Police
remind Partygoers about Drink Drive Campaign in run
up to Christmas
As
people in Lancashire get ready for the Christmas holidays
and attend their Christmas parties this week, police
in Southern Division are reminding partygoers not to
drink and drive this Christmas.
Despite
the fact that figures released in Southern Division
half way through the Drink Drive campaign, would indicate
that the majority of people are taking head of the warning,
there are still a minority that don’t. Out of
the 222 breath tests that have been carried out on drivers
so far 11 of these have proved positive.
Sgt
Steve Moon who is in charge of the ANPR team that are
involved in the campaign commented,” The figures
would indicate that so far people seem to be acting
responsibly and taking head of the warning, however,
with Christmas and New Year fast approaching the probability
of a drink related accident either this week or next
is quite high.
This
year’s campaign is acting mainly on intelligence
received from members of the public and we would like
them to continue passing this information on to us.
If they see something happening that would cause immediate
danger i.e. someone getting into a car to drive who
is not in a fit state to do so they should ring 999.
If they have information about a person that drinks
and drives or drive’s the morning after they should
ring this information into Southern Communications Centre
on 0845 1 25 35 45. Within a maximum of 4 hours this
information will have been input onto police databases
so it can be acted upon. There is also the Crimestoppers
number on 0800 555 111 – which people can report
information on totally anonymously.”
This
activity is all part of the forcewide Christmas Campaign
Operation Shepherd, a crime reduction and community
reassurance campaign that aims to tackle and prevent
alcohol related crime and anti-social behaviour."
"Enjoy
your Christmas but make sure it is a safe and happy
one."
GUIDE
ROAD HOME PLANNING POSTPONED
13/12/06
West
Lancashire District Council Planning Committee have
postponed consideration of the Guide Road Planning Application
until the January Meeting.
PREMIUM
RATE PARCEL SCAM
05/12/06
CRIME
PREVENTION WARNING:
Members of the public are receiving cards through the
post from PARCEL DELIVERY SERVICE PDS with a contact
number of 0906 6611911. This is a premium rate number
message and will cost you £15. This is a scam
run from BELIZE. DO NOT CALL this number.
COUNCIL
UNANIMOUS IN SUPPORT FOR CARE HOME
23/11/06
Hesketh
with Becconsall Parish Council Planning Committee unanimously
confirmed that they had no objections to the Planning
Application to convert premises at 1A Guide Road Hesketh
Bank to a home for the residential care of up to six
autistic children.
The
decision was given following assurances from Positive
Childcare Limited, that no staff parking would be permitted
on the highway and that the home would only be used
for autistic children.
The
Parish Council sub-committee held the public meeting
after a revised planning application was received at
West Lancs. A proposal from Orange to install a new
telephone mast down Moss Lane was also discussed. In
sharp contrast to the 200+ who turned out for the first
residents meeting about the care home proposal (see
news archive 17/10/06), only 20 members of the public
attended the Parish Council meeting.
GOVERNMENT
FORCED TO REVEAL LOCAL NHS CUTS
17/11/06
The
growing public backlash at the Government’s NHS
cuts took a new turn this week as it was revealed that
Labour Ministers are actively involved in planning the
cuts and managing the media fallout locally.
Under
the Freedom of Information Act, the Department of Health
has been forced to publish ‘heat maps’,
showing the 77 NHS services on the Government’s
hitlist - where media interest on cutbacks and closures
is focused now and ‘in the future’. Ministers
and Labour Party officials have been holding meetings
to work out ways of closing hospitals and minimise the
negative media coverage in order to avoid losing marginal
Parliamentary seats at the next general election.
The
maps highlight the NHS organisations most at risk of
cutbacks and closure, and where media attention is highest
as a result. The documents reveal that the some of the
sites of the Southport & Ormskirk NHS Trust face
closure.
Lorraine
Fullbrook, the Conservative Parliamentary candidate
for Tarleton, Banks and Hesketh Bank commented: “These
leaked papers expose the fact that Labour Ministers
have a sinister hospital closure plan, and are conspiring
with Labour Party officials to minimise the political
fallout. Labour Ministers’ obsession with spin
and and managing the media tells us that ministers are
not interested in the long-term interests of local residents,
but are obsessed with saving their own political skin."
“Whilst
NHS staff are concerned about how they can treat their
patients, the Department of Health is more interested
in how the media report Gordon Brown’s NHS cuts.”
Police
across Southern Division are issuing a double warning
to members of the public – keep your personal
property safe but don’t think you can get away
with false reporting!
The
advice comes after police have received reports recently
of people having phones and ipods stolen from them by
offenders that have approached them in the street. One
incident happened in Chorley recently when the offender,
approached the 17 year old victim who was on his phone
and grabbed him. During the struggle the offender tried
to steal the V3 Razr mobile phone that the victim was
talking on, but this was smashed during the scuffle.
A
similar incident also too place on Cop Lane in Penwortham
when 4 male students aged 15/16 were approached by offenders
who demanded their mobile phones. Three mobiles were
stolen during the incident.
However,
police have recently issued two £80 fixed penalty
tickets, to individuals that have falsely reported having
items stolen from them. On the 2/11 a male from Leyland
reported that he had been the victim of a robbery. After
being questioned further the male admitted that he had
made the story up in order to obtain financial assistance
from the Benefits Agency. The male was issued an £80
ticket for wasting police time after two officers had
been out searching the area for over an hour. Another
false claim was made on the 13/11 by a male from the
Penwortham area who said he had had his bicycle stolen
off him at knifepoint. Good enquiries by local officers
and footage of CCTV proved a false claim and the man
was issued with an £80 ticket.
Sergeant
Colin Bosanquet of Leyland Police commented,”
We strongly urge members of the public to be aware of
their own personal safety and not to put themselves
in vulnerable situations such as walking down the street
talking on a mobile phone, especially when it is dark.
However we also want to enforce the message that those
people who do try and report false claims will be found
out. Police Officers investigate incidents very thoroughly
and when false claims have been made the evidence soon
comes to light. Sometimes officers may have spent a
lot of time investigating these claims when they could
have been responding to a genuine offence.”
CRIME PREVENTION NOTICE:
10/11/06
Please
make all vulnerable and elderly residents aware that
there has been three incidents of bogus officials in
the Parbold and Burscough areas, but could well occurr
in any part of West Lancashire.
The
Offenders have targetted elderly persons living alone,
with the excuses of looking for a lost dog and trying
to gain entry into the house by stating they where from
United Utilities. Once inside the house they have searched
rooms and stolen any cash they can find.
They
are described as three white males one taller than the
other two. One male is in his thirties not further described.
The taller of the three is of stocky build and has short
blonde hair, wearing on these occassions a long sleeved
pink and red striped shirt and pale blue denim jeans.
The third male was wearing a dark coat. The vehicle
they where in was a silver Ford Transit type vehicle
with a W registration. If there are any sightings of
similar described persons or vehicle acting suspiciously
or you have information regarding them, please contact
the Police on 0845 1253545 or Crimestoppers on 0800111555.
PHONE MAST WINDFALL FOR COUNCIL
07/11/06
Hesketh-with-Becconsall
Parish Council last night voted to offer the Station
Road Centenary Sports Ground as a prefered site for
a new O2 mobile phone mast.
O2
have identified the need for a mast and associated cabinet
to be sited somewhere in between the old railway bridge
and Becconsall Lane. The proposed mast would be 12.5
meters high and does not require planning permission.
Similar masts located in Southport regularly spark protests
from residents which are often seen in the local press.
The
Parish Council believe that whilst being just outside
the ideal geographic area identified, siting the mast
on the sports ground would mean that O2 would reduce
possible objections from nearby residential properties.
The Council anticipate an income of approximately £40,000
over a 10 year period should the proposal be acceptable
to O2.
FIRST
CAR IS STOLEN AS FROSTY WEATHER BITES
03/11/06
“It
was only a matter of time” this was the comment
being made by a police Sergeant today after a careless
motorist had their car stolen.
Police
across Southern Division are warning car owners to take
more care over their car security, in an attempt to
cut down on any further incidents of auto-crime over
the winter months as the frosty mornings set in.
The
incident that happened this morning took place at approx
7.40am at Vicarage Close in Adlington when the offender
stole a black Mitsubishi warrior valued at £20,000.
The aggrieved had left their car unattended with the
engine switched on as it was defrosting.
Each
year the police issue advice but are disappointed to
see motorists making the same mistakes despite their
warnings. This year they are again stressing the following
messages to motorists across the division:-
On
frosty mornings don’t leave insecure cars unattended
whilst defrosting. Many motorists will start their
car and leave it running with the fan turned on to
help the defrosting process whilst they go inside.
If you cannot garage your car overnight, either stay
with it whilst the windscreen clears or cover it with
a protective sheet so that the windscreen does not
get frosted up.
Leaving
the engine running whilst out of the car on a public
highway is an offence known as “quitting”
and this gives criminals the opportunity to take the
vehicle. Quite a few people do this whilst calling
into a newsagents first thing in the morning but will
also leave their keys in a switched off vehicle when
filling up with petrol – an open invitation
to an opportunist thief.
Insurance
companies request details of auto crimes from the
police to assess each individual’s claim. These
details help to establish whether the aggrieved has
been contributory to the loss and ultimately whether
the insurance company will pay out.
In
the run up to Christmas do not leave valuables on
display in your car and avoid leaving bags of presents
on view. This also applies not only to Christmas presents
but other items such as laptops and bags – if
you don’t need it don’t leave it in your
car.
Ensure
your car is safe, secure and properly alarmed at all
times. Leaving high powered and valuable vehicles
on driveways attracts attention and incidents have
happened where thieves have broken into insecure properties
and stolen the keys to vehicles – these crimes
have not just happened overnight. Keep your property
secure and your car keys out of sight.
Sgt
Warren Atkinson, Geographic Co-ordinator for the Chorley
area commented, “We are in our first real cold
snap of the winter and it amazed me how many people
leave their vehicles running and unattended when they
are defrosting. It doesn’t matter whether you
leave your car for 30 seconds or 3 minutes, we have
offenders that travel over from Manchester and Liverpool
to specifically commit these crimes and they don’t
need long to do it.
Please
don't think that they won't visit your area - thieves
travel everywhere to carry out these types of offences
and unfortunately they are usually successful in finding
what they are looking for. It is far easier for them
to steal a vehicle with keys than without."
Crime
Prevention advice and leaflets on vehicle security can
be obtained from your local Police Station
CALL
FOR ACTION TO SAVE LOCAL POST OFFICES
25/10/06
Lorraine Fullbrook, the Conservative
Parliamentary candidate for the South Ribble Constituency,
has this week urged action to safeguard her areas
remaining Post Offices and protect vital community
facilities. The call comes after 1,000 sub-postmasters
marched on Parliament on 18 October protesting at
Post Office closures, and as a Government Minister
asserted in response that there are “too many
offices”.
Lorraine said "Post Office branches across
the country face threats from the cancellation of
the rural Post Office subsidy in 2008; the direct
payment of benefits; DVLA moves to renew car tax
online and the opening of new regional Passport
Offices.
Royal
Mail bosses have also suggested that the Post Office
network could be reduced to just 4,000 branches.
Since 1999, South Ribble Constituency has already
lost 6 branches. Further cuts on that scale could
potentially mean that up to 15 more could shut their
doors."
In
response, Conservatives have launched an Action
Plan to save local Post Offices:
Giving
Sub-Post Offices greater freedoms to offer a wider
range of commercial products.
Pushing
for more Post Offices to be ‘one stop shops’
for central government services.
Campaigning
to save the Post Office Card Account from being
axed.
Encouraging
local councils to consider opening ‘council
counters’ in local branches.
Lorraine
explained, “Post offices are the lifeblood of
our local community. But their future is now under real
threat. The Government needs to understand the importance
of their valuable social role and Labour must end the
damaging uncertainty over the future of the network.
“I
want to add my support to the Action Plan unveiled by
David Cameron, to give sub-Post Offices greater freedoms
to diversify, to provide more central and local government
services through branches, and to campaign to save the
Post Office Card Account.“I
hope this will put pressure on the Government to develop
a clear long-term strategy for Post Office, to help
support our local branches and preserve these vital
community institutions.”
GIANT
PUMPKINS COMPETITION CLOSELY CONTESTED
21/10/06
The
up-side of a very poor growing year was that the
2006 Mere Brow Giant Pumpkin Competition was one
of the closest competitions ever held.
Dave
Turley of Dune FM compered the weigh-in which this
year was held in aid of the NSPCC. Spectators were
treated to a nail biting contest which was left
undecided until the very last pumpkin had been on
the scales.
In
the end it was James Houghton of Scarisbrick who
beat off all the competition to win the NFU Mutual
Insurance All England Shield and the Mere Brow and District
Shield with a 541lb whopper.
In
response to a flyer that had been circulated, local residents
turned out in force to hear more about a controversial
planning application for a Residential home on Guide Road
in Hesketh Bank. Such was the demand for more information
about the 'Change Of Use' application, the organiser's
were forced to urgently relocate the meeting in order
to allow the 200+ crowd to be accommodated.
The
meeting heard the concerns of those people neighbouring
the proposed development and the background of events
and planning timescales which led to them to distribute
the immotive leaflet around the village and set up a public
meeting.
Rumours
circulating around the village over the last few days
had suggested the home would be a secure unit for young
offenders but a spokesman from the Positive Childcare
Ltd allayed many fears by confirming that the proposed
home would be to cater for six autistic children aged
between 10-15 years old.
Locals
went on to voice many concerns about the location and
overall suitability of the building which is on the corner
of Guide Rd and Shore Rd, the lack of on site parking,
the impact to traffic flow and danger posed by the considerable
amount of HGV and farm traffic that uses both roads. A
request was also made to better understand Lancashire
County Councils role in the proposed residential and respite
home and, if due process was of such paramount concern
to the Council and applicant, why had work already begun
on the property.
In
a comprehensive letter
submitted to this website, Positive Childcare Ltd claimed
to have addressed many of the concerns raised but confirmed
they would organise a further public meeting in the near
future at which any further questions could be tabled.
The
meeting organiser's expressed their dismay about the lack
of action and support from the Parish Council, West Lancashire
District Council (Planning) and Lancashire County Council
(Traffic) in response to their meeting but, although uninvited,
Cllr Martin Forshaw (WLDC Hesketh-with-Becconsall) attended
and articulated the current status of the planning application,
the likely procedural course it would take and advice
as how best to make representation to the District Council.
When
made available, we will post the minutes of the meeting
on this website and notify residents of the date and location
of the Public Meeting that Positive Childcare Ltd intend
to hold.
HAVE
YOUR SAY ON ALL LOCAL ISSUES ON THE LETTERS
PAGE
After
many months of consultation and negotiation about 170
hectares of land on the south bank of the Ribble has been
bought with a view to creating a wetland habitat. The
£2.5m project at Hesketh Out Marsh is believed to
be the largest project of this kind in Europe.
Saline
lagoons and muddy creeks will be created by breaching
embankments and letting in the sea, reducing pressure
on primary defences along the coast. The RSPB said the
saltmarsh would improve habitats for birds including redshanks,
skylarks, knots, dunlins and shelducks and would eventually
form a part of the proposed Ribble Estuary Regional Park.
Tony
Baker, the RSPB's Ribble sites manger, said the wetland
would make a major contribution to national targets for
coastal saltmarsh creation. "The new reserve, which
will restore the coastal landscape to how it used to be
a quarter of a century ago, will also provide a new, inspiring
recreational asset for the local community," he added.
Money
for purchasing the land has been provided by the Environment
Agency, Northwest Regional Development Agency and Lancaster
City Council.
Work
on the project is expected to begin in March 2007.
Over
the course of the forthcoming weeks Lancashire Constabulary
and Merseyside Police will be joining forces to tackle
cross border car crime in the Ormskirk, Sefton and outlying
areas.
This
will involve the use of both uniform and plain clothes
resources from both forces working alongside each other
to ensure the cross flow of intelligence and provide geographical
knowledge of hotspot areas through joint patrolling.In
addition decoy cars fitted with state of the art satellite
tracking technology and in car video and audio recording
equipment will be deployed on both sides of the border
to trap unsuspecting thieves. Lancashire Police have access
to a fleet of cars that will be changed on a regular basis
and placed in hot spot areas for car crime. This initiative
follows a recent rise in the number of portable satellite
navigation systems being stolen as owners leave them in
cars.
Inspector
Smith, Geographic Commander for Ormskirk and Burscough
sent out a warning to criminals "Criminals don't
adhere to the invisible boundaries between policing areas
and by working closely with Merseyside Police we can ensure
that we jointly tackle this problem. The message is clear
- we are determined to catch you and reduce car crime.
You are being watched and we will proactively target you.
Just remember any car that you target could easily be
a police decoy vehicle."
Inspector
Smith added "We need the assistance of the public
to reduce car crime by ensuring that you don't leave any
items on display in the vehicle as criminals like to window
shop and if possible remove valuables altogether as criminals
look in glove boxes and under seats. Passing thieves will
break in to your car for things of little value and even
if they take nothing think of the inconvenience and cost
to you to repair the damage."
"Ormskirk
and the surrounding towns are safe and friendly and people
tend to take a more relaxed view in relation to vehicle
security. What they leave in cars here they would never
dream of doing when visiting major cities. The message
to the public is please think security and remove all
valuables as whilst these are safe towns don't make it
easy for criminals"
If
you have any information about car crime please contact
either Ormskirk Police Station on 01695 566430 or alternatively
you can ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
POLICE REPEAT SECURITY WARNING
20/09/06
Don’t
leave Satellite Navigation Systems on Display
Police
across Southern Division are re-issuing security advice
to members of the public after a number of vehicles have
been broken into and Satellite Navigation Systems stolen.
In the majority of cases these systems have been left
on display
Police
are advising motorists that if the system is portable
take it with you when leaving the car along with the support
cradle and suction pads. Motorists are also advised to
wipe away any marks that are left by the suction pads
as thieves look out for these. Other advice to note is:-
Don’t
leave the equipment in the glove box as thieves will
usually check there first.
Mark your sat nav equipment with your postcode, house
number or vehicle registration number or any other unique
number using special security markers.
Make a note of the serial number of the equipment and
keep it somewhere safe not in the car.
Police
are also using this opportunity to re-emphasise the importance
of home security as well as vehicle security. There have
been a number of burglaries across the division since
August where offenders have entered the premises via insecure
doors and windows. By leaving property insecure Members
of The Public are making it easy for offenders to commit
crime.
Detective
Neil Howarth for West Lancashire area commented,”
I cannot stress enough how important it is for people
to take responsibility for their own security. Leaving
Satellite Navigation Systems on show is almost like leaving
£150 on you car dashboard and I am sure people would
certainly think twice about doing that!!
It
is the same with home security as well – members
of the public should not underestimate the opportunity
an unlocked door or open window can give an opportunist
thief. Police do investigate and take seriously these
kind of offences, but they would much rather homeowners
and car owners took more responsibility for crime prevention
so that these crimes could be prevented from happening
in the first place.”
Further
crime prevention advice is available by calling into your
local police station.
VIEWS SOUGHT ON BILL OF RIGHTS PROPOSAL
12/09/06
Lorraine
Fullbrook, the Conservative Party candidate for the South
Ribble constituency at the next General Election has launched
a survey to discover the views of local people on the
issue of a new Bill of Rights. Mrs Fullbrook, who hopes
to be the MP for Tarleton, Banks, Hesketh Bank, Rufford,
Eccleston and Mawdesley is in the process of delivering
the survey to over 40,000 local homes.
Asked
why she was doing this , Lorraine said, " In the
past two years, I have undertaken a number of surveys
on issues such as health, education and Policing. This
issue is one I believe that the next Conservative Government
MUST address. The Human Rights Act was passed in 1998
and builds the European Convention of Human Rights into
British law in its entirety - and therefore with no reservations.
David Cameron has argued that current legislation is inadequate
and therefore wants to create a new British Bill of Rights
to replace the Human Rights Act. This Bill of Rights would
be specifically designed to fit British needs and traditions
and would set out all the rights every citizen is entitled
to and which they can expect to have protected in the
courts.
Under the proposals, people would still be able to pursue
their claims in the European courts but judges would have
a British Bill of Rights to base their rulings upon.
I think this makes total sense and would help to redress
the balance that seems to have been lost, where criminals
seem able to claim their "Rights " have been
abused, whilst it sometimes seems impossible for victims
and ordinary citizens to do so.
I want to know what local people think on this fundemental
issue so that I can feed their thoughts into to the current
process that is determining the Conservative policies
upon which I and every Conservative candidate will stand."
Anyone who does not recieve the questionaire through their
door can complete it on www.telllorraine.com
BRETHERTON AIRFIELD APPLICATION
11/09/06
PRESS
RELEASE: APPLICATION FOR MICROLIGHT/LIGHT AIRCRAFT AIRFIELD,
BRETHERTON
11/9/06
Residents of Tarleton need to be aware of the Planning Application
to a neighbouring Authority for the siting of an airstrip
which may affect the General Amenity of people living in
Tarleton. The application contains a map showing flight
paths directly over Tarleton. All comments/observations
need to be sent to Chorley
Borough Council by 22/9/06
This
item will be considered by Tarleton Parish Council at
its next meeting which will be held on 19/9/06 at Carr
Lane Pavillion at 7.30pm.
Cllr.
J.E.Hodson
Vice Chair, Tarleton Parish Council
NPOWER
TURN UP THE HEATING COST
08/09/06
npower
today became the latest supplier to increase prices for
the majority of its 6.3 million customers, the company’s
third price increase since 1st Jan 2006.
Effective
from 1st October, npower’s customers will see their
gas bills increase by 17.2% or £92, whilst electricity
bills will rise by 9.9% or £36, bringing the average
npower energy bill up to £1008 per year.
Today’s
announcement brings to a close the second major round
of energy price rises to be implemented this year by the
‘big 6’, who’ve amassed a staggering
thirteen prices hikes between them in 2006 alone.
Ann
Robinson, Director of Consumer Policy at uSwitch
said “Following today’s price hike, npower
will now be the 2nd most expensive supplier in the marketplace,
behind British Gas. Whilst it’s clear more needs
to be done to protect customers, especially as we begin
to move into the colder, winter months, it’s clearer
still that until that happens, the onus remains on the
customer to reduce their energy bill liability.”
Robinson
concluded: “The best way to cut energy bills at
present is to switch to an online tariff. These deals
traditionally offer the cheapest option for customers
as they can be 16% or £153 cheaper than standard
tariffs. We do not expect to see any more price increases
until the start of 2007 and would urge all consumers to
review their bills as a matter of urgency - the savings
to be made can be substantial.”
CRIME
PREVENTION WARNING
04/09/06
Skemersdale
Crime Prevention unit issued the following warning today:-
There have been reports of a company from the Colne area
of East Lancashire offering to re tarmac driveways in
the West Lancs area.
Once
they have offered their services, they immediatley rip
up the driveway and then stop before they resurface the
driveway. They
then demand large amounts of cash, if they do not get
paid they leave the site unfinished.
Trading
standards are aare of the scam and are investigating the
company. Please use good reputable companies for any work
done on your home, do not allow anyone to undertake work
without having a cooling off period. If you come into
contact with such a company, please contact Trading standards
at Preston.
HwB
PARISH COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENT
04/09/06
A
Meeting of the Parish Council will be held on Monday 4th August 2005 at 7:00pm
in The Village Institute (Old Library Building) Station
Road, Hesketh Bank.
Members
of the Public and Press are cordially invited to attend
7:00pm
Mr Brian Lussey (WLDC) and a member of the Lancashire
Constabulary will be present to allow Members to discuss
alleged drugs and related problems.
**** 7:30pm An opportunity for potential users
to discuss with the Council their perspective in respect
of skateboarding facilities.
**** 7:45pm A period of up to fifteen minutes
to allow Members of the public to address the Council
on matters of concern. Persons requiring answers to queries
should write to the Clerk.
COUNCIL
MEETING AGENDA
1.
To Receive apologies
2. To receive as a correct record, the Minutes of the
Extra-ordinary Meeting of the Council held on 24th of
July 2006.
3. To receive any Declarations of Interest
4. Mandatory Sub Committee Reports
5. Other Reports (For information only)
1. Chairman’s Report
2. Clerk’s Report
3. Parish Plan
4. September Newsletter
6. Financial Matters
7. To receive the Clerk’s report Pursuant to RESOLUTION
No. 42/2006 and to Consider a proposal to install Skateboarding
Facilities at the Shore Road recreation ground.
8. To Consider a draft “Lancashire Local”
protocol for working with Parish Council.
9. To appoint be Resolution two representatives to the
LAPTC Annual General Meeting to be held on Saturday, 4th
November 2006
10. To receive the professional play equipment reports
and consider a Resolution to have the recommended repair
works carried out.
11. To Consider a Proposal to arrange a Local Council
training event provided by LAPTC/SLCC/County Training
Partnership.
12. To Consider the Accountants’ Report on the un-audited
accounts of LAPTC
13. Items received since Agenda publication. (for information
only)
There
is a trip to Alton Towers for young people aged 12 or
over on Wednesday 30th August. The cost, including transport,
is £15. There are a few remaining places but the
consent forms and money need to be in by Friday 25th August
at the latest. Transport will pick up from Banks, Hesketh
Bank and Tarleton.
Why not take the opportunity to have a fun day out with
friends the week before school starts again!
For
further details and a consent form please ring 01772 811552
TARLETON
BRASS BRIGHTEN BECCONSALL
20/08/06
Report
and photo by John Nairne
As soon as they blazed into the march ‘Caractacus’
we knew that Tarleton and District Brass had come to play.
The concert at Becconsall Old Church was conducted by
Gillian Bould and under the watchful eye of Bandmaster
Barry Taylor, this fine band turned in excellent performances
of the medleys ‘Breezin’ Down Broadway’
and ‘Cliff’, which made even over-familiar
Cliff Richard tunes sound fresh, and, as a rousing closer,
a selection from ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’.
Complementing these were the ‘Radetsky March’,
‘Goldcrest’, a lovely version of Barry Manilow’s
‘One Voice’, ‘Born Free’, a ‘Shepherd’s
Song’ perhaps better known as ‘Bailèro’
and ‘Amazing Grace’ complete with bagpipe
harmonies.
All
that was needed to complete the audience’s enjoyment
was a group of soloists to match the band’s ensemble
skills, and here Tarleton Brass certainly did not disappoint.
Young Tom Pickering produced a delicate, bluesy cornet
solo on ‘Lazy Trumpeter’, Amy Stringfellow,
Jennifer Bould and Stewart Aspinall (cornets) combined
their youthful skills on ‘I Don’t Know How
to Love Him’, Steve Cochrane (cornet) played a delightful
version of ‘Misty’, while Alan Bould (horn)
floated through ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’
and was then joined by Gemma Pickering on flugelhorn for
a duet on ‘Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue’.
The
concert was very enjoyable, and it seemed entirely appropriate
that, as the band played on, the sun finally broke through
the afternoon’s rain clouds!
With
the latest news of the new facilities at Carr Lane and
many more articles of interest the latest "Village
View" newsletter will be distributed to Tarleton
residents over the weekend.
If
you live out of the area you can still keep in touch by
downloading the Parish Council newsletter in pdf format:
Click Here
TARLETON
THROUGH TO BKV FINAL
16/08/06
Tarleton
Village has beaten off considerable competition and again
made it through to the final round of the Best Kept Village
competition. The
final judging will be held next week.
HESKETH
BANK HALF PIPE
24/07/06
Hesketh
with Becconsall Parish Council have committed to buy a
Half Pipe facility designed for use by skateboards, inline
skates and bmx bikes. The £12,000 piece of equipment
was for sale by Croston Parish Council for only £500
plus the costs of removal.
The
council also passed a proposal to persue the installation
of the equipment at the Council's recreation site on Shore
Road subject to appropriate funding and consultation with
local residents and prospective users of the facility.
Hesketh-with-Becconsall Parish
Council will buy the Half Pipe from Croston Parish Council
The
Friends of Becconsall Old Church today opened
their doors to the 2006 Flower Festival -
"A Becconsall Collage" which in
various flower arrangements, depicts our local
heritage. Becconsall Flower Club have not
only provided the displays but also a well
researched history of each exhibit which is
included in the programme.
The
Festival of Flowers is open for today until
8pm and also Saturday and Sunday 12 noon -
8pm and Sunday 12 noon - 6pm
Refreshments
and parking is available throughout the Flower
Festival at All Saints Church Hall. The vintage
bus will be providing free transport to and
from Becconsall Old Church.
POLICE
APPEAL AFTER BURGLARIES
19/07/06
As
temperatures rise Police appeal to the Public to keep
properties secure.
Police
across Southern Division are appealing to the public not
to become complacent about home security during the hot
weather. The warning comes after figures revealed that
over 40% of burglaries committed this month in Southern
Division are as a result of insecure premises.
Offenders
are usually entering properties via insecure doors and
windows with opportunist thief’s committing these
“sneak in “ type burglaries.
The police are strongly urging members of the public not
to be complacent with household security especially as
the hot weather continues. "Even if you are in the
house get into the habit of locking doors behind you and
make sure they are locked at night. If you are in the
garden make sure the front of your house is secure. At
night close windows downstairs and if you have the facility
to lock windows open do so. Also keep sheds and gates
to premises locked especially at night."
SHORE
ROAD SKATEPARK ON THE AGENDA
17/07/06
Hesketh-with-Becconsall
Parish Council are to hold an extra-ordinary meeting to
discuss the much requested skatepark facilities in Hesketh
Bank.
The
council will consider a proposal to to purchase and install
skateboarding equipment on the Council’s recreation
ground at Shore Road.
The
public are invited to attend although there are presently
no plans to allow the public to speak at the meeting.
If you have views on this matter which you would like
to express it is imperative that you contact a Parish
Councilor in advance of the meeting which is to be held
at 8pm on Monday 24th July at the Library Building on
Station Road.
Tony
Blair has today added to the ongoing police merger fiasco
by saying that police mergers are "not off the agenda",
despite the collapse on cost grounds of the flagship Lancashire
and Cumbria plan.
Earlier,
the Home Office minister Tony McNulty had said "the
definitive answer" to whether there will be mergers
"is no".
The
Home Office's plans for police force mergers had been
opposed by many police forces with Lancashire and Cumbria
being the only two forces actively seeking a merger.
On
Monday the Chair of Lancashire Police Authority, Cllr
Malcolm Doherty, said: “We feel badly let down.
We have done everything in our power to get this merger
to work. We now have to find other ways of dealing with
the problem that Government has left us with.”
Acting
Chief Constable for Lancashire Constabulary, Steve Finnigan,
said: “Staff in both Cumbria and Lancashire Constabularies
have worked very hard over recent months towards achieving
a successful amalgamation which would be in the interests
of both areas." "I share the Police Authority’s
extreme disappointment. We were happy to take forward
this proposal as a pathfinder and the fact that the Home
Office have been unable to meet the conditions set by
the Police Authority is very disappointing and a real
missed opportunity."
The
Lancashire and Cumbria decision is a big victory for the
party's prospective parliamentary candidate for South
Ribble, Lorraine Fullbrook who has consistently questioned
the claims by local police chiefs that the merger would
have no significant impact on council tax and that start-up
costs would be manageable. She also raised concerns about
the operational consequences of a merger fearing "a
damaging reduction in performance, a collapse in neighbourhood
policing, and a significant loss of accountability".
Lorraine
said "This is a victory for commonsense. When I first
challenged the Police Authority they said that I didn't
know what I was talking about. Yet, I was the only person
to consistently and persistently challenge all their bland
and misleading promises that the proposed merger would
cost nothing and would be good for the people I hope to
represent in Parliament after the next election."
LORD
LILFORD TO OPEN AUTISM CENTRE
03/07/06
The
Autism Initiatives new 'Supported Living Service' in Mere
Brow will enjoy a grand opening on 14th July. The opening
ceremony will begin at 11.00 a.m. with Lord Lilford officially
opening the service.
The
project has been developed following a donation of the
use of a piece of land in Mere Brow, by the organisation’s
patron Lord Lilford.
The
development includes four houses designed to cater for
the specific sensory needs of people with ASD and will
provide accommodation for up to 12 people.
The
project also has two workshops situated on the land providing
instruction in horticulture, ceramics and art. Local residents
are invited to view the facilities on the 14th July between
2.00 pm and 4.00 pm.
Autism
Initiatives UK was established in 1971 and specializes
in the provision of services to those affected by Autistic
Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The organizations head office
is in Liverpool and provides services in England, Isle
of Man, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Chaos
in the tax credits system has resulted in a massive 3,600
families across South Ribble being overpaid by £2.7m
during 2004/05.
The
Child and Working Tax Credit Statistics, Finalised Awards
2004-05 from HM Revenue & Customs show that on average,
each family has been overpaid £750 and now the Government
wants this money back.
Lorraine
Fullbrook, Conservative Spokesman for South Ribble, said:
"We can now see how the chaos in the system is affecting
families here in South Ribble. People have, in all good
faith, received tax credits which the Government said
they were entitled to."
"Now, families are facing the prospect of a hefty
repayment or a reduction in the weekly amount of tax credit
this year, as the Government attempts to recover the overpayments.
Either way, families are worse off."
"COLD
CALL" WARNING
23/06/06
Crime
Prevention oficers are warning all residents to be aware
that there are several representatives cold calling at
houses in the Chorley, Ormskirk and Burscough areas. The
Police have recieved complaints about aggressive and high
pressure sales techniques. One such incident involved
two men with Liverpool accents driving a white van with
part resgistered number HY03 seen in the Leyland area.
ENERGY
COSTS UP AGAIN
23/06/06
ScottishPower
announces price rises for all customers in spite of £805m
profit announcement less than a month ago:
Only
weeks after ScottishPower announced a massive 39% increase
in operating profits the energy giant has become the first
major supplier to announce a second round of energy price
increases in 2006. The timing of these announcements will
evoke little sympathy or understanding from ScottishPower’s
5.25 million customers who will be hit by significant
bill increases of £90 for gas and £35 for
electricity and who will see their annual bills soar from
£858 to £983.
17%
increase in gas prices and 10% for electricity from
10th July 2006
Sixth
hike in gas prices, totalling 84% by ScottishPower since
2004
Customers
to pay an extra £125 a year for energy, taking
the average bill to £983
The
National Blood Service will be holding a blood donor session
on 6th July at Our Lady's Parish Hall.
Due
to the current high demand for blood in the North West
the National Blood Service is asking everyone to make
a special effort to donate at present - your involvement
will help to supply local hospitals with essential blood
products to carry on saving lives throughout the region.
Anyone
aged between 17 and 60, weighing more than 50kg (7 stone
12 lbs) and in general good health could potentially give
blood. If you have any particular medical queries, or
you require more information on becoming a blood donor,
please call 0845 7 711 711 or visit www.blood.co.uk
WEST
LANCS READY FOR ADDITIONAL WASTE "TAX"
13/06/06
Householders
could be charged according to the amount of rubbish collected
from their homes under plans to reform council taxes.
Sir Michael Lyons, who is conducting an inquiry into the
future of local authority taxation, told The Times he
was looking at a range of user charges, including environmental
tariffs. They would be paid on top of the council tax
in order to make the cost of services more visible, the
paper reported.
The
plans could allow councils to charge residents for the
amount of waste they produce, raising the prospect of
bags of waste being weighed by collectors.
As
part of the ongoing reform of waste collection, West Lancs
District Council had the foresight to specify hi tech
wheelie bins that will weight the contents: The grey bins
that have been distributed have a microchip tag embedded
which gives each bin a unique identity enabling the weight
of the each bin and its contents to be recorded. With
the inclusion of weighing equipment on the collection
vehicle each bin can be weighed and an invoice generated
to facilitate 'charge by weight' if so desired.
