Agenda item
Reports of Cabinet Members
To receive verbal reports from each of the Portfolio Holders, as appropriate.
Minutes:
Leader of the Council
Councillor Munsif Dad BEM JP reported on the following:
Local Government Reorganisation
Lancashire councils were continuing to work together to discuss the options for local government reorganisation (LGR) in the county. The Leader continued to represent Hyndburn at LGR meetings to raise any local issues or concerns.
The Government had provided funding to support the collection of evidence, which would include social and economic information, stakeholder engagement and financial details. Communities have been invited to have their say and two surveys have been undertaken during September 2025 across the County to seek views on priorities and initial thoughts. Some 13,414 individual replies had been received, including 409 responses from key stakeholders. These replies would help to inform the business case for the various options. Draft proposals should be available on 7th November 2025. A variety of views had been expressed to date and several models were likely to emerge. Councillors and officers were working collaboratively on this project.
In Hyndburn, the information produced would be presented to Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 11th November and Council on 13th November, with Cabinet making the final decision on the preferred option on 19th November 2025.
Consultation responses had been received from both the East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce and Sarah Smith MP. Both had indicated their support for a three unitary authority option.
Cabinet Action Fund
The success of the Cabinet Action Fund was continuing and the latest list of recipients of grants had now been announced. The five new awards were as follows:
- Oswaldtwistle Emmanuel Cricker Club – £1,000 to expand their cricket training facilities including a new mobile batting cage;
- Friends of Haworth Art Gallery – £760 for a conservation and art related project;
- Globe Bullough Park Football Club – £1,600 to provide new winter kit for their adult team and a full new kit for the under 12s junior team;
- Friends of Rhyddings Park – £1,200 to help with the delivery of inclusive craft and community meal sessions; and
- Hyndburn Comets Majorettes – £1,250 towards the cost of new uniforms, transport to events and other equipment.
There was still funding available for other applicants, particularly from community groups and charities. Applications could be made directly on-line or via local councillors. Take up of the funding to date had been good.
The Leader thanked all those who had been involved in the process.
Pride in Place Impact Fund
On 6th October 2025 the Government had provided further details of the Pride in Place Impact Fund in the sum of £1.5m. The grant was entirely capital funding and would be allocated in two tranches, £750k in the current year and £750 in 2026/27. The money would need to be spent by the end of March 2026, although some flexibility might be permitted.
The Council was required to sign a memorandum of understanding with the relevant Government Department about the reporting requirements. The first payment was due to be received in November 2025. The Executive Director (Resources) and his Finance Team would manage this expenditure within the capital programme.
The Funding should be used to support the following three objectives:
- Community spaces: creating, extending, improving or refurbishing existing community facilities and enabling community organisations to take control or ownership of underused but valued local assets.
- Public spaces: enhancing the physical environment in public spaces - examples of initiatives would include new or improved green spaces or public squares, improved outdoor play, sports and leisure spaces, installing street furniture, public art or wayfinding.
- High street and town centre revitalisation: making these areas more attractive and welcoming places where people congregate and which encourage economic activity. Examples of initiatives that could be funded were shop frontage improvements, adaptations that brought premises back into use, streetscape improvements, public art, trails and wayfinding, and creating or improving the infrastructure for regular markets.
The Cabinet was working to develop a list of potential projects.
Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Housing and Regeneration
Councillor Melissa Fisher reported on the following:
Wilson Sports Hub
The Cath Thom Leisure Centre, at the Wilson Sports Hub, had officially opened on 10th October 2025 and was a fantastic facility. Councillor Fisher placed on record her thanks to the Lyndsey Sims, Chief Executive of Hyndburn Leisure and her team, as well as all of the Council staff who had supported the development and completion of the project. The new centre was a wonderful asset to the community.
The Leader added that planning for this project had started around seven years ago, during the period when he was the Portfolio Holder for Leisure. Accordingly, it had given him enormous pleasure to attend the opening ceremony. In particular, it was pleasing to see the Cath Thom’s family members who were present at the opening, as well as the various stakeholders and Hyndburn Leisure staff. The facility itself was excellent and number of milestones around membership and usage had already been achieved. Ultimately, construction of the facility had been delivered at just 1% over-budget.
The Leader had visited the site again during this week. He added his thanks to everyone involved in the delivery of the project.
Portfolio Holder for Business, Growth and Sustainability
Councillor Scott Brerton reported on the following:
Hyndburn Jobs Fair
Following the success of the previous Jobs Fair, a second event would be held on 9th February 2026 between 9:00am and 3:00pm at Accrington Town Hall. The event would connect employers to the local workforce.
In addition to the main event, two workshops would be held:
- 10:00am - 11:30am – Recruitment;
- 1:30pm - 3:00pm - Remote working.
In respect of Local Government Reorganisation, Councillor Cassidy stated that he understood that Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council were proposing to Government that their local elections in 2026 should be cancelled. He asked the Leader, if Hyndburn Borough Council intended to propose the same.
Councillor Dad responded that the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) had asked local authorities for their views on future elections, but Cabinet members had not yet met to consider this matter. No initial view had been formed and the Leader intended to speak to the Leader of the Opposition to ascertain his opinion also.
Councillor Cassidy welcomed the opening of the Cath Thom Leisure Centre, which he intended to visit soon.