Previous stories: 1 - 15 July 2007
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CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ADMITS LINK ROAD ADVERT "MISUNDERSTANDING"
25/7/07: Lancaster Chamber of Commerce (LCOC) has admitted that its full page advert in last week's Citizen newspaper, supporting the Northern Link Road planning application, was not in fact sponsored by all the organisations supposedly signatory to it, as it claimed. And one of the listed organisations has now denied supporting the link road planning application, currently the subject of a Public Inquiry, altogether.

The advert, headed 'Let's Get Linked', which has actually been submitted as evidence to the Public inquiry into the Link Road proposals, appeared on page 19 of the 18 July edition of the Citizen and asserted; "The following businesses, wish to express their support for Lancashire County Council in the matter of the planning application for the Heysham M6 Link Road together with the package of integrated transport measures which depend on the implementation of that road." The ad gave a list of names saying "This advertisement was bought and paid for by the above-named businesses, individuals and associations."

However, following enquiries by Virtual-Lancaster, Ann Morris, Manager of the LCOC has admitted that this was not in fact the case. She explained that the LCOC had sent out an email to all its members asking them if they would support a media campaign statement in favour of the Link Road. Contrary to the statement made in the LCOC advertisement, a number of the respondents listed had in fact declined to make any contribution toward the cost of the ad.
She did claim, however, that that all the organisations listed had expressed support for the LCOC pro-link road campaign.

So Virtual-Lancaster contacted folly, the Lancaster-based digital arts organisation. Folly tell us they were completely unaware they had been included in the ad until we brought it to their attention. "We explicitly declined to contribute towards the cost of the ad when we were asked and we have no position as an organisation on this or other political campaigns. We're an arts organisation and the only politics we're interested in is the politics of how to get more people engaged with digital culture."
So how did their name come to appear in the advert as supporters of the link road and sponsors of the campaign? "There must have been a misunderstanding," said Ann Morris.

A complaint has been made to the Advertising Standards Authority relating to the apparently inaccurate claims being made by the Chamber of Commerce in a full-page local press advertisement, for use in a current Public Inquiry.

CENTROS APPLICATION FAILS AUDITS
26/7/07: Independent auditors retained by Lancaster City Council to rate the planning application submitted by Centros Miller (CM) have returned damning reports on both the developer's Traffic and Retail Impact Assessments.

MVA Consultancy has declared that CM’s Transport Assessment is flawed in a number of ways; fundamentally, it does not present a clear analysis of current traffic levels or “the future traffic volumes likely to be generated by the development”. Put simply, CM have underestimated the likely traffic increase that their development would generate and proposed inadequate measures for coping with it.

White Young Green say that Centros Miller’s Retail Impact Assessment fails to demonstrate “clear quantitative need” for the development. They also state that Lancaster City Council have not been given sufficient information to make a reasoned decision on the CM proposals. CM have not only failed to demonstrate that that Lancaster can support a massive retail development without substantial damage to existing business but, according to WYG, the the methods that they have used to generate their figures are basically unsound. Furthermore they express serious concerns about the negative impact the scheme is likely to have on Morecambe and its regeneration plans.

Lancaster Chamber of Commerce have also submitted comments on Centros Miller's plans. They are particularly concerned about the “lack of proposals” submitted for the proposed pedestrian bridge which would link the scheme to the existing city centre. Without the bridge the CM scheme would be separate from and competing with the current city centre.

Mark Cassidy, Assistant Developmental Control Officer for Lancaster City Council has written to CM's representatives, Montagu Evans, expressing concerns about the flaws in both studies. Centros must go back to the drawing board and plans to have the applications considered by the Council Planning Committee in September have now been dropped.

Emilie Secker of It's Our City said, “Lancaster City Council has told us all along that if the plans don’t get the thumbs-up from the experts then they will show Centros Miller the door."

Meanwhile, concerns have been raised that property surveyers Donaldsons, who carried out the local shopping survey for the City Council in 1998, which recommended additional retail development in Lancaster, and who are currently under instruction on the development, have also enjoyed a long and mutually profitable business association with Centros Miller through a number of similar developments.
Donaldsons website says it is " a trading name of DTZ Debenham Tie Leung Ltd, one of the world's top four full service global property consultancies."

SAVE US, CYCLEHERO!
26/7/07: When the world is threatened we cry out for superheroes. But keep your underpants inside your trousers (please). All it takes is to get on your bike – oh, and make your own CycleHero video (and put it on YouTube) and you could win a £1500 bike custom-made for you or one of four runners-up prizes of £100. Check out the ones at www.cyclehero.com.
Just make a short video of anything you like, so long as it includes a bicycle or CycleHero. Then upload it to www.youtube.com and use the entry form at www.cyclehero.com/cyclehero_movie__competition.asp .
The best video  will win the £1500 custom bike and there is £100 for the winning entry in each category.
There are five themes to pick from to help inspire you: Funny; Friends and family; Save the Planet; Speed and skill; Miscellaneous
So grab your cameras and phones and start filming now!  Competition closes October 1st 2007, entrants must be at least 12 years of age.  See www.cyclehero.com and check out the entries in so far.
And for youngsters who could do to brush up on their bike skills there’s lots of courses and fun activities over the coming month.
Bikeability is giving children aged 10-13 the chance to learn how to cycle safely with a 5-day course at Salt Ayre Sports Centre from Monday 30 July to Friday 3 August each morning from 9.30am until 12am. Costing just £20, participants get the chance to complete levels one and two of Bikeability - cycling proficiency in the 21st century. By completing Level 2, children can show they have the skills to cycle safely on quiet roads and cycle lanes. Each child who passes will receive a badge and a certificate. Children should bring a roadworthy bike and meet at Salt Ayre reception.
For younger children who want to improve on their cycle skills, there’s a fun course taking place on Wednesday 1 August at Salt Ayre Sports Centre. The course which runs from 1pm until 3pm is available for youngsters aged between 6 and 9. The course is all off road, caters for all abilities and costs just £5. Again children should bring a roadworthy bike and meet at Salt Ayre reception.
For those looking for something a little more adventurous then these mountain biking courses will definitely fulfil their needs. There will be five sessions at three different venues. Grizedale, Gisburn and Whinlatter forests will see riders taking a leisurely pace around the different courses. All the courses are for children between the ages of 10 and 16 and cost £7.50 each. Children are advised to bring waterproofs and a packed lunch.
Bikes are available from Lancaster City Council. However, children must have an inside leg measurement of 24 inches or over to ride them safely. Transport from Morecambe Town Hall and back is included.
To book and pay by phone (payments of £10 or more only) call the Summer Activity Programme Booking and Information Line on 01524 842493 between 10.00am and 4.00pm, Monday to Friday. Alternatively you can complete a booking form available online at www.lancaster.gov.uk/holidayprogramme and return to with a cheque to Salt Ayre Sports Centre, Salt Ayre Lane, Lancaster, LA1 5JS.
Go-Ride cycling club takes place each Saturday morning at Salt Ayre Sports Centre’s cycle racing circuit. Sessions are run by qualified cycling coaches from Lune Racing Cycling Club who aim to introduce young riders to a range of cycling disciplines such as mountain biking, BMX and track riding. The sessions cost just £1 and run from 10am until 12noon. They are available for children up to the age of 16. Children under the age of eight must be accompanied by an adult.
For more information on Go-Ride cycling activities, visit their interactive website www.go-ride.org.uk or Lancaster City Council's cycling website www.celebratingcycling.org. Alternatively you can contact coach Paul Andrews on 01524 36777.
Coun Eileen Blamire, cabinet member with responsibility for cycling, said: “We are proud to be offering such a great range of cycling activities for the district’s youngsters. It is a great opportunity for them to learn skills that will enable them to cycle on paths and roads and also explore the countryside.”

AT LONG LAST!
ICE CREAM VAN WITH VEGAN ICE CREAM
(+ ART GALLERY)

26/7/07: Kate Drummond has lovingly restored her classic Bedford CF van - transforming a neglected old banger into a beautiful, quirky seaside attraction. Against the glittering blue back drop of Morecambe bay, adorned with hand-drawn signage and festooned in bunting - the Sunset Ices ice cream van is a glorious sight to behold.
‘Everyday is like Sundae’ is painted along each side of the van – a reference to the song Morrissey wrote about Morecambe. Inside, is a display from Kate’s collection of knitted ice creams (mmm...) – and the back shelf is a ‘moving mini gallery’ used to host a changing roster of exhibitions.
Kate says, "Sunset Ices sells locally sourced ice cream made by Lewis's of Morecambe. We offer a range of traditional style ices - including oysters, nougat wafers and sundaes.
We do not sell chemical- laden soft scoop ice creams.
Dairy free, soya-based ice cream is also on the menu!"
And it's more than just an ice cream van; it is a creative project that encompasses Kate’s love of faded seaside glamour, food, people, design and all things vintage.
You can find Sunset Ices on Morecambe promenade, at the new West End Gardens site between Regent Road and The Battery, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons (weather permitting) from 12.30-6pm. The Sunset Ices van is also available to hire for kids parties, special events and weddings. See www.everyday-is-like-sundae.co.uk for details.

PLAICE-TIC
26/7/07: Lancaster City council set up a task group last year to investigate the issue of plastic pollution in Morecambe Bay. The councillors who took part in the work were stunned at the impact plastic pollution is having on the bay and the environment.

The task group heard from leading scientists Dr Richard Thompson and Dr Jan van Franeker who have undertaken work on plastic pollution.
Dr Thompson’s research proved that plastic fragments in sand were worn down until they became microscopic, but never disappeared. Plastic is also found in plankton, which is then ingested by filter feeders that in turn are eaten by fish, which would suggest that the fish we eat contain plastic fragments.  Dr Jan van Franeker concluded that 97% of seabirds have plastic in their stomachs.

The task group chairman, Cllr Keith Budden, said: “The task group was astounded at the facts that were uncovered about plastic pollution. It has made us look at our own lives and make changes to our consumption of plastic. I am pleased council has agreed to take the lead on addressing plastic pollution by supporting the task group’s work. All political groups were represented on the task group and also councillors from South Lakeland District Council. I would like to thank them and all those who worked on this project for their hard work.”

The task group has developed a Plastic Pollution Declaration which the council will adopt, which commits Lancaster City Council to reducing its use of plastic and urges the government to take action on plastic carrier bags and plastic packaging. The declaration will then be sent to other councils to adopt before it is sent to the government with the backing of all those local authorities who have signed it.

MORECAMBE TOWN COUNCIL PLAN UNDERWAY
26/7/07: Morecambe is to have its own town council, for the first time since 1974, as the Secretary of State has accepted a proposal for the resort to create its own council after receiveing a petition of more than 2,490 electors calling for the change.
The new council will not operate separately from Lancaster City Council, which will still oversee the area – like Carnforth Town Council it will have limited powers relating to local issues and, the councillors will not receive payment for their services, although it is likely to employ a part-time clerk, MBI Cllr Evelyn Archer, who chairs the council project Steering Group told Virtual-Lancaster. She said,
“Through working on the Winter Gardens project I got to meet a lot of people who felt that Morecambe really needed more of a voice. It’s an issue that comes up time and again. Originally the Morecambe Neighbourhood Council was intended for that but it ran into difficulties. We had public meetings and volunteers worked hard collecting signatures for the petition, sitting in the Arndale ccentre day after day! People have had to put their hands into their own pockets to pay for leaflets and so on. A steering group has formed, really from the people who kept on turning up, and this will undertake a very thorough consultation with Morecambe people to find out what powers they want this council to have. We are looking at other town councils too to see what they do and how that works. The new council will have a budget set aside to spend entirely on local projects.”
”The council still has to be approved by the Electoral Commission before it can come into effect. The City Council voted that it should have double the number of councillors that it currently has on the City Council, bringing the number up to 32, but this is rather a lot and the EC may well decide to reduce it.”
By law, the City Council must now seek the views of stakeholders (voters) on the proposed electoral arrangements, before deciding what to recommend to the Electoral Commission, who will make the decision. The Council is keen to receive your views either by e-mail to: democracy@lancaster.gov.uk
or in writing to Democratic Services, Lancaster City Council, Town Hall, Dalton Square, Lancaster, LA1 1PJ. The deadline for responses is 17 August 2007. The chief executive, in consultation with the five political group leaders, will then consider the responses.  The recommendation made to the Electoral Commission will be published on the council’s website on Friday 31 August 2007.

MONSOONS HIT TOWN
25/7/07: Heavy rains have lashed the town over the past week causing flash floods in Willow Lane, Church Street, Marketgate and even up in Clarence Street as drains have failed to cope with heavy downpours.
Flooded householders and businesses have called on United Utilities, whose charges rose by 8.8% last year, to start spending some money on updating the drains.
Water regulator Ofwat allowed suppliers, including United Utilities, to raise their bills by significantly more than the rate of inflation between 2005 and 2010. These price increases were meant to allow the companies to invest large sums of money in upgrading their networks.
Last month the company, which some say seems to see its principal function as providing a pipeline for householders’ money to flow into shareholders’ pockets, recorded a full-year pre-tax profit from its continuing operations of £561m, up 16% from a year ago.
The weather is set to improve, but we may still be in for more surprises.  So, best check your cellars, make sure your most valuable items are high and dry and see that your children / vulnerable housemates know their safety drill.

Previous stories: 1 - 15 July 2007
Next Stories: 1 - 15 August 2007