Clayton-le-Moors: Hyndburn Parkrun

Saturday mornings in Clayton le Moors will never be the same again, after the successful start of the new Hyndburn parkrun last October.

Parkrun is a free, weekly 5k event that takes place at 9.00am every Saturday morning and there are events all over the UK and the world. It’s free for anyone to register, you simply print off a barcode and bring it along with you.

This means you get a time for your 5k and can aim for a new personal best. That’s not to say you have to be fast, as it’s not a race and parkrun welcomes runners and walkers of all abilities. It’s also open to all ages. The only rule is that under 11s need to run with an adult. You can even run with a dog if it’s on a short lead.

In its first week, 314 people of all ages completed the course, which starts and finishes at Wilson’s playing fields and follows paths through the nearby woodland. It’s entirely volunteer-led, so you can be part of the event even if you don’t want to run or walk 5k, just email hyndburnhelpers@parkrun.com.

Participants gather afterwards for refreshments and chat by the clubhouse; it’s a really friendly and social occasion. Liz Newton, Event Director, said: “What a fabulous morning: it was great to see so many runners and volunteers bringing parkrun to Hyndburn. We are looking forward to many more runs and bringing the community together”.

Hyndburn Council provided the startup funding for the parkrun, recognising the array of potential benefits to health and wellbeing for the borough.

Cabinet member for Education, Leisure and Arts, Councillor Ken Moss, who volunteered as photographer for the first event, said: “Over 300 people turning out for our inaugural parkrun is a brilliant show of support and a fantastic way to get it off the ground in Hyndburn. I'd like to thank Liz and everyone else who helped to organise today's event. It's been great to see so many people enjoying our parkland and keeping fit!”

To register for free, visit www.parkrun.org.uk/register.

A Facebook page also exists which can be visited here.

HBC: Cllr Clare Cleary promotes Amazing Accrington

Cabinet member for Housing & Regeneration, Cllr Clare Cleary, made a speech earlier this week to a meeting of Amazing Accrington, a drive to promote all that is positive in the town.

"With some of you being based on the edge of the urban areas of the Borough I am mindful that you may not have had the opportunity to visit Accrington town centre as often as you would like. The Council consider Accrington Town Centre to be very important for Hyndburn’s overall economic growth.

However, these are very challenging times for the high street as shopping patterns and habits change. The traditional high street is exploring other ways of increasing footfall and Accrington Town Centre is no different.

The need to diversify and modernise the economic base of Accrington town centre is a priority, whilst at the same time, creating a distinctive centre that differs from our near neighbours of Blackburn and Burnley.

Led by Accrington’s Town Team, we are currently developing a new vision for Accrington Town Centre. The Centre has some fantastic historic buildings, a great heritage, a vibrant market, some great independent shops and is developing a reputation for community events attracting people from across Pennine Lancashire. It is this unique character and strong sense of local pride that the vision aims to capture.

We are aiming to make Accrington Town Centre an interesting place to visit including a growing section of independent shops, a high quality market, good community and educational facilities, a quality residential offer and well connected public transport all supported by a programme of locally run events. All of this will contribute to a growing town centre economy. If we get these things right, Accrington will retain people in the town centre and attract new people in.

We have a programme of significant public sector investment which aims to stimulate the town centre’s economy including the refurbishment of Accrington’s historic market hall, a new and modern bus station and currently underway, a new town square in front of the Town Hall and Market Hall which will help to transform this key location in the town centre.

Over coming months you will see the installation of new street furniture and sculptures that have been designed to celebrate the Borough’s history and commemorate the Accrington Pals. We are also erecting an architectural lighting system to illuminate the Town Hall and Market Hall at night time, and provide a backdrop for events and special occasions in the square. The project is going well and remains on target for completion by July 2018 in time for events marking the centenary of the First World War.

In 2018/19 the Council will be making available £100,000 to support a regular programme of town centre events in partnership with some of the key town centre stakeholders. We are hoping that some of the town centre stakeholders will match this investment in the co-ordination of events that residents can enjoy and which will bring more visitors into the Town.

My door is always open to anyone who would like to discuss new ideas and opportunities for Accrington town centre."

Viewpoint - Cllr Miles Parkinson - January 2018

Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and wish you all the very best for 2018.

This is traditionally a time when we think about getting healthier and Hyndburn Leisure Centre is a great place to start. Memberships include gym, swimming, fitness classes and access to the brand new thermal suite. You can sign up to any membership for a year and get two months free.

We’re committed to helping people across Hyndburn get active and healthier, so we’re thrilled to be one of twelve areas awarded landmark National Lottery funding from Sport England recently to do just that. It means that over the coming years we can work together with our partners to help inspire people to become more active in new ways that suit them.

Highams Playing Fields in Accrington could be upgraded to offer an improved range of facilities for local people to take part in sport, after Accrington Stanley Community Trust approached the Council with a view to investing £2 million to upgrade community facilities there.

They are thinking of providing an enhanced range of facilities, including a full-size floodlit 3G artificial pitch, multiple junior and adult football pitches; a rugby pitch; an artificial cricket wicket and brand new changing rooms.

The project received planning permission from the Council’s Planning Committee in December so the Trust can now talk to the funders about how the project will be implemented.

Rishton footballers are looking forward to playing on a refurbished facility at Norden Playing fields later this year, after Rishton United recently signed a 25 years lease there. They’ve secured external funding to carry out the first phase of their project, which will level and fence the site and improve drainage.

There are also lots of new exciting developments in the pipeline. Keepmoat Homes have completed the acquisition of the former Lyndon Playing Fields and work on the new prestigious Lyndon Park housing development will start immediately this year. This circa £45 million pound development will see 217 new houses and bungalows built in a fabulous setting. Even before work has started Keepmoat report that interest is very high.

As part of the planning gain from the new Lyndon Park housing development, Great Harwood Rovers Football Club have moved to new football pitches just off Harwood Lane. Over half a million pounds is being invested in new facilities with phase one of the project complete. Phase two, new changing facilities, will be constructed later this year.

At Whitebirk, Euro Garages has started work on the new Frontier Park development on 85 acres of land right next to Junction 6 of the M65. The development will be a mix of employment and leisure uses creating 2,000 new local jobs and a major boost for the local economy.

And finally, Accrington’s new Town Square, funded by the Townscape Heritage Initiative, is looking marvellous now and we’re really pleased with its progress. We’re looking forward to seeing it finished and Cllr Clare Cleary, Cabinet Member Accrington Town Centre, has been working hard with officers and all town centre stakeholders to bring events to the square to promote the town to shoppers and visitors when it’s open in the summer.

The Showmen's Guild Annual Luncheon 2018

Councillors Miles Parkinson, Gareth Molineux, Munsif Dad and Ken Moss recently attended the Annual Showmen's Guild Luncheon at Blackburn Rovers FC.

The Guild is based in Bury and represents the interests of showmen up and down the country. Their annual dinner is usually attended by over 35 Mayors, Members of the House of Lords and Members of Parliament as well as Councillors from across the North West.

Rishton Councillor Ken Moss said, "This was a good opportunity to find out how the Showmen operate and the strict guidelines they expect their members to adhere to. Following the event, I have written to the Guild offering them the chance to put on events in the new Town Square and use the Town Hall for their formal events."

PCC criticises Government Police funding plans

The Labour Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire, Clive Grunshaw, has criticised a government statement which promises an extra £450m of funding for extra officers in 2018.

The money will come from an increase on the Police precept portion of Council Tax meaning that the public will be paying the bill.

Clive said, “I welcome any new funding for policing in Lancashire but, in truth, this is a sticking plaster trying to cover up the gaping wound created by seven years of cuts. Since 2010, in Lancashire, we have lost 800 police officers and over 400 police staff. An increase of £12 in the council tax precept will give us an additional £6m but after inflation and the modest pay award we will be left with less than £2m to reinvest - to replace over £70m that has been taken away."

He added, "It is also an unfair burden on the hard pressed council tax payers of Lancashire. The Government gleefully announce additional funding for policing but in reality they have passed on the responsibility of paying for that increase to the local tax payers.”

Letter to the Accrington Observer - 15th January 2018

I read with interest Cllr Tony Dobson's column last week (Accrington Observer, 11/01/18) in which I came under fire for criticising the Conservative proposals for Accrington Town Centre. When and where wasn't specified but since I regularly ridicule the pie-in-the-sky ideas they come up with it could be on any number of occasions.

My main problem is always the same: how much will it cost and how will you pay for it? Those are the two questions any resident needs to ask of any proposal and if you can't get a clear response then something isn't right. The Hyndburn Conservatives have suffered from the same malaise for as long as I've been in politics insofar as they promise the Earth but couldn't deliver pizza.

It also makes it very hard to get away from the stigma that 'all politicians lie' when you've got certain Councillors making somewhat unrealistic statements in the run up to elections, such as the (so far unfulfilled) provision of a new road sweeping machine or the implied death of a spouse. Offering non-existent money to residents who shop in Accrington is just another fantasy idea dreamt up in the Tory bunker. I imagine it was either that or free kittens.

HBC is a serious multi-million pound business and Councillors are entrusted to make sure the books balance - you can't play at it. When the Hyndburn Conservatives can give proper costings for their promises I may be less scathing of their financial abilities but since we haven't seen a budget proposal since 2011 they're not a group I would trust with my Council tax.

Cllr Ken Moss
Rishton

Great Harwood: GH Rovers FC Move to new site

Members of Great Harwood Rovers Football Club are looking forward to playing matches at their new ground just off Harwood Lane in January, after plans for 217 new houses were approved for their previous home, Lyndon Playing Fields.

Council Leader, Cllr Miles Parkinson, said; “This is a superb new sports facility for Great Harwood. As part of the planning gain from the new Lyndon Park housing development, Great Harwood Rovers Football Club have moved to new football pitches just off Harwood Lane, with over half a million pounds being invested in new facilities there. Phase one of the project, four new FA and Sport England standard pitches and a car parking area is already complete, with Phase two, new changing facilities, set to be constructed later this year.”

Andy Counsell, Great Harwood Football Club Trustee, said; “We’ve been waiting a long time for this. The pitches will be a lot better than what we play on at the moment so it should mean we get more games on them.”

Rishton: Labour Councillors secure Walmsley Street link road

The Rishton Labour Councillors have succeeded in arranging for Walmsley Avenue and Walmsley Street to finally be connected as part of a new development which will see 43 houses built on the site of the old Albert Mill if a planning application is successful.

Cllr Ken Moss, who has been in discussions with Lancashire County Council and developers since 2010, said, "This is wonderful news and will come as a great relief to many people on the Southside estate who have wanted this for over 40 years. We sat down with LCC and the property developer and stated what we want so that it is not only right for them but also the Rishton residents."

A letter from Highways Development Control at LCC on 12th November 2017 states, "The land ownership issues appear to have been resolved to enable the link from Walmsley Avenue to Walmsley Street to be formally adopted by Highway Authority. The assessment shows that the redistribution of local traffic will not cause a severe impact upon the highway network or safety."

County Cllr Miles Parkinson said, "With a new development proposed, it's logical to link up the roads at the same time, bring the cobbled sections up to the proper standard and finally resolve a long-standing issue. I'm pleased that myself and the Rishton Labour Councillors will be able to draw a line under this and improve the traffic infrastructure."

The full case file containing all documents relating to the application can be found here.

HBC: Recycle your real Christmas tree

With the Christmas decorations coming down for another year you may be wondering what to do with your real Christmas tree.

The Council will recycle your real Christmas tree for you, turning into compost or wood chippings. You don’t need to book a collection, just place your tree with your recycling containers on your first recycling collection day from Monday 8th January.

Also don’t forget with the Council’s improved recycling service you can now recycle all your waxed tetra-pak cartons, mixed plastics, including yoghurt pots and food trays, batteries and textiles. Christmas cards can also be recycled through the kerbside collection service.

Don’t forget if you’re having a New Year clear out you can also book a free Bulky Collection via your my.hyndburn app.