Tony Ford

We were again outside the tip today collecting signatures for a petition to persuade the Task Group committee members at County Hall re reconsider proposals  and reject plans for the closure of the Household Waste Recycling Centre in St Anne’s.

Sunday is one of the tip’s busiest days and we were kept on the go all the time. No one was able to see the logic of closing this facility and, without exception, everyone was full of praise for the staff there.

After the Lytham St Annes Express published an article about the proposed tip closure, I have been bombarded with calls from local residents clambering to sign our petition.  Here’s what one resident wrote:

Absolutely ludicrous, it should remain open with no charge to deposit our rubbish there. If costs need to be reduced, then cut back on mid week opening hours. The staff are always helpful. Please ensure that this facility remains open, if not can Lancs CC please state where we are meant to go, all the carbon emissions of St Annes residents trekking to Saltcoats …. now that is environmentally friendly. Well done LibDems for standing up for the residents

I’ve received many other comments in the same vein.  It’s the Liberal Democrats who are fighting for the tip. No sign of the other parties doing anything about it. If you want to join our protest and sign the petition then please email your name and address and we’ll pop round with the petition or we’ll put ‘by email’  in the signature box for you! If you would like a petition to take round to friends and neighbours then just ask.     tony.ford@virgin.net or 713885

I am taking phone calls from St. Anne’s residents about the Liberal Democrat-led petition against the proposed closure of the Everest Road Household Waste Recycling Centre. If you would like to add you name to the list please get in touch 713885 or email on tony.ford@virgin.net and I’ll make arrangements to get the petition to you. Better still why not ask for a copy and pass it round your friends and family - every signature helps!

After five years of holding meetings in each other’s houses and working from home, the staff of St. Anne’s Town Council now have offices very close to the town centre. The offices, at the entrance to Ashton Gardens, belong to Fylde Borough but are now leased to the Town Council.  On Monday this week Tracy Scholes, Fylde Borough Council’s Director of Governance and Partnerships handed over the keys to the West Lodge to me as representative of the St Anne’s Town Council.It will be great having a base from which to work. Now that we have a place of our own, we can improve our levels of engagement with the community. Once all the renovations to the Ashton Gardens entrance are complete our new office will be easily accessible to everyone.

Fylde Liberal Democrats set up camp outside the Everest Road Recycling centre on Saturday morning and in less than an hour collected over a hundred signatures on a petition to prevent the closure of this important local facility. Rather than closing the Household Waste Recycling Centre Councillors and officers on LCC should be looking at ways of maximising its potential. Several users of the ‘tip’ said that they would happy pay a £1 for every time they used it – this would certainly be  a cheaper option than traipsing across the Fylde to get rid of their Household Waste. It was Labour who first drew up plans for closure of these centres, now the Tories are continuing their work. Is there no difference between these two political parties ?

There is only one planning application in Ashton Ward this week:-

CHANGE OF USE FROM GUEST HOUSE TO PRIVATE DWELLING 338 CLIFTON DRIVE NORTH, LYTHAM ST ANNES, FY8 2PB

Tenders are invited for licences to operate a range of individual business opportunities in Lytham St Annes for a 3 year period commencing April 2010.  Fylde Borough Council are offering consessions across a range of activities in Fairhaven and St. Anne’s. Click on the link http://www.fylde.gov.uk/concessions-2010-2013/  for details or contact

Gary Sams, Principal Estates Surveyor, Fylde Borough Council  Town Hall  Lytham St. Annes Lancashire  FY8 1LW Tel:  <?? mce_serialized=”6″>             01253 658462         01253 658462 Email: gary.sams@fylde.gov.uk

I am happy that the decision to recommend closure of the site has been deferred for a month. I am however concerned, that if the proposed closure goes ahead, I, and other St. Anne’s residents, will be forced to make an 11 mile round trip to use the Saltcotes site, in order to continue to recycle paper, plastic, glass, cardboard, batteries and other household waste.I am unhappy about the lack of consultation residents have been given, and about the penny-pinching mentality of Lancashire County Council. This reinforces my belief that, short sighted cost cutting exercises will only result in yet another lost facility in St. Annes.

    Despite some delays on route a messy collection point for waste has been tidied up by thanks to concerted action by FBC’s officers following my personal intervention.  The matter was first raised in December but got lost somewhere in FBC’s complaints system however once I mentioned it again it was all hands to the pump and the matter was dealt with in less than a day.

The problem stemmed from green bins filled with the wrong material outside the flats in St George’s Avenue. This resulted in an accumulation of cardboard and other rubbish in the area.  Due to access problems at the site the flats are unsuitable for green boxes and blue bags, but instead will be provided with alternative bins to collect the recyclable material. FBC will provide some bulk recycling containers to the flats thus enabling residents the chance to recycle the material correctly. Labels will be put on the existing green bins to prevent any further contamination and the residents will be notified in writing on the correct use of the new recycling containers once they are delivered.

Fylde Liberal Democrats – getting things done not closing things down!

One Conservative Borough councillor stated in public last week that the Household Waste Recycling Centre in St. Anne’s isn’t going to close,  yet her colleague, through the press, urges residents to make their views known so she can pass them on to yet another Conservative councillor (who knows all about waste) at County Hall for consideration by a Task Group.  Members on LCC Sustainable Development Overview and Scrutiny Committee appeared to be in some disagreement over the plans and eventually a proposal for deferment put forward by Liberal Democrat Councillor Bill Winlow was agreed to, allowing for further consideration and a site visit. If the county conservatives are at odds with their borough colleagues over the ‘tip’ what else do they disagree on ?

If you are unhappy with the proposals to close the St Anne’s Household Waste Recycling Centre then join the Liberal Democrat campaign to keep it open – just send us your views and ask to sign our petition.  

Links :   Dont scrap waste plant