Just before the robbing Tory budget

[garinda]

Don't forget Steeljack lives in the U.S., where land is relatively cheap.

The new builds sound good on paper, four beds, two bathrooms and a utility room, but all those I've been in have tiny dimensions.

It's true, terraced housing won't suit everyone, but as stated earlier, in other parts of the country this architectural heritage would be refurbished and conserved, not demolished.

I have a friend who lives in a smaller teraced house than mine, in Battersea, she paid just under £400,000. for it, and people fight to live in those former factory workers terraced housing.

There are two of my neighbours whose houses are for sale at the minute, priced at £105,000. and £118,000, and when they do come on the market, they usually aren't for sale very long, as people like living here, as I do.

[jaysay]

With regards to Within Grove, and Empty Properties, when I was moving back to Hyndburn in the mid 80s under the disabled transfer scheme, the young lady I spoke to at HBC offered me a property on that estate, my reply was I would sooner live in a tent on the top of the Coppice, her reply to that was, well maybe it isn't one of our better estates, I just ask who would want to live there, think we can make a list on a postage stamp

[Mick]

We have just had our street done through the regeneration with Forrest the whole street looks a lot better except one property think its number 15 or 17 whoever owns it has refused to have any work done no sandblasting no new windows or doors no fence or gate it makes the street look odd makes you think if the owners have something to hide.
i have never seen anyone go in or out of this property though

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by Ken Moss

It's a nice idea but sadly unworkable.

There are certain issues that councillors are involved with that are concerned with the entire borough (such as taxi licensing, etc) but the whole point of being elected for your ward is that you know what needs doing in that area better than another councillor in say Milnshaw or Huncoat. I'm currently pushing for a new post box for lower Rishton, a tiny project in the grand scheme of things and wouldn't even register on the Hyndburn map so a good example of why each ward needs specific councillors for that area.

At the moment, Cllr Grayson and myself very badly want a community centre in Rishton. It isn't going to happen anytime soon because there isn't the money but when you see one of Oswaldtwistle's four community centres getting an unnecessary facelift it rankles you somewhat when we don't have one at all and could have used that money to build one.

I've often said that concentrating all money in one ward is a terrible idea but as long as Peter Britcliffe is Leader of Hyndburn Council we are going to see everything spent in Oswaldtwistle.

A priorities list across the whole of Hyndburn would be the best solution as no one could argue that the most important things weren't being tackled first but it isn't going to happen as long as there are votes to be garnered in the Leader's ward.

I would certainly question 4 community centre, the Arts Centre being created at the old town hall is for the Borough as a whole, the two centers on Harvey street, I nearly sure the old one was carried over from the old UDC days the Youth and Community Centre which opened in the early 90s is sod all to do with HBC, Its LCC. The campaign for that building was a whole party initiative together with much input from ordinary members of the public too. The Ossy Youth Support Group was a Ad Hoc committee set up around 1986 and consisted of all councillors plus the head of Rhyddings School, Miss Moore and other teachers and ordinary people from the town and the police, Don Mackay Rovers Manager at the time and an Oswaldtwistle resident was the Hands on President, Brian Walmsley who was not a councillor at the time, was treasurer, I was secretary and PB was chairman, (unanimously elected) also involved was Barry Emmott of LCC youth Services. Not only did we lobby for the centre to be built, but we raised literally thousands of pounds to support youth projects in the town, at personal expense in lots of cases, to achieve our goal. As for the fourth one I'm a little amiss with that one please be so good to point it out Ken if you would, the venue must have slipped my mind

[Ken Moss]

Originally Posted by jaysay

I would certainly question 4 community centres...as for the fourth one I'm a little amiss with that one please be so good to point it out Ken if you would, the venue must have slipped my mind

I could be wrong then, but Hippings Vale and West End both fall under the purview of Oswaldtwistle, so I believe and neither have been referred to. Like I said, I could be wrong in my asumptions.

However, there seems to be a good number of community gathering points in Oswaldtwistle and here in Rishton we have nothing, save for the People's Centre which is an old house badly in need of refurbishment that can fit 30 people in at best.

I'm sure that there are other wards even worse off than us.

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by Ken Moss

I could be wrong then, but Hippings Vale and West End both fall under the purview of Oswaldtwistle, so I believe and neither have been referred to. Like I said, I could be wrong in my assumptions.

However, there seems to be a good number of community gathering points in Oswaldtwistle and here in Rishton we have nothing, save for the People's Centre which is an old house badly in need of refurbishment that can fit 30 people in at best.

I'm sure that there are other wards even worse off than us.

As I've said Hippings vale was part of Ossy UDC and West End I could be wrong but I always thought that was church oriented not council

[Neil]

Originally Posted by Ken Moss

.... It isn't going to happen anytime soon because there isn't the money but when you see one of Oswaldtwistle's four community centres getting an unnecessary facelift it rankles you somewhat when we don't have one at all and could have used that money to build one.

You need to calm down mate. All that bitterness is going to give you an ulcer. Why don't you just move to Ossy instead. You obviously love the place as you cant stop talking about it.

If you start looking for a house now you might be in town in time for the grand opening of the brand new £107,000 multi use games area being developed in Rhyddings Park.

[garinda]

Originally Posted by Neil

You need to calm down mate. All that bitterness is going to give you an ulcer. Why don't you just move to Ossy instead. You obviously love the place as you cant stop talking about it.

If you start looking for a house now you might be in town in time for the grand opening of the brand new £107,000 multi use games area being developed in Rhyddings Park.

Is that the one that gives electric shocks, to kids using it who aren't from Ossy?

[Ken Moss]

Originally Posted by Neil

You need to calm down mate. All that bitterness is going to give you an ulcer. Why don't you just move to Ossy instead. You obviously love the place as you cant stop talking about it.

If you start looking for a house now you might be in town in time for the grand opening of the brand new £107,000 multi use games area being developed in Rhyddings Park.

Ah, sorry Neil, forgot I was insulting one of your mates.

I'm sure that all the other wards without any playing facilities will be overjoyed to hear that £107k of council money has been spent renovating something that was already there.

It took the youth groups of Rishton 12 years of pushing for outside grants before we got a MUGA because there wasn't enough money at HBC.

[garinda]

Originally Posted by Ken Moss

Ah, sorry Neil, forgot I was insulting one of your mates.

I'm sure that all the other wards without any playing facilities will be overjoyed to hear that £107k of council money has been spent renovating something that was already there.

It took the youth groups of Rishton 12 years of pushing for outside grants before we got a MUGA because there wasn't enough money at HBC.

It's really too hard to make accurate comparissons.

I could say I've seen better maintained park paths in the borough, when for a good many years the paths in Rhyddings park have been very dangerous to anyone with poor eyesight or mobility, because of the state they were allowed to get in.

The same criticism could be levied at areas that have been targeted with regeneration budgets, from those areas that haven't.

If I had proof that money was unfairly distributed because of where the Council Leader lives, I'd be the first to say that that was very wrong.

I honestly don't know if that's the case.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by Ken Moss

Ah, sorry Neil, forgot I was insulting one of your mates.

I'm sure that all the other wards without any playing facilities will be overjoyed to hear that £107k of council money has been spent renovating something that was already there.

It took the youth groups of Rishton 12 years of pushing for outside grants before we got a MUGA because there wasn't enough money at HBC.

That ulcer of your will be getting bigger.

HBC only put £7000 in as match funding for the £100,000 that The Friends of Rhyddings Park secured while working with the Parks Department.

In other words HBC are getting a £107,000 development for only £7,000. Sounds to me like a very wise investment of £7,000.


And you did not insult just one of my mates, you insulted everyone who has worked damn hard in securing £100,000 of lottery money that would not have come to Hyndburn if they had not worked so hard.

[garinda]

Originally Posted by Neil

That ulcer of your will be getting bigger.

HBC only put £7000 in as match funding for the £100,000 that The Friends of Rhyddings Park secured while working with the Parks Department.

In other words HBC are getting a £107,000 development for only £7,000. Sounds to me like a very wise investment of £7,000.


And you did not insult just one of my mates, you insulted everyone who has worked damn hard in securing £100,000 of lottery money that would not have come to Hyndburn if they had not worked so hard.

I've been guilty of teasing Neil, and others, but their involvement with projects, to better facilities like this, are purely non-political.

Anyone who knows Neil knows he wouldn't betray his principles, whatever the prize.

Besides, being a bit simple, he'll be anyone's friend.

[Ken Moss]

Originally Posted by Neil

And you did not insult just one of my mates, you insulted everyone who has worked damn hard in securing £100,000 of lottery money that would not have come to Hyndburn if they had not worked so hard.

Nothing wrong with that, community groups have done some sterling work across the borough for years and in many cases has made a better job than the council.

Finding £7,000 to match fund isn't quite so easy when you're simply an opposition ward councillor in Rishton. Try it.

[BERNADETTE]

This is turning into a Labour against Tory rant again. And that is just what I meant when I commented on previous occassions when threads have degenerated into name calling by our local councillors that would rival any school yard argument. Perhaps getting the facts right might not be a bad idea before having a go in future. Well done to all who worked so hard to secure the majority of the funding for the Rhyddings Park project

[Neil]

Originally Posted by Ken Moss

Finding £7,000 to match fund isn't quite so easy when you're simply an opposition ward councillor in Rishton. Try it.

The £7k had nothing to do with any Councillor, just Council Officers using there budjet sensible and wanting to convert £7K of public money into a £107k development.

You try and build a MUGA for £7k, it would not cover the cost of painting the lines.