The Archive: 2019 |
 Lowther at Court
18 November 2019
 We report our experience of going to Crown
Court in Preston, expecting to hear Lowther Gardens Trustees defend their decision not to renew the commercial Cafe lease. In the end it was settled in the building
but out of court. We have a pen picture of the process and a summary of the result. Whilst the cafe lease is now settled - at least for a time, the bigger picture is still in
flux......
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 Moss Road - Latest 08 November 2019
 Cllr Paul Hayhurst asks Fylde Council to impose a moratorium on building more houses in St Annes until the congestion on Queensway is relieved by the building of the new M55 Link Road across the moss. His debate in Council brought out the most recent news and gossip, and we know our readers like to keep up to date on this matter......
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Snippets September 2019 13 September 2019
 Snippets about Lytham Institute, especially the Friends Public Meeting on Tuesday; Lowther Gardens and Pavilion including the court case, and an invalid Governing Document; Fracking with OGA reassurance, and Changes to household waste collection and disposal including news of Fylde's new £400 Householder Fixed Penalty Notices.....
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A Sorry Story at LCC 29 August 2019
 Superficially this article is about an attempt to persuade Lancashire County Council to support the Government's Traffic Light System for fracking safety. But its is also about the influence a Chief Executive can bring to bear on a Council's decisions, and it's even more about the tensions and pressures that leading councillors can bring to bear on officers such as the Chief Executive. It's not a pleasant story....
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 The Friends Advance 19 July 2019
 This article examines events bearing the hallmarks of a hidden agenda to dispose of Lytham Institute. We also report the protest march through Lytham last Saturday morning by the Friends of Lytham Institute and Library, and look at the public question asked at Fylde's last Council meeting, plus a preview of a FBC behind-closed-doors Finance and Democracy Committee this coming Monday....
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Friends Re-United 26 Jun 2019
 We look at what's been happening with the 'Friends of Lytham Institute and Library', LCC, FBC, and Lytham Town Trust since the Friends' last meeting in April. We also break news that Fylde say the Institute and Assembly Rooms are 'surplus to service delivery requirements' and that 'a change from the current situation is something that Fylde has been proposing for over five years. We don't recall those decisions....
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 Obituary Keith Beckett 25 Jun 2019
 With sadness we belatedly record the passing of a community stalwart. An essentially practical former Kirkham Town and Fylde Borough Councillor and more recently Alderman. He was an honest, plain speaking man of good humour who worked tirelessly for his community and was held in deep regard and affection by all whose lives he touched....
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Brexit What Next? 10 Jun 2019
 Another of our articles with a #Health Warning that some will find not to their taste. It looks at what's happened since our last Brexit article in November last year, and most especially it looks at the ramifications and impacts of the astounding result of the Brexit Party in the European Elections. We also compare the share of the EU Election votes- Nationally, in the NW and in Fylde, Wyre and Blackpool....
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Fracking Update May 2019 24 May 2019
 A long and (in parts) detailed look at what's been happening in the world of fracking . It includes: the Roseacre refusal; earthquakes; the Traffic Light safety system; Insurance for fracking; a judicial review and injunction appeal, the Ribby Hall Conference report; plans to change Cuadrilla's Environmental Permit; Venting (and a warning for Cuadrilla); and details of a wellbore malfunction that Cuadrilla wanted kept secret.....
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Fylde Election Results 2019 4 May 2019
 We bring the results of Fylde's Borough Council election. Some old names are gone and new faces have arrived. Probably the biggest news is that former Conservative Brenda Blackshaw stood as an Independent and stormed to victory over her former Conservative colleagues in Lytham's Clifton ward. In another surprise change, Sandra Pitman was ousted by first time Independent Brian Gill in Park Ward.....
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Friends of Library and Institute Meeting April 2019 29 April 2019
 We report a less than harmonious meeting of the Friends Group where strongly diverging views about the future direction the group should take caused acrimony, and the resignation of the Chairman. It also saw a detailed exposition of the implications of charitable trust status that we believe Fylde will soon have to accept, and which should protect the building for the future.....
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FBC and Lytham Institute 23 April 2019
 We report a turbulent and, frankly, pretty awful Fylde Council meeting at the end of March, where a unwelcome debate on Lytham Institute and Library had been forced onto the agenda by a Notice of Motion and public and councillor questions. Fylde Conservatives wanted it kept under wraps and voted against the Committee charged with responsibility for libraries from receiving reports and debating the matter....
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Runners and Riders 2019 10 April 2019
 An overview of the forthcoming election - including: the broader forces we think will impact on the election; some of the more memorable folk not standing this year; some statistical Information about numbers of candidates and seats, and our personal comment on candidate's previous electoral form (where known), together with our our own 'pen portraits' of each of them we know.....
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Pre-Election Gossip 03 April 2019
 Slightly in advance of the formal announcement, we report some gossip and speculation about what might be going on and who might (and might not) be standing for election as a Councillor in the forthcoming elections in Fylde. There seem to have been several de-selections of sitting councillors, and were hear tales about a 'Momentum' style movement for change within Fylde's Conservative group....
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Obituary Christine Akeroyd 03 April 2019
 We record the passing of a warm hearted Councillor who had a deep interest in people and was easily able to humanise decisions she was asked to take. She was a former Mayor of both St. Anne's on the Sea Town Council and of Fylde Borough Council, and raised thousands of pounds for charity in her Mayoral Year....
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 Snippets February 2019 15 February 2019
 Exclusive breaking news on the future of Lytham Institute. Good news about Fylde's 2019 income. A UK first for Fylde in remote access to meetings. Single use plastics, News that 'The Standards Board' might be returning. A new fixed penalty for littering from a vehicle. Unwelcome news re: empty property - it will be double taxed from April. Some crude advertising from Fylde. New charges for bulky waste. Small business rate relief. The M55 Link road. Tramway extensions....
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Bathing Waters Update 12 February 2019
 We report United Utilities' update presentation to Fylde's Environment Health and Housing Committee about our bathing waters. We're unimpressed. We detect an unwelcome change. The focus seems to be shifting away from providing more infrastructure improvements to trying to stop so much rainwater entering the sewers in the first place. Unlike Mr Blair, we don't think 'things can only get better'.....
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Lowther Annual Report 7 February 2019
 We report strong words and raised voices at January's Tourism and Leisure Committee. We also reveal why Fylde Council is paying up to £175,000 from our taxes for legal costs sparked by Lowther Gardens Trust, and we confirm the existence of an invalid Governing Document. The Trust DOES NOT have authority to increase the footprint of the pavilion, so the redevelopment plan is dead - at least for the moment....
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PNR: What's Going On? 4 January 2019
 Cuadrilla has demobilised equipment and is taking lots away from their Preston New Road site. No-one knows why. So we sought the opinions of people close to what's happening and publish their comments with our own conclusions. Don't expect an announcement, but we think Cuadrilla have all but abandoned Well No.1 and face a delay before they can frack Well No.2. We also report a spat at County Hall....
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