June 2016 - Burscough Parish Council

NEWSLETTER
JUNE 2016 / ISSUE 41
Bloomin’ Burscough
Garden Competition
Summer is here and we are busy planning our first ever Bloomin’ Burscough Garden
Competition. The event is launched to recognise the contribution made by gardeners
and to celebrate Burscough’s gardens in full flower.
In this first year, there will be just two categories:
• best front garden
• best hanging basket(s) or planter(s) The gardens will be judged by a panel of local gardeners (nominated by local
organisations and individuals) during the first two weeks of August. The judges will not
enter your garden but will view from the roadway so all applications must be for
gardens or hanging baskets/planters that are visible from the road. There will be
several prizes for the winners. Application forms are available from any parish
councillor, the parish council office or you can download a form from the parish
council website at www.burscoughpc.co.uk.
The idea for the competition came from Cllr Nichola Makin. Nichola said “Burscough residents have many wonderful gardens,
hanging baskets and planters. This competition is a chance to celebrate them all. Please nominate your neighbour, friend or
family for this auspicious award in our inaugural gardening extravaganza!”
Burscough Library closure – Have your say
Due to ongoing cuts by central
government, Lancashire County Council
is tackling a £262million budget shortfall
between now and 2020/21.
On Wednesday, May 18, a 12-week
consultation process began to gather
residents’ feedback on how money can
be saved by reducing overheads &
services. A final decision will be taken
later in the year. One of the suggested
ways by which to cut budgets is to close
several libraries – Burscough Library in
Mill Lane being one of them.
Lancashire County Council leader
Jenny Mein said: “The severity of the
county council’s financial position cannot
be overstated, and the ongoing cuts in
central government funding combined
with rising demand for our services
mean the only way we can maintain the
services that people rely on is to deliver
them in a different way. I’m acutely
aware that people have a very strong
connection to their local services,
particularly places like libraries that are
often seen as a valuable part of the
community. These proposals are very
difficult ones for councillors to have to
consider, but our aim is to come up with
a solution that still gives everyone in
Lancashire good access to good services,
even though some will have to be further
away than they are now.”
Within the council papers there is a
comment about a library satellite at The
Grove – we will provide more information
as we receive it. Please complete the
consultation and use the formal process
to demonstrate how you feel about the
potential removal of this service. Please
use the link below:
http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/council/ge
t-involved/consultations/changes-towhere-we-provide-services.aspx
Burscough Parish Council
Martland Mill, Mart Lane, Burscough, Lancashire L40 OSD Telephone: 01704 894914
Email: [email protected] www.burscoughpc.co.uk
BURSCOUGH PARISH NEWSLETTER JUNE 2016
Contents
Bloomin’ Burscough garden
competition
Burscough Library closure –
Have your say
Piccadilly line – no service?
Flooding & Bus meeting – Burscough
residents have their say!
Leeds Liverpool Canal – 200th
Anniversary Celebrations!
Burscough Seniors Luncheon Club
Keep Our Children Safe
Annual Parish Assembly May 25th
Canal clean-up by Burscough scouts!
How should we brand Burscough?
Bee our friends…
Reaching out in the community
Burscough Heritage Day Exhibition
Lancashire Police – Be safe,
prevent burglary
Which ward do you live in?
Local Election Results
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Flooding & Bus meeting
– Burscough residents
have their say!
On March 15th a public meeting was
held at the Stanley Institute. Around
100 members of the public attended
and many residents were able to
express their deep concerns about
flooding in Burscough along with the
significant reduction in bus services.
The parish council are strenuously
continuing to move these issues
forward with all concerned - especially
County & Borough councils, the
Environment
Agency,
National
Farmers Union, United Utilities,
Network Rail & all other relevant
bodies. Rest assured these issues are
BPC's highest priorities.
Flooding in Burscough by Debbie
Walmsley, courtesy of Southport Visiter
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www.burscoughpc.co.uk
Piccadilly line – no service?
The new rail franchise with Arriva Rail North began providing our train
services from April 1st 2016 delivering a 9 year contract. The new service will
provide improved benefits:
• An hourly service from Ormskirk to Preston with 17 trains a day
(but no Sunday service)
• Refurbished diesel stock
• Continued 2 trains per hour Southport to Manchester
• BUT from December 2017 all trains will be routed to & from
Manchester Victoria
OPSTA – Ormskirk, Preston & Southport Travellers’ Association are an
active, constructive & non-political lobbying group that represent & consult
passengers as well as running campaigns based on research & data relating
to our local travel network. They have launched the ‘Make Your Voice Heard
Campaign’ to convince Arriva Rail North that removing the direct service to
Piccadilly is a serious mistake.
Alan Fantom, Chair OPSTA encourages us all to contact the various
organisations involved to express our concern: ‘I am very pleased
Burscough and all of the parish councils in West Lancashire recognise the
vital importance of this rail connection for our region. The commitment to
taking positive action will be very influential in getting the right outcome,
the retention and subsequent improvement of this well used service. We
still have a fight to get the plan reversed and the continued support and
voice of the travelling public is essential. The petitioning by rail users to
date has already got the transport authorities thinking. So while we press
for meaningful dialogue and resolution with Rail North and the rail
company it remains essential we keep explaining why the proposition to
remove our Piccadilly service is wrong. Visit our website www.opsta.org or
call on 07792 208203 to see how you can make your voice heard - it is very
quick and easy.’
BURSCOUGH PARISH NEWSLETTER JUNE 2016
Leeds Liverpool Canal - 200th Anniversary Celebrations!
This significant event is now here – a weekend full of fun for
everyone!
There will be lots to do & see for all of the family!
Please support Burscough community by celebrating the
200th Anniversary of the canal at Burscough Wharf &
surrounding area on June 18th & 19th 2016.
Burscough Seniors
Luncheon Club
The Old Folks Luncheon Club has been relaunched as ‘Burscough Seniors Luncheon
Club’. Sincere thanks to everyone who offered
support when the imminent closure of the
Wednesday club was highlighted recently.
Following a weeks 'holiday' the regulars now
meet as usual at Burscough Old Folks Club in
Lord Street – enjoying a lunch supplied by
The Grove Community Association. David
Hardisty, a Burscough parish councillor,
spoke to the members about their options. A
local member of the community pledged to
cover running costs for premises hire and a
paid member of staff for 3 hours per week, for
the next 12 months. A sincere thank you to
Dave & our kind anonymous donor for being
so dynamic in making this happen.
A small management committee has been
elected, agreement on membership accepted
and weekly cost to members for a new food
supplier was agreed. A club constitution has
been written and a new bank account is being
opened.
Those who have offered their services as
volunteers have been contacted - the wheels
are in motion… Thank you so much to
everyone – Sue Lamb, on behalf of The Grove
Community Association.
Canal & River Trust tells us: “Our 200 year legacy of the
Leeds and Liverpool Canal is to be celebrated throughout
2016. Built in 1816, this single man-made waterway has
made its mark in canal history, and we want you to join in to
find out more about its heritage and to celebrate this
remarkable birthday”.
Keep Our Children Safe
Our local schools are frequently asking the Parish Council to help with
improving parking around school sites throughout the village. Please
take extra care when using the road network throughout our community –
especially at pick-up and drop off times during the school day. Parking is
the biggest issue – please show every consideration for the safety of all.
Please respect school entrances and always avoid zigzags and other
parking restrictions. It is vital we all respect everyone’s needs all of the
time – be thoughtful and think ahead. Do you know it is virtually
impossible to manoeuvre a wheelchair down a kerb around a vehicle that
is straddling the pavement? If you are blind or visually impaired you
cannot walk around a parked vehicle and go into the road – you must be
able to walk safely along the pavement without any obstacles. Be a
community champion and lead by example – drive and park safely and
considerately. Thank you!
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Car share with other parents if there is no alternative way to travel
Start a ‘School Walking Bus’
‘Brake’ – the road safety charity http://www.brake.org.uk
‘Living Streets’ runs the national ‘Walk to School campaign’
www.livingstreets.org.uk
Walk to school - leave early
so that you can walk a little
further after you have
parked
Cheaper – cold engines use
more fuel
Better for the car – short
journeys/cold engines are
not good for the engine
Environment – short
journeys/cold engines
produce more air pollution
Healthier – walking provides
much need exercise
Road safety education –
children learn to use the
road as a pedestrian under
a parent’s supervision.
www.burscoughpc.co.uk
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BURSCOUGH PARISH NEWSLETTER JUNE 2016
Annual Parish Assembly May 25th
Burscough Parish Council hosted it's highly successful
Annual Parish Assembly and exhibition at The Grove.
This is the opportunity for residents to have their say
and raise issues that matter to them. Burscough
Parish Council took the opportunity to display the
results of 'The Big Burscough Survey', launch the
Bloomin' Burscough Garden Competition and consult
over Burscough Branding.
Over 30 people attended and one resident
commented that it was an "Interesting meeting &
great seeing people's views on Burscough."
During the meeting the issues raised included traffic
and speeding whilst other residents were concerned
with flooding - especially where it affected their
homes. It was also raised as a serious issue for
farmland - where this affected crops and food
production and people's livelihoods.
Please use the link below to access the full results of
the survey. Over 500 residents responded - giving the
parish council a clear snapshot of how people feel
about Burscough. This information will form the core
of our new Burscough Neighbourhood Plan. Many
thanks to all of you that completed the survey. It is
really important that as many people as possible
provide their views when asked to during
consultations.
http://www.burscoughpc.co.uk/uploads/2/8/4/8/284
83119/big_burscough_survey_response_in_display_
form.pdf
APRIL 2016
Image courtesy of David Dunn, The View From Above. Copyrighted.
The Big Burscough Survey
Burscough has changed a lot over the last 50 years. And
in 2016 it seems that change is happening faster. Now,
for the first time ever, the people of Burscough have the
chance to get some real control over some of the
change that is happening!
In 2011 the Government announced the
Neighbourhood Plan. This allows Parish Councils to
develop a Plan that must be followed by developers and
planners. We are now at a critical stage in developing a
Plan for Burscough, and we need your help.
We are now at the point where we are asking all the
people of Burscough for their views on the major issues
that have been identified so far. In this newsletter we
have laid out a set of questions covering all the topics
that are important to managing the future development
of our village.
We are asking for your help because the results of
this survey will become the evidence supporting our
Plan. When we have collected all your input, we will
publish the results and present them at the Annual
Parish Meeting at The Grove on 25th May. Make a note
in your diary!
Please let us have your views by 6th May. There are
lots of ways you can tell us what you think – see the
back page for details. “Thank you in advance for
taking part.”
Alan Bullen
Chairman, Burscough Parish Council
Canal Clean-up by
Burscough Scouts!
Burscough Scouts, supported by the Canal & Rivers Trust (CRT),
have embarked on a decidedly damp litter-pick!
As part of the 'A Million Hands' project, 29th Ormskirk
(Burscough St John's) Scout Group have adopted a mile of the
Leeds/ Liverpool canal. Working alongside CRT they have been
tidying 5 miles of the Canal Tow path and a troop night spent in
canoes clearing up the litter on the water.
A Million Hands is a Community Impact campaign to mobilise
half a million people and make a difference in their local
community by supporting four social issues chosen by young
people, Dementia, Mental Well being, Disability and Clean Water
& Sanitation.
With further projects planned, the 29th are making an
awareness of the charity Water Aid and working with the Canal &
River Trust to improve our local waterways.
A huge thank you to all of the scouts & leaders who participated
– your local community are extremely grateful! Well done!
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www.burscoughpc.co.uk
BURSCOUGH PARISH NEWSLETTER JUNE 2016
How should we brand Burscough?
Burscough Parish Council has been working with local
businesses to improve the way that Burscough is promoted to
expand the tourism economy and attract visitors. Many
businesses generate income from visitors – many Burscough
residents rely on employment in those businesses. It is
therefore very important that we all support investment in the
tourism & visitor economy whilst promoting the many
beautiful aspects of Burscough of which we are all so proud.
Martin Mere has proposed that Burscough brands itself
‘Home of the Whooper Swan’. In support of this proposal
Nick Brooks, General Manager, says; “Burscough has the
opportunity to make a name for itself, creating a unique
identity that no other town in the UK can match. Although it
will never match the same scale, by piggy-backing on Martin
Mere, it has the same type of opportunity that Stratford upon
Avon takes with Shakespeare”. This is just one suggestion –
we want to know what the residents think and then we can
decide what is going to be the most effective promotion for
Burscough.
Martin Mere already attracts over 200,000 visitors a year
and it has been shown to be worth around £6 million per year
to the local economy – supporting over 30 jobs outside of
those actually working at the nature reserve. It is thought that
Burscough could exploit the success of Martin Mere and
brand itself as an eco-destination, attracting more national
and international visitors.
There are several aspects to achieving this:
1 Road signs
2 Roundabout Statue
3 Logo Silhouettes as a
quality kitemark
4 Town Twinning
5 Village statue
6 Other opportunities
Burscough could utilise the unique selling point of Martin
Mere and its wildlife to develop an identity or brand. One
relatively cheap way to do this would be to install road signs
on the entrances to the town. This then sets the stage for
visitors to the area. If signs were erected, Burscough would
be the first town in the UK to become "Home of" a species of
wildlife. This alone would generate tens of thousands of
pounds of publicity across the UK, a value far in excess of the
costs of the signs.
Several businesses have supported the proposal although
there was no formal vote – the parish council needs a
consensus from a good majority of businesses involved in the
visitor economy to take it forward. This is only one idea – we
need to know that this is right for everyone in the community
and that we can all gain from it. It must be a reciprocal
arrangement where everyone feels they belong and are
benefiting from this branding.
Burscough Parish Council now wants to ask the wider
community what they think. We have to work out just how it
would work in practice and who and how we can keep the
marketing advantage alive in years to come. We have also received suggestions to align Burscough
more closely with its military past – and suggestions have
been made that the canal heritage/walks/canal-side pubs
could be used as our ‘brand’.
Quick questions:
• Should we think seriously about branding? And if so,
• What will that branding look like?
• How can we maintain its impact?
• Will this result in increased trade for your business? • The Parish Council offered to put a page on its website
containing a list of places to stay and places to eat (and
perhaps places to visit) in Burscough. The Wharf and
Martin Mere agreed that they would put links to the page
on their own websites. It will be a simple listing offering
links and basic information, not advertising. If it proved
useful, we think it would be something that could be built
on in the future, perhaps leading to a stand-alone site for
visitors. Is this of interest?
Please contact us at the parish office – call in, telephone or
email your views.
Thank you for your feedback – we really need to have your
thoughts and ideas!
Bee our friends…
In Spring, many of us will
appreciate the wildlife in our
gardens and parks, as well as in the
countryside surrounding our town, with the
gardeners’ friend, the Bee becoming a common visitor
once more. However you may find yourself sharing your
property with them!
Often bees can find entrances to our homes through
cavity walls, or will set up nests in compost heaps, piles
of bricks and garden waste. Sometimes mistaken for
wasps, these helpful creatures are killed by people
misunderstanding them and their intentions, taking
their invasive nature to be aggression. All bees are
fantastic pollinators and with 70% of the top crops that
end up on our dinner plates being pollinated by them,
our very existence relies on them! If all bees were wiped
from this Earth, humans would only continue for a
further 4 years.
If you’re having problems with bees this Summer and
require some help or advice, please call local
community conservation group; The Tree Bee Society
on 01704 894018. Thank you!
www.burscoughpc.co.uk
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BURSCOUGH PARISH NEWSLETTER JUNE 2016
REACHING OUT in THE COMMUNITY
The Grove Community Association (reg charity 1076324)
Every Wednesday between 12-2pm we are running a PoP uP Kitchen, recycling food that our local
supermarket, Booths, are unable to sell. THIS IS FREE OF CHARGE - if you enjoy your scrumptious
meal donations are most welcome. Home delivery is available to any housebound residents. It is vital
that we also support our local Food Bank for our friends & neighbours who at times need that little
extra help.
Saturday 23 July –
We are 21 years old and are holding a
CELEBRATION DAY!
Please come along and join in the fun!
The GAP – activities for young people 8-13 during the summer holidays starting 25 July for 5 weeks.
£5 per day for centre based activities.
Trips out (additional cost)
Mon – Thurs 10am-3.30pm.
Please contact Sue 01704 896424 option 3
www.facebook.com/groveCA
THE GROVE YOUTH COMMUNITY and CHILDREN CENTRE
Station Approach, Burscough.
Richmond Park
Fun Day
Off Juncon Lane, Burscough, L40 5SN
Sunday 12th June 2016
12 noon – 5pm
Musical Entertainment
Competitions
Burscough’s Got Talent (5-16yrs)
Fun Dog Show - categories include: waggiest tail; most obedient;
best trick; best dog/owner lookalike; best puppy; best adult dog
Other Activities Include
Football Tournament (schools)
Open Bowling | Try Tennis | Archery
Childrens Rides | Food & Drink | Community Stalls
For more informaon please contact
Urban Park Ranger – Anne Faulkner | Tel: 01695 570258
Email: [email protected]
www.westlancs.gov.uk/countryside
www.facebook.com/wlbc.rangers
www.twier.com/wlbc_rangers
*Please note, on-site parking Is not available for this event!
Limited parking available at Lordsgate School
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www.burscoughpc.co.uk
BURSCOUGH PARISH NEWSLETTER JUNE 2016
Burscough Heritage Day Exhibition 5th March 2016
Burscough Heritage Day was held on
Saturday 5th March 2016 at The
Stanley Club to promote the launch of
the new heritage website that was
kindly funded by Burscough Parish
Council www.images-of-burscough.co.uk.
The day itself was a great success
with around 500 people visiting the
main hall to view the exhibition of 480
old photos of our local area and many
pieces of local memorabilia.
Visitors also sampled gingerbread
men made from one of the original
Ormskirk Gingerbread Recipes from
1850 (made by Michael and Debra).
These proved to be very popular.
Burscough Heritage Group and
Lathom & Burscough Military
Heritage Society also contributed by
exhibiting local and military history.
Since 2010 Michael Dawson has
been running two very popular
Facebook
pages
(Images
of
Burscough and Surrounding Areas &
HMS Ringtail, RNAS Burscough) so
that everyone can see the collection of
photos/memorabilia that has been
amassed over the past 20 years.
In April 2015, along with Lawrence
Critchley, it was thought that a
dedicated website would make the
Mayor Nikki Hennessy opening the exhibition
with Michael Dawson, Lawrence Critchley
and Debra Baldwin – the Images of
Burscough team. (The photos of the day are
courtesy of Alan Birch).
growing archive of images / film
footage / memorabilia/ stories etc.
more accessible and interactive. The
aim and motto of the group is
"Keeping the Past Alive” and to provide
the local community with a great
history resource. A huge thank you to
Michael & colleagues for such a
special day!
If anyone has any old photos / film
footage of the local area that they
would like to share with the group
please contact Michael, either through
the website or facebook groups or
phone him on 01704 894097 or email:
[email protected].
Lancashire Police – Be Safe,
Prevent Burglary
Residents are being urged to be vigilant and take extra care
of their property and valuables. Lancashire Police are
encouraging us all to ensure that our property is securely
locked at all times.
Homes with no security measures in place are five times
more likely to be burgled than those with simple security
measures. Good window locks and strong deadlocks can
make a big difference.
Taking just a few steps can make a big difference in keeping
your home safe from burglary.
Here are a few tips:
• Lock your doors and windows every time you leave the
house, even when you're just out in the garden,
remembering to double-lock UPVC doors
(lift handle and turn key)
• Hide all keys, including car keys, out of sight and away
from the letterbox (remember a device could be used to
hook keys through the letterbox)
• Install a visual burglar alarm
• Install good outside lighting
• Get a trusted neighbour to keep an eye on your property
• Leave radios or lights in your house on a timer to make
the property appear occupied
• Make sure the fences around your garden are in good
condition
• Secure bikes at home by locking them to an immoveable
object inside a locked shed or garage
• Keep ladders and tools stored away; don't leave them
outside where they could be used to break into your home
• Ensure side gates are locked to prevent access to the rear
of the property
• Ensure rear fencing is in good repair
• Improve natural surveillance at the front of your property
i.e. trim high hedges
• Mark your property with postcode and house number and
register your property for free with Immobilise
• Consider joining or forming a Neighbourhood Watch
scheme
• Remove valuables from view of ground floor windows
Store any high value items (i.e. jewellery, passports) in a
properly secured safe or bank vault
Go to the Lancashire Police website below for more advice
on crime prevention: https://www.lancashire.police.uk/
about-us/our-commitment/our-approach-to-crimeprevention.aspx
www.burscoughpc.co.uk
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WHICH WARD DO YOU LIVE IN?
For borough elections, Burscough has just two wards,
which are Burscough East and Burscough West divided by
the A59, and each having two borough councillors.
Parish wards aren’t so straight forward: Parish wards
weren’t updated in the 1974 Local Government
Reorganisation and consequently don’t line up exactly with
the boundaries of Borough wards. As such, a small
number of homes lie in Scarisbrick ward but are
nonetheless definitely part of Burscough. Burscough’s
Parish wards are shown on the plan. Burscough has
14 Parish Councillors who between them cover the
seven wards which are:
St Johns (3 members)
Stanley (3 members)
Burscough Town (2 members)
Ellerbrook (3 members)
New Lane, Red Cat and Richmond (1 member each).
That said, while members may have a particular interest
in their given ward, all Councillors take an interest in the
whole of Burscough and will be pleased to discuss
matters from wherever they arise.
New Lane
Red Cat Parish Ward
St John's Parish Ward
Burscough Town Parish Ward
Stanley Parish Ward
Richmond Parish Ward
Ellerbrook Parish Ward
Burscough Town Parish Ward
Ellerbrook Parish Ward
Burscough Parish
Council ward
boundaries
West Lancashire Borough Council Local Election Results
Burscough West
Candidate
PRITCHARD, Andrew John
GRAHAM, Leon David
James Joseph
Party
Votes
Share (%)
Labour
Conservative
912
542
62.7
37.3
Burscough East
Candidate
EVANS, David
BAILEY, Robert Murrin
Party
Votes
Labour
Conservative
760
541
© Crown Copyright. All Rights Reserved.
Licence No. 100024309. West Lancashire Borough Council. 2016.
Share (%)
58.4
41.61:25,000
MEMBERS’ CONTACT DETAILS
CHAIRMAN - Alan Bullen
VICE CHAIRMAN - Brian Kennedy
BURSCOUGH TOWN WARD
Alan Bullen
1A Mill Dam Lane, L40 7TG
Telephone: 896032
Patrick Mackrell
52 Langdale Drive, L40 5SF
Telephone: 07809 098439
ELLERBROOK WARD
Nichola Makin
14 Belmont Close, L40 7TR
Telephone: 07979 052614
Brian Bailey
60 Hesketh Road, L40 7SQ
Telephone: 07518 757059
Ronnie Sutherland
2 Lathom Close, L40 5XW
Telephone: 897466
NEW LANE WARD
John Crawford
201 Liverpool Road South, L40 7RE
Telephone: 895297
RED CAT WARD
Abigail Reade
65 Manor Avenue, L40 7TT
Telephone: 07749 297999
RICHMOND PARK WARD
David Hardisty
105 Rivington Drive, L40 7RW
Telephone: 894781
ST JOHN'S WARD
Julie Atherton
Rose Cottage, 57 Moss Lane,
L40 4AL
Telephone: 895944
Brian Kennedy
37 Weaver Avenue, L40 4LE
Telephone: 895374
STANLEY WARD
John Taylor
14 Christine's Crescent, L40 7SJ
Telephone: 892557
Graham Warrilow
16 Belmont Close, L40 7TR
Telephone: 075967 42847
CLERK TO THE COUNCIL
Tess Reddington
Office 1, Martland Mill
Mart Lane, L40 0SD
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 01704 894914
Roger Bell
Haydock Farm, School Lane,
L40 4AE
Telephone: 897491
Contact: [email protected], 01704 894914
Or write or call at Burscough Council Office, Martland Mill, Mart Lane, Burscough L40 0SD
www.burscoughpc.co.uk