Full Council was meant to be on Tuesday this week but due to the announcement on Thursday on Local Government Reorganisation, which published the decision for Ribble Valley Borough to merge with Preston and Lancaster to form a Unitary Council, it was prudent to hold the meeting following that announcement as we had a lot to say on it.
Local Government Reorganisation
So, the really positive thing is that the decision made by the government was the right decision for us. Ribble Valley will merge with Preston and Lancaster to form one of four Unitary Councils in Lancashire, to replace Lancashire County Council and the Boroughs, merging the functions of both. Ribble Valley Borough Council was unanimous in our support for this option, which Maya Ellis MP has also been a supporter of, so we’re delighted at the announcement.
We’re not keen on the working title though, we think North Lancashire is a bit rubbish. There’s a nice cross party campaign building across the Council though for the new authority to be called Ribble and Lune Unitary Council. I like it. It’s got the right amount of syllables.
Getting the name right will be unbelievably important. As a new Authority, embracing a new unified identity requires careful consideration of the name. That’s what will define the new Council for all of its existence.
I had a few things to repeat in other parts of the meeting.
Minute 24 of the Community Services Meeting-
I spoke at the actual Community Services meeting on 26th May. It was an opportunity to raise some points on how RVBC can act positively on water safety. what I said at Full Council is here.
“Thank you Madam Mayor.
I would like to speak on Minute 24 of the Community Services Committee. The minute in question was an agenda item primarily about sourcing training provision for lifeguards. Firstly, I’d like to echo Cllr Brunskill’s comment in the meeting about the importance of such a useful qualification.
Whilst this meeting was happening however, a rescue effort was underway in Ribchester. I thank the Leader of the Council for noting the death of Junior Slater in his Leaders report. I’ve spoken with the family and commend how they are coping with their loss. They are now campaigning on open water safety.
This leads me back to the points I made in the meeting where I made the call to take this opportunity to go further than just providing lifeguard training but also look at broadening the training training offer to investigate the possibility of providing open water emergency response training to young people in the area.
I would also invite the Chair of the Committee to give assurance that the current emergency throwlines on the riverbank at Ribchester will be reviewed, because there has been a growing belief amongst my residents, even before this tragedy that they are not fit for purpose. Would the Chair join my calls for a different, more accessible arrangement to be installed?”
I got an answer from the Chair saying that he’s speaking with Council officers and will investigate the matter further. That’s partial success but the matter needs pressing to get action.
Assets of Community Value
I repeated the call for the Council to provide clearer information on how local groups and communities can apply to list treasured local buildings as Assets of Community Value. The current web page on the Borough Council website is a mess and I’ve told Council officers this several times now. Other Councils give far clearer information on Assets of Community Value and Community Right to Bid. It’s an area which is being strengthened by the Labour government under the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill. They are a vital to preserving community spaces under threat. More information can be found here.
KarlBarnsley.com 