Remembering "true Northern Powerhouse" Beccy Barr
Plus: Candidate speaks out on deselection and Blackpool Tory defends Levelling Up
Hello and welcome to today’s edition of The Lancashire Lead. We start with the very sad news of the death of journalist turned firefighter Beccy Barr.
Beccy, from Lancaster, enjoyed a hugely successful career which started in Blackpool, took her to New York and then BBC North West Tonight before she decided on a drastic change and followed in her dad’s footsteps to join Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service.
By all accounts, she excelled in both roles as well as being a triathlete, long distance runner and a beloved mum to Hannah. She was diagnosed with incurable abdominal cancer last year and died this week aged just 46.
It’s one of life’s great tragedies that people often don’t get to hear how admired, loved and respected they are in their lifetimes and the tributes which have rolled in for Beccy show just how much she meant to those around her.
Among those to pay tribute, Lancaster and Wyre MP said she “made the world a better place because of everything she did with an enthusiasm that few could match”, while former BBC colleague described her as “funny and fearless” and “a lovely warm broadcaster”.
The Guardian reporter Helen Pidd excellently summed up both Beccy as a person and the cruelty of her death. She posted: “RIP a true Northern Powerhouse. Beccy Barr, what a woman. Fantastic journalist who left TV to be a firefighter in her 40s. Strong, funny, clever, generous, fearless. Much love to her family and friends. Life can be so very unfair.”
Over in Preston, readers may remember unhappiness after a council by-election candidate was replaced after being announced. Avery Greatorex was chosen locally to represent Lea and Larches ward before the Regional Northwest Labour Party overruled the decision and selected Mark Routledge in her place.
Avery did not speak about the decision at the time other than to say it was not a personal decision, was out of her control and that she wished the new candidate well. In a lengthy blog post, she has now given her account of the story, stating she was deselected after an anonymous complaint was made, though she was given a chance to interview again.
While reaffirming her commitment to the party, she expressed disappointment in the both the decision and process as well as a lack of support from local MP Mark Hendrick
“To remain effective and true to our principles, the Labour Party must listen to its members and constituents, support young candidates, and align its actions with its promises of change, ensuring the voices of the people are heard and acted upon. It is time to start listening.”
Avery Greatorex
You can read the full story here in my piece for Blog Preston.
After 14 years in Government, Conservatives are now facing up to life in opposition and it’s fair to say some are finding it more difficult than others. While there’s been much talk of the Rwanda scheme being axed, another example of Labour using its first actions to undo Conservative decisions was dropping ‘Levelling Up’ from Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (now known as the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government).
Many have dismissed the Levelling Up project as a gimmick, arguing it forced communties to compete with one another in expensive bidding processes and questioning how much has actually been delivered. Blackpool’s Conservative group leader Paul Galley has issued a defence of the agenda, arguing in Conservative Home that work was being done to provide opportunities to “forgotten” areas.
“Blackpool, like Britain, reflects those same divisions. We are a town of two halves, one of better quality housing, access to green spaces, higher skill levels, greater income, fewer children in care and longer life expectancy, versus the other Blackpool, which suffers from the scourge of poor housing, less access to green spaces, high poverty rates, greater numbers of children in care, higher levels of drug and alcohol dependency, a prevalence of long-term ill health; all contributing to lower life expectancy.”
Cllr Paul Galley
You can read his full editorial here
Lancashire’s new (and returning) Police and Crime Commissioner has announced plans which he says could end violence against women and girls (VAWG). Clive Grunshaw said the issue was top of his agenda and has pledged to fund local services to “ensure that victims of crime in Lancashire have access to specialist support should they need it”.
Mr Grunshaw also promised to hold the force to account for improving its outcome for victims as he echoed calls from the Government and the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) about the need to address the issue.
Data released by the NPCC showed 3,000 VAWG crimes are recorded each day, with at least 1 in 12 women becoming victims each year. Mr Grunshaw said: “As Lancashire's Police and Crime Commissioner, I will fully implement a zero-tolerance approach to end violence against women and girls.
"The scale of violence against women and girls (VAWG) is both troubling and unacceptable, and perpetrators of domestic abuse and sexual violence should have no place to hide here in Lancashire.
“Alongside a national centre, I will fully support the Constabulary's dedicated Rape and Serious Sexual Offences teams, and ensure that they have the dedicated resources needed to go after offenders, secure the evidence required to convict them and keep women and girls across Lancashire safe.
"Lancashire, alongside UK policing, has undergone significant changes to the way it tackles violence against women and girls in recent years, but we simply must do more. This mean's working in partnership across the criminal justice system to reduce the scale and impact of VAWG, and maximising the use of technology and intelligence.”
Before we move onto the news digest, allow me to point you in the direction of Channel 5’s Cause of Death series which returns this evening. The documentary follows the work of senior coroner Dr James Adeley and his team investigating unexplained deaths across Lancashire.
If you’ve not seen it before, Cause of Death goes behind the scenes on how such deaths are investigated with the coroners’ team working with the likes of Lancashire Constabulary and the county’s hospitals to get much need answers for families who’ve lost a loved one. The first episode of the new series is on tonight at 9pm and you can see previous episodes here.
🚨 A man is in critical condition and his family seriously injured after a car crashed off the M6 on Monday (LancsLive).
🏊♀️ A Rossendale swimming pool will to reopen to the public after being saved by campaigners (BBC).
🌳 Burnley Council has unveiled its masterplan to transform its Towneley Park (Lancashire Telegraph).
🚓 Police investigating the murder of teenager Matthew Daulby in Ormskirk were met with a 'wall of silence' on the night he died, a court heard (LancsLive).
🛖 Holidays company Partington’s has submitted a planning application to build a £75m leisure destination at its Windy Harbour site in Fylde (The Business Desk).
🚒 A 15-year-old has been arrested on suspicion of arson after a primary school was set on fire (Blog Preston).
🤬 The Mayor of Pendle has apologised for breaching the borough’s code of conduct in a mosque argument with a council licensing officer (Lancashire Telegraph).
🎾 Two Preston villages are to get new sports grounds and a new community venue, replacing a facility that has been standing for more than 70 years (Central Video).
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