Letter to the Accrington Observer - 3rd December 2015

I read Nick Whittaker’s letter on Labour talking the town down (27/11/15) with some surprise, largely because the Conservative campaign in recent years has been unrelentingly negative about how a lack of investment has turned the borough to rack and ruin. The Tory candidates for last year’s general election rode into town crying how awful it was to live here but now it seems that life is quite good after all.

I’m at a loss as to where the supposedly negative comments from the Labour Councillors have been published as all 25 of us are proud of where we represent and there is very little gloom in the Council offices. Things can always be improved but the level of investment currently taking place across the borough is a shining example of how partnerships between the Council and the private sector can bear fruit. In the past year alone, HBC has invested £1m in capital projects across Hyndburn which has yielded over £9m in additional outside funding. There is nothing negative about that, it’s simply prudent practice and getting the most from what little money we have.

Accrington itself has been accused of being little more than a town of charity shops and pound stores, but the truth is very different. The Market Hall is fantastic and you can get pretty much anything you need (if you don’t believe me, try it out), the town centre itself is filled with interesting little curio shops and the transport links are very good. We have a dazzling array of very good cafes and pubs, banks, clothing stores and there are more major chains than people care to realise. For all those who still believe that Accrington is a dump and no one ever goes there, try finding a parking space at weekend.

In contrast, we have had to listen to Cllr Britcliffe’s feeble opposition attacks on Council departments, streets supposedly strewn with litter and badly-parked post vans putting people off shopping in the town centre which don’t actually stand up to much scrutiny. I’ve trotted out my view many times but if everyone found just one shop that they really liked and recommended it to their friends then trade would increase overnight. Instead, it has become fashionable to talk elements of our borough down when the simple fact is that Hyndburn just ain’t that bad.

Mr Whittaker has far more to say about the state of the borough than he ever did whilst in office but my advice would be not to try to rewrite history or treat the electorate like goldfish. They have longer memories than you think.


Cllr Ken Moss
Rishton