Dear Councillor Duxbury

I’d like to welcome you to your position as County Councillor for Longridge with Bowland and introduce myself as Ribble Valley Borough Councillor for Ribchester ward.

Although coming from different parties and political perspectives I wish you well in your new role, because when a Councillor is successful, this brings success the area they represent regardless of politics. I look forward to working with you to solve the problems that Ribchester residents have raised with me in my time as their Councillor.

I would like to lay out the key issues that I believe should be prioritised by Lancashire County Council in Ribchester in the hope that you will be a reliable partner in resolving the problems laid out.

1. Lancashire County Council is the lead authority for flooding. Ribchester suffers from problems with flooding periodically, with houses on Greenside and Ribblesdale road particularly affected. What support can you lobby for from Lancashire County Council to combat flooding in Ribchester? Will LCC provide support for upland flood management?
2. Ribchester is a really cool place to visit and there are spots which are magnets to young people on bright and sunny days. Unfortunately, there have been too many incidents in recent years of anti-social behaviour spoiling this for residents and visitors alike. Will you engage with me and support the implementation the measures we’ve talked about regarding anti-social behaviour during the summer months and will you support the LCC youth outreach officers who work hard to offer diversionary activities to stop ASB?
3. Your predecessor Rupert Swarbrick, despite being the cabinet member for Highways and Transport failed to satisfactorily address the highways issues in Ribchester. The Government had to step in to provide £43 million to LCC this year. This money was ringfenced specifically for potholes. Unfortunately, the current standard of repairs wastes this opportunity. In addition, there are huge traffic calming concerns in Ribchester with speeding through the village and a steady stream of disastrous driving causing regular damage to De Tabley Bridge. Residents are concerned that further, more serious accidents will occur in the village soon. What assurances can you provide that the new LCC administration will fix potholes, resurface Preston Road and introduce the traffic calming measures we’re crying out for?

I will be happy to discuss further with you how we can make progress on these key issues. Whilst there is a unfortunate tendency sometimes to conflate national powers with local government powers during elections, it is important to work pragmatically together with the powers that we can influence, and I will measure your success by the progress that is made.

Kind Regards

Cllr Karl Barnsley

Ribchester Ward

Ribble Valley Borough Council

I sent this to Cllr Duxbury’s Lancashire County Council email address. I encourage residents to write to him outlining the issues you feel deserve priority in Ribchester. His email is ian.duxbury@lancashire.gov.uk