Police: Bogus callers in Oswaldtwistle and Church

Please be aware that Police yesterday received two reports of ‘bogus official’ or ‘Distraction’ type burglary in the Oswaldtwistle and Church areas.

Bogus Official burglaries involve the offender posing as a legitimate workman or a representative of an organisation or service-provider such as; United Utilities, Telecom, Council, with the intention of gaining admittance to your home to steal your property.

In relation to the two offences reported yesterday, the offender posed as a United Utilities official at one and a Virgin Media official at the other.

One offender is described as a man aged between 30 and 40 years, wearing dark clothing and a dark-coloured ‘bob’ hat.

If in doubt, DO NOT OPEN YOUR DOOR.

Please warn any elderly neighbours, friends or family of the risk to opening the door to strangers.

Report anything you feel is suspicious to the Police immediately.

ADVICE:

• Bogus callers may be smartly dressed and claim to be from the council, the police, health organisations or gas, water or electricity companies.
• They may be dealers offering to buy your jewellery, antiques or furniture at what seems to be a good price but could actually be a lot less than the item is worth.
• They may be workmen trying to persuade you that you need urgent repairs doing to your home.
• You also need to be careful of callers offering to make building repairs or to tarmac your drive. 
• Sometimes they can ask for money in advance or even overcharge you.
• Beware of callers who attempt to distract you by claiming they have seen something untoward in another room or outside, which may encourage you to leave the room.
• Fitting, and using, a door chain or spy hole to the front door will help you to check who the caller is before opening and if they cannot produce an official identity card then do not let them in. You can even ring the company they say they are from to confirm their identity.
• A genuine caller will not mind you closing the door for two minutes while you check their ID and most will be happy to make an appointment and return at a later date or time
• Remember, they can only get in if you let them in!

HBC: Dog Chipping - 2nd March 2016

At the last dog micro-chipping event at Town Hall Square, Great Harwood we chipped 75 dogs which is our most successful to date.

The next event is on the 2nd March at the front of Tesco, Accrington and will be held during the day.

For dog owners who cannot attend this event, Hyndburn Stray Dogs in Need will chip dogs for free at their shop on Whalley Road, Accrington.

Hyndburn Leader's Budget Statement 2016

Once again, this year and now for the seventh time in a row, it has been possible to set a Budget for all of the Council’s operations that will not require a Council Tax increase for Hyndburn Council services. So, from April 2016 you will continue to only have to pay what you were paying back in 2009/10.

This is a remarkable achievement by the Council, as Government reductions in funding continue to put all council’s under severe financial pressure and pressures on expenditure continue to rise as more people require help from Council services in these difficult times and costs continue to rise through inflationary pressures.

We are now one of a handful of councils that by good financial management continue to be able to freeze our council tax. As well as freezing council tax increases again this year, we remain committed to protecting front-line services wherever we can and delivering improved value for money throughout all council services, but particularly in our back office functions and this has meant that the vast majority of the £870,000 of savings we have identified for 2016/17 are coming from non-public facing departments.

While we continue to face the challenge of less money from Central Government this year to help run our services and the prospect that in a few years’ time we will receive no funding from Government whatsoever, we remain committed to improving the whole local area.

This year we will be investing for the first time £600,000 into Rishton to help transform one of the key streets in the town and boost the regeneration of this whole area. We will also be continuing with our investment into West Accrington and the Woodnook area of Accrington.

In May 2016 we expect to see the new Bus Station open in the centre of Accrington and once that has happened we will develop our plans to boost Accrington Town Centre with the development of a public square around the Market Hall and Town Hall, which will be followed by investment into the local retail offer, with grants to shops and local business owners to develop the façade of their buildings and undertake other work to enhance their properties and the look and feel of the Town Centre along Blackburn Road.

Providing the right services to local people has never been more difficult given the financial constraints we face, however we remain committed to the idea of keeping council tax low and delivering the best possible local services to our community that the money we have can provide.

Cllr Miles Parkinson
Leader of Hyndburn Borough Council

Rishton: Vote for Piggy Park at Tesco

The Piggy Park Community Garden Project has been entered into a competition for funding alongside two other Lancashire projects under the 'Tescos's Bags of Help' Funding Scheme. If successful in the bid, the group will be able to buy a potting shed, install raised beds and be able to develop a 'Forest School' area for use by St Charles School, Copperhouse Children's Centre, Rishton Brownies and as many other local groups as possible.

Group secretary Jeff Scales said, "This money will help to transform a neglected and underused site into a green oasis within Rishton, providing environmental education opportunities for the whole community. Voting is currently taking place in the Tesco store in Great Harwood. so please pop along and vote for Piggy Park!"

Chairman of the group, Cllr Ken Moss siad, "This is not an online vote, you can only vote in the Great Harwood store so please get as many people as possible who shop at Tesco to vote!"

LCC: Road surfacing failures in Hyndburn

The winter weather has exacerbated the surface dressing failures and we are starting to receive reports of damage to vehicles which either require cleaning and/or repair. LCC can advise that these are being dealt with and paid for by the contractor RMS.

Information boards have been placed on the affected roads by RMS to apologise for the inconvenience to motorists. They can now confirm that works to rectify the roads will be carried out in Spring/Summer and their direct telephone number for queries which is 01925 752165.

If any resident has any difficulties in either contacting RMS or achieving a satisfactory resolution to any problems incurred, please contact highways@lancashire.gov.uk or telephone 0300 123 6780.

Northwest hardest hit again - 7 MPs to go in Bonfire of the Boundaries

The Boundaries Commission are to redraw the Parliamentary boundaries to reduce the number of MPs in Westminster from 650 to 600. The number of MPs from each region to be reduced has been revealed and the Northwest of England is once again hardest hit.

Clr Ken Moss said, "The biggest cuts are in Labour heartlands, with predictions suggesting that up to 24 Labour MPs will be for the chop. Populations change all the time so this arbitrary redrawing of constituencies away from established borough boundaries is going to confuse people. It's simply a way of strengthening Conservative seats."

A statement from the Labour Whips' Office said, "The PM plans for 40 more peers (to the House of Lords) while at same time axing 50 MPs 'to reduce cost of politics' which would mean he'd made nearly 300 unelected peers since 2010."

The boundary review will take place in 2018 and Graham Jones's Hyndburn constituency is one of those under threat to be abolished which would most likely mean a merger with Blackburn or Burnley.

Peter Britcliffe and the Tories can't seem to differentiate between District and County Councils

The Hyndburn Borough Council annual budget meeting took place on Thursday 25th February and the Labour budget was passed. The budget meeting is a chance for opposition Councillors to put forward alternative proposals and query spending by the Borough Council but none were submitted by the Conservatives.

Cllr Miles Parkinson announced a 0% council tax rise for the fifth year running but all the Conservative members abstained from the vote.

St Oswalds resident Glen Harrison was watching from the public gallery and commented, "I don't see the point of Councillors abstaining. They're there to represent the public, how can they do that by not registering their views?"
Several questions were asked during the debate relating to bus services, road surfacing and increases in the police and fire authority precepts but these were quickly shot down.

Cllr Ken Moss said, "Why are these issues being raised here? It seems that Cllr Britcliffe and his fellow Conservatives don't know the difference between District and County Councils. The only thing he has raised all night concerning HBC is a fear of rats."

Cllr Gareth Molineux said, "If County Councillor Britcliffe reported back to his own Councillors when he'd been to County Hall then perhaps these questions wouldn't be being asked."

Council Leader Miles Parkinson summed up and said, "Peter, you have had the chance to put forward your own budget but haven't done so. You've criticised County Council and the blue light services simply as a way to attack Labour. That isn't helping to protect the public. Even after another 14% cut by the government, we have set a 0% tax increase in Hyndburn and brought in a balanced budget without resorting to borrowing. What have you done?"

A full agenda and papers for the meeting can be found here.

EU Referendum - 23rd June 2016

The Prime Minister has announced the date for the EU referendum and all residents are encouraged to get involved. On 23rd June 2016, Great Britain will go to the polls to answer the question: "Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?"

Cllr Ken Moss said, "It is one of the most important votes we are ever likely to make so I would urge people to make sure that they are registered. There are remarkably few unbiased websites out there for residents to make up their minds but I would probably direct people to the BBC's EU Referendum guide."

The website can be found here:

BBC News: The UK's EU Referendum - All You Need To Know

Anyone who wants to make sure they are registered to vote should contact HBC before 18th April 2016 on 01254 388111.

HBC: Arndale car parking charges statement

Flyers and posters have appeared around Accrington notifying shoppers and workers of parking charges which will apply to the Arndale from 21st March. Hyndburn Borough Council wish to make it clear that this is not a Council initiative, nor have they had any involvement with this decision as the Arndale is not in Council ownership or control.

A lease was granted in 1988 which precluded the owners charging for car parking but this lapsed in 2013. An extract from thelease says that for the first 25 years of the lease the Arndale owners can’t charge for parking up to 3 hours and should use their best endeavours not to charge for parking over 3 hours (and before introducing charging will try other methods to ensure usage of the par park for short stay parking).

After the 25 year period the lease says that the Council will release these obligations from all or part of the car park if the Arndale owners demonstrate to the reasonable satisfaction of the Council that all or part of the car park is not required as short term parking for the Arndale and/or Accrington town centre.

Council Leaders have requested a meeting with the current owners of The Arndale Centre to discuss the matter.

Milnshaw: Damaged bollards at Electricity Street replaced

 

Milnshaw Councillor Paul Cox was contacted by a resident earlier this month about damage to a traffic bollard located at the top of Electricity Street. The obstruction is believed to have been caused by a wagon mounting the pavement on the previous Saturday night. One resident, Mrs Abbott, who regularly passes this area contacted her local Councillor to ask if this could be repaired.

Cllr Cox said, "Mrs Abbott often travels passed this location on her mobility scooter heading towards town. She struggled to get passed the damaged road surface so contacted me to see if something could be done. I made contact with Lancashire County Council Highways department and explained how this was causing some difficulty. After reporting the incident, the Highways department secured the damaged area and replaced the bollard also repairing the footpath within the month."

Cllr Cox added, "I’m glad this work was attended to promptly which has allowed several residents to now use the drop kerb and ramp access into town from Milnshaw Estate. If any other residents have similar issues please feel free to get in touch."

Peel: Crumbling wall at Water Street

The wall across from the Mountain and Fell Shop on Water Street is in poor condition and has been reported by a local resident.  The top of the wall is crumbling and presents a dangerous hazard for pedestrians. 

Paddy Short investigated the wall and took pictures immediately, which Councillor Joyce Plummer reported to HBC for action.

LCC: Graph of Doom shows extent of predicted government cuts

A graph has been produced to show the expected impact of government cuts on Lancashire County Council. Nearly another £300m of cuts are expected between now and 2021 which will leave a funding gap of over £223m after the hundreds of millions of pounds of savings which have already been identified.

This is not even the worst case scenario.

County councillor Miles Parkinson said, "The situation at LCC will have a major impact locally in Hyndburn when non-statutory services are either severely reduced or stopped altogether. 'Bleak' is too good a word to use when we look at what needs to be implemented to resolve the funding crisis."

LCC: The impact of cuts to bus subsidies in Hyndburn

 

Lancashire County Council has proposed to withdraw subsidies to buses from the 2nd April 2016 as a direct result of the Government Austerity measure, which will see a further cut in funding of £262 million over the next five years. The table above shows the subsidised services in Hyndburn which will be affected. The number 2 service from Accrington to Dill Hall is also affected.

Based on current spending and forecast demand for services, the County Council will not have sufficient financial resources to meet its statutory obligations by April 2018, even if they no longer continue to deliver any of the non-statutory services. The County Council will need to rely heavily on reserves in order to set a balanced budget for 2016/17 and 2017/18. Along with the proposals for withdrawing all subsidies for bus services, the government's austerity will affect a wide range of service areas and impact on frontline services. Where possible, LCC are continuing to look for more efficient ways of working that save money without affecting customers and communities.

This decision will affect approximately 15% of the current bus network as 85% of bus services are not subsidised. The current cost of subsidising these services is £6.8 million a year with the individual cost ranging from 34p to the highest being £12.31 per passenger.

The County Council will continue to support concessionary travel for the elderly and disabled known as the NOW Card. LCC will not be withdrawing the NOW card agreements.

Rural areas right across the country have suffered more than most when it comes to service provision. A recent national ATCO (Association of Transport Coordinating Officers) survey said that in order to maintain existing levels of support for socially necessary local buses, budgets would have to increase by an average of 4.4% whereas in practice local authority budgets were reduced by 2.2%.

The government rejected this proposal.

An updated consultation on the budget proposals to withdraw the subsidy and terminate all local bus service contracts will take place from 4 January 2016 until 27 March 2016. If you would like to express your views on these proposals, please visit the website http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/haveyoursay. Alternatively, you can pick up a hard copy of the consultation questionnaire at your local library or County Information Centre.

Police: Government cuts police money while crime is on the increase

At a recent debate in the Hyndburn Borough Council chamber, Labour members decried the government's cuts to local policing which have seen over 700 frontline officers and 500 investigative staff laid off since 2010.

The local Conservatives fought back with claims that we now have a more efficient police force and that reported crimes are down.
New figures confirm the extent of the cuts will force police chiefs to raise their portion of council tax by nearly 12% in five years. The Chancellor stated to MPs in November: "There will be no cuts in the police budget at all. The police protect us, and we’re going to protect the police."

However, the government's direct funding for the police will fall £131million between 2016/17 and 2019/20, Home Office figures have shown. The figures also revealed Home Office police grants are set to fall £209m between this year and next year - a cut of 2.7% to £7.4b.

Specific crime figures for Hyndburn show that crime figures in the Accrington area are the worst in the borough:

• Assault with injury up 110% from 487 in 2013/2014 to 1021 in 2014/2015 
• Attempted burglary in a dwelling up 139% from 31 in 2013/2014 to 74 in 2014/2015
• Criminal damage to vehicles up from 472 in 2013/2014 to 827 in 2014/2015
• Possession of controlled drugs (cannabis) up 82% from 83 in 2013/2014 to 151 in 2014/2015

HBC: Hyndburn once again in top 10% of Councils facing harshest cuts

Based on what the Government has said so far, Hyndburn Borough Council will see a reduction in  spending ability over the next four years of almost 15%. Only Barrow, Copeland, and Bolsover in the North suffer harsher cuts under this settlement and Hyndburn is once again one of the top 10% of Councils suffering major Government cuts over this period.

In contrast, Buckinghamshire is receiving at 3.6% increase over the same period.

The Government is making assumptions across the whole of local government about how local council tax and business rates will grow over the next four years and, while some of these growth assumptions might prove true in the South of the country, we know here in the north that the local economy will not generate such growth figures.

The Government’s assumptions around how these figures will help local councils is unrealistic and the level of reductions we face in our Spending Powers over the next four years is likely to be greater than the 15% the Government has indicated.

Police: Would you like to work as a PCSO?

Would you like to work asa PCSO? Lancashire Constabulary are looking to recruit a number of Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) to start work around the end of June 2016.

PCSOs are at the heart of neighbourhood policing in Lancashire and play a really important role in keeping people safe. You don’t need to have any formal qualifications, although you’ll be expected to have a good standard of written and spoken English and the police are also keen to hear from people who have experience of working with and helping vulnerable people in our communities.

These roles are permanent and we have both full and part-time vacancies available. The police support flexible working patterns including those of you who may want to work evenings and weekends to fit a job like this around your existing commitments.

There are opportunities across the county and whilst it can’t be guaranteed, the police will do their best to meet successful candidates’ preferences about where they want to work.

If you want to know more about what it’s like to work as a PCSO in Lancashire have a look at the two officer case studies on the website here http://www.lancashire.police.uk/join-us/pcsos.aspx

The application form will go live on the website www.lancashire.police.uk at 10 am this Thursday, 18 February.

All applications must be submitted by noon on Friday, 4 March.

Ron Hill 10K Accrington Run 2016

The popular Ron Hill Accrington 10K race is back for its third year on Sunday 6th March, and there will also be fun for all the family, with a 1m Fun Run featuring on the same day.

Named in honour of World famous Accrington runner Ron Hill, and organised by Cannonball Events, the Ron Hill Accrington 10k is a race for people of all speeds.

Cllr Clare Cleary, Cabinet Member for Accrington Town Centre, encouraged people to sign up, saying; “Ron Hill MBE, world record holder, Olympian, clothing entrepreneur and Freeman of the Borough is a true Hyndburn hero, he’s the perfect inspiration to get you out and run. It doesn't matter if you are running for a Personal Best, a prize, to raise money for charity or just for fun; everyone is welcome join in.”

Ron, who was born in Accrington, won the Commonwealth Games and European Championship marathons. He has run every day for over fifty years, even after breaking his sternum in a car crash! Ron also has an Accrington street named in his honour, Ron Hill Way, which runners will pass near on the course.

The Ron Hill Accrington 10k, open to anyone over sixteen, is largely traffic free with road closures at the start and at the finish with a new course which is much flatter and faster than the previous two years, but it is Lancashire after all so there are always going to be hills and downhills.

The charity benefiting this year is Cystic Fibrosis, with £1 from every entry going to the Charity. Also places have been allocated to people running to raise money for the Charity.

Cllr Clare Cleary, added; “It really is a family day out, as there will also be a 1 mile Fun Run open to anyone aged six and upwards, which is a safe opportunity to run a mile on closed roads, where parents can run with their children too. The new 1 mile Fun Run course on fully closed roads will also host Accrington's first ever wheelchair race.”

For more details of the events, or to enter, visit linkhttp://cannonballevents.co.uk/ron-hill-accrington-10k.

HBC: Warm Homes scheme helps over 200 homes in Hyndburn

The ‘Warm Homes Hyndburn’ scheme is a partnership between the Council, Homewise and Dyson Energy Services, which helps householders, make their homes more energy efficient and save money on their energy bills.

The scheme can help qualifying household’s access funding for replacement boilers and home insulation including loft and cavity wall insulation.

Warmer homes can have positive benefits on all sorts of things including fewer health problems including respiratory and arthritic conditions, better educational attainment for children at school and as less money is used to pay fuel bills more disposable income for improved lifestyle options.

Cllr Clare Cleary, Cabinet Member for Housing at Hyndburn Council, said; “We’re urging residents to check to see if they qualify for warm homes funding now, as over 200 households in the borough are already benefiting from warmer homes and reduced energy bills through the scheme.”

To find out if you qualify and for more information call Homewise on 01254 232 249 or call in at: Homewise, 2/4 Whalley Road, Accrington, BB5 1AA.