Category Archives: Ormskirk

County 2009, Ormskirk

Cash boost for all-weather play for tots in West Lancashire

Trawling through my email, I came across this… Believe me, it’s not all grumbles and bad news here!

I’ve pinned this on the map at Moorgate Nursery since that’s the local Children’s Centre, but hopefully it will get out to Asmall Nursery and others.

Lancashire’s youngest citizens are set to benefit from a £13.5 million cash boost.

Government money is being distributed by the county council over three years to help nurseries, playgroups, pre-school groups and out-of-school clubs to meet new legal requirements.

Early years and childcare settings are getting up to £20,000 each so they can install new outdoor play areas, many with soft surfacing, and canopies to protect children from the elements – rain or shine. There will also be disabled facilities and new toilets.

The money comes from the Department for Children, Schools and Families and covers the period 2008-2011, working out at £4.5 million a year. It will help settings for young children meet the requirements of the Childcare Act 2006.

Lancashire County Council has been working with schools and other partners to plan and lead change, develop the childcare market and make sure that there is sufficient care, education and support to meet the needs of parents and children.

The cash is allocated under the Sure Start programme by a panel including senior representatives from Lancashire County Council, Jobcentre Plus and the health service.

Over two hundred projects all over Lancashire benefited from the previous handout of £6 million which ran from 2006-2008.

County Councillor Jennifer Mein, cabinet member for children and young people, said: “Outdoor play is vital for young children’s learning and enjoyment and the new funding means that many more early years and childcare settings will be able to offer high-quality play facilities, often with direct access from their indoor play areas.

“We’ve concentrated the grants in areas where they will have most impact, so we can help as many children as possible have a good start in life.”

County 2009, Ormskirk

Community clean-up in Ormskirk

From the WLDC website. Well done the Ormskirk Community Partnership and Christian Fellowships for organising the events.

There have been similar schemes running on and off for years in Skem and Up Holland organised by EMB’s and the Parish Council. They usually bring out residents who live nearby and they turn into community events. It is a shame that these areas are prone to litter, and the council could do more; but we have to deal with the here and now and this is the most practical and obvious way of clearing up.

Community clean-up

Two sites in Ormskirk town centre are being targeted for a special clean-up by Ormskirk Community Partnership together with members of Ormskirk Christian Fellowship, with support from West Lancs District Council.

Volunteers will be giving up their free time to pick up litter and clear away rubbish. On Sunday 27 April the volunteers will tackle the footpath between Ormskirk railway station and Ormskirk bus station and on Thursday 7 May they will carry out litter-picking on the car park, shrubberies and alleyways around Marks and Spencers.

West Lancs District Council’s Street Scene Division will support the clean-up by providing litter-picking equipment and support on the day. The Council will also take away all the litter collected by the volunteers and any items that have been fly-tipped on the sites.

Cllr Paul Greenall, portfolio holder for street scene, said: “I’d like to pay tribute to the volunteers who approached the Council with the idea of carrying out a clean-up in certain areas of the town centre. These sites are not owned by the Council, so we have spoken to the owners to get their permission. I’m delighted the Council is able to support this initiative and I wish the volunteers every success.”

The clean-up work will be carried out from 2pm until 5.30pm on Sunday 27 April and from 6.30pm to 8.30pm on Thursday 7 May at the sites mentioned above.

County 2009, Ormskirk

Playground off Mawdsley Terrace

At the weekend, my lovely wife, Jude, left us to fend for ourselves while she went down to London to see The Levellers. I think I managed to get through the whole weekend without too many disasters. Certainly nothing that couldn’t be fixed with a dab of super-glue or a glass of pink milk.

On Sunday we walked over to the playground at the end of Mawdsley Terrace. The children absolutely love it. In particular running up and down the half-pipes.

The only problem with the playground is the broken glass and litter that tends to cover it during the weekend. The council does come and clean the playground from time to time, but it quickly returns to a mess. And, unlike Halsall Lane playground, the bins haven’t been burned out (to my knowledge), and the equipment is occasionally maintained.

There has also been a side-panel missing from the big half-pipe which provides a great place to hide and get up to mischief well away from the CCTV cameras.


Half-pipe at Mawdsley Terrace playground
Half-pipe at Mawdsley Terrace playground

When I went to take a photograph of the missing panel I was surrounded by children asking what I was doing. They took great delight in telling me that the older children “smoke weed” and “drink beer” under the half-pipe – which they may well do. They probably wanted to get a reaction from me. That stuff is bound to go on if there is somewhere to hide away. To be honest, I just want to get it repaired.

They proceeded to show me their various bumps and bruises that they had collected while using the equipment. My reaction was that it’s a skateboard park – if you don’t get bruises, then you’re not using it properly. But, then they took me around the equipment and pointed out the bolts that weren’t properly screwed in, sections on different levels and a typically poor level of maintenance.

I look at this stuff as a 40 year old who never knew one end of a skateboard from another, and to me it all looks ok, but the kids are the ones who use it, and they know exactly what’s wrong with it. Shame none of them have a vote!

County 2009, Local Politics, Ormskirk

First complaint about the mushroom farm

Last week canvassing on Whiterails Drive I got my first complaint about the mushroom farm off Cottage Lane. To be fair it’s more like a mushroom factory than a farm, but I thought I’d hear more about it on the doorstep. It wasn’t mentioned once on Redgate, nor Halsall Lane but I’m guessing that a session down Cottage Lane will put me right.

I must confess to having been ambivalent about the farm. I had noticed it when leafleting the other week but it wasn’t overwhelming and I remember Val Hopley raising it back in the days when I was a young Skem Cllr. My default position was broadly – “well, they make mushrooms… and mushrooms are good, aren’t they?”.

It’s tricky. Unlike, say, Edge Hill where the side-effects of expansion can be mitigated through additional campus accomodation, planning, etc. There isn’t much to mitigate a farm’s smell. Realistically, all that can be done in the short term is for local residents to keep on top of every planning application that comes in; for them to assess what effect it will have and to agree / oppose as necessary.

Obviously one complaint gets it on the radar, but I need to schedule in a canvass down Cottage Lane to try and gauge what people are really thinking.

County 2009, Local Politics, Ormskirk

Moorgate – HGV’s and residents parking

A beautiful sunny afternoon for canvassing down Moorgate on Sunday. The tenants in the sheltered housing down Moorgate and South Terrace were all lovely, and I found myself chatting a bit too much and perhaps not being as “productive” as I ought to be.

One reason for talking so long was the number of complains and grumbles that they had about the road and the area.

I know the area quite well because our Joel goes to Moorgate Nursery and to a nearby child-minder. I know that parking is a problem and that the road surface is bad. However what I didn’t realise was that the road surface is so poor because HGV’s regularly use the street as a cut through to Aughton Street, and I wasn’t prepared for the outright objection to the residents parking that will soon be introduced in the area.


Damage from HGVs on Moorgate

Damage from HGV's on Moorgate

One would think that residents only parking would be a good thing and I’m sure that there are residents who want it to be introduced – although we didn’t meet a single one. The main objections seemed to be the price and an apparent unfairness that those without off-street parking were being penalised compared to those that could park in a drive. Given that they are all Council tenants in sheltered accomodation, that seems like a reasonable response. The other objection was that even after spending £35 for a parking permit for themselves and visitors there still wasn’t any guarantee that they would get a parking space (remember these pensioners already pay the Council upwards of £75 per week in rent).

The residents only parking scheme also impacts local businesses on Aughton Street who rely on customers being able to park nearby. It also means that staff at Moorgate Nursery and Childrens Centre will have to find somewhere else to park since they won’t be able to park near to the nursery any more.

I am told that someone with a clipboard briefly spoke to some of the residents and passers-by last year and this was the basis of the “consultation” that led to the scheme being put in place. Thankfully it is a 12 month trial which means that it can be objectively be reviewed this time next year – but all those who I spoke to were deeply unhappy about something that they have repeatedly objected to in the past and is now being forced upon them.

On a different note, one resident pointed out that the trains have started sounding their horns occasionally as they pass by. Now that might (might!) be easier to resolve than the town’s perennial parking problems.

Edge Hill University, Local Politics, Ormskirk

Noise nuisance – the gulf between the tories and the people

Last year I stepped down as a Skelmersdale councillor having moved to Ormskirk, so attending tonight’s Full Council as a member of the public was an eye opener. I don’t know if things have got worse or if one just becomes immune to the behaviour of Council members after four years, but the level of disrespect and contempt between the two groups seems to be plumbing new depths.

Cllr Ainscough who chaired the meeting seemed intent to make matters worse. Tearing up the constitution and running the meeting to a set of rules that he hadn’t had the courtesy to let anyone else know just led to frustration and anger on the Labour side and casual contempt from the Tories – talking to each other in full voice while Labour members tried to speak (without being stopped by the Chair).

However, I wasn’t there to study the behaviour of the Tories, I was there to observe the debate regarding the provision of noise abatement officers during freshers week.

To start with, Cllr Ainscough (Con. Ormskirk Scott Ward) wouldn’t let Cllr Paul Cotterill introduce the resolution and insisted that instead Cllr Pendleton should speak first. This is important because it meant that Paul wasn’t able to sum up. When he queried the procedure it was dismissed, but then the Chair took all that procedural discussion out of Paul’s time to speak – leaving him with about 90 seconds to introduce and explain the resolution. All this done over a constant chatter of Tories who were not listening.

The portfolio holder, Cllr Fowler (Con, Scarisbrick) stood up to tell councillors that there were only a handful of complaints through the year and so 24 hour noise abatement officer coverage during freshers week was “disproportionate”.

We then got to hear Cllr Kay (Con, Tarleton) explain about how many years ago he was a bobby in Ormskirk long before Edge Hill (I think he meant long before the expansion started). From his age, I expect that this was some time in the late sixties, early seventies. He went on to explain that in his experience there was very little noise nuisance in Ormskirk and that there was no difference between freshers week and any other week of the year.

Really, in all seriousness this man addressed the other members of his group: said that forty years ago there wasn’t a problem and that therefore they should vote against the motion… and was taken seriously.

Apart from a sensible question from Cllr Greenhall (Con, Ormskirk Derby ward) regarding employment contracts and how such a measure would be paid for, that was the sum total of the debate.

Cllr Pendleton (Lab) summed up and quite rightly pointed out that there ought to be 24 hour noise abatement cover throughout the year, but that to ask for it for one week was quite reasonable. Of course, it was far too unreasonable for the Conservatives who overwhelmingly voted against the resolution leaving it defeated.

Sadly the vote wasn’t recorded, but I noted the voting for the Ormskirk councillors as follows:

  • Derby: Cllr David Swiffen (Con) – against
  • Derby: Cllr Adrian Owens (Con) – ABSTAIN
  • Derby: Cllr Paul Greenhall (Con) – ABSTAIN
  • Knowsley: Cllr Peter Lea (Con) – against
  • Knowsley: Cllr Rob Bailey (Con) – ABSTAIN
  • Knowsley: Cllr Val Hopley (Con) – against
  • Scott: Cllr Cyril Ainscough (Con) – chaired the meeting refused to give Cllr Cotterill time to move resolution
  • Scott: Cllr David Meadows (Con) – against
  • Scott: Cllr Geoff Hammond (Con) – against

You’ll see that all the councillors for Ormskirk are Conservatives and none of them supported the proposal of more noise abatement cover during freshers week. To be fair, Councillors Owens, Greenhall and Bailey abstained from the vote – i.e. they didn’t vote for or against. In Cllr Greenhall’s case I think he saw some merit in the motion but couldn’t vote against a group decision. At least he stood up to speak and ask a question.

I was disappointed, but not surprised by Owens and Bailey who chose to sit on their hands.

I know that Cllr Owens has been fully briefed by the same residents that I’ve spoken to and is aware of the problems. Yet he didn’t even speak to the resolution. This from the man who wants to be the next MP for West Lancs.

The debate showed that there is a reality gap between those residents affected by the impact of the University’s expansion and the Councillors who are supposed to represent them.

Everyone I speak to wants the University to thrive and succeed in the town. The economic benefits are understood by most people and the vast majority of students themselves are well behaved, a credit to the Uni and appear to enjoy studying in the town. When we talk about anti-social behaviour we are talking about a minority of students and non-students – some who travel into town for “student nights”.

However, many of those people who support the University also have genuine problems with the noise nuisance, litter, parking and loss of community that comes with a large number of multi-occupancy housing in a small area. The fact that Conservatives on the District Council absolutely refuse to acknowledge it demonstrates yet again that they are completely out of touch.

Local Politics, Ormskirk

Canvassing feedback – Student and multi-occupancy properties

The following is a letter that was delivered in the Burscough Street, Station Road and Scarisbrick Street parts of the ward over the weekend. When we canvassed the area there was a genuine concern about the unplanned growth of student accommodation in the area – particularly with the impact on community, house prices, parking and the appearance of the neighbourhood.

I am writing because I have received a number of complaints in this part of Ormskirk regarding the noisy and inappropriate behaviour of some students, a general decline in the upkeep of the area and parking problems, all resulting from the high proportion of multi-occupancy housing.

Understandably, some blame the University, but I believe that the root cause isn’t the expansion of the University, but the reluctance of the District Council to have a realistic and pragmatic response to its growth.

There are some long term policies that the Council could implement to mitigate the impact – in particular by allowing more accommodation on campus in exchange for tighter control of the planning rules in the town. However, such policies can’t be implemented overnight.

In the meantime there are concrete measures that the Council could put in place to improve matters for local residents.

As a small step towards this, I have asked the Labour Group to present a proposal at Full Council on the 22nd April asking that noise abatement officers should be employed throughout the night during Freshers Week instead of just office hours. This will tackle any noise nuisance during that first week of term – a time when students may be away from home for the first time.

It is important to stress that the overwhelming majority of students are law-abiding and courteous young people, and that the measures proposed are not some kind of anti-student witch-hunt, but a small short-term measure designed to promote harmonious relations in the longer term.

I am also aware that there is much concern about the proposed flats to be built at 198 Burscough Street.

I have asked that the plans for 198 Burscough Street be “called in” – this means that the Planning Committee will get an opportunity to debate the plans rather than it simply being rubber stamped. This will also give local residents the opportunity to address the planning committee directly with their concerns.

My long term aims are: that we try to control the growth of multi-occupancy housing in the town; that streets with high student populations are well looked after and free from anti-social behaviour; that everyone in the town benefits from the success of the University and that landlords pay their fair share towards the provision of local services through council tax. I hope you can support these small, but immediate steps towards these goals.

Ormskirk

Halsall Lane Playground

While canvassing it has been brought to my attention that the park at the end of Halsall Lane is in a dreadful state. It looks like the Council has just “given up” on the park. The playground is sparse – with just a climbing frame and a small plastic rocking horse. When I visited the other day the climbing frame looked like it hadn’t been maintained in years – it was filthy, covered with grafitti and had litter and debris lying around. Bins had been burned out by vandals and left by the council. The play area is a mess.

Climbing frame and rocking horse at Halsall Lane playground

The Conservative District Council have a policy of ignoring small playgrounds like this and instead want us to go to larger playgrounds. Halsall Lane Park suffers because the Council expects children to walk to Coronation Park, crossing the A59 in the process. This is inherently unfair because we shouldn’t expect parents of young children in the areas around Cottage Lane, Tennyson Drive or Redgate to send toddlers and small children to a playground half a mile away. Sadly, this is the policy that we have to work with at the moment.

Burned out bin on Halsall Lane playground

In other parts of West Lancashire, small playgrounds like this would normally be adopted by the local Parish Council. In Up Holland, for example, there are four small parks around the village which have been maintained by the parish for decades. In Ormskirk we don’t have a Parish or Town council so we have to rely on the District Council.

There have been some improvements. Local activists including the local PC have had the very overgrown bushes cut back, primarily to reduce hiding-places for anti-social behaviour, but it helps make the park a little better.

There is talk that a “friends of Halsall Park” group could be set up, which might be the only way forward in the short term. However, that group will still have to raise funds to improve the state of the park and the responsibility for that ultimately lies with the Council. I will be writing to the District Council to find out what their plans are for the park and will report back presently.

Library, Ormskirk

Ormskirk Library to close for major refurbishment

Good news from the County Council this week with the Library getting a £330,000 refurbishment in time for the Summer Holidays. Consequently the library will close on the 29th April for six to eight weeks.

We are regular library users and always have a large stack of childrens library books ready for bedtime.

Anything that makes the building more accessible and available for community events should be welcomed. Indeed, a report in 2006 commissioned by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport showed that negative perceptions of public libraries are deeply entrenched among the 14 to 35 age group.

According to the literacy trust, the recommendations for attracting 14 to 35 year-olds into libraries were:

  • Modernisation of style (décor, buildings, furnishings, not school-like)
  • Enhanced environment (a ‘destination’ fell; a stylish café adds enormous value)
  • Variety and separation (people, especially teens and families, need to be able to see something that ‘fits their needs and not others’)
  • Comfort (no restrictions on noise in some parts of the library)
  • Classes (short demonstrations, tasters, etc)
  • Multimedia activity
  • Recent/latest stock (request service could ensure new stock is considered)
  • Electronic access (for online reservations and extension of loans)
  • Location/access (being part of the commercial landscape; evening and weekend opening hours)
  • Assistance/support (friendlier staff, especially for ‘Teen Space seekers).

The proposals look like they’re going some way to achieve this. All it will be missing is a coffee shop!

The press release from the County Council says it better than I, so I’ll reproduce it here:

ORMSKIRK Library on Burscough Street will be closed to the public during May and June for major refurbishment.

The library will be closed for between six and eight weeks from Wednesday, 29 April 2009.

The closure will allow for the refurbishment and improved facilities of the existing premises as part of Lancashire County Council’s Library Regenerate Programme.

The county council is investing over £330,000 of capital funding for the refurbishment which will see the library transformed into a bright, attractive flexible space allowing improved access to all library services.

Improvements will include a more accessible entrance in Derby Street, more computers, comfortable seating and open spaces. Shelving for books will be mobile to allow for community events to be held more frequently and areas especially designated for family and community history and young people.

Lancashire County Council has been investing capital funding over the last three years to implement its “Library Regenerate” project to modernise libraries by creating flexible space based on community need.

County Councillor Anne Brown, cabinet member for Adult and Community Services, said:

“We are investing heavily in developing our libraries and our Library and Information Service so it is fit for the 21st century and, more importantly, it meets the needs and aspirations of local people. Our aim is to invest, develop and provide services that benefit everyone, both young and old alike, with our libraries at the heart of local communities.”

During the closure, library customers are welcome to use their membership cards at any other library in Lancashire. Books and other loaned items can be returned or renewed at any Lancashire County Council library regardless of where they were borrowed from, or by telephoning 0845 050 1083. Anyone experiencing any difficulties will be allowed to borrow extra books over the period.

The nearest libraries open to the public during this temporary closure are:
– Burscough Library, on Mill Lane, Burscough – opens every day except Wednesday, closing for lunch at 12.30 – 1.30pm (half day Thursday and Saturday)

– Skelmersdale Library, on Southway – opens every day, half day on Wednesday and open Saturday afternoon until 4pm.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

For more information please visit Lancashire County Council’s Library and Information Service at www.lancashire.gov/libraries

For further information please contact: Andrew Lynn on 01772 534372 andrew.lynn@ssd.lancscc.gov.uk

County 2009, Local Politics, Ormskirk

County Elections 2009

I should have posted something to this effect a few weeks ago, but I’ve been busy just getting on with things. Last month I was selected as Labour’s candidate for the Ormskirk West Lancashire County Council seat.

It’s an incredible honour to be given the opportunity to campaign on a Labour ticket in Ormskirk, especially in the obviously difficult times that we all face at the moment.

I’m told that the Conservative candidate lives somewhere over in Parbold, and so it’s doubly satisfying to know that I’m the only major party candidate who actually lives in the town.

It’s a short period of time between now and June 6th when the election will take place, and most of my spare time has been spent going out talking to people around the town about the issues that face them. I expect that I’ll be doing that right up until polling day.

I’ve been at it for about two weeks now and I’m pleased to say that most people have been extremely welcoming considering that for most I’m just a stranger knocking on the door. In many cases I speak to people who disagree with the Labour party and what they stand for. I can quite understand, particularly considering what we get in the media each day, that natural Conservative supporters will feel quite bitter towards the current government – and therefore me, on their doorstep.

However, it’s good to see that many people, of all backgrounds and points of view, are pleased just to have _anyone_ come around and talk to them.

There is a massive political disengagement in Ormskirk, which comes across when you talk to people about the things that really matter to them. People feel incredibly let down by those currently in control. Some of this is systematic in the way that they deal with “casework” and some of it is simply down to political dogma by those in charge. Either way, the net result is that there is no trust in those that look after the interests of the town.

Over time, I’ll write more on the specific issues that have been coming up while canvassing. However, there is a common thread across all the issues that are raised. People feel like they’re on their own – despite reaching out to local politicians and those who work at the Council, they still feel like there isn’t anyone on their side.

That’s something that I would try to change. But regardless of whether or not I win – for the sake of our town – we have to clear out the cynicism in our local politics.