Huncoat: Eamonn Higgins completes Labour line-up for 2015

Hyndburn Labour are pleased to announce that Eamonn Higgins (pictured with rosette) has been selected to be the Labour Party Candidate for Huncoat for 2015 Local Elections. Eammon actively joined the Labour party recently and has been a big help to several Councillors.

The local Labour party now have a full slate of candidates for 2015 and Eamonn has been out canvassing and delivering leaflets around Huncoat already.

Clayton-le-Moors: Free haircuts and shaves

Altham Councillor Chris Fisher runs his own printing business, Kingfisher Print, from a unti on Walmsley Court at Clayton Business Park. He recently received a leaflet informing him of a nearby unit which is currently looking for men to use as models for trainee barbers.

Chris said, "I just has this leafet through my door at work and thought the public might be interested in this. If you have never experienced a cut throat razor shave the new barber school near my unit has a free offer for your hair cuts as well. I'd encourage people to give them a call, cut-throat shaves are quite an experience!"

Mayor attends Accrington Martial Arts fundraiser

Martial Arts for All Club of Accrington held a charity fundraising tournament on 27th September 2014 at the Poplar Club and raised £1105 for Mayoral Charities. Organisers Jaff Ali and Billy Battrick are pictured here with the Mayor and club members.

(Back row) Jaff Ali, Daniel Ali, Ashley Ali, the Mayor Cllr Munsif Dad, Tracy Battrick and Billy Battrick

(Front row) Lucas Stirzaker, Tamara Robinson, Connor Armstrong, Kaley Catterall and Keely Battrick.

Great Harwood: £56k of Lottery Funding secured for Mercer Hall

Four local sports projects in Lancashire have been awarded a share of over £230,000 worth of National Lottery funding to improve their tired facilities, it has been announced.

Sport England, in its continued investment in grassroots sport, has invested £10 million in 148 projects across England as part of the latest round of its Inspired Facilities fund – designed to breathe new life into community sports facilities that have become worn-down, expensive to run and difficult to maintain. The funding is also being used to convert existing buildings into venues that are more suitable for grassroots sport.
Inspired Facilities funding is available for sports clubs, local authorities, schools and parish councils to help breathe new life into community sports facilities that have become worn-down, expensive to run and difficult to maintain. The funding is also be used to convert existing buildings into venues that are more suitable for grassroots sport.

At least 70% of the funding will go to community and voluntary organisations, through grants of between £20,000 and £75,000. The remaining funding will be open to a wider group of organisations, including councils and schools, with grants of up to £150,000 available.

Mercer Hall Leisure Centre in Great Harwood has been awarded £56,190 which will be used to refurbish the pool hall including a new ceiling, tiling and paintwork.

Free dog micro chipping in Accrington - 12th November 2014

The law is changing and from 6th April 2016 micro chipping will be compulsory for all dog owners in England.

The Council’s Dog Warden service are again joining forces with the Dog’s Trust to offer a free micro chipping session at Tesco’s Accrington on Wednesday 12th November.

The sessions are open from 11am to 3pm, no need to book just turn up and join the queue.
Micro chipping your pet gives them the best chance of being identified and returned to you if they become lost or stolen. A tiny microchip is inserted under the animal’s skin, which gives the pet their own unique code. The microchip can be scanned and matched to the owner’s contact details, which are kept on a database.

Cllr Paul Cox Cabinet Member for Environmental Services and Deputy Leader of the Council said; “The law is changing and from 6th April 2016 micro chipping will be compulsory for all dog owners in England, so why not get ahead of the game and bring your dog along to one of the sessions.”

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Accrington Library - 1st November 2014

As we approach Remembrance Day a special musical performance will be taking place in Accrington Library featuring The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Quartet.

Manchester born tenor John Findon is joined by John Turner on recorder, Thomas Verity on clarinet and pianist Ian Buckle. Remembering the Great War offers up the music of composers who were involved in World War I (whether as combatants, victims or prisoners) along with composers who offer a modern day perspective on war and peace. This Lunchtime performance is a scintillating tribute to World War I.
             
This is a Spot On production in association with Lancashire Arts Development & Accrington Library; Saturday 1st November at 12:30pm at St James Street, Accrington, BB5 1NQ.

Tickets are £10 with concessions for children up to 16 and OAP's get in for £8. Tickets can be purchased from Accrington Library reception, by phoning 01254 872385 or by turning up on the day.

HBC: Extended £10k tree programme announced

Cllr Paul Cox, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services, announced today that the Council is to make £10,000 available for a tree maintenance programme. The program will look at tackling some of the issues that have been rasied by residents over the last few months. With the current cutting programme underway it was felt that now would be the best time to bolster the scheme ensuring best value for money. 

Speaking about the move, Cllr Cox said, “I’m pleased to announce that £10,000 will be made available for a tree maintenance programme. It’s great that we’ve been able to find the resources to do this as it is something that residents are concerned about, especially with the recent high winds. This is something that the Cabinet has been working on for a number of months now and the programme will look at large trees on Council owned land an public highways.”

Great Harwood: Farmers' Market - 2nd November 2014

The next monthly Great Harwood Farmers' Market will take place on Sunday 2nd November 2014 from 8.00am until 2.00pm on Town Gate Square.

Peel: Free football coaching on Saturdays

A community activity has been started in Peel to get children active each weekend playing football.

Cllr Joyce Plummer said, "Peel residents have raised money for youngsters in the area to have free football coaching every Saturday morning. I have been there from 9.30am till 10.45am cheering them on before I was due to meet Cllr June Harrison in Barnfield. It was great to watch and a great activity for the kids at weekend!"

LCC: Replacement of M65 crash barriers

Lancashire County Council constructed a 10km section of the M65 motorway between junctions 10 and 14 during 1981 and 1988 and is responsible for its on going maintenance.

The Highways Agency is responsible for the remainder of the motorway between junctions 1 and 10. The current Capital Programme includes the provision of £2.64m for the replacement of the M65 crash barriers. The current estimated cost of replacing the barriers is £4.3m. The scheme will require removal of the current street lighting from the central reservation as part of the works. This has been an integral part of the scheme from the outset.

In accordance with current design standards the replacement safety barrier will be of a concrete construction as this minimises the risk of cross-over accidents, reduces the need for repair and maintenance, thereby reducing the impact on the travelling public arising from lane closures. In addition the whole life cost for a concrete safety barrier is considerably lower than that of steel, as concrete has a design life double that of steel.

However the resultant impact of providing a concrete safety barrier in the central reserve means that the current street lights will need to be removed. The existing lighting associated with the slip roads and junctions is not affected by these proposals and will remain in place.

At the Executive overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Cabinet Committee the Tories and Liberals did not say a word and there were no objection to the proposal. However we have received some criticism in the local newspapers from MP Stevenson who has not said a word regarding the government switching off the lights further up the road.

LCC: Rail North

'Rail North' is the name of an interim, informal organisation that was established with the aim of promoting the devolution of rail franchising from Whitehall to the North of England. It is a grouping of all 30 local transport authorities across the North of England.

Rail North’s vision is to create a world-class railway for the whole of the North of England. Supporting the economic aspirations of the North of England was the prime objective of Rail North’s devolution proposal, with the aim of creating a railway recognised by passengers and businesses as serving their needs, and being both more effective and efficient. Rail North, therefore, has three overarching objectives for rail services in the North of England:

• to support economic growth by delivering more rail capacity and better rail connectivity 
• to improve the quality of the railways in the North, with a better offer for passengers to encourage more use 
• to deliver a more efficient railway and to secure greater value for money for the support from the public purse 

Although its slow going on the Rail North project at present it’s the only game in town that offers a unified approach to rail services across the North of the country. Manchester and West Yorkshire combined authorities dominate the decision making process, between them they carry 50% of the weighted voting system based on passenger numbers.

We are third biggest if you take into account Blackpool and Blackburn, if you also include Cumbria who are part of our consortium North West North, this gives us 12.5%. Bigger than any other consortium, yet we still have allot to do as the city regions have been working together for years, keeping others out of the loop. In order to make progress we have the following decisions to take:

• Two bodies are being set up Rail North Ltd (RNL) and the Association of Rail North Partner Authorities. 
• That the County Council should become a member of both bodies
• That the County Council agrees to meet its share of the running costs of the Association of Rail North Partners which is estimated to be £1,980 per annum
• That the Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport is appointed to the Leaders' Committee of the Association
• That a substitute member is appointed to the Leaders' Committee
• That subject to the approval of the final terms of the RNL Members Agreement by the County Solicitor and Secretary, the County Council enters into the RNL Members Agreement. 

Great Harwood: Have your say on the future of Churchfield House - 27th November 2014

Hyndburn Borough Council proposes to lease Churchfield House, located on Church Street, Great Harwood, to Churchfield House Ltd for a period of 25 years.  Churchfield House Ltd is a not for profit company made up solely of people living in Great Harwood.  Essentially the aim of the company is to ensure that the building, which has been largely unused for a number of years, becomes a focal point of community activity, and is managed on behalf of local residents by local residents.

Hyndburn Borough Council acts as the Charity Trustee for Churchfield House, which was originally bequeathed by Milton Haydock to the Council for use as ‘Public Open Library’.  The Council will need the Charity Commission’s permission to grant the proposed lease and is required to consult with the local community in respect of the proposed changes to the use and management of the building. The Council and the Charity Commission will  consider the comments received from the public as a result of the consultation exercise before reaching a final decision about whether to grant a lease of Churchfield House to Churchfield House Ltd.

All members of the public are invited to attend a public meeting to discuss the proposals which will be held on the 27th November 2014, at 6pm at Churchfield House.

The meeting will provide details of the proposal, explain the public consultation and the Charity Commission process, allow representatives of Churchfield House Ltd to have their say on how they aim to manage the building, and allow local people to ask questions and have their say. Notices giving details of the proposal and consultation process are also being displayed in Great Harwood.

If you are not able to attend the event or would like further information prior to the meeting then please call Ian Marfleet on 01254 388111, an information pack will be sent to you.  The final date for responses to the consultation is Friday 14th November 2014.

Rishton: Crime and Safety Day

A Community Crime and Safety Day took place on Monday 13th October at Rishton Library from 10.00am-12.00pm then in the afternoon at Great Harwood Library from 2.00pm-4.00pm. Police officers offered advice on crime prevention and the Fire and Rescue officers advised on fire safety and took names for any home fire safety checks.

Cllr Clare Cleary was in attendance and said, "This was a very positive event, with lots of practical advice avalable for residents from our local Police and Fire officers. They get a lot of criticism but I am proud to support our local teams, they really try to do the best with what they have."

For more information please email steven.charnley@lancashire.pnn.police.uk

Barnfield: June Harrison and her team continue canvassing

Cllr June Harrison and her team of supporters (including Peel Councillors Joyce Plummer and Wendy Dwyer) have been out canvassing residents in Barnfield to ask their views on local and national government. Information cards with contact details of all elected representatives for the area have been left with every household and all residents will be getting a visit over the coming months.

HBC: Strike action called off, normal refuse collections on 14th October

Planned industrial action on 14th October 2014 by HBC refuse collection staff has been called off. This means that expected problems in Great Harwood and Oswaldtwistle have now been avoided and residents should leave their rubbish and recycling out in those areas as usual. 

Former Mayoress Margaret Cowell dies

The Labour group have been informed that Mrs Margaret Cowell, a former Mayoress of the Borough (1997/98) died on 10th October 2014.

A service is to be held at Accrington Crematorium, Burnley Road, Accrington at 1.30pm on Thursday 16th October.  The funeral directors are Hyndburn Funeral Services, Queens Road, Accrington.  Tel:  (01254) 233133.

HBC: Industrial action on 14th October to affect waste services

Recent press coverage has confirmed that the unions have called a one day public sector strike for Tuesday 14th October, which includes Local Government staff. This will affect waste collection services in Oswaldtwistle and Great Harwood. Advice to residents is as follows for each ward:

OSWALDTWISTLE
Due to the reduced number of staff potentially available on that day, the Council may not be in a position to provide a refuse collection service to properties in Oswaldtwistle for collection of your grey bin or orange bags (where applicable). However, you are asked to please still present your refuse bin or orange bags at your usual collection point by 7.30am.

If your refuse is not collected before 3.30pm on Tuesday 14th October please leave it at the collection point and the Council will endeavour to empty it before 3.30pm on Friday 17th October.

Your normal refuse collection will resume on Tuesday 28th October.

GREAT HARWOOD
Due to the reduced number of staff potentially available on that day, the Council may not be in a position to provide a recycling collection service to properties in Great Harwood for collection of your Green bin (where applicable), Blue Box, White/Blue Sack etc. However, I would ask you to please still present all your recycling containers at your usual collection point by 7.30am.

If your recycling is not collected by 3.30pm on Tuesday 14th October please return all of your recycling back to your property.

If we were unable to collect please represent the containers on your next recycling collection i.e. Tuesday 28th October. To assist you the Council will accept recycling presented in other containers such as plastic carrier sacks, if left open and not tied. This relaxing of the policy will only apply on this collection day. If you need additional/replacement containers please contact the Customer Contact Centre.

If you need any further advice prior to the strike day please do not hesitate to contact our Contact Centre staff on Tel: 01254 388111 or Email: enquiries@hyndburnbc.gov.uk.

The Labour administration at HBC would like to apologise for any inconvenience that this causes.

Barnfield: Councillors award £200 to local care home

Barnfield Councillor June Harrison recently presented a cheque for £200 to the manager of Rough Lee Home, a purpose built accommodation centre for people with physical disabilities. It was built in 1984 thanks to the efforts of former headmistress of Heathfield Primary School in Blackburn, Sister Gabriel. One of her pupils suffered a brain tumour and was left with physical disabilities so she started a campaign which led to the building of the home for disabled adults.

The home is celebrating its 30th year and currently has 14 residents who receive round the clock care whilst still enabling themselves a degree of autonomy. Rough Lee is not widely known of and relies on donations so is trying to raise £30,000 to keep going.

Anyone wanting more information or wishing to donate can call Andrea Buckley or Wendy Hargreaves on 01254 393152.

Huncoat: Labour team canvassing continues

The Labour team in Peel and Barnfield have now completed their first canvass with information cards and have now moved into Huncoat and Baxenden. The cards list details of all local Labour Councillors for the relevant areas plus information for the MP, Graham Jones.

Labour teams are active in all wards and will be knocking on every door in the borough ahead of next year's General Election.

Great Harwood: GS Social Care Solutions Open Day - 4th October 2014

GS Social Care Solutions in Great Harwood have expanded and moved premises. To celebrate this they are holding a fun day on Saturday 4th October which will encompass games, stalls and a beer tent.

A spokesperson for the company said, "We have now also set up a charity called Elysium@GS which is a large community centre based on BarnMeadow Lane in the building which was the former United Reform Church."

She added, "Elysium@ GS will be working with lots of partners to provide a range of social and leisure activities from babies, children, people with disabilities and older people with dementia - we look forward to seeing the public there and everyone is welcome!"

Entry is free and starts at 11.00am on Satutday 4th October.