Latest news with #RibbleValleyCouncil
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Communities offered £500 VE Day grants by council
Communities in the Ribble Valley are being encouraged to take up the council's offer of free road closures and £500 grants for VE Day street parties next month. May 8 marks the 80th anniversary of victory in Europe over fascism in 1945, which led to the end of the Second World War. Some fighting continued across parts of eastern Europe further into May, including part of Latvia and Prague, then part of Czechoslovakia. Conflict also continued in the Far East until victory over Japan in August 1945. Anniversary plans in the Ribble Valley include the borough council raising the official VE Day 80 flag at 9am. The Mayor will hold a beacon lighting ceremony at Clitheroe Castle at 9.30pm, in co-ordination with others being lit nationwide, and read a tribute of remembrance. There will also be music from Clitheroe Town Band, with the hymn I Vow to Thee My Country suggested, which will be sung by those in attendance along with other songs. VE Day community events and grants were discussed at Ribble Valley Council's latest policy and finance committee meeting. Speaking at the meeting, Marshal Scott, the council's chief executive, said: 'The council has a proud record of supporting national events and commemorations. "This year's VE Day will be the 80th anniversary, so it's a special date. "We aim to do something at the castle, and we are also suggesting £500 for every parish or town council in the district.' Conservative Councillor Kevin Horkin said: 'In the past, other events have worked well. "Will this £500 grant be automatically sent to parishes, or will there be some process involved?' Mr Scott said: 'It is public money so it's got to be accounted for properly. "We can't just give it out, but we'd aim for a simple process. We're suggesting a total of £20,000 to be taken from the council's general balances. 'The government's idea is that on the May Day Bank Holiday communities can get together and have street parties. "We are planning to waive the fee for street closure procedures and trying to encourage events.' Tory Cllr Sue Bibby said she understood one local parish had, in the past, declined a similar grant. Councillors suggested the VE Day grant process be made as easy as possible, within reason, with the council pro-actively 'offering' grants to parish and town councils. This motion was agreed.
BBC News
18-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Clitheroe: Labour councillors say market plans have 'no vision'
Spending plans for a historic market have been described as having a "lack of vision" ahead of an upcoming budget comes after a pre-budget meeting of Ribble Valley Council, which is in no overall control by any political party, saw Labour members disagree over spending recommendations. This included how a £1m Jubilee Fund might be used to mark the authority's formation 50 years ago, in 1974.A report to councillors said the spending recommendations were the result of hard work, and it included upgrades to Clitheroe Labour councillors were unhappy with some recommendations, and some of the brand-new changes made at the committee meeting itself. Cash for renovation and improvements will come from sources including central government schemes and the council's own money, such as the Jubilee the recommendations go ahead, Clitheroe Market will get new stalls, electrics and a stone-surfaced committee was told setts - small, square or rectangular stones that are used for paving - believed to have been laid in the 1980s were now uneven, a trip hazard and hard to clean. The new recommendation is to put them in Clitheroe Castle's grounds with a flat surface laid to replace them. Labour councillor Karl Barnsley said: "The Jubilee Fund has been set up for a year, and money might be allocated to the market but there's no vision."We should know what we want first. It's a scattergun approach which I find quite irresponsible."Conservative councillor Mark Hindle rejected suggestions that the council's market activity lacked vision."To say there is no vision is scurrilous and inappropriate." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
BBC News
08-02-2025
- BBC News
Longridge: Work beings on £100k pump track in east Lancashire
Work to build a new £100,000 pump track in an east Lancashire town has moved on to the site in Longridge's Kestor Lane Recreation Ground on Thursday, and the project is expected to take a month to scheme is being funded by £60,000 from Ribble Valley Council via the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and £40,000 from the Lancashire Environmental Fund.A pump track is a small looping trail suitable for bicycles, scooters, roller blades, skateboards and wheelchairs. The creation of the track comes after a consultation with people in Longridge which found a need for a local wheeled sports circuit will be built on an under-developed part of the grounds, along with new grass, wildflowers and native trees to help it blend in.A nearby footpath, known as Driver's Walk, will be temporarily closed on weekdays between 08:00 to 16:00 GMT to allow deliveries of Stuart Hirst, chairman of Ribble Valley Council's community services committee, said: "The pump track is going to be a great asset for Longridge and will provide a fun and challenging place for people of all ages, particularly youngsters, to use and enjoy on their doorstep, rather than having to travel to Preston or Blackburn."We hope residents will bear with us during the construction of this new and exciting leisure facility." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lancashire councils given reorganisation deadline
All of Lancashire's 15 councils have been given a deadline of March to submit initial plans for how they will reorganise themselves into new authorities. Minister for Local Government and English Devolution Jim McMahon OBE has set out a timetable for them to work together to come up with a plan of how it will work in the county. In it he said: "This is a once in a generation opportunity to work together to put local government in your area on a more sustainable footing, creating simpler structures for your area that will deliver the services that local people and businesses need and deserve." The government wants councils to merge to create single unitary authorities to provide all the services in their area under an elected mayor. But, the plan is not without its critics. The Conservative leader of Ribble Valley Council Stephen Atkinson said: "It's rushed, this will have a profound affect on people's lives for the next 50 years. "It will result in money flowing from the rural areas into the cities and places like Ribble Valley will just be the cash cows." He said he believed the people should be allowed to decide and that Ribble Valley Council would hold a referendum. The Green leader of Lancaster City Council Caroline Jackson said: "This is a very quick timescale, and there's an awful lot of information needed, there's a lot of talking, negotiation, and I don't know whether those things can be done in the kind of timescale the government wants to impose on us." Lancashire has already formed a combined county authority made up of Lancashire County Council, Blackburn with Darwen Council, and Blackpool Council. Its first meeting is scheduled for March. The leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, Phil Riley, said the deadline did not affect the combined authority, which he said "now has a life of its own". He added: "What does affect the combined authority is we want to continue down the devolution road. "The government has been quite clear that would require a mayor. That's the next stage of that." The government expects a full proposal to be submitted by the councils in November. County's combined authority officially launched Devolved powers deal for Lancashire struck MPs want to abolish all of county's 15 councils Elected mayor system broken and bad for women - MP
BBC News
07-02-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Lancashire councils given reorganisation deadline
All of Lancashire's 15 councils have been given a deadline of March to submit initial plans for how they will reorganise themselves into new for Local Government and English Devolution Jim McMahon OBE has set out a timetable for them to work together to come up with a plan of how it will work in the it he said: "This is a once in a generation opportunity to work together to put local government in your area on a more sustainable footing, creating simpler structures for your area that will deliver the services that local people and businesses need and deserve."The government wants councils to merge to create single unitary authorities to provide all the services in their area under an elected mayor. 'Rushed' But, the plan is not without its Conservative leader of Ribble Valley Council Stephen Atkinson said: "It's rushed, this will have a profound affect on people's lives for the next 50 years."It will result in money flowing from the rural areas into the cities and places like Ribble Valley will just be the cash cows."He said he believed the people should be allowed to decide and that Ribble Valley Council would hold a Green leader of Lancaster City Council Caroline Jackson said: "This is a very quick timescale, and there's an awful lot of information needed, there's a lot of talking, negotiation, and I don't know whether those things can be done in the kind of timescale the government wants to impose on us."Lancashire has already formed a combined county authority made up of Lancashire County Council, Blackburn with Darwen Council, and Blackpool first meeting is scheduled for leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, Phil Riley, said the deadline did not affect the combined authority, which he said "now has a life of its own".He added: "What does affect the combined authority is we want to continue down the devolution road."The government has been quite clear that would require a mayor. That's the next stage of that."The government expects a full proposal to be submitted by the councils in November.
