Agenda item
Announcements
a) Mayor
b) Leader of the Council
c) Chief Executive
Minutes:
The Mayor made the following announcements:
1) Rededication of the Accrington Pals Memorial Garden
Last Saturday the Mayor had been honoured to unveil the new statute to the Accrington Pals at the rededication of the Pals Memorial Garden on Church Street. This was a wonderful occasion for Hyndburn and it was pleasing to see so many people attending. The rejuvenation of the Gardens was the culmination of the efforts of a large number of partner organisations and a source of great pride for the Borough.
2) Civil Unrest
The Mayor was mindful of the threat of disturbances in the region, following the stabbings and tragic deaths of three young girls in Southport on 29th July 2024. He wished to thank the Police and all those who had worked closely with Lancashire Constabulary to safeguard Lancashire’s townships from thuggery and racism at that time.
3) Setting the Right Tone
The Mayor reminded Members that he had shared some views at the last Council meeting about councillors’ conduct during debates. The Leader of the Council and Leader of Opposition were aware of the standards of behaviour that were expected of those present within the Council Chamber.
The Leader of the Council then made the following announcements:
4) Response to the Mayor’s Announcements
The Leader echoed the Mayor’s comments on the unveiling of the Pals sculpture and was pleased to see large numbers of people attending the rededication ceremony for the Memorial Garden. He wished to congratulate the organisers of and key contributors to the event.
In view of the potential threat of disruption within the Borough by far right groups, the Leader had held a number of meetings. He had worked collaboratively with Councillor Zak Khan, Leader of the Opposition, Councillor Danny Cassidy, Joint Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Councillor Shabir Fazal OBE, Green Party, to manage the situation. The work of all those involved had produced a positive impact. The situation had highlighted that Hyndburn was one community and that people would come together to listen and learn.
With the permission of the Mayor, the Leader invited Councillor Noordad Aziz, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Transformation, Education and Skills, to speak
5) Wilson Sports Village
Councillor Aziz reported that last Friday it had been announced that ISG, the lead construction contractor for the Wilson Sports Village project, had filed notice to enter administration. This had raised concerns locally about the project. ISG was a prominent national construction company, which carried out work for the Government and other organisations across the country.
The Council wished to place on record its appreciation for the dedication and hard work of the entire construction team on site and empathised with the workers, their families and the various sub-contractors engaged on this project.
The Council’s contract for delivery of the overall project was with Alliance Leisure. ISG were their main contractor. Alliance had confirmed that they were in a strong position to deal with the matter and would follow an established procedure to minimise any disruption. Councillor Aziz and an officer of the Council had met with representatives of Alliance Leisure earlier in the week and they had confirmed that they were prioritising restarting the project. They were also working closely with administrators Ernst & Young LLP.
The Council was able to confirm that:
- the site remained secure;
- residents and community groups could still use the existing facilities; and
- an Action Plan wold be produced to manage the restarting of the project.
The Council was committed to restarting construction and would minimise any disruption. The new Wilson Sports Village would be delivered as planned and would be a significant asset to the area.
Councillor Aziz noted that a statement issued by Councillor Zak Khan showing cross-party support, had recently appeared in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph.
Further communications would be issued as the situation progressed.
6) Israel/Hamas Conflict
The Leader of the Council reported that he had recently contacted The Rt Hon David Lammy MP, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs about the on-gong conflict in the Middle East. He read aloud a letter submitted to the Secretary of State which raised the following matters:
- the Council remained concerned about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza;
- reports from some 16 United Nations relief organisations had indicated that 83% of food aid to Gaza was now being blocked;
- this was an alarming increase from the 34% of aid blocked in 2023;
- this situation would have dire consequences, for the civilians of Gaza with families facing extreme challenges, receiving only one meal every two days;
- the conditions were inhumane and it was clear that the international community must act urgently to prevent further suffering and loss of life;
- the Secretary of State was called upon to push for an immediate cease fire and the release of hostages and civilians held without charge on both sides of the conflict; and
- the UK Government must use its influence to broker a solution and the Secretary of State was called upon to raise this matter in Parliament;
The letter invited the Secretary of State to reply and advised that a copy had also been sent to Sarah Smith MP.
There were no announcements from the Chief Executive on this occasion.
In response to a query from Councillor Shabir Fazal OBE, the Mayor indicated that he was not minded to allow any further comment or announcement under this item.