Agenda item
Announcements
a) Mayor
b) Leader of the Council
c) Chief Executive
Minutes:
There were no announcements from the Mayor on this occasion.
The Leader of the Council, Councillor Munsif Dad BEM JP, made the following announcements:
1) Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation
Local Government Reorganisation was moving forward at a pace. Consultants had been engaged to lead the process in Lancashire. Phase 1 would involve data analysis in close collaboration with all local councils. Phase 2 would see the development of clear proposals and specific options for either three (Hyndburn’s preferred option) or four unitary authorities. The structures should be effective, have a strong identity, provide community impact and sustainability. The submission to Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) was due to be made on 28th November 2025.
Overall, the changes were designed to better meet the needs of the population. Local council leaders were continuing to collaborate and everyone would have a voice. The Leader undertook to keep members informed as to progress.
2) Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
The Leader reported that the Council had recently allocated £517k for roofing works at the Civic Theatre. £10k had also been received from Theatres in Trust to pay for a survey of the roof, advice and works. The building was a complex structure and would need scaffolding to enable roof works to be undertaken. The slates would need to be stripped off and batons removed. These would be reused, if possible. Work would be required to roof lights, insulation, guttering, drain pipes and for timber treatment. The aim was to make the structure waterproof. The tender would be let next week with work due to commence in Autumn for completion in December 2025, subject to the survey not uncovering any hidden problems.
Some treatment for dry rot in the building had already been carried out, but no other works were planned yet beyond what was described above. A detailed project plan would be required, funding identified and a strategy developed for the Civic Theatre’s future use.
With the permission of the Mayor, the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Noordad Aziz, made the following announcement:
3) Srebreneca Commemoration
The Deputy Mayor reminded members that the Council had previously passed a motion against islamophobia and that 11th July 2025 marked the 30th anniversary of the genocide around the town Srebreneca, during which over 8000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were systematically murdered. The Deputy Mayor had visited that area three times over the years. Councillors were invited to highlight injustice and atrocities wherever they occurred.
As part of the above commemoration, Councillor Aziz had attended an event held at St Paul’s Cathedral London on 16th July 2025, during which survivors, political leaders, religious dignitaries and community representatives had gathered to pay their respects.
With the permission of the Mayor, the Leader of the Opposition, Councillor Zak Khan, made the following announcement
4) Air and Army Cadets Headquarters
Councillor Khan reported that, along with the Mayor, he had recently attended the official opening of the new headquarters of the Borough’s Air and Army Cadets on Harvey Street, in Oswaldtwistle. Councillors had met with numerous cadets on what had proved to be an enjoyable occasion. It was hoped that the Council would continue to support the various Cadets’ organisations in the Borough.
There were no announcements from David Welsby, Chief Executive, on this occasion.