My Report to Council

Posted By: Jean Ashworth
Date Posted: 15/01/2010

Thank you Mr Mayor for the opportunity to report to the Council the latest developments on various matters relating to the Pennines Township.

I have several small but significant successes to report this time, Mr Mayor. Since you and Ms Etchells were kind enough to attend the event, I’m sure you will agree with me, that the festive lights switch on in Littleborough was a great success. It was estimated that about 600 people attended and everything went smoothly so we all enjoyed ourselves. Your attendance at the Lancashire Day celebration in Milnrow was also appreciated . This launched the latest round of events for the Tim Bobbin Festival, promoted by MoorEnd Development Trust, which has included a performance by local schoolchildren, story telling and dialect sessions and an exhibition of specially commissioned explanatory boards about Milnrow’s poet in Butterworth Hall. The Library has also hosted an exhibition about him. There will also be another play concerning his life which is currently being worked on by Milnrow Amateur Dramatics Society.

Also in Littleborough, I am very pleased to report that several of our local shops successfully participated in a the Christmas shop window competition. Tiger Feet were commended and Best Dressed won the urban category. This means that they will be invited to spend the day with professional window dressers from Harvey Nichols in London for further training on improving their displays.

I realise that I have not recently included news of the Joint Service Centre for Pennines in my reports to Council. Working in conjunction with the NHS, the Council’s Special Projects Team has been looking at various sites – not easy to find in Littleborough. A recent public liaison meeting revealed that a new site is being explored and the problem of providing adequate parking – a big concern of residents – is being addressed.

In connection with the JSC, I have previously reported that MoorEnd has aspirations for an asset transfer of Hare Hill House when and if the JSC goes ahead. There is more success to report on this front. With the support of their consultants, Camberwell, MoorEnd has applied for funding from Future Builders, the fund which has been set up for dealing with asset transfer following the Quirk review. 1,600 expressions of interest were lodged and assessors carried out an initial trawl. Four applications were identified for immediate support and I am happy to let you know that MoorEnd Development Trust is one of those four. This success will give the board a little bit more money to add further detail to the feasibility study which has already been completed. The necessary application for the asset transfer has been submitted to the Regen Unit: this will eventually result in a Cabinet report which I hope will secure your support.

Later this week we are looking forward to Pennines Councillors’ review session, which we hold with Township staff each year around this time. We use the occasion to look in detail at the work which has been completed to deliver our priorities to identify what else needs to be done. We also look at the demographic and deprivation statistics for the Township so that we can re-examine priorities and decide if we need to change or add to them. The work is key to setting the work plan for our Township officers.

This review will be the final one attended by Sue Thornton who has been our Township Manager for the last 13 years. Sue has decided to retire earlier than planned to enjoy more time with her family and grandchildren, She was passionate in her role and has been an asset to the Township. We wish her well in her retirement and thank her for her dedication, support and hard work her wealth of knowledge and sense of humour will be missed by all of us.

We also say goodbye to Chris Ticehurst, Assistant Township Manager, who has decided to go off travelling around the world and re-settle nearer her parents on the east coast on her return at the end of this year. We send her our love thanks and very best wishes on her new venture.

So, big changes for Pennines in the immediate future. As we now know that Katie Kinsella, who has been Sue’s job share partner for the last two years and who was to take on the job full time, will also be leaving as she has been successful in securing another position. She goes to work at Calderdale MBC and will be leaving us in March 2010. We will so miss Katie and the enthusiasm she has given to the Pennines over the last 7 years but know that this is a new opportunity in a specific work area giving her more professional career development in the longer term. I wish her much well deserved success. The next three months will see many changes in the Pennines Township but I know we will continue as always to work together.

A Happy Christmas and Peaceful New Year to all.

Councillor Jean Ashworth

Thank you Mr. Mayor, I will be pleased to answer any questions from Members of the Council about these or any other matter relating to the Pennines Township.