Clayton-le-Moors: Improvements to Clayton Forest Park

Improvements to footpaths, entrances, and signage within Clayton Forest Park, which is the area surrounding the rear and sides of Wilson’s Playing Fields, are due to begin this summer.

Cllr Ken Moss, Cabinet Member for Leisure, said, “It’s great news that the improvements to Clayton Forest Park will soon be underway, to improve both access to the woodlands and wildlife habitat. The work will take approximately two months to complete and there will be some path closures during this time. We want to make sure that people keep safe whilst the work is going on, so we ask, please, that people keep away from closed paths and keep dogs on a lead whilst the works are on-going.”

These improvements are part of a £150,000 Lancashire Environment Fund and Forestry Commission funded project by the Council to improve access to woodlands at Clayton Forest Park and Lower Barnes Street, and to make improvements to wildlife habitat. Works carried out so far include coppicing of an area adjacent to the playing fields, and woodland thinning carried out using traditional horse extraction methods.

A woodland activity day for all the family to enjoy is scheduled to take place later in the summer, more details will be available soon.

If you would like any further details of works, or want to become involved in caring for woodland sites in the borough please contact the Trees & Woodlands Officer Phil Johnson, philip.johnson@hyndburnbc.gov.uk

Clayton-le-Moors: CCTV cameras to be installed

Shown above is the plan for the site of the proposed closed circuit cameras which County Councillor Miles Parkinson is trying to secure funding for in Clayton-le-Moors.

Cllr Parkinson said, "The locations have been chosen to ensure the parking areas are covered and with clear lines of sight. LCC have approved the installation and the price supplied, plus the cameras will be ‘wireless’ which means no ongoing costs to HBC."

HBC: Van donation to help vulnerable people

The Council is helping a local social enterprise charity, Community Solutions, to support more local vulnerable people, by supplying a van to help with many of their services.

Community Solutions North West is a social enterprise working in the North West, supporting more than 1500 people every month. Their services include befriending, food bank, allotments, training, sporting projects, family solutions and community repaint projects.

Cllr Munsif Dad, Cabinet Member for Health and Communities said; “Community Solutions carry out excellent work, supporting some of the most vulnerable people in our community and so we are glad to be able to help with the van donation, to help them support more people in need. “

Cllr Dad added; “The van will help Community Solutions in lots of ways. It will enhance their food bank operation, as although food parcels are all home delivered by volunteers, the van will allow the charity to collect more food from the local individuals, companies and schools who regularly support them. They will now be able to take advantage of some of the offers of food donations from Hyndburn based manufacturers and be in a position to offer to deliver some of the surplus food to other local organisations who are tackling food poverty.”

Mark Hirst, accepting the van on behalf of Community Solutions said; “Having this vehicle will be a massive help to many of our services as we continue to develop ways to help local people. It will be a huge boost to many of our operations including the Food Bank and will also help with our Community RePaint initiative as we can now collect more of the paint that local suppliers wish to donate and of course distribute the paint into Hyndburn from our RePaint Shop in Burnley.”

Mark added; "The van will also really help us to distribute the food from our allotments. Our polytunnels are based in Hyndburn and having a van will help us move the equipment needed between our allotment sites and to distribute the produce we are growing. Making sure we can get even more fresh, local and healthy produce into our food parcels.”

Peel: Residents' Meeting - 14th September 2015

The Peel Residents' Meeting takes place in the Stanley Pub, Stanley Street on every second Monday of the month.  All residents are welcome to attend to air any issues or ideas they may have for the betterment of the area with their local Councillors, Joyce Plummer and Wendy Dwyer.

The next meeting will be held on 14 September 2015 at the Stanley Pub.

Barnfield: Friends of Arden Hall nominated for award

New play area at The Coppice has been nominated for an award following work by local Labour Councillors.

Cllr Joyce Plummer said, "I submitted a Grant application for £30,000 to LEF last year on behalf of Friends of Arden Hall to help create a play area extension for older children at the Coppice and the site has now been put forward for an Award. I was interviewed by the judges and, figures crossed, we will win!"

The project has had heavy involvement from Barnfield Councillor June Harrison and local resident Paddy Short.

Hyndburn Leisure: Stroke and Parkinson's Exercise Group

Funding has been secured to expand the provision of an innovative exercise class for Stroke Survivors and people with Parkinson’s disease into Hyndburn. East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group provided the funding for Burnley Leisure Trust to replicate the already very successful class in Burnley into Hyndburn. Burnley Leisure Trust will be working in partnership with Hyndburn Leisure Trust to provide the new class at Hyndburn Leisure Centre starting on Thursday 28th May.

Beth Wolfenden, Burnley Leisure Trust’s Clinical Referral Lead says ‘We have been delivering a very successful Exercise after Stroke class since April 2013 and more recently we have developed the class to include people who have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. We work closely with the East Lancashire specialist teams for Stroke and Parkinson’s Disease and also the local branches of the Stroke Association and Parkinson’s UK and we provide a fun and social session which helps improve fitness, balance, strength and coordination.’

The exercises can be adapted to suit each participant and a full assessment is provided prior to starting the programme to ensure a complete individualised programme. There is a high instructor to participant ratio to ensure quality exercise instruction and motivation and there is a strong emphasis on the social side of the session.

Linda Horsfield Hyndburn Leisure Trust’s Head of Health & Wellbeing says ‘we are delighted to be working in partnership with Burnley Leisure Trust and Beth, whose passion for these classes have proved to be successful in helping improve health and well-being thus enabling better quality of life. We at Hyndburn and Burnley Leisure trusts are committed to developing and implementing specialised areas of rehabilitation programmes for our people living with Parkinson’s disease and life after stroke.

Beth says ‘ We are excited to able to work with our neighbouring Leisure Trust and to provide an opportunity for the residents of Hyndburn and Ribble Valley to access this innovative class and allow us to assist in improving their quality of life’

There is still also the opportunity for residents of Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale to access the established class in Burnley which runs on Tuesday mornings at the Vincent Farrell Community Centre, Temple Street.

For more information about the programme and how to access it call Beth on 01282 477134

Mayor's Viewpoint - Marlene Haworth - August 2015

Have you visited the Accrington Pals Room at the Town Hall yet?

On the 2nd August 1915, one of the most recognised photographs of the Accrington Pals was taken, showing Lieutenant Colonel A.W. Rickman, astride his horse Ben, proudly leading the Pals marching past Accrington Town Hall, watched and cheered by the Mayor of Accrington, John Harwood and a huge crowd of well-wishers.

A room has now been created in Accrington Town Hall dedicated to the memory of the Accrington Pals, with the walls featuring this famous image and many more pictures of the Pals, along with interpretation boards telling their poignant story and a range of artefacts on display.

As we approached the centenary of the day this iconic photograph was taken, I was honoured to officially open the Accrington Pals Room, on Saturday 1st August. I was

helped by Mrs Ruth Turner, wife of the late Bill Turner, celebrated Pals historian and author of many books about the Pals. Five year old Luke Holmes, great, great nephew of Walter Holmes, one of the last original Accrington Pals to be killed in action, was also on hand to cut the ribbon and what a great job he did!

It was a deeply poignant occasion and everyone was moved as I spoke of the terrible shock, horror and grief which was to consume the relatives of the Pals, as the earth shattering news of the fate of their loved ones on that devastating first day of the battle of the Somme filtered through. I’ve heard it said that almost every home in Accrington had their blinds down, or their curtains drawn and the bell at Christ Church tolled all day.

The Pals huge bravery and sacrifice and that of their comrades who fought and fell in World War One, must never be forgotten. It’s our duty to make sure their legacy lives on and the unveiling of the Accrington Pals Room is just a part of that.

All of us here in Hyndburn owe Ruth’s late husband Bill a huge debt of gratitude for the way he worked tirelessly to raise the profile of the Accrington Pals, and therefore Accrington and Hyndburn, on the local and national stage. We are indebted to Ruth for all her input and her kind permission to use photos from Bill’s collection and text from his work.

I also want to say a big thanks to Walter Holmes, knowledgeable Pals researcher and historian, who worked closely with Bill and carries on their work.

There have been many others involved in this project, including staff from the Council, the Library, the Hyndburn Heritage Museum, the Royal British Legion and the members of the Accrington Pals Group - a big thanks to them all too.

The Accrington Pals Room will be open during normal Town Hall opening hours and more displays and information are available at Accrington Library and Hyndburn Heritage Museum in the Arndale Centre.

Looking ahead, commemorations are planned in Accrington and France on 1 July 2016, with an early morning special Council meeting and a maroon flare at 7.30am in Accrington, to mark one hundred years since the Pals went 'over the top' and books of honour presentations and wreaths will be laid at the Accrington Pals memorial in France.

Clayton-le-Moors: Whalley Road resurfacing taking place

Highway maintenance is currently taking place in Clayton-le-Moors to help maintain the integrity of Whalley Road.

The process that is currently being used is referred to as “Surface dressing” the road is first cover in a tar like substance and then a particular type of stone is then scattered on top, other the next few weeks the stones settle and are compressed into the tar like substance, creating a better seal than that that is already on the road.

County Councillor Miles Parkinson said, “Surface Dressing” is a relatively new process being employed by the county council under its new new Traffic Asset Mangment Plan (TAMP). The TAMP is the Council's answer to managing a colossal reduction in central government grant designated for Highway Maintenance. The County Council hopes that early intervention on additional protection via surface dressing the highways will allow the Council to reinvest some of the savings into some of the county more damaged roads."

HBC: Accrington scrap metal business shut down

An Accrington man who operated a scrap metal business without a licence in Baxenden has been prosecuted in court and had his business closed down as a result.

Mumtaz Khan, of Higher Antley St Accrington pleaded guilty before Hyndburn Magistrates on 14th May to carrying on the business of a scrap metal dealer without the requisite licence, contrary to section 1 of the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013.

The Court also heard and granted the Council’s application for a closure order in respect of the premises at Unit 5 Alliance St Baxenden.

Cllr Clare Cleary, said; “Officers had been in touch with Mr Khan on several occasions to inform him that he needed the licence to operate his business, as to run a scrap metal business without one is breaking the law under legislation which came in to force in 2013. However, Mr Khan failed to complete his licence application, which meant he was operating in breach of the law leaving the Council no option but to take him to court, where he was found guilty and a closure order for his business granted.”

Baxenden: Please do not book tickets for unauthorised unfair in 2016

DO NOT BOOK TICKETS FOR THIS EVENT

An event is being advertised on Facebook for August 2016 on King Geroge's Playing Fields in Baxenden which has not been authorised by the Council and will not be granted permission. Advance tickets would already appear to be on sale and residents are urged not to buy them.

Cllr Ken Moss, Cabinet Member for Leisure said, “An event currently being advertised on Facebook, by Mega Value Fun Parks, featuring fairground rides running from 12th to 21st Aug 2016 on King Georges Playing Fields, has not been given permission by the Council and will not be taking place there. No permission has been sought and it would not be granted so close to the football season.”
Facebook - Accrington Summer Sizzler Fun Park 2016

Barnfield: Family Fun Day at Oakhill Park - 6th September 2015

A community and family fun day will take place at Oakhill Park in Barnfield on Sunday 6th September from 12.00pm until 4.00pm.

Entry is free and open to all residents!

Consultation on BBC services

The BBC Trust has launched a second public consultation on proposals from BBC management to close BBC Three as a broadcast channel and reinvent it online; launch a BBC One +1 channel; evolve BBC iPlayer; and extend the hours of CBBC.

Cabinet Member for Education, Leisure and The Arts, Cllr Ken Moss, said, "I am extremely passionate about the BBC. It is one of the cornerstones of Great Britain and it shapes our media in a way unlike any other country. It is the biggest broadcaster on the planet and sets the benchmark for how others create their output. I feel that the licence fee is far more important than people think so consultations like this are an excellent way of making sure that money is well spent."

The online consultation runs until 30th September 2015 and can be found here:

BBC Trust - Second consultation

Peel: Flytipping and damaged pavements

Cllr Joyce Plummer has been on her rounds this week around Peel checking on any damaged pavements and roads. She has also reported fly tipping on Avenue Parade which was spotted being dumped by a white van.

Joyce said, "Local residents should report any vans they see fly tipping in the area to either myself or Councillor Wendy Dwyer so that the Council can deal with it. If possible, note their registration number and help keep our area clean!"

Rishton: LCC investigates Eachill junction crossing

Following an accident earlier in the year, complaints were made regarding the length of time allowed for pedestrians to cross and County Councillor Miles Parkinson asked for an investigation.

A spokesman for LCC said, "I wanted to carry out extensive observations of the signals in a number of morning and evening peaks. This was carried out and the signals were found to be operating well for pedestrians and vehicles with acceptable levels of queueing and delay. I did not observe any short greens to Harwood Road as reported."

He added, "I realise that it is currently school holidays and the traffic levels are lower than normal and will carry out further observations to ensure the signals are operating as efficiently as possible when we return to higher traffic levels after the school holiday period."

Cllr Ken Moss said, "I've used the crossing myself and don't have a problem with the length of time allowed by the green man. However, it cannot be denied that there is a tendency for drivers to nip through on red and we saw the terrible consequences of this when a little boy was badly hurt over the summer. The crossing is perfectly safe if it is used properly by both pedestrians and drivers."

Barnfield: Balsam bashing session at Arden Hall

The Friends of Arden Hall held a 'balsam bashing' session earlier this month to rid the area of the invasive weed. Cllr June Harrison was joined by her colleague from Peel, Cllr Joyce Plummer, plus various volunteers including Paddy Short, Vincent Plummer, Dave Parkins and Alan Bolton.

Cllr Harrison said, "Once the balsam gets hold it just takes over. It is our intention do clear the area on a regular basis before the flowers go to seed."

Huncoat: Abandoned caravan at Bluebell Way

Residents in Huncoat have contacted their Councillors regarding an apparently abandoned caravan off Bluebell Way and Yorkshire Street.

Cllr Eamonn Higgins said, "The caravan has been parked there for about six weeks now. I visited the site and noticed a telephone number so I phoned it and spoke to the owner who said he had nowhere to store it. Residents were worried that other caravans would appear and turn it into an unofficial caravan storage area. The matter is now being dealt with by Huncoat community policing team."  

Clayton-le-Moors: Woodlands event - 29th & 30th August 2015

A event is taking place over the bank holiday weekend in the Woodlands off Whalley Road in Clayton-le-Moors. Activities include a display of chainsaw carving and learning how to use a portable sawmill!

The event is open from 10.00am until 4.00pm on both Saturday and Sunday.

HBC: Your vote matters - make sure you're in

Letters from the Council are currently being delivered to every household in the borough to ensure that details are correct for who lives at each address and who is eligible to vote. It ensures that everyone has the right to vote at local and General Elections, plus it may help to improve your credit rating.

The form should be completed and sent back to HBC (postage is free) or alternatively you can fill in the form online at:

www.elecreg.co.uk/hyndburn

The form is NOT a registration document but will enable to Council to send out separate individual voter registration forms to those who still need to register. Those who are eligible to vote can also register online at:

www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

It is important to provide the information requested as you could be fined £1,000. If you prefer, you can also provide the information over the phone by calling Karina Bilham on 01254 380132.

For more details on the electoral registration system please visit:

www.gov.uk/yourvotematters

Huncoat: Sale of land at Yorkshire Street

A question has been sent in to HBC by a Huncoat resident who is concerned about the sale of land on Yorkshire Street as part of a blanket policy of selling all pieces of Council-owned land.

Cllr Clare Cleary, Cabinet Member for Housing said, “I can confirm that the Council has decided to market the Yorkshire Street site in Huncoat for sale having received only one objection to the proposed disposal. I can reassure residents that the Council does not have a blanket policy to dispose of all its land. The Council has to continually balance the needs of communities with its wider role and responsibilities and the Yorkshire Street site presents an opportunity for some much needed new housing in the area. Any proposal for new housing will be subject to a planning application."

Spring Hill: Flytipping at Spring Hill Road

Some items of bedroom furniture have been dumped in Spring Hill and newly-elected Councillor, Diane Fielding, has dealt with it.

Cllr Fielding said, "A mattress and other bits of bedroom furniture have been dumped at back street of Spring Street and Spring Hill Road. I've contacted HBC who have now removed it but this sort of tipping costs money to get rid of. That's our Council tax money which means we can't spend it in the community. If anyone knows someone who is tipping then please call 01254 388111 and let us know."

Great Harwood: Charter Market - August 2015

Local Councillors Jenny Nedwell, Gareth Molineux and Bernadette Parkinson attended the recent Charter Market on Towngate Square.

The Market was run to raise funds for charity and the Mayor and Mayoress were also in attendance.

Merchant Navy Day - 3rd September 2015

3rd September 1939 marked the outbreak of the Second World War. Few are aware that it also marks the first major British maritime casualty. The merchant vessel SS Athenia was torpedoed just a few hours after hostilities were declared, with the loss of 128 passengers and crew.

The Red Ensign, or ‘Red Duster’ as it is affectionately known, has been recognised as the flag of the British Merchant Navy since 1854. The raising of this flag will be an occasion of pride in every community. The men, women of the United Kingdom’s Merchant Navy served our country heroically during two World Wars, some from Hyndburn. As an ‘island nation’ the UK still relies on Merchant Navy seafarers for 95% of our imports, including half the food we eat and 75% of our exports (by volume) are shipped from UK ports.

Hyndburn Borough Council will be holding a short ceremony on Thursday 3rd September 2015 at Accrington Town Hall at 10.00am to mark the contribution of the men and women who served.

Deputy Mayor, Councillor Tim O'Kane, said. "Recognition of the sacrifices the brave men and women of the Merchant Navy made is well overdue. If you know anyone who was in the Merchant Navy, and there are quite a few in Hyndburn, let us know and we will do our best to acknowledge them during the short service."

If any members of the Merchant Navy would like to attend this service then please contact Helen Gee on 01254 388111.

Netherton: Parking issues on St Cecilia Street

Netherton Councillors Bernadette Parkinson and Noordad Aziz have been talking to residents regarding parking issues on St Cecilia Street in Great Harwood.

They spent several hours discussing the matter with residents and getting signatures to fund minor highway improvements which could increase parking on the street.

Viewpoint - Munsif Dad - August 2015

Defibrillators save lives and so it’s great news that more of these devices are set to be installed across the Borough. Five defibrillators are currently being installed in Accrington and Huncoat and we are now looking into the possibility of installing another four in the Central and Spring Hill areas of Accrington in the future.

Defibrillators, famously used to help Premiership Footballer, Fabrice Muamba, who suffered a sudden cardiac arrest during a football game, deliver an electric shock to the heart after it stops pumping blood around the body. Statistics show that over 75,000 lives could be saved each year in the UK by having defibrillators immediately available, so it’s fantastic that funding has been approved from Central and Spring Hill Area Councils to install four more and we are now looking into this.

As Cabinet Member for Health and Communities I was really pleased to be able to donate a van on behalf of the Council to a local social enterprise charity, Community Solutions recently.

Community Solutions North West is a social enterprise working in the North West, supporting more than 1500 people every month. Their services include befriending, food bank, allotments, training, sporting projects, family solutions and community repaint projects and the van will help with many of their services to support more vulnerable local people.

The van will help Community Solutions in lots of ways. It will enhance their food bank operation, as although food parcels are all home delivered by volunteers, the van will allow the charity to collect more and more food from local individuals, companies and schools who regularly support them. They will now be able to take advantage of some of the offers of food donations from Hyndburn based manufacturers and be in a position to offer to deliver some of the surplus food to other local organisations who are tackling food poverty.

The van will also help them to distribute the food from Community Solutions allotments. The charity’s polytunnels are based in Hyndburn and the van will help them to move the equipment needed between their allotment sites and to distribute the produce they grow. Making sure they get even more fresh, local and healthy produce into their food parcels.

And finally, I just wanted to update you on the Mayoral Charities which will benefit from funds raised during my term of office last year. I’ve already sent cheques for £2,500 each to the four main beneficiaries which are Accrington & District Blind Society, East Lancashire Hospice, Macmillan Cancer Support and North West Air Ambulance.

Other charities including the Hyndburn Disability Forum, AAWAZ, Hyndburn Arthritis Care, Accrington Sea Cadets, Rishton Old Folks Welfare Association and Saheli Connection will also receive £200 each. Many thanks to everyone who helped us raise so much money to help these local worthy causes and I know the current Mayor, Cllr Marlene Haworth, is also busy raising lots of funds for her chosen Mayoral Charities.

Huncoat: Local Councillors organise Remembrance Day parade

The Huncoat Councillors have organised a formal Remembrance Day service following several years of informal arrangements.

  

Cllr Eamonn Higgins said, "In conjunction with former Councillor Dave Parkins and members of the local community we have managed to draw up a proposed sequence of events for the Remembrance Day ceremony. Hopefully the weather will be fine and if anyone has any suggestions or questions please contact Ben Caulfield on 01254 388111 who will be happy to help."

Remembrance Day in Huncoat will run as follows:

• 2.00pm - Meet at The Peace Garden, Burnley Lane
• 2.10pm - Parade from The Peace Garden up to the War Memorial led by representatives from the Royal British Legion
• Distribution of the order of service booklets.
• 2.30pm -Service at the War Memorial by the Reverend Enticott, the RBL chaplain
• Laying of the wreaths
• Minute's silence
• Dispersal

Huncoat: Foxwood Chase housing development objections

An appeal hearing was held in the Council offices at Scaitcliffe House on the 12th and 13th of August 2015 regarding the controversial building of twenty seven new houses at the rear of Foxwood Chase, Deer Park and Badgers Close in Huncoat.

The meeting was attended by representatives from Morris Homes who are the developers, Hyndburn Council officers and members of the public. The hearing was heard by the government planning inspector, who will make the final decision as to whether or not the development will go ahead following objections from residents.

Huncoat Councillor Eamonn Higgins also attended the hearing and said, “The hearing heard arguments from both parties. The original application by Morris Homes was unanimously rejected by Councillors at the very first stage and the inspector visited the site and looked at the residents' objections. We sincerely hope that this development does not go ahead and a decision is expected shortly.”

Peel: Dilapidated mill owner found guilty in court

The owner of a dilapidated mill building in Accrington was found guilty in court and ordered to pay £3320 in fines and costs recently, after disregarding a Council notice to carry out repairs there.

Bubble Holdings Ltd, of Marles Hill Wheatley Lane Rd, Barrowford Lancs, was convicted in its absence by Blackburn Magistrates of failing to comply with a notice served under Section 79 Building Act 1984, which required remedial work including rebuilding walls, rendering and painting to be undertaken to Maudsley Mill, Bradshaw St East, Accrington.

The Council contacted Mr Fakhar Zaman Ahmed, the Director of Bubble Holdings, on many occasions to request that the work be carried out and issued the notice when the work was not undertaken.

Cllr Clare Cleary said, “This mill site is located at the heart of a £250,000 regeneration project. Officers have given the owner of this mill lots of chances to bring it into a state of repair, however, after the notice was also ignored we’ve been left with no choice but to go to court to get the repairs done.”

Clayton-le-Moors: Express Gifts recruiting for 20 jobs

Express Gifts in Church have spoken to a representative of HBC to say that they are currently recruiting around 20 customer services staff to work in the call centre at Clayton-le-Moors.

If anyone knows anyone who is interested the details are either at the Job Centre or can be found here:

Express Gifts - Customer Services Advisor 

Peel: Go Peel 2015 a success

 

Dozens of youngsters enjoyed free sporting activities as part of the annual ‘Go Peel’ event on 15th August 2015. The children scaled a large climbing wall and also took part in various sports including archery, netball, football, cricket and athletics under the watchful eye of professional coaches.
All 55 participants received a free t-shirt, medals and certificates and healthy food was provided on the day by Asda.

Go Peel is run by Councillor Joyce Plummer and Michael Clarkson with help from County Councillor Bernard Dawson, Councillor June Harrison, Vincent Plummer and Paddy Short in conjunction with local neighbourhood police and aims to get interested in sport.

Cllr Plummer said, “It went very well and there was lots of different sports for the children to do. There was also a craft stall so they could make cards and boxes and things to take home. The idea of Go Peel is to get children into sporting activities as opposed to hanging around on street corners. We started Go Peel back in 2004 and it doesn’t cost the children anything. Medals were awarded to the best people in each group and they all got a certificate of achievement.”

Great Harwood: Churchfield House leased for 25 years to community group

On 29th July 2015, Cabinet approved the disposal by 25 year lease of Churchfield House, Great Harwood, to Churchfield House Ltd.

The Council is trustee of Churchfield.  The Council is subject to a legal duty to act in the best interest of the charity at all times.  On the 30^th July 2014 Cabinet authorised a short term lease of Churchfield House, not exceeding 24 months, to Churchfield House Ltd.

Churchfield House has been significantly underused for many years.  Prior to the short term lease to CFH Ltd the building has only been used for approximately 22 hours per month. 

The purpose of the short term lease was to permit Churchfield House Ltd. the opportunity of managing the building for a limited period of time, and to prepare a sustainable business plan for the building’s long term management and usage.  A business plan has been prepared by Churchfield House Ltd and is appended to the Cabinet report.  The Business Plan shows that income generated through community based activities, and some commercial letting of office space on the first floor, will enable the operation of the building to become sustainable.

The Charities Act 2011 does not permit any part of the building to be leased for a period of greater than 2 years without obtaining a scheme or an order from the Charity Commission.  The issue of a lease by the Council is therefore dependant on the Council obtaining a scheme or an order from the Charity Commission.

The terms of the proposed lease appear to be the best that can reasonably be obtained. The Council has obtained an independent valuation of Churchfield House from Taylor Weaver.  Cabinet will note that this concludes that the proposed peppercorn rent represents market value for the property subject to a requirement for community usage in accordance with the charitable bequest.

In order to satisfy its obligations as charity trustee, the Council has completed an extensive public consultation in Great Harwood.  Churchfield House Ltd. has also completed its own separate consultation, which received 160 positive responses to the proposed lease.  No negative responses were received during either of the consultations.

HBC: Accrington Bus Station - August 2015

As can be seen in the picture, works have now started on erecting the steelwork required for the station building. This element of the works began on Monday 10th August and is expected to take three weeks, at which point the steel frame of the building will be in place.

The steelwork visible in the picture is the steel required for the internal structure of the building where the ancillary accommodation for the bus station will be located. The outline of the outer edge of the building is visible on the ground, the steelwork for the external walls will be the next element to be put in place along this outline.

Works on the retaining walls at the edge of the site are progressing well, particularly on the Eastern edge of the site (to the left side of the picture).

Clayton-le-Moors: New car parking at Whalley Road

Lancashire County Council has now started work on the new extended car park at the rear of Whalley Road, Clayton Le Moors.

County Councillor Miles Parkinson said, "Due to the concerns raised by businesses during the consultation on the Pennine Reach Scheme and the effects to parking on Whalley Road, funding was secured and when finished will provide extra parking for residents and businesses in this location."

HBC: Did you know....?

The make up of the Council is now Labour 25 seats, Conservative 8 seats, UKIP 2 seats.

Last year our Customer Contact Centre handled 315,000 enquiries. The team now deals with 74% of all calls made to the Council’s switchboard, responds to over 38,500 emails and takes around £1.5million in telephone payments each year.

On the first Sunday every month, Great Harwood attracts hundreds of visitors to its Farmers Market. The market has been a great success and people flock to the town to try out the tasty treats on offer and have a great day out. If you’ve not yet given it a go, why not make a note in your diary and get along to the next market on 2nd August…..it really is a great day out.

Don’t forget that you can always buy local produce by using the ‘click and collect’ service at www.accringtonmarketonline.co.uk. Once you’ve ordered, you can either drop in and pick up your shopping, or take advantage of the free home delivery service.

Hyndburn is now part of the national network of Electric Vehicle Charge Points. Located at the Town Hall end of Broadway this ‘rapid’ charge point can recharge an electric or hybrid car from zero to 80% in just 40 minutes.

You can book a wedding in the function room at the Haworth Art Gallery for as little as £350.

Nearly 7,500 residents have signed up to manage their Revenues and Benefits accounts online through the Council’s CONNECT service. This makes it easy for them to register changes and check their accounts at a time of their choosing.

Once again the Council has been awarded seven green flag awards for the parks and green spaces within the Borough – an achievement that puts us top of the Lancashire League table.

From April 2014 to March 2015 crime in Hyndburn reduced by 2%, This means that there were 132 fewer crimes in the Borough compared to the same period in the previous year.

The Borough has 383 dog bins and 792 litter bins. Each one has a sticker providing information on when the bin is emptied and a unique reference number that identifies it to staff back at the office.

The Council has launched a new crackdown on fraud and error in Housing Benefit payments. In the period since October 2014 the Council has reduced the Housing Benefit bill by well over £150,000. This work will continue throughout 2015/16.

The Council has issued 26 Scrap Metal Dealer licenses to operators in the Borough since we took on the legal responsibility for this last year. We have also issued almost 1100 licenses to landlords under the Selective Landlord Licensing Scheme.

HBC: Accrington Cemetery Book of Remembrance

Relatives are able to access Accrington Cemetery’s Book of Remembrance much more easily now, after its recent move to a dedicated, specially built room, right next to the cemetery office.

Cllr Ken Moss, Cabinet Member for Cemeteries, said; “Families will find it easier to see the Book of Remembrance now it’s in its own dedicated room, as previously it was housed in the crematorium annex. This means that visitors, especially those coming via public transport, don’t have to travel as far and will have uninterrupted access to the book of remembrance during opening times.”

Cllr Moss added; “The new location will also mean that anyone visiting the Book of Remembrance and needs help or has any questions, only needs to pop next door into the Cemetery Office.”

The Book of Remembrance is sited next to the Cemetery Office, just inside the main gates of Accrington Cemetery off Burnley Road. Opening times are 9am-4pm Monday to Friday. Weekend and Bank Holiday, opening times 1pm to 4pm.”

Peel: Labour In Peel

The latest Hyndburn Labour blog to go live focuses on the work done in Peel by local Councillors Wendy Dwyer and Joyce Plummer, plus active residents such as Paddy Short.

The blog can be found here and will be updated regularly:

Labour In Peel