Response to comments raised at "Save St Annes" meeting on the 16th April

St Annes Town Council hosted, but did not Chair a public meeting recently relating to a number of issues of local concern. A number of people have approached me since this meeting asking for advice and clarification of some of the points raised.

Although this was supposed to be a "Non Political" meeting I was surprised to see pressure groups from across the Borough in attendance and mainly Rural Opposition Councillors and Prospective Lib Dem candidates from outside St Annes taking centre stage. I hope that the people present saw through Cllr Hayhursts calls to vote Independent and the Lib Dem's calls for anti Conservative voting.

There was a number of issues discussed and I will try and give some feedback to the points raised:

The St Annes Pool obviously gave opposition Councillors an opportunity to knock the Council however, the advice given regarding the current pool site being earmarked in the Local Plan for Leisure, does not mean it has to remain a pool. The Council is still working hard to find an alternative proposal for swimming provision in the Borough, but it will not be on this site. The money raised from the disposal of the site will be ring fenced towards a new facility within the Borough.

There was also talk regarding another Parish Poll for a vote against the proposed Shelter Housing complex on St Davids Rd North. Again I feel this would be a waste of taxpayers money. It is interesting to know that a local Lib Dem Councillor was heard telling fellow Councillors that he agreed that "the facility was needed, just not in St Leonards Ward, It should be situated in Central Ward!" This new facility will have a Management Board made up of Councillors and hopefully some local residents that will ensure that the scheme is run effectively. I hope that in the near future the Council will be able to inform local residents, who will be accommodated at the project and the guidelines for the facilities operation.

Lib Dem prospective Candidate Prof Winlow addressed the meeting to talk about the Council asset stripping and "selling the family silver" I wish someone would have told him that it was the Independent and Lib Dem coalition that started the Town Hall re-generation project and that the asset disposal would fund it! Surely he must agree that having adopted this policy in 2003 Conservatives have to see the process through?

The debate moved on to the Democratic defciet within the Town Hall, again leading opposition Councillors making political statements, without informing the public present of the facts. Facts such as, on taking control of the Council in 2003 the Conservatives set up a Joint Executive Committee (Cabinet in all but name)This committee was comprised of 5 Conservatives and Hayhurst, Oades, Longstaff and Rigby all of these Leaders of Opposition groups. Consrevatives tried hadr for 12 months to make this committee work, however, certain individuals used their position to undermine the Council and deliberatley made the operation of the Committee difficult. Conservatives had no choice but to move to a single Party Cabinet - but we tried! I am 100% convinced that the same offer would not have been made to Conservatives, had the shoe been on the other foot.

Readers should also note that Liberal Democrats National Party Policy is to push for Unitary Authorities to replace the current two tier system. This therefore supports the Cabinet Structure of Governance. Lib Dem Councils across England operate the Cbinet system. At Fylde Conservatives had placed opposition Councillors in leading roles within the Council.

There were many negative comments made such as "residents should be urged to make Councillors lives a misery and work against them" and that "Mr Moor would head up the Civic Awareness Programme to help find Independent Councillors to fight Conservative seats"

I'am saddend that yet again by politicisation of St Annes Town Council and Iam duty bound to ask whether it is appropriate that Parish Precept funds are being used to support these meetings? Conservative Councillors have been working hard on many issues across the Borough, with the total support of many genuine interested groups.

Can I just add that comments were regarding the exclusion of the Chair of St Annes Town Council to the Swimming Summit - this statement is misleading. The portfolio holder was told that Cllr Oades was attending the Summitt as the representative of the Town & Parish Councils. I made it very clear that if this was the case then fine, however, if it was not, then all Parish Council Chairs should be invited. As no "decisions" were being made at this meeting, the attendance list was made up of those groups that could help formulate the Councils future plans for Swimming provision.

There was a discussion regarding parishes and again I believe an offer was made to help Lytham set up it's own Parish Council. For information Conservatives have been working to this end for over two years! former Conservative Councillor Ray Norsworthy Chairs the Lytham Forum, this group being made up of interested groups from across Lytham and Ansdell. The forum has has been working closely with Fylde Council to investigate the pro's and con's of having a Lytham Parish Council. They are keen not to repeat the weak models adopted by both St Annes and Kirkham Town Councils. Parishe Councils across Fylde work very well with Parishes taking responsibility for a number of services for their local areas - St Annes and Kirkham have shied away from these responsibilities in the past - Hopefully the new possibilities presented to parish councils, thanks to the implementation of "Differential Rating" may jolt the Boroughs two Town Councils into taking on some responsibility. Readers may be interested to know that the whole Differential Rating debate was borne out of the work done by the cross party joint committee in 2003 and the insistance of Cllr Hayhurst that the former system was "unfair and creating a rural/urban split" so often was this argument put forward by the Former Council Leader, that extensive work was done by the council with parishes to find a solution. The former system was unfair. Surprisingly Cllr Hayhurst does not play the Rural/Urban split card any longer.

I was surprised that the Town Hall project, although on the agenda was skirted over? Can I just lay one myth to rest once and for all. The Government finally announced in December 2007 that it was shelving any further plans for Local Government Re-Organisation. Therefore Fylde Council will continue for the forseeable future. With this in mind the Council has to ensure that as an employer it meets it's obligations regarding Staff working conditions. The current Town Hall cannot be used by the community, the new project will open the building up to all. With the Council developing it's plans for a "Classic Resort" the decision to conserve the Heritage of the town, including and finnancial benefit to the Tax Payer of modernising the Town Hall, should not be underestimated.

Finally Comments were made about the streamlining of the Customer Contact Points within the Council and in particular the closure of the Kirkham One Stop Shop. This closure was done as part of a modernisation programme for this service. A concern was made relating to "How will residents pay their Council bills"? The simple answer, at the Post Office! The Council is keen to support the Post Offices and the additional foot fall at the Kirkham Office, I'm sure will be welcome.

I hope that this item has put the record straight on a number of issues. It is so easy for residents to be mislead by people that should be telling them the truth on such important issues. Conservative councillors have always strived to be open about the decisions it makes and why, this blog shows that there is nothing to hide on any of these important issues. Residents just have to ask.