. Post - Wilcop Media Ltd

Post

East Lancs News, East Sport

Defender looking to kick on after helping revive Clarets’ fortunes. Matt Lowton is aiming for a big finish when the Clarets get back to Premier League duty. Sean Dyche’s men have dug deep to transform their fortunes in a superb three-match unbeaten run.

After slipping down the table on the back of a four-match losing streak post-Christmas, Burnley have bounced back to beat Leicester City and Manchester United and take a first point from Arsenal in 11 attempts. And after the chance to re-charge their batteries in the Premier League’s first winter break, Lowton will be looking to pick up where he and his team-mates have left off.

“They’re three tough games we’ve just played and we’ve got the points there so we are all buzzing,” said the Clarets’ defender, who has bounced back himself after a tough time either side of the festive programme.“It’s a nice break now to get the legs rested and then we’ll be looking to finish the season off strong.

“We have put ourselves in a great position and we will keep building to put points on the board and try and finish as high as we can.” Lowton helped the Clarets keep a second successive clean sheet as he bagged the man-of-the-match honours in Sunday’s 0-0 draw with the Gunners.

And with 13 games to go, Dyche’s side have lifted themselves back up to 11th place in the table – seven points clear of the drop zone – by playing some of their best football of the season. “I thought the performance was bang-on,” Lowton added after Arsenal were left hanging on at a buoyant Turf Moor. “We didn’t quite get the finishes we needed to get three points.

“But as long as the performances are there and we keep building. “The last three games have been tough on paper and we’ve come out with seven points, so we’re going in the right direction. “Three games ago we were looking over our shoulders with three tough games coming up. “But it shows the character and the squad depth we’ve got to come away with seven points from those three games and now we’re looking to build on it.”

East Lancs News, East Sport

Rovers can confirm the departures of our two longest serving players – Jess Holbrook and Alex Taylor. Holbrook, 27, made 165 appearances in blue and white after joining from Manchester City, scoring 37 times from the middle of the park. The former England Youth international scored Rovers’ 100th goal of the 2016-17 campaign before being named Managers’ Player of the Season the following season.

And last season, the midfielder was named Rovers’ Ladies Footballer of the Year, as well as picking up both Managers’ Player and Players’ Player of the Season at Rovers Ladies’ End of Season Awards. She had made 14 appearances this campaign, with two assists in Rovers’ first Championship season.

Taylor racked up 158 games in six seasons for the Blues, netting 21 goals in the process. She was Rovers’ Players’ Player of the Season in 2017/18 and picked up the Goal of the Season Award the previous campaign. Known as a utility player, she played in almost every position for the club, with a record-breaking three-minute hat-trick after coming off the bench at home to Middlesbrough in 2018-19.

The 24-year-old played 12 times this season, scoring a goal of the season contender at Villa Park back in September. We would like to wish both players well for the future.

East Lancs News

Colne Town Council are excited to be able to now offer the Town Hall as a wedding Venue. Following major changes to the downstairs layout, Colne Town Council are delighted to be able to offer Colne Town Hall for use as a wedding venue for the Solemnization of Marriages and Registration of Civil Partnerships.

In addition to the Council Chamber being licensed, the Mayors Parlour can be used for ceremonies. This allows Colne Town Council to be able to cater for small ceremonies of up to 15 people in the Mayors Parlour & up to 70 people in the Council Chamber. With the changes to the downstairs of the Town Hall, there is also ample space for drinks receptions.

For more information about this please contact the team at Colne Town Council on admin@colnetowncouncil.org.uk or 01282 861888

East Lancs News

Nelson is gearing up to bid for up to £25 million for a Town Deal from the Government’s new Towns Fund – through a transformational Town Investment Plan.

Nelson is one of 100 places in England which have been chosen to develop proposals which seek to drive the economic regeneration of towns. “We’ve been chosen because of our proud industrial and economic heritage,” explained Councillor Mohammed Iqbal, Leader of Pendle Council. “And it’s recognised that we need investment to transform Nelson’s prospects for stronger economic growth in the future,” he stated.

“I’m confident that 2020 will be a turning point for Nelson,” he said. “This is a once in a generation opportunity with the potential to create a strong impact across the whole of Pendle,” said Councillor Iqbal. This week, Pendle Council agreed on a Nelson Town Deal Board to oversee the development of the Town Investment Plan and the Nelson Masterplan.

The new board will include representatives from local businesses, the community, Pendle Council, Lancashire County Council, the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership, local voluntary organisations, Pendle’s MP and young people.

“It’s vital that our local community is involved in helping us develop plans which will make a real difference to people in our area,” said Councillor Iqbal. A dynamic new Masterplan for Nelson will be drafted in early 2020 and completed by the summer, with another public consultation event being planned for the end of February.

“The Nelson Masterplan will be the blueprint for the future direction of the town over the next ten years and the positive effects will be felt far beyond this,” explained Councillor Iqbal. “The Board will ensure that the multi-million bids for the town dovetail for a brighter future for Pendle,” said Councillor Iqbal.

The opportunities include a bid for up to £25 million from the Future High Streets Fund to help provide a long term sustainable future for the town centre. “Nelson is one of the first 50 towns in the UK to reach round two in the Future High Streets bidding process and we’ll be submitting our final business case in April 2020,” explained Councillor Iqbal. “If we’re successful in both these bids they could add up to £50 million of investment,” said Councillor Iqbal.

“We are working hard to maximise the investment we can win for Pendle and I’d like to thank everyone who is involved in supporting our efforts,” he stressed. A wide range of organisations with a stake in the area will also be consulted on plans for Nelson including the Pendle Leisure Trust, voluntary sector organisations, the Police, Jobcentre Plus and providers of affordable housing such as Together Housing.

Membership and arrangements for the new Town Deal Board were agreed at Pendle Council’s Policy and Resources meeting on Thursday 16 January. At this meeting it was also agreed that the Policy and Resources Committee will approve the strategies and proposals of the Nelson Masterplan, Future High Streets Fund and Town Investment Plan.

East Lancs News

Alkincoats Park in Colne is now being managed by Colne Town Council as part of a series of transfers by Pendle Council to local town and parish councils, to help sustain Pendle’s parks despite financial challenges. This follows the transfer of Victory Park, Letcliffe Park and Valley Gardens to Barnoldswick Town Council two years ago.

And Pendle Council expects to complete the transfer of Barrowford Memorial Park and Pendle Heritage Centre to Barrowford Parish Council within the next few days.

Trawden Forest Parish Council has also now agreed to take the transfer of Ball Grove Park in the coming months. Leader of the Council, Councillor Mohammed Iqbal, said: “Over the next three years Pendle Council needs to save around £3 million – and it’s a tough task! “We will continue to work with other town and parish councils by asking them to take on the ownership of other parks and green spaces.

“I would like to congratulate town and parish councils who are helping us deal with the cuts,” he added. “We will be holding discussions with Nelson Town Council about the possible transfer of Marsden, Walverden and Victoria parks in Nelson. “And also with Brierfield Town Council about Heyhead park, and Earby Town Council and Kelbrook and Sough Parish Council about Sough Park,” he explained.

Dean Langton, Pendle Council’s Chief Executive said: “We’re still in a very challenging financial position so it’s important we continually identify ways we can save money and raise income. “We are taking steps to deal with our budget deficit and transferring parks and some of our facilities and services to be run at an even more local level is an essential part of our strategy,” he stated.

For the full report on Transfer of Services and Facilities to Town and Parish Council see Agenda item 11 on the 16 January Policy and Resources meeting on www.pendle.gov.uk/council

East Lancs News

Burnley Council is organising a collection of any unwanted blue recycling boxes from homes across the borough. Residents can book a free collection by visiting https://your.burnley.gov.uk/service/Return_Recycling_Blue_Box- you will be asked to go on but it is not a requirement. You can also book by calling 01282 425011 and asking for streetscene.

Collections must be booked by 5pm Thursday 6th February; the boxes will be picked up from 6.30am on Monday 10th February. The service covers the whole borough and not just those homes that switched to a new wheelie bin recycling service in the autumn.

Councillor Cosima Towneley, the council’s executive member for community and environment services, said: “Over the years people have collected blue recycling boxes for various reasons and we’re happy if they want to keep them to use for collecting recyclable rubbish or anything else they might get used for. “However, when we launched the new wheelie bin system for around half the homes in the borough a lot of people asked what they should do with their blue boxes.

We wanted the new system to bed in before we went around to collect any unwanted boxes. “I’m sure some people have found imaginative ways of re-using them but if you don’t need them this is a chance to get rid of them. We will recycle the recycling boxes and keep them in store for those residents who are still on the box system and may need extra ones in the future.”

Residents still on the blue box and white sack system need to keep enough boxes to be able to collect their recyclable rubbish in, but can use this collection to get rid of any unused extra boxes they no longer need.

East Lancs News

Moves are underway to transform part of Padiham Town Hall into a business hub as part of wider proposals to improve the town centre. More than £330,000 of Growth Deal funding has been secured from the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to cover the cost of the programme of refurbishment work to the first floor of the Grade II listed building.

The £331,379 funding, which has been approved subject to contract, will see 3,000 sq ft of office space which has been unused since the 2015 floods transformed into high-quality office and co-working space to meet the needs of small businesses. Councillor Gordon Birtwistle, Burnley Council’s executive member for economy and growth, said:

“This is good news for Padiham. The LEP funding will help breathe new life into this historic building in the heart of the town and support new and growing businesses. “It is part of the council’s wider plans to improve Padiham town centre.

The re-development of the first floor of the town hall to create a business hub which will provide a modern and flexible working space that caters for a wide range of businesses. “The proposals will bring new businesses and visitors to the town’s main street, supporting existing businesses and building on other activity to regenerate the historic centre through the £1.3m Townscape Heritage Initiative”. The funding is in addition to the £10.9m already secured by the Council from the LEP and the Environment Agency for public realm improvements and flood defense works.

Chairman of the LEP Steve Fogg said: “This project, which is subject to contracting, is a great example of how the LEP uses Growth Deal funds to support economic growth and job creation. In this case this will be achieved by funding improved infrastructure to support business growth in the Padiham area and, at the same time, boosting the vitality of the town centre by putting empty space to good use. “This initiative is part of an overall investment by the LEP in this part of Burnley borough totalling £4.9m so far and which aims to regenerate and protect Padiham town centre and the local area and unlock land for development.

“The LEP’s £320m Growth Deal programme is supporting strategically important projects like this all across Lancashire which, combined, will lay the foundation for significant growth in the county’s economy for years to come.”

Anyone interested in taking space in the new business hub can contact Martyn Hardacre in the council’s economy and growth unit on 01282 477213 or email mhardacre@burnley.gov.uk

About Lancashire’s Growth Deal Programme:
In the last three years the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has successfully secured £320 million of Growth Deal investment from the Government’s Local Growth Fund.

This funding, one of the largest Growth Deal settlements to be allocated to a Local Enterprise Partnership, is designed to help improve and upgrade existing commercial infrastructure, kickstart new economic initiatives, and unlock additional private investment to drive further growth across the county.

More than 50 projects have directly benefitted from the LEP’s Growth Deal Programme. These include:
• New and improved transport connections including the Blackburn-Bolton Rail Corridor; the Broughton bypass; the Centenary Way viaduct; and the Hyndburn-Burnley-Pendle Growth Corridor;
• World-class higher education, research and vocational skills provision and facilities including UCLan’s flagship Engineering and Innovation Centre; the national Energy HQ in Blackpool; Lancaster’s Health Innovation Campus; and Myerscough College’s Food & Farming Innovation Centre;
• A wide-ranging package of regeneration programmes specifically for Blackpool including a new international conference centre at the Winter Gardens complex; the development of Blackpool town centre ‘Green Corridors’; traffic management, bridge and road improvements and an extension of Blackpool’s tram network.

The Growth Deal programme will help to generate up to 11,000 new jobs, create 3,900 new homes and attract £1.2 billion of additional public and private investment for Lancashire. Lancashire’s Growth Deal programme is also fully aligned to other major economic initiatives such as the £450 million Preston, South Ribble and Lancashire City Deal, the £20 million Growing Places Investment Fund, and the Lancashire Advanced Manufacturing and Energy Enterprise Zone Cluster.
For more information visit www.lancashirelep.co.uk

East Lancs News

The borough’s first digital health and wellbeing learning centre is now open in Blackburn Library. Also known as a digital health hub, the centre is a place where staff and volunteers can help people to improve their digital skills and confidence, so they can use online health services more confidently.

There are more and more opportunities for people to use digital services to manage their own health. People can already book online GP appointments, repeat medications and view GP records online or through an app or websites. As the technology improves across public services, people will in future be able to view their own detailed care plans and interact with NHS and care services through new digital channels, with an aim of improving lives and experiences.

The digital health hub, located in the library’s breakout space on the ground floor opposite the main entrance, aims to help the people who need technology the most to embrace the opportunities offered.
The hub, a concept which has been successfully piloted elsewhere, will provide coaching, education and showcase digital devices and apps to help local people learn and use these new tools to manage their health and wellness.

The Council successfully bid for money from NHS Digital and the Good Things Foundation to develop a hub and has been working with local NHS partners and other organisations to get it up and running.
Councillor Damian Talbot, Executive Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, said:

I am really pleased we have developed such an innovative service here in Blackburn with Darwen. Technology can be a vital tool in helping give people more control over their health and care but they need the skills to make the most of these opportunities. This hub can teach residents those skills they are able to enjoy the benefits digital can provide.

Councillor Quesir Mahmood, Executive Member for Digital and Customer Services, said: I am really excited to see how this project develops. It would be great to see more of these hubs around the borough at trusted public places people regularly visit. While digital won’t work for everyone, I believe the more we can show how it can make things easier and more convenient and give people greater control, the more people may consider doing things online. The Council is working with other local public service partners in the region to change health and care services for the better.
Together A Healthier Future, the programme driving the change, has big focus on digital health in its Pennine Plan.

Lancashire News, Lancs Sport

Keaton Jennings, Jos Buttler and Matt Parkinson have been selected for the two-Test series against Sri Lanka next month. Three Lancashire players have been selected in a 16-man squad for the two-Test series against Sri Lanka starting at Galle on 19 March. Opener Keaton Jennings has earned a recall to the national side, with Jos Buttler and Matt Parkinson retaining their places from the recent series win over South Africa. Jennings returns to the England fold for the first time since the West Indies tour a year ago.

The left-hander will be looking to add to his 17 Test caps, which includes two centuries – both scored in the subcontinent – on debut in Mumbai in 2016 and a superb 146 not out against Sri Lanka at Galle in 2018.
Buttler featured in all four of the Tests against South Africa, while Parkinson will be hopeful of a maiden Test cap in traditionally spin-friendly conditions after being a part of both Test tours this winter. James Anderson, who is recovering from a cracked rib sustained in January during the second Test in Cape Town against South Africa, will continue to condition and prepare ahead of the start of the English season.

Commenting on the selection of the squad, National Selector Ed Smith, said: “The selection panel has supported continuity after a successful series victory in South Africa. “The South Africa tour marked the emergence of a very exciting group of young players, creating a nice balance with an experienced core of senior players.

That squad is mostly retained, with some tweaks to the squad relevant to injury, rest and the challenges of playing in sub-continent conditions. “Jimmy Anderson will continue to work with Lancashire and the ECB so that he is ready for the start of the County Championship season leading into the Test series against the West Indies in June.” The two-match Test series forms part of the ICC World Test Championship. Joe Root’s team currently stand in third place and will be looking to close in on India and Australia, who are currently leading the standings. The top two teams at the end of the two-year cycle will compete in the ICC World Test Championship Final in England in June 2021.

2020 England v Pakistan Test tickets
Shah, one of the most exciting young bowlers in international cricket, is expected to play a big part in the series against England this summer.
There is now limited availability for Day Two of England’s Specsavers Test match against Pakistan at Emirates Old Trafford between Thursday 7 to Monday 11 August.

Lancashire News, Lancs Sport

Midfielder Mace Goodridge has signed a new contract with the Clarets, extending his stay at Turf Moor until the summer of 2021. The central midfielder, who joined the Clarets in the summer of 2018, is a regular for the club’s U23 side and was named on substitutes bench for the first team at Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League earlier this season.

Goodridge, 20, originally started out at Manchester City, before spending two years at Newcastle United in the youth team, where he played alongside current Magpies midfielder Matty Longstaff.

After an initial trial spell with the Clarets towards the end of the 2017/18 season, Goodridge then signed a first professional deal at Turf Moor, before going onto feature for the first team in pre-season of 2018/19. A serious knee-injury cut the season short in October last season, but after successful surgery, Goodridge signed a contract extension and was back in action for the U23s in September last year, where he has been a key figure since returning.

Goodridge smiled: “I’m really happy, to get it over the line, I’ve worked hard to get back from my injury, so I’m delighted to get it done. “Obviously, I have been in and around the first team a couple of times and that’s where I want to be. “You can see how well the first team lads have done, come through a tough patch against top teams recently and I want to be a part of that someday.

“I really enjoy being here, it’s my third season here now and I’m delighted to be here for a fourth come pre-season. “And although I have been to a few clubs, I really feel like I have found a home here and I’m ready to kick on.”