Monthly Newsletter - March

Posted By: Tony C Swain
Date Posted: 26/03/2009

Well since my last column we have moved the Leisure agenda forward and the first meeting of the working group for the new pool took place last week.

I hope this will assure the doubters like Dr McGrath that we are by no means kicking it into the long grass – to use his terms – and we are determined to find the solutions as soon as possible. However, I make no bones about it – there are still difficult decisions to be made.

Unfortunately the Lottery funding for Bacup Leisure Hall won’t be forthcoming and so the working group setup to look at options know where they stand. In Jimmy Eaton, who will chair this group, we have someone who is committed to Bacup and I’m sure his enthusiasm will find a solution to the future of the Leisure Hall.

Last week I attended the AGM of the Rossendale Civic Pride group. I was asked along by Jan Shutt to explain what work the Council are doing to assist them in their work. This group of volunteers do a great job and we are working closely through our Pride in Rossendale agenda to give them as much assistance and support as we can.

There is no doubt that the news that the Free Press is now going to be produced out of Rossendale is a blow for the Valley. For over 125 years it has been the first place people have heard local news stories. As a councillor you sometimes don’t like the way things are reported but as a resident it always been a must read. I even got it sent out to Sydney when I lived there for 18 months.