The warm weather has been upon us but we must remember winter is round the corner and many people in Hyndburn are struggling due to the cost of living crisis. I am very pleased to announce that in our efforts to help everyone in the borough there will be a 0% rise in Tax next year for all of Hyndburn. This is possible due to the careful steering at the council and I would like to offer thanks to Councillor Joyce Plummer, our cabinet member for resources, who has many years of expertise and vision to make this achievable.

I would like to also remind people to apply for their energy rebate of £150 if they have not already. I understand some may have difficulty applying for this online and to help with this we have a dedicated team set up at the council who can help over the phone (01254 388 111) and we also invite people to come in person to our reception at Scaitcliffe House. Here the fantastic reception team will be able to help you fill out the form.

The last few weeks there has been a lot of news about plans for Accrington Town Centre and I would like to use this opportunity to share some of the great things happening across the borough. Last week I attended the opening of Clayton Community Centre, after more than £250,000 investment and hard work from our Leisure Trust the centre is now open. It is home to Clayton Amateur Boxing Club and there is also space for community groups and organisations to hire.

We have also recently made an offer on 87 acres of land in Oswaldtwistle, close to Stanhill Village, known as ‘Bury Meadows’. The vision for this land is to create a country park to serve the people of the community and also attract visitors from outside of the borough. I’m really pleased to be working alongside our green champion, Councillor Caroline Montague, to deliver such an ambitious and worthwhile project. Not only will it improve the lives and wellbeing of people in the area, it will improve biodiversity and safeguard this green space for future generations.