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 reported on the following:
Scaitcliffe Skate Park
Scaitcliffe skate Park, Eagle Street, Accrington, would shortly receive £255k of investment from the Pride in Place funding, for a refurbishment project. The current facility was around 20 years old and was at the end do its useful lifespan. Modern concrete ramps would be installed to replace the existing metal construction.
The above scheme complemented a wider programme of investment in sport and leisure, including providing funding for the employment of a new sports development officer and on-going improvements in Bullough Park.
Consultations on the Scaitcliffe skate park design would take place over the summer months, with further information available on social media at that time.
Councillor Zak Khan supported this investment, but enquired whether it might be premature, given that wider regeneration plans for the town centre might include this area of land. The Leader responded that investment in, or demolition of the skate park was needed now, because if its state of repair. The site was well used, did not attract anti-social behaviour and was remote enough from residential properties so as not to attract any nuisance complaints.
Councillor Jordan Fox asked why this site had been prioritised over facilities in other townships, such as Great Harwood. The Leader reiterated that the skate park was at the end of its useful life and that Pride in Place funding would be available for the townships too. Councillor Clements noted that Great Harwood had recently received a pump track facility in place of a defunct skate park.
Portfolio Holder for Transformation and Town Centres
Councillor Clare Pritchard reported on the following:
Levelling Up Projects Update
Local company, Senator, had now been appointed under the fit-out contact to provide furniture for Burton’s Chambers. Conception Design Associates (CDA), a Preston based company, had been engaged for the manufacture and installation of the kitchens, pot wash and bar area within Accrington Market. CDA would source a significant amount of the equipment required from firms in Clayton-le-Moors and Haslingden, with other components also coming from providers within the Hyndburn area. The main contractor on these two Levelling Up Fund (LUF) projects, Krol Corlett, had also indicated that most of their contractors were companies within the Northwest and locally based.
The above demonstrated how Hyndburn Borough Council continually sought to prioritise local businesses.
Portfolio Holder for Environmental Services
Councillor Paul Cox reported on the following:
Food Waste Collection
The new food waste collection service had been going well since its introduction on 1st April 2026. In the first month, sone 150 tonnes of food waste had been collected, rising to 170 tonnes at present. Hyndburn was the only council in Lancashire that collected food waste into the same collection vehicle and also from the same position residents presented their other wheeled bins.
There were 50 free food waste bags in the rolls supplied to residents, so it was likely that some of these rolls would be exhausted shorty. If enquiries were received about replacement bags, residents should be advised to tie an empty bag onto the waste caddy handle to signify to the crews that a new roll was required.
Overall, the new service was performing better than had been anticipated.
The Leader and Councillor Cox both commented that much of the credit should go to Councillor Stewart Eaves, as the previous portfolio holder, under whose stewardship the new service had been introduced.
Councillor Melissa Fisher remarked that she had been in touch with a local resident, Alan Clitheroe, who was campaigning to stop nuisance from seagulls around the Whinney Hill landfill Site. It was hoped that the recent termination of the County Council’s waste disposal contact at the site and the processing of food waste elsewhere would reduce the attractiveness of the site to birds. However, it was acknowledged that a number of local authorities outside of Lancashire would be continuing to tip household domestic waste there.
Councillor Khan noted the scale of the changes and that these had been implemented well. He asked whether complaints would be closely monitored. Councillor Cox responded that complaints were extremely low and mainly as the service was rolled out but would be kept under review.