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Lancashire News

The High Court has quashed a Planning Inspector’s decision to allow a developer to build 39 homes in Ribble Valley.
In Ribble Valley Borough Council v the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and Oakmere Homes, His Honour Judge Bird ruled that the council’s application of local planning policy had been correct.
The council applied to the High Court to quash a decision by the Planning Inspectorate to allow an appeal by Oakmere Homes to build the houses at the junction of Chatburn Road and Pimlico Link Road in Clitheroe.

The council argued that the inspector had erred in law when making his decision on the basis that he had misinterpreted local planning policy set out in its Core Strategy. The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government said he agreed with the council and did not participate in the hearing. Ribble Valley Borough Council’s Core Strategy aims to protect open countryside from development. And the successful delivery and defence of the Core Strategy was fundamental in the council’s decision to challenge the inspector’s decision.

In his ruling, His Honour Judge Bird quashed the decision by planning inspector Graham Robbie, saying: “The inspector’s decision is firmly rooted in a misunderstanding of the policy and so must be quashed.” Nicola Hopkins, Ribble Valley Borough Council’s director of economic development and planning, said: “Our Core Strategy sets out what can be built in the borough and where, shaping infrastructure investments and determining future development.
“It seeks to direct housing to sustainable locations and protect the borough’s open countryside, which is a top priority.
“This ruling confirms the correct application of our Core Strategy and that development in the countryside will only be allowed when justified by local need.”

Ribble Valley Borough Council leader Stephen Atkinson said: “Our officers work hard to ensure the right type of development takes place in the right locations across the borough and we welcome this judgment, which has supported and protected our Core Strategy.

Judge Bird found in favour of Ribble Valley Borough Council and awarded costs against the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and Oakmere Homes.
The matter will now be referred back to the Planning Inspectorate for reconsideration.

Lancashire News, Lancs Health & Care

Every day 123 foster families from across Blackburn with Darwen are giving 246 fostered children and young people a loving, secure and stable home and this commitment has been ongoing throughout the pandemic.
This is why a ‘thank you celebration’ event for children and their carers was held recently. The ‘Let’s Get Back Together’ day was organised by the Foster Carers Association and held at the TIPIS at Riley Green where foster carers were celebrated for all the work that they do.

The children had many activities to enjoy after being unable to take part in group activities for so long.
A foster child who attended said: It was absolutely phenomenal, definitely a day to remember. The Foster carers that attended the event were also very appreciative, Peter, who fosters for Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: I would like to thank Children’s Services for funding such a much needed event for all our children of all ages, I spent all afternoon watching all of their smiling faces, even the babies there. A massive thank you to all of the Foster Carers Association for all their time put in to organising this. We even managed to have the weather. Great work to all the carers for making the effort to give all the children a much-needed boost. Thanks again.

Claire another foster carer who attended the event echoed the gratitude: It was a fab day, well organised event, looking forward to future ones. Kiddies big and small loved it. A big well done to the organisers.

Cllr Julie Gunn, Executive Member for Children’s Services, said: The Foster Carers Association (FCA) arranged the most wonderful event at the Tipis and it was fantastic to see so many of our children and young people having fun, tackling the assault course, face painting, enjoying the circus skills, the climbing wall and the delicious food too. The weather was great, it really was a perfect day for everyone to spend time together, the care, support of our carers is clear for all to see, we know how lucky we are in BwD to have them, and that is why we were keen to support the celebration. My thanks go to everyone who helped to organise the day, the FCA and Children’s Services, Young People’s Services and special thanks too to the Tipis for hosting our party at such a beautiful venue. The ‘Lets Foster’ team have also recently launched a Health and Wellbeing fortnight. The aim was to make sure foster carers in BwD are provided with the right support with a focus on how we look after each other and ourselves.

The fostering service wants to ensure that foster carers are given every opportunity to maintain and flourish with positive health and wellbeing for themselves. In December, the FCA will be hosting a Christmas Party at The Legends Lounge at Blackburn Rovers. This will be open to all Blackburn with Darwen foster carers and families, as well as our fostering staff.

Focus for recruitment over the Christmas Period will be for Emergency Foster Carers. Special carers who could take a child or young person at a moment’s notice. This could be after school for one night or over a weekend until arrangements have been made for a more permanent solution. Emergency foster carers normally have other jobs but are able to help us help a child or young person when they need them most.

Jayne Ivory, Director of Children’s Services added: Foster carers accomplish incredible things every day, even in the face of a global crisis that has affected every one of us and impacted all aspects of our society. Despite the practical and emotional challenges that the pandemic is bringing, foster carers continue to provide day-to-day support, love and stability to children and young people who can’t live with their birth families. They support children and young people’s education, health, and social wellbeing, and help to maintain the children’s relationship with the people who are important to them. Blackburn with Darwen urgently needs more foster carers to make sure fostered children can live with the right foster carer for them. Short break or emergency foster care also allows foster carers to build their experience and confidence so if you’ve ever considered fostering please get in touch.

For more information regarding Fostering visit https://www.letsfoster.co.uk/ or call 0800 328 6919

Lancashire News, Lancs Sport

Chris Maxwell was pleased to get back in a ‘match scenario’ by featuring in a game against Huddersfield Town’s B side this afternoon.

The goalkeeper, sidelined with a quadricep tear since early October, got a valuable 65 minutes between the sticks in a 2-2 draw at the Terriers’ training ground, which saw CJ Hamilton and Tyreece John-Jules on target for the Seasiders. “It was good to blow the cobwebs off and get back in a match scenario. It was much-needed and felt really good. My body is fine and it’s great to be back,” the Blackpool skipper admitted. “It was going to be a long process (returning from injury). It took longer than I anticipated, but it’s quite normal for a thigh injury for a goalkeeper to take that much time. The physio and the gaffer have built me up slowly and I feel great.”

Sitting out nine first-team fixtures isn’t something the 31-yeer-old is particularly used to, however he’s tried to put the time to good use and support his team-mates in a different way. “I’m not used to missing games, and it has been difficult at times, but that’s part and parcel of football. I’ve been fortunate enough to be fit for pretty much my whole career. I’ve now learnt from the process and I’m glad to be back,” he said.

“I’ve still tried to be influential in the dressing room, even though I’ve not been on the pitch. I always try to help the players playing and those not in the squad to the best of my ability. It’s been different, but I’ve enjoyed that different type of leadership.”

Lancashire News, Lancs Sport

Manchester Storm are delighted to announce the signing of blueliner Medric Mercier, most recently of Glasgow Clan (EIHL).

The defenceman made his EIHL debut with Glasgow earlier this month and is now available for selection in Manchester, as the 25-year-old looks to continue his professional hockey career within the Elite League. Mercier comes from strong junior hockey pedigree with 178 OHL games between Soo Greyhounds and Oshawa Generals, in the process rubbing shoulders with current NHL skaters such as: Darnell Nurse; Nick Ritchie; Jared McCann; Tony DeAngelo and Anthony Cirelli. After a successful major junior career, Mercier spent three years representing University of Ottawa making 73 appearances and producing 37 points (17G 20A).

Then, like many, the young Canadian spent a year out of the game before heading over to the Elite League. Head Coach, Ryan Finnerty, had this to say about his newest Storm signing: “At 6ft3 and 100kg…Merc fits the bills for playing on our ice-pad. He has had a brief taste of life in the league, with the Clan, and he is hungry to make things work in the professional game. He comes from excellent hockey stock…the Greyhounds and Generals produce excellent all-round players with a high hockey IQ.

Having the option to bring in Merc so quickly worked perfectly for both parties and we are looking forward to seeing what he brings to the table here in Manchester. In terms of our current position, I have always looked to leave enough in the budget to make changes; put pressure on roster spots and build flexibility into the line-up. I feel it is really important to do this as we head into the busiest part of the campaign and bringing in guys with a point to prove is something that has worked well for us in the past.”

Lancashire News, Lancs Sport

Joe Rodwell-Grant’s loan deal with Bamber Bridge has been extended until 1st January 2022. The 19-year-old initially joined Jamie Milligan’s side on a month-long deal, which came to an end last weekend, but he will now stay on at league leaders Brig until the new year.

Joe, alongside fellow PNE first-year professional Lewis Coulton, has been heavily involved in recent weeks for the Northern Premier League Premier Division side, opening his account for them in a recent 4-1 victory over Witton Albion. He will now look to carry on gaining minutes and experience with the table toppers and continue their push for promotion.

Best of luck for the rest of your loan spell, Joe!

Lancashire News, Lancs Sport

Rovers’ home fixture against Middlesbrough in the New Year has been moved to a new date after being selected for live TV broadcast.

The game against Chris Wilder’s side, which was due to be played on Saturday January 22nd, will now take place at Ewood Park on Monday January 24th, kick-off 7.45pm, live on Sky Sports. The two teams played out a 1-1 draw at the Riverside Stadium earlier in the season, as Sam Gallagher’s superb strike was cancelled out by Jonny Howson.

Last season’s corresponding fixture at Ewood Park, which was also shown live on Sky Sports, ended in a goalless draw.

Nottingham News

Join Green Rewards today and earn great discounts, vouchers and prizes at local businesses and projects in your community for playing your part to combat climate change and achieve net zero! That’s the message from all nine local Councils in Nottinghamshire who have joined forces with local universities and creator Jump for a trailblazing partnership!

It provides a new Green Rewards app and web platform which means Notts residents can accumulate points and earn the prizes for many activities they do every day at home or out and about that help lower their carbon footprint.
It is part of the Universities for Nottingham civic collaboration which aims to improve the way the universities work with each other and their local partners to help change the lives of local people for the better. Sign up for free now or download the Green Rewards app on iOS and Android. Search for ‘Notts; Green Rewards’ in your device’s app store.
In similar fashion to rewards points at retailers, all residents need to do is log their day to day activities that highlight how they are decreasing the amount of carbon they create, such as:

• Walking to work or school instead of taking the car
• Cycling or using public transport
• Putting your recycling bin out with all the correct recyclables
• Switching off a light or switch at home
• Taking a shower of four minutes or less and many, many more!

There’s a full list of how you can redeem points or it’s available on the app and when you accumulate sufficient points you can then earn the discounts, vouchers and prizes and in Rushcliffe 10 per cent discounts or other offers at these participating outlets.

There’s also £20 worth of vouchers for the top two residents in each council area who earn the most points each month, to claim at local businesses, donate to worthwhile causes or projects and in some districts and Boroughs there’s prizes too for the top points earning wards.

All the Councils across Notts including Ashfield District Council, Bassetlaw District Council, Broxtowe Borough Council, Gedling Borough Council, Mansfield District Council, Newark and Sherwood District Council, Nottingham City Council, Nottinghamshire County Council and Rushcliffe Borough Council have come together to drive forward and fund the platform and app to residents. They have followed the lead of Nottingham Trent University and the University of Nottingham who use the app to encourage their staff and students to log their every-day activities.

Through the Universities for Nottingham initiative partners have pledged to tackle sustainable travel and transport and develop joint programmes to change behaviour, ensuring the lessons learnt are passed on to all in the region.
The first collaborative sustainability engagement programme of its kind in the UK, it features the simple carbon-reduction activities that residents can complete.

It means Nottinghamshire is the first County in the country to see all its major local authority and education partners collaborate on a climate change reduction project in this way ahead of next month’s COP 26, providing an easy to use platform and incentives for all. Speaking on behalf of the council partners, Rushcliffe Borough Council’s Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Communities and Climate Change Cllr Abby Brennan said: “We are excited to launch Green Rewards to our residents and provide them with the tools and motivation to join the fight against climate change. Register or download the app today!

“Small actions really can make a difference, and we’re confident of this scheme’s ability to show how much of an impact our residents can have. “This scheme has already been a huge hit with University students and staff so we’re delighted many residents can now join them to be rewarded for everything they do to help lower carbon levels.
“Every time you go for a walk, cycle or use green public transport instead of using a car, recycle responsibly or just turn a light switch or plug off at home, you can earn points and enjoy the rewards.

“The environment and climate change are at the forefront of all of our priorities as partners and this project is a unique opportunity for Councils across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire to work together and achieve something extraordinary.” Nottingham Trent University’s Head of Sustainability Charmaine Morrell said: “We launched Green Rewards at Nottingham Trent University in February 2019, so I’m delighted that the app is being rolled out across the whole of Nottinghamshire. “This is a huge achievement given that all the local authorities within Nottinghamshire have come together, united in their desire to get everyone involved to combat climate change. At NTU alone 360,000 kilograms of carbon has already been saved, the same weight as 90 elephants.”

Andy Nolan, Director of Sustainability at the University of Nottingham said: “We’ve been delighted with the way our staff and students have used the Green Rewards App to log the positive actions they are taking to help achieve our sustainability goals and it’s great to see how commitments made through the Universities for Nottingham initiative are expanding across the county. “We’ve already seen 23,000 positive actions, saving over 25,000kg of CO2.”
The partnership will support each council’s target of reaching net zero carbon emissions before 2040, with some committing to an earlier date of 2030. Each councils’ residents will see different activities and content when they access the Green Rewards platform, ensuring it is tailored to their council’s goals.

Graham Simmonds, Chief Executive, Jump, says: “We are delighted to be celebrating the launch of Notts Councils’ ground-breaking Green Rewards programme. “This is a significant step in the race to reach net zero and it’s very exciting to see the eight District and Borough Councils plus the County Council and two universities coming together and collaborating so effectively. “I’m excited by the range of carbon busting activities for residents to get involved in, and with lots of people taking lots of individual actions this will collectively add up to a big difference.”

Nottingham News

Six parks in Ashfield have once again been awarded with the Green Flag Award. The six parks that have been awarded the Green Flag 2021 are Brierley Forest Park, Kingsway Park, Portland Park, Selston Country Park, Sutton Lawn and Titchfield Park, Hucknall.

The Green Flag Award scheme recognises and rewards well managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of recreational outdoor spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world.
Cllr Samantha Deakin, Cabinet Member for Parks, Town Centres and Neighbourhood Services said: “We are so pleased to have received six green flags in our fantastic parks again this year. We have invested heavily into our parks and green spaces to ensure that they are places that can be enjoyed by everyone.

Our parks are popular with our residents as a place to escape and to enjoy connecting with nature. “These past two years people have really seen the value of having great quality green spaces on their doorstep. We are proud of the hard work that our teams have put into maintaining our parks to such a high standard that they are nationally recognized as being some of the best parks in the country!”

Commenting on the news that Ashfield has achieved the Green Flag Award standard at six parks, Green Flag Award Scheme Manager Paul Todd said: “I would like to congratulate everyone involved in making Ashfield worthy of their Green Flag Awards.” “To meet the requirements demanded by the scheme is testament to the hard work of the staff and volunteers who do so much to ensure that Ashfield has high standards of horticulture, safety and environmental management and is a place that supports people to live healthy lives.”

Lancashire News

Three recently planted cherry trees have been vandalised in Walker’s Field, in the Moorside area of Bury.
It follows an incident at Peel Brow in Ramsbottom, when four out of five trees were snapped in half just one day after they were planted. Councillor Alan Quinn, cabinet member for the environment, said: “Yet again, mindless neanderthals have vandalised our precious newly planted trees. We need to plant 10,000 more trees just to keep pace with the those we are losing due to Ash Die Back. Our trees clean the air, provide habitat to diverse species and take up the rain that can lead to floods.”

Anyone with information about the vandalism can report it to the council: www.bury.gov.uk or 0161 253 5353.

Lancashire News

Over 50 of the UK’s most celebrated craftworkers and artists are exhibiting at a Clitheroe gallery’s glittering annual festive showcase. If you are looking for a unique one-off Christmas gift, with prices starting at just £3, head for the much-anticipated Northern Star exhibition at the Platform Gallery in Station Road.

The exhibition, which runs until Christmas Eve, features a festive feast of handmade items, including textiles, ceramics, glass, woodwork, jewellery, lighting, decorations and cards. Exhibitors include East Lancashire ceramicist Katie Timson, whose work captures the beauty of the natural world, and silversmith Lou Gillett, whose Atlantic Design Studio is based on the coast of Northern Ireland. Former architect Lou has been designing and making silver jewellery for more than two decades and her work features sharp clean lines and organic forms inspired by the built environment.

Also exhibiting is Hampshire surface pattern artist Claire Morosi, whose quirky, intricate and multi-layered prints and fabric pendants feature flowers, birds and fish interwoven with abstract elements, and Cornwall textile artist Claire Armitage, whose luxurious silk scarves, clutch bags, purses and brooches blend floral, avian and nautical imagery with poetry and folklore.

Ricky Newmark, chairman of Ribble Valley Borough Council’s community services committee, said: “Northern Star is one of the Platform Gallery’s most anticipated annual events and this year we scoured the country to bring the very best British craftwork to Clitheroe for Christmas. “We are inviting art and craft enthusiasts, or shoppers looking for a unique one-off festive gift, to join us at the Platform Gallery for a fantastic day out in Clitheroe.” Situated in a renovated Victorian railway station, the multi-award-winning Platform Gallery and Clitheroe Visitor Information Centre is open from 10am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm Saturday and 11am to 4pm on Sundays from 28 November until Christmas Eve.

Further details about Northern Star are available from the Platform Gallery on 01200 425566.