Harwood is on the way again and in my opinion as become Hyndburn’s second town once again."

The Town Gate will be in use every first Sunday of the month for the local farmers market. The next event is the civic society's annual charity market on Saturday 23rd August.

Lights Out across Hyndburn

A nationwide 'Lights Out' event will be held this evening at 10.00pm when everyone is encouraged to turn out their lights in remembrance for the start of the World War.

Public lights will be turned out at Towngate in Great Harwood, the War Memorial in Rishton and at Memorial Park and Mercer Park.  In addition, all lights will go out at the Town Hall except for one in the Mayor's parlour.

A public gathering will be held with candles at the War Memorial on Church Street in Accrington from 10.00pm until the last post at 11.00pm.

Leaders Viewpoint - Cllr Ken Moss - August 2014

I was delighted to be given a Cabinet position at the beginning of June, although somewhat trepidatious as I replace outgoing member Ciaran Wells, one of the best Councillors I have worked with. I have spent several weeks getting to know the people that fall within my portfolio but there are so many facets to the job that I feel I have barely scratched the surface. The position covers a wide range of responsibilities from parks and play facilities to sports pitches, public halls, tourism, allotments, art exhibitions and even cemeteries. It has certainly given me plenty to think about and I have spent a lot of time chatting to fellow ward Councillor, Clare Cleary (new portfolio holder for Housing), about our exciting first month in the Cabinet. With all the cuts facing the Council it is obviously going to be a challenge but this has simply given me renewed vigour at HBC and I am looking forward to a busy time ahead.

A recent spell of very wet followed by very hot weather has made grass cutting quite difficult for the work crews but all the green areas are now getting back to the condition they should be in for this time of year. Several members of the bowling community have also contacted me regarding the state of their greens and this too has addressed by the Parks department.

Unfamiliar Ground is a new art display on show at Accrington Library which ran recently. The exhibition brings together the work of three exciting young artists, Chris Agnew, Rebecca King and Bronwen Sleigh, each of whom are challenging the boundaries of traditional printmaking, creating striking pictorial worlds that invite our imaginations to wander. I attended the opening night of the exhibition and was pleased to hear that this is the first in a series of installations coming to Hyndburn, with promising noises from the Arts Council of England for more investment in the area.

Hats off to all the members of the Oswaldtwistle carnival group for a very successful event recently. Over 3,000 people attended the Carnival, arguably the biggest crowd ever seen there, and thanks are due for all those volunteers who worked hard to ensure that Rhyddings Park was left spotless. Stone thieves damaged one of the low park walls just five days beforehand but I am pleased to say that the HBC work crew managed to repair it in time for the carnival.

We had another successful Rishton Festival on 5th July which had a ‘Pride of Britain’ theme. In addition to many varied stalls and wonderful costumes, the ale tent (which I introduced last year) raised £550 for Meningitis Now.

Finally, a word of warning: please do not go swimming in reservoirs and canals. Apart from the fact that the water can often be unsanitary, we have already seen a number of untimely deaths across England due to people getting into difficulty. Don’t risk yourself or your loved ones becoming a Hyndburn statistic.

Hyndburn Labour Councillor Calls

Several of the Hyndburn Labour Councillors have started making Councillor calls, posting leaflets through residents' doors so that they can display them in their window if they want their local Labour Councillor to drop in and discuss issues.

Spring Hill Councillor Pam Barton, Milnshaw Councillor Paul Cox and Barnfield Councillor June Harrison have all recently done leaflet drops in their area and the response has been fantastic. Residents are pleased with an extra way of interacting with their local representatives and the scheme is being rolled out by Labour across the borough.