Councils work together to boost Pendle

The Pendle Locality Plan will shape the provision of local government services in Pendle for the next 12 months. Both councils have come together to agree what each will provide to best support Pendle residents.

Lancashire County Council's cabinet formally agreed the plan on Thursday 2 April while Pendle Council signed up in March.

Nine themes are detailed in the plan:

1. Joint support for access to basic financial services, such as credit, debt advice, money advice and safe saving. To include promotion of Pendle Community Credit Union and East Lancashire Moneyline; more support for council staff in identifying loansharks; moves to tackle fuel poverty; lessons in finance for schoolchildren; and efforts to inform people about their benefit entitlements.

2. Economic development and worklessness. To include a boost for training and language skills; efforts to increase Modern Apprenticeships; wider publicity for council vacancies; work with schools and libraries to prevent people's aspirations falling.

3. Sharing of property between both councils where possible. To include identification of which public reception areas will be most suitable for people to inquire about local government services; location - where possible - of services in shared buildings; improved 'greenness' of council properties.

4. Quality public and community spaces. To work together to improve highways and winter gritting (including more mobile salt supplies and more manual spreaders and quad bikes); joint working on road safety and community safety lighting, maintaining pavements, co-ordiantion of residents' parking schemes. Councillors from both authorities to meet regularly to discuss highways issues.

5. Child welfare. To include extra training to help council staff spot children at risk; a co-ordination of community activities to raise children's aspirations; a new building for Whitefield infant and nursery school, a £1.7m building for the new Nelson Youth centre in the Bradley area of Nelson.

6. A reduction in fuel poverty to increase the welfare of older people. More joint work between welfare rights officers and home energy officers; information for council staff in directing people towards Home Energy grants.

7. Greater choice for the public in how they get information about, and access to, council services. To include: use of venues chosen to be convenient for the public, co-ordinated marketing of centres, facilities, events, parks and trails.

8. Promotion of community-based learning opportunities. To include a pilot scheme in Colne to help local people resolve local issues themselves and develop new opportunities for their neighbourhoods.

County Councillor Shelagh Derwent, Pendle Lancashire Local chair, said: 'We are developing a clear focus on what we will do together - and people in Pendle will be the winners.

'Local government has a huge impact on people's lives as it includes highways, consumer safety, child welfare, education, housing and libraries. By working together we can maximise value for money, while ensuring that each service is tailored to local need.

'The old days of providing services that are identical for every community are gone - every community has different needs and our services mmust reflect that.'

The new action plan supports Pendle Partnership's plan called our Pendle, Our Future, which aims to improve the quality of life for our residents over the next 10 years.

In particular, it will fulfil the Partnership's goal to create and sustain a dynamic, competitive and healthy local economy.

Councillor Allan Buck, who leads on economic development for Pendle Council, said: 'For most people, work is the sole means of access to income and wealth.

'Lack of work is linked to poverty for many people in some of our local neighbourhoods, which is why we need to try to do everything we can to help and support them."

To see Locality Plan click here.