december2022 – Fylde Council

Beautiful New Rose Gardens Take Shape at Lowther Gardens

Fylde Council — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 09:30:39 +0000

As frost covers Fylde’s beautiful parks this week and people are busy with Christmas preparations, a quiet flurry of activity is happening behind the scenes at Lowther Gardens to redesign and refurbish the rose garden in readiness for next summer.

The Lowther Trust is working in partnership with Fylde Council’s Parks & Coast Service to enhance the area through new bed designs featuring contemporary rose planting mixed with perennial companion plants to create a rich seasonal display full of strong scents. The dedicated park gardening team have completed the measuring and cutting out of the new bed shapes. Planting of the new roses and perennials will begin in spring in line with new designs drawn up by the Council’s Park Development Officer.

The best time to view roses is early summer; however, the introduction of the perennials will ensure longer seasonal interest and attract nectar loving insects including bees and butterflies. The rose garden project is part of a long-term phased programme of park enhancements including improved drainage, creation of a new herb garden, footpath resurfacing and tree planting.

Cllr Michael Sayward, Chairman of Fylde Council’s Tourism & Leisure Committee, said: “The creation of new large-scale rose gardens such as this is something of a rarity, and we are delighted to be able to refresh the existing garden with a beautiful biodiverse mix of contemporary rose colours and a wide-range of long-season perennials. This will undoubtedly be another gorgeous addition to Fylde’s In Bloom offering and I am excited for visitors and residents to be able to enjoy the space all year round.”

Lowther Gardens is the oldest park in Lytham and one of Fylde’s flagship green spaces. It was opened in 1872 as a gift to the people and visitors of Lytham by John Talbot Clifton of Lytham Hall. It has obtained a national Green Flag Award for 10 consecutive years, numerous In Bloom Awards and was recently awarded a Park Venue Award by the Lawn Tennis Association.

To read more about Lowther Gardens and the many other gorgeous parks and green spaces across Fylde, visit the Fylde Council website.

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Discretionary Energy Rebates: Are you in a household with Children and in receipt of Council Tax Reduction?

Fylde Council — Tue, 13 Dec 2022 09:46:46 +0000

Are you in a household with children and in receipt of Council Tax Reduction?

Additional funding from the Discretionary Energy Rebate scheme has enabled Fylde Council to allocate £115.20 to every Fylde household with children and in receipt of Council Tax Reduction, also known as council tax support.

This money has been credited to your council tax account, reducing the amount you need to pay. You can ask for this money to be transferred directly to your bank account instead; just email fyldeenergyrebates@blackpool.gov.uk with your request, and a recent copy of your bank statement showing your name and address.

The deadline to request this transfer is Sunday 15 January 2023. Please note the Council will be closed from 23 December 2022 to 3 January 2023.

Cllr Karen Buckley, Leader of Fylde, said: “I am pleased that Fylde Council are able provide additional financial support to our residents amid continued uncertainty over the cost of living and the price of energy during the winter months. I would encourage those eligible households who would prefer the credit balance to be transferred to their bank accounts to email with their bank statements as soon as possible.”

The Energy Rebate scheme was announced in February 2022 as part of the UK government’s support package to assist the public with rising energy costs. The scheme laid out eligibility criteria for the main tranche of the funding, paying £150 to the majority of households in Council Tax Bands A to D, and included guidance to billing authorities on how to allocate the Discretionary Fund.

Previous payments from the Discretionary Fund have been allocated to various categories of household across Fylde who were ineligible for the main scheme, including those in Council Tax Bands E to H who receive Council Tax Reduction, those in Council Tax Bands F to H where a disabled Council Tax band reduction was applied, residents of Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs), and those who pay their energy bills by card or cash meter, to name a few.

St Annes International Kite Festival Returns For 2023!

Fylde Council — Mon, 12 Dec 2022 12:09:54 +0000

The triumphant St Annes International Kite Festival returns for 2023 on the 8, 9 and 10 September.

This three-day event is a partnership between Fylde Council and SmileFactor10, and will see tens of thousands of visitors from all over the United Kingdom as well as kite fliers from across the globe coming together to fill the skies with colour over the course of the weekend.

Cllr Michael Sayward, Chairman of Fylde Council’s Tourism & Leisure Committee, said: “We’re very much looking forward to welcoming this fantastic annual event again for 2023. As always, we can expect a dazzling show, and I’d like to thank our partners at SmileFactor10 as well as our own officers for their hard work in making it happen. It’s bound to be a brilliant event for everyone.”

The celebrations kick off on Friday 8 September, with the flying of all kinds of kites large and small either side of the St Annes Pier. From dusk, an illuminated kite flying evening will see kites with flashing lights take to the sky, accompanied by floodlit inflatables in the shapes of all manner of creatures.

Sue Kennedy of SmileFactor10 said: “We’re delighted to be heading back to St Annes-on-Sea for what promises to be another great event. In 2022, the festival welcomed more kites and more kite flyers than ever before, and 2023 promises to be even bigger with more to see and do. Kite flyers from across the UK and the world are already counting the days!”

Across the Saturday (11:00am to 5:00pm) and Sunday (11:00am to 4:00pm), the six arenas will be host to all kinds of kites, with more animal inflatables, artistic kites, and sports kites choreographed to music – bring your own kite to join in or buy a kite at the event and fly it in the public area! Back on the ground, there will be funfair rides on the beach, stalls for refreshments, and plenty of other entertainment.

There’s a wealth of features to be announced for the 2023 event, keep an eye on our social media accounts for further updates.

Please note that the event is entirely weather dependent, and the planned programme may be changed without notice for safety reasons. For more information about the event and the facilities, please see the Discover Fylde website.

Shopfront improvements to begin on Kirkham Highstreet

Fylde Council — Wed, 07 Dec 2022 15:55:50 +0000

A team of contractors has been appointed to deliver the first phase of the Shopfront Grant Improvement Scheme on Kirkham Highstreet.

Bambers Building Contractors Ltd who are based in Blackpool have been awarded the work following a tender process, and work is scheduled to begin from January 2023 for the individual shopfront improvements at 1-3 Preston Street, 2A Church Street, 4-6 Freckleton Street and 10 Station Road.

The improvements are part of the Kirkham Futures Programme, funded by Historic England, together with Fylde Council and Kirkham Town Council, and the Future High Streets Fund which is funded by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC).

The project is designed to restore and enhance the shop frontages in Kirkham Town Centre by re-instating their historic, pre-WW1 style.

The scheme design teams have worked with shop owners and tenants to produce individual designs for each shop based on images contained in historic archive photos. Once a scheme was developed and a grant agreement in place, the design team then undertook a competitive tendering exercise and recommended a preferred contractor, Bambers Building Contractors Ltd, to undertake the works.

Councillor Liz Oades, Chair of the Kirkham Futures Steering Group, said: “I am delighted that the contract for the shop front improvements scheme has been awarded and work can begin to get underway. I’m looking forward to seeing Bambers Building Contractors Ltd rejuvenating these shop fronts to help the aesthetic of the town centre which will help increase economic growth within the town.”

It is anticipated that completion of these first properties will be in March 2023, however, the scheme is ongoing and further properties may begin works on-site during this timescale.

Ultimately the completion of the whole shopfront project is March 2024.

To keep up to date with the progress of the project follow our social media pages @KirkhamFutures.

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For more information regarding this press release please contact the Communications and PR office on communications@fylde.gov.uk or call 01253 658659

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Twitter: @fyldecouncil
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Fylde Council launches 4 EV charge points in public car parks

Fylde Council — Wed, 07 Dec 2022 15:48:00 +0000

Fylde Borough Council, working with partners EB Charging and alongside five neighbouring authorities as part of the Lancaster Consortium headed by Lancaster City Council, has launched four rapid electric vehicle (EV) charge points for public use. The new devices are located in Lytham Station, North Promenade, Pleasant Street and Wood Street car parks.

The scheme – supported by funding from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) – comprises 50kW DC ‘rapid’ chargers capable of delivering up to 175 miles of range in an hour’s charge, situated in public car parks around the borough. Specially marked bays and signage have also been installed adjacent to the charge points.

The charging points were installed with funding specifically aimed at encouraging taxis to convert to electric, with the charging points giving confidence to taxi drivers that they will be able to recharge whilst on duty.

Whilst currently there aren’t many electric taxis in operation in the area, these charging points will be available for everyone to use until the taxi demand increases. The charging points will then be limited to licensed taxis only and prior notification of this will be given.

The work to install charge points followed a twenty-five vehicle telematics analysis programme of local taxis with EB Charging, in which habitual driving data – including emissions and dwelling hot spots – were dissected. Undertaking such analysis programmes enables a comprehensive and informed planning process to install the right charger in the right location, based on predictive usage indicators and future uptake.

Councillor Roger Small, Chair of the Operational Management Committee for Fylde Council said: “This is a fantastic step forward in reducing emissions in the borough and encouraging the use of electric vehicles.

Having provisions for charging will hopefully give taxi drivers, residents and visitors the confidence to drive electric vehicles knowing that the option of a rapid charge, should they need it, is available.

I look forward to many more steps in this direction to a greener borough.”

Managing Director of EB Charging, Alex Calnan, commented: “Fylde Borough Council have made a significant commitment to reducing carbon emissions and improving air quality across the region, and we are delighted to partner with the Council on their journey. Increasing the availability of rapid charging infrastructure in public spaces, close to other transport hubs, makes driving an EV a realistic and convenient option for local people and business fleets.”

Drivers can find and pay for the new rapid chargers using the EB Go! app (available to download for free from the App Store and Google Play). Drivers can also search for the EB Charging network via charge point search maps such as Zap-Map. Parking and kWh tariff information is included within these search and payment apps.

Ends

For more information regarding this press release please contact the Communications and PR office on communications@fylde.gov.uk or call 01253 658659

Facebook: @fylde

Twitter: @fyldecouncil
Sign up to our newsletter: https://new.fylde.gov.uk/sign-up-to-our-newsletter/

Fylde Council Receives Approval for UK Shared Prosperity Fund Investment Plan!

Fylde Council — Wed, 07 Dec 2022 13:47:46 +0000

Fylde Council is pleased to announce that following the submission to Government of their UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) Investment Plan, approval has been received for the full allocation of £2.6 million to spend before March 2025.

The UKSPF is a government-allocated fund which is intended to reduce inequalities between communities, as part of the Government’s wider levelling up agenda.

Leader of Fylde Council, Cllr Karen Buckley said:

“Back in July we brought together partners from industry, education and voluntary organisations in Fylde to agree our priorities for the Investment Plan. The wealth of experience across the partnership group has helped identify the gaps so that funds are targeted where they are most needed. It is important to all of us that our businesses thrive to support jobs and livelihoods and people have the opportunity to re-skill to improve their own futures.”

The approved Investment Plan enables Fylde Council to spend the allocation based on priorities agreed through engagement with a local partnership group. The Investment Plan addresses all three of the UKSPF’s investment priorities:

Community and Place – building pride in the community, restoring a sense of community and belonging and regenerating Town centres.
Supporting Local Business – increasing pay, productivity and employment chances.
People and Skills – supporting high quality skills and training.

The key interventions the Fylde Partnership Group supported include:

Funding capital improvements to Town Centres and High Streets
Working with partners to support young people and those who are seeking employment or training opportunities to enhance their life chances
Business support measures to help meet the challenges of climate change, drive employment growth, resilience and sustainability
Investment to understand and support the valuable economic contributions made by the local community, voluntary, faith and social enterprise sectors.

A completed list of the selected interventions can be viewed within our completed Investment Plan, which is available on the Fylde Council website: https://new.fylde.gov.uk/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-ukspf/

Councillor Karen Buckley added: “We are delighted to be given the green light to proceed with our Investment Plan, which is packed with exciting proposals for investment in Fylde’s businesses, people and communities. We have the flexibility to adapt these proposals to changing economic need.“

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus

St Annes North Beach Wind Sports Centre Official Opening

Fylde Council — Tue, 06 Dec 2022 11:01:18 +0000

The St Annes North Beach Wind Sports Centre was officially opened on Friday 2 December in a ceremony featuring speeches from Cllr Ben Aitken, Mayor of Fylde, and Cllr Karen Buckley, the Leader of Fylde.

Officers, councillors, contractors and community partners attended the formal event hosted by the Beachcomber Café at the Wind Sports Centre, where a plaque was unveiled commemorating the refurbishment of the facility.

Mayor Aitken and Cllr Buckley both expressed their gratitude to all those involved in the completion of the project and spoke of their vision for the centre as a headquarters for beach sports and as an invaluable asset for the local community.

Cllr Karen Buckley, Leader of Fylde, said: “The opening of the North Beach Wind Sports Centre is a wonderful win for Fylde. It was a bold decision by my colleagues and I to wrestle this building back into council ownership and stay firm to that decision although challenged when the vision of the previous tenant did not match ours.

We have a gem on our doorstep in St Annes beach, loved by residents and tourists alike, and a facility such as this was much needed and has been widely welcomed. These sands are amongst the best in the UK for wind sports, attracting visitors from around the world, and the opportunity is here in St Annes to showcase the shear breadth of appeal of our natural environment.

I thank everyone who has made this happen, and I am delighted to see this wonderful amenity for people across Fylde and beyond to enjoy.”

The newly renovated facility will be home to local beach sports groups running club activities and providing tuition, a ranger station for Fylde Council’s Coastal Rangers, a purpose-built Changing Places accessible bathroom, and the Beachcomber Café offering food and refreshments.

The St Annes Wind Sports Centre is located next to North Beach Car Park in St Annes, off Clifton Drive North, post code FY8 2PP.