Hyndburn Labour - Election Statement 2016

Hyndburn has suffered the deepest cuts in England while Southern Councils have been given millions extra. The Tories do not care about the North.

Labour have kept your HBC Council tax at the same level as 2010, garden waste collection, pest control and bulky goods removals are still free services and we will never charge for car parking.

Labour have fought for Hyndburn and continue to manage finances without resorting to additional borrowing. We are working with the private sector to bring in new investment and create jobs for local people at new business parks. We also work in partnership with several voluntary groups which has brought in millions of pounds for projects around the borough.

Labour continually source grants for parks and leisure, which enabled a new games area at Milnshaw, a forthcoming £2m revamp at Rhyddings and new sports facilities including 3G football pitches, changing rooms, saunas and a women's gym. We are now also entering into lease agreements with local football teams so that they can have dedicated home grounds, with Rishton Utd being the first of its kind.

Labour have invested over £22m into regeneration projects around Hyndburn since 2011, plus secured £7m for new homes and over £10m for a major town centre renovation starting this year.

Only Hyndburn Labour has protected you from these unfair Conservative government deep cuts. We offer continued sound financial management and innovative ideas across Hyndburn, not reckless spending in favoured areas.

Please vote Labour on May 5th.

Great Harwood: NOT FOR SALE - The truth about Bank Mill House

You may have read literature or heard comments that the Great Harwood Labour Councillors are selling Bank Mill House and pulling the rug from under the senior citizens of Great Harwood.

Well that is simply not true.

Cllr Gareth Molineux said, "When I was elected in 2011 it seemed that there was no real responsibility being taken for the building. The former chairperson had become very unwell and due to his age was unable to continue in his role. Mr Holt had served the senior citizens for fantastically for decades. However due to poor record keeping and keys being readily handed out for the building something had to be done.

"Hyndburn Council wanted to formalise the arrangement in the same way has it had with other community buildings in its ownership as the day to day booking of rooms and hire charges and income was being kept by the committee but the maintenance of the building and the running costs totalling over £17,000 per annum was being paid for by HBC."

The committee refused to sign the same agreement that Hippings Vale (Oswaldtwistle) had signed a few years before and over a period of 4 years the Council made a number of concessions at the request of the committee.

After 4 years it became clear that no agreement could be made as the committee wanted full use of the building and to keep the income but was not prepared to take on any responsibilty of the overall upkeep of the building.

The Council had been approached by organisations such as Great Harwood Civic Society who had formed a charity to take on buildings through a leasing scheme. Other buildings include Hippings Vale Community Centre, the Civic Theatre in Oswaldtwistle to name but two.

Bank Mill House is the last such building that is not in community hands.

Cllr Molineux said, "The Committee were reluctant to move forward and all of them had concerns regarding the legal and business implications. I made them the offer that Hyndburn Council would fund them taking both independent Legal and Business advice through a provider of there choice, to set their minds at ease and to give them a greater understanding of what was involved. The Committee refused this funding, and to my understanding have taken no formal advice."

At this point Hyndburn Leisure had come forward with a proposal that grants the committee and the senior citizens of the town the same use rights has they have now with the same terms. They have also offered to protect current bookings and honour the community group's current usage.


This agreement does not involve Hyndburn Council selling Bank Mill House. 

It will be leased to Hyndburn Leisure and funded by Hyndburn Leisure.

The Senior Citizens are NOT losing their centre.

St Oswalds 2016: Glen Harrison

St Andrews 2016: Stewart Eaves

Spring Hill 2016: Munsif Dad

Peel 2016: Patrick Short

Overton 2016: Stephanie Haworth

Netherton 2016: Noordad Aziz

Church 2016: Jean Battle

Central 2016: Abdul Khan

Baxenden 2016: David Hartley

Barnfield 2016: Jodie Travis

Altham 2016: Stephen Button

Rishton 2016: Jeff Scales

Clayton-le-Moors: New blog launched by Mercer House 1842

A new blog has been launched by Mercer House 1842, a charitable group in Clayton-le-Moors which manages the Arthur Wilson Centre and operates from The Annex on Barnes Square.

Former independent Councillor Nick Collingridge, who is part of the management team at Mercer House, asked Hyndburn Labour to help them set up a new blogspot of their own after seeing the daily updates on our own pages. The new Clayton-le-Moors blog is completely non-political and is designed to show regular updates of their activities and news:

http://claytonlemoors.blogspot.co.uk/

Tory Cuts Calculator - How hard are the Conservatives hitting your Council?

 

The Association of Labour Councillors have launched a new online tool showing how different areas have been hit by Conservative government cuts.

http://www.labour.org.uk/content/torylocalcutscalculator  

Across the country, local authorities’ spending power per household is on course to fall by an average of 16 per cent (£169) between 2011-12 and 2012-20. Labour Councils are set to see falls of 21 per cent on average, compared to a 13 per cent fall for Tory Councils.

Police: Beware the trickster at the door!

On Friday 15^th April 2016 at 9.30pm, a Church resident answered a knock at her front door.
 
A man presented himself claiming that his vehicle had broken down on the main road. He asked the householder if she would kindly call the number of his breakdown company.
 
When the householder went back inside to get her mobile ‘phone, the man entered as a trespasser, stole the householder’s keys and returned to the front door.
 
Unaware that her keys had been stolen the householder attempted to call the number she had been given by the man but, unsurprisingly, it wouldn’t connect.
 
The man gave his thanks and left. He met an accomplice around the corner and together, using the stolen keys, they entered the householder’s car and drove off.
 
Within half an hour the stolen Hyundai was found crashed in a field at Altham. The offenders had fled.
 
PLEASE be careful when you encounter strangers. Always keep your doors locked. If you are suspicious then ring the police at once.
 
Take care.

Happy St George's Day 2016

Hyndburn Labour would like to wish all residents a very happy St George's Day!

A special St George's Day event has been organised along Broadway in Accrington today and starts at 11.00am. All residents are invited to attend.

A website dedicated to St George's Day and all things English can be found here:

http://www.stgeorgesday.com/

Accrington: St George's Day street party on Broadway

On behalf of the Chamber of Trade and organisers, Councillor Miles Parkinson invites all residents to an event on Broadway on Saturday 23rd April at 1.00pm to celebrate the Queen’s 90th Birthday which will involve singing happy birthday and the cutting of a birthday cake.

A Facebook page for the event can be found here:

Facebook - Street Party to celebrate St George's Day and The Queen's 90th Birthday

The event starts at 11.00am and all are welcome.

Police: If it looks suspicious, it probably is!

The public are constantly being urged by the Police to report suspicious behaviour immediately and here’s a good example why:
 
At 02:30 hours this morning (Friday 22^nd April 2016) a resident of Shadsworth, Blackburn, contacted the police regarding the suspicious behaviour of two men on the residential estate.
 
When a police patrol attended to investigate it encountered a Mercedes Van driving erratically in the area.
 
The police officers began to follow the van and its speed increased until, after a short chase, it suddenly stopped and the two male passengers ran off.
 
Stringent police fitness tests ensured the officers were up to the task and the two men were caught and detained.
 
The men were searched and certain property relating to industrial premises in Darwen was discovered.
 
When these premises were checked by police it was discovered that they had been subject of a burglary during which the Mercedes van the men had been driving had been stolen.
 
Also stolen from the burglary was a second van and a Range Rover; all the vehicles stolen with keys.
 
With the men arrested and detained, a search of the area where the men had first been seen acting suspiciously was undertaken.
 
The second stolen van and the stolen Range Rover were discovered within a quarter mile radius.
 
The responsible actions of a member of the public led to the arrest of two men for burglary, the recovery of over £40,000 of stolen vehicles, oh, and the two men were also wanted by the police in connection with other offences.
 
Not a bad job all-round and thanks again, to the public.  
 
If you think it is suspicious – report it.

Accrington: Temporary closure of the Minor Injuries unit at Victoria Hospital

The NHS have released a statement regarding the temporary closure of the Minor Injuries unit at Accrington Victoria Hospital:

Attendances at our Emergency Department at Royal Blackburn Hospital and Urgent Care Centre at Burnley General Hospital remain very high.  Next week, on 26^th and 27^th April, junior doctors are taking industrial action which will include withdrawal of emergency care between 8.00am and 5.00pm on both days.  This is the first time any hospital will have had to respond to a scenario of this type.  Consequently, it is important that we take all actions necessary to ensure that we collectively and proactively maintain our ability to see and treat the most critically ill patients as a priority.

Therefore, East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust together with Blackburn with Darwen and East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Groups, have agreed another short term temporary closure of the Minor Injuries Unit at Accrington Victoria Community Hospital (AVCH). This will be effective from Monday 25^th April at 8.00am until Thursday 28^th April when the unit will re-open at 8.00am.

This temporary measure means that staff from the Minor Injuries Unit at Accrington can move to support their colleagues at our Burnley and Blackburn sites.   During the last round of strikes, we took this action and it did have a significant and positive impact by providing our Emergency Department with additional support – enabling us to prioritise and focus on the most ill patients and manage demand.  All other services at Accrington Victoria Community Hospital, including the Health Access Centre (HAC), will operate as normal during this period.

These decisions are taken after much consideration, with due care for the safety of patients and to ensure we respond to those with the most urgent needs.

There are a number of available and suitable alternatives to Accrington Victoria Community Hospital Minor Injuries Unit. These include visiting your GP or Primary Care Centre; the Minor Injuries Unit at Rossendale Health Centre or the Urgent Care Centres at Burnley General Hospital and Royal Blackburn Hospital.  If patients are unsure which service to attend they can also call 111 for assistance.  In the event of a real medical emergency, patients should call an ambulance or arrange to attend our Emergency Department at Blackburn.

Oswaldtwistle: Falling - First planning meeting 1.00pm, 23rd April 2016

FALLING - FIRST PLANNING MEETING IS THIS SATURDAY AT 1PM AT THE CIVIC THEATRE

 
We have a very poignant performance opportunity coming up with the Civic Arts Centre and Theatre as part of Hyndburn Borough Council's many events to commemorate the Accrington Pals throughout 2016.
We are hoping to get lots of local schools and community groups involved in this unique and prestigious opportunity. We are hugely honoured that we can be part of the Accrington Pals commemorations and this huge performance will be both visually stunning and thought provoking. The Civic Art Centre and Theatre’s "Falling" is a  visual art piece that will depict the last moments of the 720 Accrington Men. We are looking to enlist 720 volunteers (yes 720!) to represent every Accrington Pal soldier that went over the top at The Somme on the 1st July 1916.
The performance will be like a flash mob, but will be a visual movement performance rather than a dance. This performance will celebrate the Pals friendship, bravery and their sacrifice. It will also be a reminder of all the soldiers that made it back home, who shaped the East Lancashire we know today. The "falling" group will bring every Accrington soldiers to life as they get ready to go over the top, in a raw and beautiful performance. At the sound of a gun shot 584 of the people will drop down dead to the floor, showing the true barbarity of that day. Thus leaving 136 people, the brave soldiers that made it home. They will walk back into the crowds to shake hands with the audience to represent the joy of coming home.

“Falling” will take place on Thursday 30th June at 7pm in Oak Hill Park Accrington, Lancashire, the night before the 100^th anniversary of the Somme.

 

This is a huge event to co-ordinate and we are looking for committed members of community to get involved. No previous acting experience is required for anyone interested in getting involved. Each volunteer will represent an individual soldier, who all deserve to be recognised for their sacrifice. We need people many people from our community to get involved, people of all ages and backgrounds, male and female, groups, schools, dignitaries, anyone who can help us make up the 720 men. Each person will represent one soldier so it is vital that once someone commits, they commit to the end, in honour of their soldier. Once we have an established group of people we will organise a meeting to talk over the details and then we will schedule rehearsals leading up to the event.

We are also looking for schools to get involved in crocheting and knitting poppies and primroses to represent the soldiers for this significant event. we can co-ordinate workshops with your school or you can request a pattern pack.

We need as much support as we can from our community, would you be interested in taking part?

ALSO as it's World Book Day we have some FREE copies of books to give out to attendees of the meeting.  You can choose from the below titles -
 

Band of Brothers, Stephen E. Ambrose
Am I Normal Yet?, Holly Bourne
A Baby at the Beach Cafe, Lucy Diamond

Happy 90th birthday to HM Queen Elizabeth II

Hyndburn Labour would like to wish a very happy birthday to Queen Elizabeth II, who is 90 years old today.

The Queen, who is the longest reigning monarch in the history of Great Britain, will be celebrated in a ceremony outside Accrington Town Hall at 1.00pm today. The Mayor of Hyndburn and the Town Crier will be in attendance to conduct the service and all residents are welcome to attend.

HBC: Postal voting forms despatched

Polling forms for residents who are registered as postal voters have now been despatched and will arrive on doormats shortly.

Residents are urged to post their forms back no later than 2nd May but they can be hand delivered to polling stations on 5th May if necessary.

If anyone has a problem with their postal voting form then please contact HBC on 01254 388111 as soon as possible.

Netherton: Great Harwood Rovers FC ground one step closer to becoming reality

Great Harwood Rovers F.C are one step closer to their dream of having quality facilities delivered.

The erection of an information sign on the corner of their new ground has taken place, giving residents and visitors to The Great Harwood Show the opportunity to see the new layout.

Great Harwood Rovers have been trying to realise their dream for over 15 years but unfortunately a number of possible opportunities failed to materialise. The closest they came was in 2011 when planning permission was granted for approximately 35 houses on the Old Show Ground including the former Monroes site. This included section 106 money that was to be matched funded by the Football Assosiation and a grant from Hyndburn Borough Council with a 25 year lease for the Lyndon playing fields.

However due to difficulties encountered by the land owners the houses were never built and the Football Assosiation subsequently pulled the matched funding. This left Great Harwood Rovers with no real prospect of getting the facilities the children of the town deserve.

Currently children have to get changed in cars or in a metal cargo container. It is only right that the club's volunteers, coaches, referees and players want proper changing rooms and proper parking to eliminate congestion on Harwood Lane on match days.

Fortunately due to partnership working Hyndburn Borough Council, The Great Harwood Agricultural Society and Riley’s Developments alongside Great Harwood Rovers F.C this is now becoming a reality. Work is due to start on the new playing surfaces a few hundred yards away shortly after this year's Great Harwood Show.

These pitches will be made to Sport England specification with modern drainage installed eliminating and realistic chance of flooding. A 64-space car park will be built to ensure that congestion on Harwood Lane stops, floodlights will be installed and finally the erection of changing facilities. The Great Harwood Labour Councillors are proud to have played our part in making this dream come true

Cllr Noordad Aziz for Netherton ward in Great Harwood said, “I am delighted that work is due to start on the playing surfaces and that children have quality safe sports facilities and that we have protected the town's green belt in the process. It was important to do that. We have seen what happens in the Ribble Valley when central government get involved in local planning decisions and this why we supported Lyndon playing fields being developed.”

Cllr Gareth Molineux said, "There is currently literature being pushed through residents' doors by the Conservative party candidates Patrick McGinley and Liz McGinley suggesting that if elected they will put a stop to the development but the consequences of doing this will be dire for Great Harwood. Without a shadow of a doubt if this happens green belt will be developed on and our countryside will very quickly erode."

He added, "The leaflets also make reference to “predators” and road safety issues. These types of comments really concern me and I am not sure what he is suggesting. The area will be secure (with a designated public open space) and will be floodlit, unlike the current facilities which are dark and completely open to public access and within a few metres of one of the busiest roads in the town.
I think that it is important to deliver facts not speculation I also feel that has elected members we also have a duty to take into account the long term vision for the town.

"If Patrick McGinley and Liz McGinley don’t want to build houses then I suggest they lobby their Prime Minister who relaxed planning laws to allow developers to build in green belt if local Councils refused to allow them to build within the urban boundary."

The Labour Councilors wish Great Harwood Rovers the best of luck for the future.

LCC: Conservatives cut 2016 Lancashire pothole budget by £3.25m

The announcement by the Conservative Government that Lancashire County Council will receive an extra £1,241,000 from the Pothole Action Fund has been described by County Councillor John Fillis, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport as 'derisory'.

Cllr John Fillis (pictured) said "In 2014/15, Lancashire County Council received, £32.266m. This included additional grants totalling £8.553m awarded by DfT and Defra to deal with severe weather, of which £4.5m was assigned to potholes. Faced with even worse condition this year pothole funding has been reduced to a derisory £1.241m, a cut of over £3.250m."

The scale of the damage caused by the prolonged wet weather is revealed by records showing that 7,808 defects were found in February, and 7,346 in March, whereas only around 5,000 a month are usually found at the height of winter. The prolonged wet weather in December and January not only caused damage to the roads but also prevent hot tarmac patches being laid.

Cllr John Fillis said "Our teams have been working round the clock through the worst floods that I have seen in Lancashire. They have done a fantastic job in extreme weather condition. We have bought in 29 extra teams from external contractors to support our existing 24 crews in tackling the legacy of road damage, which will help us catch up on the backlog quickly.

"The Conservative Government are burning the budget at both ends, by cutting general road maintenance since 2014/15 by £3.5m and further cuts to come over the next three years on £7.5m, along with the cuts to roads repair of £3.259m, this is a false economy and will cost the people of Lancashire more than the government is saving."

"We have the facts and figures to prove that well maintained roads reduces the risk of potholes providing safer and smoother journeys. This was recognised by the Government when they decided we were in the best three highway authorities in the country to deal with road maintenance. I do not know where the government gets its figures from when they claim funding will fill 23,415 potholes in Lancashire, they have not provided any formula with the announcement.

"People in Lancashire are paying their car tax, petrol tax and income tax, they deserve a better response than this from the Conservative Government."