Agenda and draft minutes

The Mayor welcomed everyone to the meeting and made a brief statement about the filming of proceedings and filming generally within the Town Hall, followed by a fire safety announcement.

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillors Heather Anderson, Noordad Aziz, Andrew Clegg, Loraine Cox, Marlene Haworth, Joyce Plummer, Clare Pritchard, Ethan Rawcliffe and Kate Walsh.

There were no formal declarations of interest or declarations of dispensations submitted.

a)    Mayor

b)    Leader of the Council

c)    Chief Executive

The Mayor made the following announcements:

1)         Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day

Councillor Josh Allen, Mayor, remarked that the Borough had recently held numerous parades and services for Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day.  He thanked the residents who had supported the events, as well as Council officers, volunteers, the Royal British Legion and others who had helped to make the arrangements which provided a focus for veterans and their families, as well as commemorating the lives of those lost in action since World War 1.  The occasions were a poignant reminder of what people fought for and should be observed so that history did not repeat itself.

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Munsif Dad BEM JP, echoed these comments and noted that attendance at the service in Oak Hill Park, Accrington, had been the largest he could remember.  Councillor Khan added that it had been pleasing to see large numbers of young people attending the services, including those from scouts, brownies and various cadet organisations.

Councillor Munsif Dad BEM JP then made the following announcements:

2)         Accrington Neighbourhoods Board

Councillor Dad reminded members that the Council had been awarded £20m over a 10 year period, starting in April 2026, under the Government’s Plan for Neighbourhoods Funding.  During the past few months, the Board had been working hard to shape a regeneration plan based on Government guidance.  Last week further engagement had taken place at Accrington Town Hall with schools and the college, so that young people could have their say.  The plan was due to be considered by Cabinet on 19^th November, following which it would be submitted to the Government by 28^th November 2025.  The next phase would be to finalise project selection and then to commence delivery.  It was envisaged that there would be a mixture of short and medium term projects that would make a difference and it might be possible to secure match-funding where available.

The Board had recently been strengthened by the addition of four new members, including Paul Hunter (Anglican Minister); Madison Gore (Primary School Teacher); Dr Jane Eccles (GP Partner/Primary Care); and Damian Cunliffe (Night-Time Economy/Entrepreneur).  All would bring new experience to the Board.

3)         Bullough Park, Accrington

Work was on going to enhance Bullough Park, Accrington, with new woodlands, hedges, wildflowers and wetlands and a new entrance way.  Phase 1 had been completed, which had used Police funding, s106 monies and other Council resources to deter anti-social behaviour, particularly motorbike nuisance.  Phase 2 had now commenced, which would see new footpaths, benches, a pond and additional tree planting and was supported by funding from several partner bodies.  A Forest Fun Day was due to be held on Sunday 7^th December 2025, and all were encouraged to get involved.  Phase 3 would start in 2026.

4)         Police Engagement

Councillors Dad and Khan had met with Chief Inspector Holt and Inspector Moore of Lancashire Constabulary to discuss closer working between the Police and Council.  Councillors had forwarded a number of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 209.

To confirm as correct, the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 25^th September 2025.

The Minutes of the Council meeting held on 25^th September 2025 were provided.

Regarding Minute 159 - Declarations of interest, Councillor Melissa Fisher noted that there had been posts on social media about whether she should have declared a formal interest in respect of Agenda Item 10 (Motion 2) in view of the premises let by her husband.  She confirmed that the premises did not meet the definition of a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO).  Namely, it did not comprise at least three unrelated tenants living and sharing toilet, bathroom, or kitchen facilities, forming more than one household.  She considered that some of the social media posts had amounted to personal attacks and had implied corruption.  Those responsible for making such allegations were reminded of the Local Government Association’s ‘Debate Not Hate’ campaign.

In respect of Minute 162 - Question Time (King George V Playing Fields), Councillor Heap asked if work was still on target.  Councillor Stewart Eaves responded that the work had slowed down recently due to poor weather.  The drainage to the road was still being worked on and the project remained on schedule overall.

In connection with Minute 161 - Confirmation of Minutes, on the matter of Accrington Stanley FC, Councillor David Heap noted that the Leader of the Council had referred to a Council sponsored football shirt give-away.  However, it was understood that the shirts had, in fact, been funded by Andy Holt, the Club’s Chairman.  Councillor Dad invited Councillor Whitehead to respond and she indicated that the Council had contributed to the shirt give-away and both she and the Mayor had attended the event.

Regarding Minute 162 - Question Time, Councillor Heap asked if the controlling group would be answering, in full, the questions provided at Agenda Item 5 during the meeting.  Councillor Dad indicated that the questions would be answered, in a similar manner to the meeting in July 2025, with a verbal answer being provided wherever possible.  Due to the number of questions submitted at the September 2025 meeting, these had each received a written response.

In respect of Minute 167 - Motions (Motion 4), Fair Funding Review, Councillor Zak Khan commented that in the minutes of a recent Cabinet meeting he had been criticised for allegedly exaggerating some the negative impacts under the Review by highlighting that the Government could withdraw £5m from Hyndburn’s financial settlement.  He noted that the Portfolio Holder had subsequently referred to that same figure when discussing the authority’s finances and he asked if his original statement would now be endorsed.  He also asked whether the Leader of the Council had confidence in the Chancellor.  Councillor Dad responded that there was no minute about the Chancellor on the Agenda to allow this query to be raised and that members would need to await her announcement on the local government financial settlement.  Councillor Alexander reported that the original minute was accurate and that she would not be seeking an amendment to that record.

In connection with Minute 162  ...  view the full minutes text for item 210.

To deal with any questions submitted under Council Procedure Rule A2.2(vi).

Details of any eligible questions received will be circulated following the expiration of the deadline for the receipt of questions.  Questions must be submitted by no later than 12noon on Monday 10^th November 2025.  (Report attached)

Rules of Debate

·         Up to 30 minutes will be allowed for this item.

·         Questions will be put by the chair of the meeting and will receive an oral answer.

·         Questions which cannot be put within the allotted time will receive a written answer within 10 working days.

Eleven eligible questions had been received, which were set out in the report.  The Mayor read out the questions as submitted.

1)         Bullough Park Changing Rooms

To the Leader of the Council (Councillor Munsif Dad BEM JP) or relevant Portfolio Holder

Submitted by Councillor Shabir Fazal OBE

“The changing rooms at Bullough Park have been closed for a considerable period.  Could the Council provide an update on what plans or actions are in place to refurbish these facilities and ensure they are reopened for future community events and sporting fixtures?”

Response:

Councillor Dad reminded members that there was a lot of investment currently being made in Bullough Park.  The pavilion was part of the overall work planned for the park.  At the moment, the Council was considering its options and any future pans would need to be linked to what funding was available.  The Leader wished to see the pavilion back in use, particularly as the park was in his own ward.  It would be good to support grassroots cricket at this location.

Councillor Fazal did not wish to ask a supplementary question, but thanked the Leader for the investment in Bullough Park.  The site had been a sporting hub in the past, but in his view had been allowed to decline.  There were now two midweek and two weekend cricket fixtures.  The park could support cricket in the summer and football in the winter, but the closure of the pavilion meant that this could not currently happen.  It was imperative to reopen the changing facilities as a priority.  Councillor Dad indicated that he shared this ambition, but did not accept that the park had been run down.  For example, some £60k had been spent on a children’s play area within the last 3-4 years.  However, there had been some funding challenges during the period of austerity under the previous Government.

2)         Stickerless Private Hire Vehicles for Safety

To the Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder Housing and Regeneration (Councillor Melissa Fisher)

Submitted by Councillor Shabir Fazal OBE on behalf of Sohail Asghar

“Wolverhampton also allows stickerless private hire vehicles to reduce the risk of vandalism and break-ins during off-duty hours.  Will Hyndburn consider a similar policy to protect drivers and vehicles, particularly those parked overnight in residential areas?”

Councillor Fisher thanked the Councillor Fazal and the member of the public for the question.  The Council’s Licensing Manager had a good working relationship with colleagues in Wolverhampton.  The reason that Wolverhampton had changed their policy to remove the need for operator door signs / logos was not related to risk of vandalism or break ins.  The reason was to allow private hire drivers to work for multiple operators.  Private hire operators licensed with Wolverhampton were still permitted to require their drivers to display logo door stickers if they wished, however Wolverhampton Council neither required nor prohibited it.

Hyndburn’s policy allowed drivers to display magnetic operator door logos, which still allowed them to work for multiple operators, and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 211.

Report attached.

Members considered a report of Councillor Stephen Button, Chair of the Communities and Wellbeing Overview & Scrutiny Committee, requesting that the Council give consideration to the Committee’s recommendations for the appointment of a co-optee.

Councillor Button provided a brief introduction to the report in which he outlined the criteria previously set for this appointment and the reasons for the recommendation in favour of the current candidate.

The Communities and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee could appoint up to four co-optees to the Committee and had previously appointed three co-optees, Jean Battle, Jackie Rawstron and Sandie Dent with one vacant co-optee position still remaining.

The Committee had felt that a young person would provide greater balance to discussions and be more representative of the community and, therefore, had recommended to the Council that the remaining co-optee position be reserved for this purpose.  This had been approved at the Council meeting on 16^th January 2025.

Following the receipt of an application for the co-optee position by the Committee from a member of the public, the Committee had considered the application at their meeting held on 13^th October 2025.  The Committee had felt that, although the application did not meet the reserved criteria for a young person, the applicant would bring new experiences, skills and an extra dynamic to the Committee.  They had, therefore, determined that the applicant would be a valued asset to the Committee and provide greater representation of the community.  The application was from Mr Matt Shaw.  Details supporting his application had been circulated to Members separately.

Councillor Shabir Fazal OBE expressed disappointment that the Council had been unable to attract a young person.  If the Council wanted young people to be more influential it would need to ensure that they were engaged.  The Council should aim to be more creative and energetic in connecting with communities.  The Council could also be more proactive in engaging ethnic minorities in overview and scrutiny.

Councillors Whitehead, Khan, Dad, Heap, Smithson and Gilbert all spoke in favour of the appointment and recognised the need for the Council to encourage more involvement by young people and wider groups including those with a disability.  Councillor Button acknowledged that it might be possible in future years to reach out to sixth forms and/or Accrington and Rossendale College.

Resolved                                    -    That Council approves the appointment of Matt Shaw as a co-optee on the Communities and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee until the end of the 2025-26 municipal year and sets aside its previous decision to reserve the vacant co-optee position for a young person between 18-25 years of age.

Report attached.

Appendix 3 – The full Business Case for the 3 Unitary Authority Model is available by clicking the following link:

LGR The business case for three unitary authories in Lancashire | Hyndburn Borough Council

Members considered a report of Councillor Munsif Dad BEM JP, Leader of the Council, updating the Council on preparations to submit a proposal for Local Government Reorganisation to Government.

The report presented the business case that had been prepared to support the creation of three unitary authorities in Lancashire and included a one-page executive summary of this case.  The full business case had been circulated to members under separate cover following its publication.

Councillor Dad provided a brief introduction to the report and highlighted the main reasons for change and the rationale for Hyndburn’s preferred option.  An initial decision taken by the Council earlier in the year to support a 3 Unitary Authority (3UA) model was backed up by the evidence now provided.

The Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution had introduced the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill on 10^th July 2025, following the publication of the English Devolution White Paper on 16^th December 2024.

The new Bill had announced how the government would facilitate a programme of local government reorganisation (LGR) for two-tier areas and for those unitary councils where there was evidence of failure or where their size or boundaries might be hindering their ability to deliver sustainable and high-quality services for their residents.

The Government had set a timeline for Lancashire councils to produce a preferred option for local government reorganisation by the end of November (28^th), asking for proposals to move from the current two-tier system of a county council, two smaller unitary councils and 12 districts councils, to a simpler model of fewer councils.

The Government’s aim with LGR was to improve efficiency savings, service delivery, provide stronger local leadership, economic growth, community identity and foster effective local partnerships, while not hindering the ability to deliver sustainable and high-quality services for residents.

Government Guidance

Government guidance (the Statutory Invitation) set out the following criteria which would be used to assess proposals for reorganisation:

• A proposal should seek to achieve for the whole of the area concerned the establishment of a single tier of Local Government;
• Unitary local government must be the right size to achieve efficiencies, improve capacity and withstand financial pressures;
• Unitary structures must prioritise the delivery of high quality and sustainable public services to citizens;
• Proposals should show how councils in the area had sought to work together in coming to a view that met local needs and was informed by local views;
• New unitary structures must support devolution arrangements;
• New unitary structures should enable stronger community engagement and deliver genuine opportunity for neighbourhood empowerment.

The criteria above were not weighted, but the intention was to provide guidance to areas to develop proposals that addressed the criteria and were supported by data and evidence.  Decisions on the most appropriate option for each area would have regard to the guidance and the available evidence.

Under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, the Council had to submit a proposal based on whole Local  ...  view the full minutes text for item 213.

Report attached.

The following matter was submitted as urgent business with the Mayor’s agreement in accordance with Section 100B(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the reason being to enable the proposed changes to the Council Procedure Rules to be implemented in a timely fashion ahead of the next scheduled Council meeting on 15^th January 2026 and to enable any consequential changes to the Scheme of Delegation to be made under delegated powers to facilitate the implementation of the on-going organisational review.

Members considered a report of Councillor Munsif Dad BEM JP, Leader of the Council, seeking approval for proposed amendments to the Council’s constitution.

Councillor Dad outlined a number of changes proposed to the Council Procedure Rules, in relation to ‘Question Time’, which had been discussed and recommended at the recent Leader’s Policy Development Board meeting.

The overall report proposed changes in two sections of the constitution, as follows:

Question Time

There had recently been a significant increase in the number of questions submitted to full Council as part of the “Question Time” arrangements, both from councillors and members of the public.  Democratic engagement was welcomed, and the proposed amendments were designed to ensure that the process was manageable and operated fairly.  The proposed amendments were intended to accommodate the increased number of questions, whilst ensuring that as many councillors as possible had an opportunity to have their questions responded to at Council meetings given that Question Time only lasted for 30 minutes.

Where a councillor submitted multiple questions, their first question would be listed on the agenda in the order of receipt.  Their second question (and any subsequent questions) would be taken only after the first questions from all other councillors had been dealt with.  Where more that one councillor submitted multiple questions, the second (and subsequent) questions from each of these councillors would be taken in turn and in order of receipt.

Given the increase in questions, it was increasingly likely that not all questions would be dealt with within the time available.  Public questions that did not receive an answer at the meeting would receive a direct written response and contact details would have to be provided for that purpose.

Scheme of Delegation

The proposed amendment to the scheme of delegation did not involve making any new or additional delegations to officers.  Instead, it involved reallocating some of the existing delegations from one chief officer to another chief officer to reflect changes in management arrangements that might arise from the ongoing organisational review.  As such, the amendments would essentially be procedural.

The Chief Executive was currently reviewing the organisational structure of the Council to ensure this put the Council in the best position to operate effectively and deliver the priorities in the new corporate plan.  As part of this process some service areas might switch from being the responsibility of one chief officer to another, which meant that the scheme of delegation would require amendment to reflect the changes and ensure that delegated decisions were taken with  ...  view the full minutes text for item 214.

To receive the Minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 22^nd October 2025 (attached).

Rules of Debate

The Leader of the Council will move the Minutes, the Deputy Leader of the Council will second the Minutes.

·         Non-executive Members will be invited to make comment or ask questions on the Minutes (5 Minutes).

·         Cabinet Members will be invited to make comments and respond to any points raised (5 Minutes).

·         The Leader of the Council will be given up to 15 Minutes to respond and to answer any questions raised.

The minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 22^nd October 2025 were submitted.

The following matters were raised:

In connection Minute 194 - Medium Term Financial Strategy, Councillor Zak Khan reiterated his earlier point about the Council’s finances, noting that Table 3 included funding gap figures in the pessimistic scenario as follows:

• 2026/17 - £3.3m
• 2027/28 - £4.6m
• 2028/29 - £5.6m.

Councillor Dad replied that the administration was open and transparent about the Council’s finances.  The Council was committed to fighting for resources and had been proactive in raising concerns with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and Sarah Smith MP.  The leadership was confident that the Council would reap some reward from this dialogue but would only find out at the end of the year.

In respect of Minute 190 – Reports of Cabinet Members (Wilson Sports Hub), Councillor Heap agreed that the new facilities were fantastic.  However, he expressed surprise that the Leader of the Council had been so positive about its opening, noting that some time ago he had described the development in what might be perceived as a disparaging manner.

Councillor Paul Cox added that he had attended the Cath Thom Leisure Centre on a couple of occasions and that the facilities were amazing.  He recalled a similar scenario with the development of the Stanley Sports Hub at Highams Playing Fields, which had initially been resisted by residents but was now seen as a superb facility.  The venue had even been used as a training camp for women’s international football.

The Mayor added that he had attended the opening of the Cath Thom Leisure Centre, which had been an enormous pleasure.  Cath’s family had been in attendance and had been very thankful, on what was quite an emotional occasion.  Another positive was that the Mayor and his wife had recently joined the Hyndburn Parkrun event, which took place every Saturday, setting off from the Cath Thom Leisure Centre.

Councillor Mohammed Younis noted that the project had started under the previous political administration but had been seen through to completion by the current administration.  He thanked everyone involved in the delivery of the project, including the officer team.

Councillor Dad responded that the vision for the project had emerged some 7 years ago when he was Portfolio Holder for Leisure.  He had always been supportive of the concept, but, in the light of residents’ concerns, an election promise had been made to review it.  This had been caried out after the elections in 2024 and the progression of the project had been agreed.  The Council, with involvement from Councillors Alexander, Aziz and Fisher, was now working closely with Hyndburn Leisure in respect of governance issues and communication, and significant improvements were being made.  The new Centre was a great facility and an important legacy.

Resolved                                    -    That the Minutes be received and noted.

To receive the Minutes of committees, as set out below:

Rules of Debate

·         The Leader of the Council will introduce the Minutes as a whole.

·         Any Member may raise any issue from the Minutes; the Chair of the relevant Committee may respond (5 Minutes).

·         The Leader of the Council will close the debate (5 Minutes).

The Minutes of the following meetings were submitted:

Resolved                                    -    That the Minutes be received and noted.

The Mayor thanked all for their attendance tonight and reported that the next meeting of the Council would be held on Thursday 15^th January 2026 at 7:00pm.