Pensioner, 91, in food bank plea as winter crisis looms
Plus: Rogue landlord fined; jail for 3D gun printer; and council abolition next steps
Hello and welcome to the 73rd edition of The Lancashire Lead. Today’s edition lands not only on Lancashire Day but also on National Energy Action’s Fuel Poverty Awareness Day so I’ll be taking a look at both of those. In terms of the latter, I’ve got some advice on if and how you can receive help and I’ve got some insight from a food bank manager on how the need for help is continuing to rise.
Today’s newsletter also focuses on the fallout which has greeted proposals to scrap all of Lancashire’s 15 councils and a look at what could come next; dismay over the government’s backing for a hated pipeline plan which is needed to connect new windfarms to the National Grid; the new leadership at Lancaster City Council'; and a rogue landlord and 3D-printing gun owner who have been convicted.
As ever, your support is crucial to the availability of independent journalism so please do consider taking a paid subscription to help the long-term success of The Lancashire Lead.
The crippling cost of fuel bills and how to get help
For several years, LW Storehouse has been providing food to those most in need in Chorley. Like so many food banks across Lancashire, its hardworking volunteers have seen demand rise dramatically throughout the cost of living crisis, with falling donations making for a perfect storm.
Helen Schilz, manager of the church-based service, tells The Lancashire Lead that winter - with colder weather and darker evenings contributing to higher bills - is already impacting on its demand. She said:
“There’s been quite a marked increase. Sadly we’re seeing more pensioners coming through our doors. We had a 91-year-old coming through out doors last week which was very sad.
“With winter there’s increased costs. It’s not just Christmas, it’s until March and there’s been lots of bills for everyone already.”
Food banks such as LW Storehouse have seen the demographics shift from the most deprived in society to working families who can no longer make ends meet. The dramatic rise in fuel bills has only made things more challenging for households and services such as LW Storehouse.
“There area few warm spaces. There are things like the Winter Warmer [cafe] which do have an increase in people visiting because it’s somewhere warm to go. Their attendance has gone up.
“The isolation tends to be more felt in winter - people have lost loved ones, it’s a lot darker, a lot colder so it all feels harder I think.
“Demand is still very high. Donations haven’t recovered since the cost of living crisis and the Ukraniain war and it’s just been one disaster after another really.”
The charity has been successful in receiving a grant award from The National Lottery but Helen says pressures remain high. In the past year, it has spent more than double the money it has received and she estimates it could have to close down in a year if she is not able to keep securing extra funding.
Elsewhere, Helen says other services in Chorley are proving helpful but part of the challenge is reaching those who most need the support. She said:
“There is lots of help out there. It’s trying to outreach those who need it but don’t necessarily know how to ask or don’t want to.”
According to National Energy Action research, an estimated six million UK households are currently living in fuel poverty, up from 4.5 million in October 2021 when the energy crisis began. Its definition of fuel poverty is any household which needs to spend 10% or more of its income on energy in order to maintain a satisfactory heating regime.
In Lancashire, its believed to be as high as 14% of households falling under this definition and some areas having rates much higher than the national average.One of the charities which is trying to help people survive is Cosy Homes, which is working in partnership with Lancashire councils to help residents make their homes more energy efficient.
The average grant it expects to issue is around £18,800 and helps people to afford energy saving measures including renewable heating technologies, solar panels, air source heat pumps, and double glazing units. As winter descends, the charity is urging people to check if they are eligible for funding.
A property qualifies if:
There is no Gas Central Heating
It has an EPC of D, E, F or G
A household qualifies if:
The household income is less than £36,000 or
In receipt of a Means Tested Benefit or
If the property is in an eligible Post Code area. No finance evidence would be required.
Dr Arif Rajpura, Director of Public Health Blackpool said:
“The funding is there, ready and available to support those that need it, we just need households and/or landlords* to reach out and get the ball rolling on the application process as soon as possible.
“If you think there’s even a chance you could be eligible we’d urge you to reach out to our friendly team and find out for sure. It could be the difference between keeping warm and well this winter, and not.”
A message from our sponsors Cosy Homes [many thanks to them for supporting The Lancashire Lead]
Want a warmer home without the cost? Cosy Homes in Lancashire is helping to transform homes across the county with energy-efficient upgrades. With over £80m in government funding, a simple application and trusted contractors, it couldn’t be easier. Apply today.
Step forward for hated wind farm cabling plan
When The Lancashire Lead hosted a hustings event in Fylde before the General Election, one issue which united candidates was opposition to plans for miles of cabling to be laid through the constituency as part of plans for two off-shore windfarms.
Residents and campaigners have argued alternative, less diruptive routes could be found for the undersea cables which are planned to land near Blackpool Airport and run underground to two substations between Kirkham and Newton, before continuing underground and beneath the River Ribble to Penwortham Substation.
The matter was taken to the House of Commons after Andrew Snowden was elected as MP as he used one of his first appearances to ask for support from the government is asking those behind the plan to reconsider. He said:
Most residents back the new renewable energy being built off the Fylde coast, but there are concerns about the cabling and substation route, which appears to take the route of least resistance. It will see miles of farmland and countryside dug up, and substations built in inappropriate locations. We seem to be unable to get answers from the company on why that has been chosen as the preferred route, when other far more appropriate routes for cabling and substations exist.
The scheme is known as the Morgan and Morecambe Offshore Wind Farms: Transmission Assets project. The Morgan element of the scheme is to be developed under a joint venture between BP and EnBW Energie Baden-Wurttemberg AG. The Morecambe side is under a joint venture between Cobra and Flotation Energy and BP says both projects have the combined potential to generate up to 2GW.
A pre-application - known as a Development Consent Order (DCO) - was objected to by both Wyre Council and Fylde Council but has now been approved by the government’s Planning Inspectorate. That means the scheme can now go to the next stage of the planning process.
While residents have been left frustrated by the decision amid fears the scheme will scar the land and cause extreme disruption to homes and livelihoods, some have also aimed criticism at Fylde Council for seemingly not doing enough to raise awareness or suitably fight the plans.
Responding to the decision, authority leaders have expressed disappointment and renewed the calls for better community engagement from the applicants. Fylde Council leader Cllr Karen Buckley said:
“Our submission to the Planning Inspectorate was a clear request to decline to accept the application to progress to the next stage. Instead, we asked that the proposals be refined and further consultations take place with the local community, statutory consultees and stakeholders.
“This would have allowed the applicants to further consider appropriate alternative routing for the proposed connections to the national grid which would have a lesser environmental impact, be less costly to implement and even provide an opportunity for more economic growth, such as the nearby site at Hillside Technology Enterprise Zone which is close to a grid connection at Stanah.
“The fact that this opportunity has been missed demonstrates a blinkered approach that ignores the local geography of Fylde and risks the implementation of a scheme that threatens homes and local livelihoods that support our community.”
Fylde Council made representations to the Planning Inspectorate expressing concern that the pre-application consultation was inadequate as it did not appear to include notification of all interested parties.
The council also raised concerns that the level of detail available at the consultation stage was not sufficiently detailed to allow affected communities and other key stakeholders to make meaningful comments.
It also objected to the proposed connection for a number of reasons including the potential impact of the project on agricultural land, the visual impact of the extremely large substations that would be required and the widespread disturbance that would be created during the construction phase.
A spokesman for the applicants previously stated: “Having an open dialogue with communities is critical as the project progresses to refine its proposals and we greatly value the feedback from local residents and stakeholders.”
Greens regain leadership of Lancaster City Council
After the drama of the previous Lancaster City Council meeting in which Labour’s Cllr Phillip Black quit as leader and effectively removed the new cabinet, a new head has been chosen.
An emergency meeting took place on Monday and saw the Greens regain the leadership position, with Cllr Caroline Jackson chosen for the top role. The brief meeting saw no speeches allowed and no other issues discussed, with attempts to thank Cllr Crowe or give endorsements to Cllr Jackson - who was the only nominee - shut down.
A total of 31 councillors including Greens, Lib-Dems and Independent Phil Bailey voted for Cllr Jackson, while 20 councillors – Labour members plus Independent Roger Cleet – voted against. Meanwhile, five – Conservatives and Morecambe Bay Independents – abstained.
Cllr Jackson previously led the council between 2021-23 and is expected to appoint a new cabinet this week with a Green and Lib Dem shared administration expected. Speaking after the meeting, she said:
“I’m really honoured to re-elected as leader. I hope to announce the full cabinet positions by the end of the week. I am confident of assembling a good team of new and established members to carry forward the priorities already established in the council plan.
“I agree with the sentiments that Coun Black expressed at his resignation, saying that much has been achieved by the cross-party administration since 2023. I asked Labour councillors to reconsider their position but they declined.”
In his resignation, Cllr Black accused the Greens of wanting him to step down or face a no confidence vote after a period illness during which they became the biggest group following by-election wins. But the Greens dispute this, saying leadership talks were civil and politically reasonable.
Rogue landlord promises to sell up after conviction
Tenants at a Colne bedsit were living in such poor conditions they had to cook in their bedrooms.
The residents were living in building on Keighley Road which was damp and mouldy and surrounded by damaged windows. The property was in such poor condition that a shared toilet had leaked into the kitchen but owner Mark Hogg made no attempt to fix it.
The broken communal cooker left tenants using portable appliances to cook in their bedroom, while other risks were found in combustibles being stored in corridors, faulty alarm systems.
Hogg ignored repeated warnings from Pendle Council to address the problems but no effort to do and now he and his Quality Homes NW Limited company have been both been convicted at Preston Magistrates Court
Each faced 10 offences relating House in Multiple Occupation Regulations, including duty of manager to provide information to occupier; duty of manager to take safety measures; duty of manager to maintain the common parts, fixtures and fittings and duty of manager to maintain living accommodation
Hogg was order to pay £3,000 in fines and costs, while the company must pay £11,800. He has now sold the property and so far reduced the company’s portfolio from 42 houses to 16 as part of a promise to sell up entirely and close down the company over the next 12 months.
Councillor Asjad Mahmood, Leader of Pendle Borough Council, said:
“Ensuring the safety of tenants is a fundamental responsibility of all landlords. The condition of this property was so poor, it is fortunate it has not resulted in a fatality.
“This fine is a critical reminder that neglecting safety standards will not be tolerated. We urge all landlords to prioritise compliance with regulations.”
Jail sentence for man who printed his own gun
A Thornton Cleveleys man has been jailed for more than five years after using a 3D print to make his own gun.
The handgun was discovered when police raided his Devonshire Avenue home and later described as “viable” as well as being loaded with ammunition. It was found wrapped inside a t-shirt in his wardrobe.
The 25-year-old used parts from a 3D printer along with other materials to build the weapon and pleaded guilty to manufacturing and possession of a firearm and ammunition at Preston Crown Court.
Last week, he was jailed for five years and two months. Det Sgt Vicki Speak of Lancashire Police, said:
“We welcome the sentence imposed on Jordan Brown for manufacturing the firearm. The weapon was tested and found to be viable.
“Despite being manufactured with parts from a 3D printer, the harm which the weapon could cause was catastrophic. Lancashire Police will not tolerate the manufacturing and possession of any kind of weapons.”
Sunday’s edition of this newsletter brought you news of plans from Labour MPs which would see Lancashire’s 15 councils scrapped and replaced by three or four new ones covering the whole county.
The reaction from council leaders has been as hostile and/or unsupportive as you’d expect and any idea of consensus is beyond fanciful. As I mentioned on Sunday, the ultimate aim of the proposal is to push Lancashire’s devolution deal further and see an elected mayor position appointed to oversee the county’s administration and bring in more powers and funding.
Those supporting that aim may sense some encouragement from Local Government minister Jim McMahon who was reported in the The Times as having told council leaders that it was “not acceptable” to not have an elected mayor, adding that all English regions must have one because they are “part of our system going forward”.
The comments were reported within an article about plans to abolish dozens of local authorities amid fears about the effectiveness and efficiency of two-tier council system - as seen here where Lancashire County Council has some responsibility and borough/district councils have others.
A spokesman for the ministry of housing, communities and local government said: “No decisions have been taken on council reorganisation. Our priority is to focus on the transfer of power from Westminster and work with councils to create structures that make sense for their local areas and work effectively for local people. We will set out further details in the upcoming English devolution white paper.”
Burnley MP Oliver Ryan has become the first Lancashire MP to publicly state his support for the plans to overhaul Lancashire’s councils. The Labour representative has given more details on what he’d like to see come next - and potential plans for how the new larger authorities could be arranged.
Ryan released a document last week containing ideas about how to slash the overall number of councils from the current 15 to just three or four. His blueprint emerged before – and is separate to – the letter sent to the government in which a majority of Lancashire’s Labour MPs called for a radical redrawing of the local authority map as part of a push to beef up the county’s current devolution deal.
Mr. Ryan alighted upon similar themes in his document, but went further than the letter to local government minister Jim McMahon by proposing which parts of the county could be bound together to form new standalone – so-called ‘unitary’ – authorities.
Under his preferred option, new councils would be created out of the areas currently covered by:
Preston Chorley, South Ribble and West Lancashire
Blackpool, Fylde, Wyre and Lancaster
Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Ribble Valley, Pendle, Rossendale and Hyndburn
He also suggested an alternative four-council option, which would generate population sizes of between 353,000 and 420,000 per authority. In that scenario, the areas that would join up would be:
Preston, Fylde, Ribble Valley and Pendle
Blackpool, Lancaster and Wyre
Chorley, South Ribble and West Lancashire
Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Rossendale and Hyndburn
In the document setting out his vision for the “rationalisation” of Lancashire’s councils, Ryan acknowledges that the geography of some of the alternative options is “interesting”, but stresses the financial stability of all the suggestions as a result of separating out the larger population centres of Preston, Blackburn and Preston into different council areas.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service about his ideas, he said he was sure people would have suggestions of their own – but that his aim was simply to spark “a conversation about the effectiveness of public services”. He said he believes local authority reorganisation and the creation of an elected mayor are necessary components of how Lancashire moves forward.
“It’s set a few hares running – but I think it’s a necessary conversation, because we’re missing out. There’s a big [discussion] going on about the regions and nations of the UK having a council under this government – and Lancashire is nowhere near it, we’re not even in the room.”
He also said that the Lancashire County Council elections, due next May should be cancelled so as not to “waste” the £2m it costs to stage them – given that the authority could be abolished in the near future depending on progress towards a deepening of the county’s devolution arrangements, which the Labour government has said it hopes to see set in train by next autumn.
That issue of merging council areas is one that is never going to be easy and even the suggestion has once again caused some to baulk. Wyre Council leader Cllr Michael Vincent has quickly distanced his borough away from welcoming a potential merger with Blackpool.
The Conservative argued that Wyre residents should not be responsible for taking on Blackpool’s debt or “social issues”, having already promised a referendum on any plans to reform the council structure. He said:
“For Wyre, I wouldn’t favour us being lumped into a unitary with Blackpool, because [they] have a huge amount of debt. Our residents shouldn’t have to take that debt on…[nor] the social issues that Blackpool has.
“Forming one unitary authority would suggest that Blackpool is [superior to] Lancashire County Council and Wyre Council for providing services to the residents of Wyre – and I don’t think that’s true.
“Unless [the proponents of the idea] can make a strong case for what the actual benefits of this are, then they’re going to get some very loud voices against it. Moving control of Wyre to Blackpool Town Hall is not in the best interests of the people of Wyre.”
Blackpool is already a so-called ‘unitary’ council, responsible for delivering all local authority services in the town, whereas neighbouring Wyre and Fylde are ‘second tier’ authorities which look after issues such as planning and waste collection, while Lancashire County Council takes care of the likes of roads and social services.
At the time it set its annual budget in February, Blackpool’s long-term borrowings stood at £187m – made up of a mix of fixed and variable rate debt which it said was intended to “maximise the financial benefit, and minimise the financial risk, to the council”. Responding to Cllr Vincent’s comments, Blackpool Council leader Cllr Williams said:
“First and foremost Blackpool Council’s financial position is solvent and secure. In fact, we have £25m in reserves which I’m sure most people can agree is a solid financial position to be in.
“Like the majority of unitary councils up and down the country we spend a large part of our budget on vulnerable adults and children through our social care services. Those services are managed extremely well, we are proud to protect the most vulnerable in our society and will continue to do so in the most effective and cost efficient way possible.
“Blackpool Council has suffered the most severe cuts in government funding during the last 14 years. Despite these cuts, we have continued to invest in Blackpool – to create jobs, provide quality affordable housing and a better future for our community.
“The debt we do have is secured against assets, which are twice the value of the debt. Our single biggest investment is in creating our Civil Service Hub, with the Department for Work and Pensions as the tenant, bringing 3,000 people into the town centre.
“We are an agile, self-reliant, proactive and innovative council that does all we can to invest in our town and the lives of our residents. I cannot think of a better investment and payback than that.”
⚖️ A landlord using a building between Preston city centre and the city’s university campus illegally as accommodation has been sentenced (Blog Preston).
💷 Blackpool’s council leader has warned steps will need to be taken in next year’s budget to get town hall finances back on track (Blackpool Lead).
🏋️♀️ A mum who "always skipped PE at school" and started picking up weights after struggling with post-natal depression is aiming for the World's Strongest Woman title (LancsLive).
🐘 Staff at Blackpool Zoo have been left devastated after two elephants in the herd lost their babies (Blackpool Gazette).
✍️ A new petition has been started by the sister of a murdered teenager Sasha Marsden to keep her killed locked up indefinitely (Blackpool Gazette).
😡 Rishton residents have reported people knocking on their doors in search of a brothel (Lancashire Telegraph).
👏 A couple who have devoted their lives to helping animals in the Morecambe area will be given a special send-off after stepping down from running a charity (Beyond Radio).
Given today’s edition is published on Lancashire Day, there really is only one place to go in this section. Some 729 years ago on this date, the first elected representatives from Lancashire were called to Westminster by King Edward I to attend what later became known as "The Model Parliament".
The anniversary has been celebrated since 1996 and sees a Lancashire Day Proclamation read out by town criers throughout the county. It was introduced to celebrate Lancastrians and the county’s lifestyle, community, culture and proud history (I will use the day as an excuse to enjoy a butter pie, some Lancashire Crisps and a couple of Moorhouses beers).
Across the county today, you can expect to hear town criers shouting the following:
To the people of the city and county palatine of Lancaster, Greetings!
Know ye that this day, November 27th in the year of our Lord Two Thousand and twenty four, the 2nd year of the reign of His Majesty King Charles III, Duke of Lancaster, is Lancashire Day!
Know ye also, and rejoice, that by virtue of His Majesty's County Palatine of Lancaster, the citizens of the Hundreds of Lonsdale, North and South of the Sands, Amounderness, Leyland, Blackburn, Salford and West Derby are forever entitled to style themselves Lancastrians.
Throughout the County Palatine, from the Furness Fells to the River Mersey, from the Irish Sea to the Pennines, this day shall ever mark the people's pleasure in that excellent distinction - true Lancastrians, proud of the Red Rose and loyal to our Sovereign Duke.
GOD BLESS LANCASHIRE
AND GOD SAVE THE KING,
DUKE OF LANCASTER.
Thank you for taking the time to read the 73rd edition of The Lancashire Lead. Please consider taking a paid subscription to support my work and enjoy access to exclusive features. I’ll be back with the next issue on Sunday.
