Heyhouses Harrier update

The 10th issue of the Harrier is now being distributed across the Ward with feedback already being received regarding graffiti and issues relating to possible new roamer bus routes. The team have already started chasing up these requests and will report back in due course. We have already started getting the issues raised at our last ward surgery addressed and we hope that residents will now being seeing the results.

The Dog Warden has also been tasked with a high visibility campaign on Hope Street and Waddington Parks, so if you have any concerns relating to dog fouling, whether on a park on pavement please let the Town Hall know by calling 658658. We are also keen to see back alleys kept clean and clear and the new environmental powers given to Councils could see residents receiving on the spot fines for putting bins out early or leaving large items in our back alleys. Again if you have a particular concern or know of anyone leaving rubbish in your back alley then please let us know.

Finally, there has been much fuss relating Concessionary Bus Travel. Lib Dem's have accused the Council of diverting the funds elsewhere and not using the full grant for free bus travel for the over 60's. This is absolute rubbish! The facts is that the Council has always had a grant for OAP's for free bus travel. This grant was in the region of 300,000 pounds per annum. The old scheme being administered through Age Concern Fylde. At the last General Election Labour introduced a preliminary scheme increasing the 'within Boundary scheme' to a wider one which enabled free bus travel within Borough Boundaries and a 50 pence flat rate on cross boundary travel, the Government added an additional 483,000 pounds to the original grant, therefore a total of approx 783,000 per annum. As as at January the bus usage figures show that all this money will be spent on the reduced fares scheme, with perhaps more having to come from the Council as a subsidy. The shortfall may continue to widen and each month the figures change. The bottom line is - Council Tax revenue will have to be used to plug any shortfall, we believe that this is wrong, the Government should give us more! Far from squirreling the money away we have allocated all that we have been given.

Next years scheme, the National Free Travel scheme, we all applaud. There is however a massive risk to Fylde's Council Tax payers. The current proposal will see the local Councils having to pay for all bus journeys started within their boundaries, no matter how much these bus journey's cost. For a visitors destination such as Fylde this could cause meltdown. How can we afford to pay for the return journeys of all the people visiting our Borough for either day trips or holidays? it could run into hundreds or thousands of people per week! How can a Government even begin to administer and fund such a scheme? and how can a small Authority such as Fylde be expected to bare the cost of the scheme if funding fall's short? We will be lobbying the Local Government Association in the coming weeks to highlight the potential risks to Council tax payers.

The Cabinet meets on Wednesday evening to finalise recommendations for the budget to Full Council. A lot of work has gone into the budget this year and we are confident that it will be well received by Heyhouses residents. Keep an eye on the blog for the details.