[garinda]

Not being a member of any political party, nor indeed having always voted the same way, I tend to look at the evidence before me, rather than blindly attacking or defending any one team's performance.

Since I moved back here five years ago this is what I've seen to sway my opinion on H.B.C., and it's leadership.

Cons-

The idea that the name of the borough should be changed, which would have involved enormous expense, and brought no discernible benefits to the people or towns in Hyndburn.

The town/parish council idea. We were told every residence in Hyndburn would receive a form so their thoughts would be considered. We then discover many hundreds of homes never received a form, making that exercise a complete waste of time and money. That's aside from the fact that no one, including the council, knew what this new layer of bureaucracy would be responsible for, and which actual budgets they'd be able to raise money for. It might have been a great idea, but we'll never know, as it was presented before it was even half baked, and not even the council knew what it's purpose would be, though they did admit it would result in an increase in council tax.

The £591,000.00 that was granted to the council for a community internet forum, and was wasted on the now defunct site.

The £500,000.00 that was spent on refurbishing Broadway, which saw less seating, and those few seats there are were so badly designed that they remain wet even the day after it's last rained. I pass no judgement on the design quality of the various brushed steel modernernist street furniture, that is supposedly an improvement on what was there before.

The appalling and dangerous state of the town centre pavements.

The lack of money that's been allocated for essential maintenance of the parks in the borough.

A council who decide to buck every other trend, and go against the findings of an independent body, and award themselves massively increased allowances.

A council leader whose party two years ago voted for what equated to a 20% pay rise for that same council leader, again bucking the national trend of everyone else in the country's pay rise.

A leader who it's reported in the press called a fellow councillor a 'silly cow', at a publicly attended meeting in council chambers.

The placing of hanging baskets out of reach of shop owners, which saw many dead in a matter of days because they couldn't be watered, whilst the council's own truck drove past watering the ones they'd placed on the lamposts.

A council apparently committed to recycling, and issuing fines to those who refuse, yet making no provision for trade waste in the borough to be recycled, including that from council offices.

Pros-

The flower towers, and the Floral Market Town campaign.