RISHTON ISSUES - 19th AUGUST 2010

Councillors Harry Grayson and Ken Moss took a day off on Thursday to address several issues around the village, starting with the placement of a new lamp post along the path between Eachill Gardens and Walmsley Avenue.  A council representative came along to assess the site and warned that it may cost slightly more than expected because of the distance from the nearest electrical cable.  This will be dealt with by Rishton Area Council at the next planning meeting in September.

Later in the morning, both councillors were joined by residents Steve and Ruth Colling at a hearing in Blackburn Town Hall to discuss future development at the Whitebirk roundabout.  All four put forward a case firmly against the plans which would enable Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council to develop Hyndburn land for their own purposes.  The neutral inspector, Stephen Pratt, will make his decision shortly but with the caveats now in place it seems unlikely that any plans can even be considered until 2026 at the earliest.

The derelict sites at Albert Mill and Spring Street were looked at in the afternoon and both councillors are now looking at masterplans to get them developed in the near future.  Outline planning permission has already been approved for the sites which would see private dwellings built as opposed to social housing, something that many residents are firmly against.  Ken Moss and Harry Grayson are both keen to ensure that more bungalows are constructed as there is currently a lack of suitable housing for the elderly within Rishton.

A visit also took place to the Cleansing Department at Hyndburn Borough Council regarding the dog warden.  A new warden has now been appointed and will be starting work within the next two weeks.