Previous stories: 16 - 31 March 2007
Next Stories: 16 - 30 April 2007

LOCAL LABOUR PARTY GOES HIGH TECH
12/4/07: The local Labour Party has published a video introduction to its manifesto on You Tube, as well as putting the full text on the local party's website (www.lancasterlabour.org.uk).
Facing tough challenges in some wards - there are 11 candidates standing in Skerton East alone - like other local parties, Labour's candidates are pulling out all the stops to promote their party's plans, which include support for the controversial Canal Corridor development and the County Council's plans for the northern bypass.
"We've been working on this manifesto for some time now, involving local party members as well as councillors," Beryl Spelling, Chair of Labour's Local Government Committee said. "We want as many people as possible to be able to see it. You can never get more than a few headline policies on a leaflet or manage to talk to everybody on the doorstep so it's important to find modern ways to spread our message. It's fairly common for local parties to use websites these days, but we think we've gone one better with a You Tube video."

GREAVES PARK: SUPPORT OUR NEW PLAY AREA!

The Friends of Greaves Park call for support for a new play area.

7/4/07, updated 13/4/07: The Friends of Greaves Park (FoGP) community group has secured funding worth £38,000 for a new play park for the under 12s to replace the existing dilapidated equipment currently in Greaves Park. The new facility will be constructed at Parkfield over the coming months, ready for the school summer holidays.
The new play park will have an infants" area (aimed at 0-6 year olds) and a separate area for juniors (6-12 year olds). The play equipment has been chosen in consultation with local children and their parents, and will mostly be constructed from wood so that it will blend in well with the park"s surroundings. Some of the equipment will be fully accessible for disabled children. The play park will have fencing, gates, signage, seating, safety matting (which the grass can grow up through) and litter bins which will be emptied regularly. It will not be lit, and the trees in the park will not be harmed by its construction.
FoGP treasurer Abi Mills, who has three children under the age of 6, said: "This is really exciting news for local families, and we would like to thank the Groundwork Trust, SITA Trust, Local Network Fund, Duchy of Lancaster and the City and County Councils for supporting this project. We have worked hard for two years to make this happen."
She continued: "We will be working closely with our local police and community support officers to ensure that the new play park does not become a focus for vandalism or other antisocial behaviour."
The Friends of Greaves Park has been closely supported by local regeneration charity Groundwork throughout the development of this project. Tom Fyson, Senior Project Officer for Groundwork said "The Friends Group has worked hard to consult with all residents throughout this project and their commitment to the local park fully deserves to be rewarded. I"m sure the new play park will be a great asset to the local community living around Greaves Park."
It had earlier been claimed that local Cllr Sheila Denwood is championing a petition against the new play area on the grounds that it might encourage anti-social behaviour from teenagers, but Coun Denwood has since stated such claims are "potentially libellous" and clarified her position in a pres release.
"It has been said that I am opposed to the proposed play area and that I am leading a petition against it. This is not true. Local residents in the Greaves area have been petitioning against the park - I have merely been listening to both sides of the argument.?
?I must applaud the Friends of Greaves Park for the hard work they have put in to raising £38,000, and I understand their concerns. However I feel it is important to understand the reasons behind the objections that some local residents are putting forward.?
?I welcome new ideas regarding play areas for children in the area of Greaves, but I also have some anxious concerns about putting a children?s play area next to a busy main road such as the A6.?
?I believe it was inappropriate for the proposals to be drawn up without proper consultation with residents living opposite the park - their concerns have been overlooked. Recent incidents, such as benches being set alight, vandalism and other anti-social behaviour in the area all give rise to these valid concerns about the proposed site. I am not opposed to the park per se, but I feel the plan should not be approved until there has been proper consultation with residents in the area.?
Local parents are being asked to send letters of support to local councillors, who include Sheila, Emily Heath & Catriona Stamp to make sure that this funding isn't lost to the park.

Contact details:
Councillor Sheila Denwood tel: 01524 65467 or sdenwood@lancaster.gov.uk
Councillor Emily Heath tel: 01524 380169 or eheath@lancaster.gov.uk
Councillor Catriona Stamp tel: 01524 840530 or cstamp@lancaster.gov.uk

Lancaster City Council launched its programme of guided cycle rides for women last week (Sunday April 1) with a relaxing spring time meander to the Crook O"Lune. Photo courtesy Lancaster City Council

CYCLING
7/4/07: Celebrating Cycling is now holding regular Women on Wheels bike rides, giving away free flags for children's bikes to make them more visible, and holding regular road skills courses and bike maintainance courses. You can even book them to come and give a session to employees groups at your workplace.
For your very great pleasure they are holding a Bike Film Festival at the Dukes from the 16 - 26 April, kicking off with "Jour de fete", a hilarious exposé of the modern obsession with speed and efficiency, set in the rural surroundings of a tiny French village and finishing on April 26 with "The Carbon Cycle" which explores american attitudes to climate change as Dr Kate Rowles cycles 4553 miles from Mexico to Alaska (wow!). See our cinema pages for more. Some events are free and others are very cheap (£4.50/£3.50), so enjoy. All the details for the above are at:
hwww.celebratingcycling.org.
Can I also say a very big thank-you to Pedal Power for putting my bike back on the road and for spotting a couple of dodgy things and making it a lot safer than it was before. You're a real asset to the community.

CANAL CORRIDOR DEBATE
7/4/07: Expect a great debate on Tuesday 17th (7.30pm at the Gregson) when the leaders of the council's different political factions speak on the Canal Corridor development. There are many concerns, not least about the amount of traffic that will be generated. Although the council cabinet unanimously voted two years ago to set up a number of standardised criteria and means of measuring these to determine the overall sustainability of major developments, no-one at the council has been able to find them, so there are still arguments that seem to be answered by whoever can shout the loudest. For example over how potential traffic generation should be measured, with Cllr John Whitelegg using a national standard and Cllr Ian Barker quoting the County Engineers, who are clearly using a very different method as their figure is only a tenth of the former's.
See www.itsourcity.org.uk

DEBENHAMS ON THE SKIDS?
7/4/07: Centros Miller's anchor retailer for their Canal Corridor development proposal, Debenhams, is having problems since being taken over by private equity partners a couple of years ago. They have increased the firm's debt from £100m to £1.9bn, paid themselves a dividend of £1.2bn, sold the freehold of the stores for £500m and are now leasing them back, then floated the business and took another £600m, making three or more times their investment in a little over two years.
In the meantime the struggling department stores group, which is at the centre of takeover specultation, delivered another lacklustre set of trading figures but said that it 'expected profits to be in line with expectations'.
The chain, whose performance has been overshadowed by its rival John Lewis, said like-for-like sales had declined by 4.5 per cent for the 26 weeks ended March 3. Concerns have arisen over takeover possibilities and that rising fuel prices over the next couple of years combined with a less than committed management may lead to further losses and retrenchment at Debenham's, and a similar situation as happened with the new town centre cinema, which lay empty for for three years after a struggling Warner Bros went back on plans to occupy it.
See Financial Times March 16 2007.

COUNCIL'S UNITARY STATUS BID REJECTED
7/4/07: Disappointment reigns as Lancaster City Council's bid for unitary status, which would have made the area independent of Lancashire County Council for all services, was rejected. Councillors of all parites supported the bid, pointing out that Lancaster ratepayers put considerably more into the County than they get out of it, in effect subsidising other areas.
Relations between the two authorities have not improved in the course of the application, which the County Council opposed.

Previous stories: 16 - 31 March 2007
Next Stories: 16 - 30 April 2007