“I am pleased to hear that the Boundary Commission has accepted in full the proposals from Fylde Council members to reduce the size of the council from 51 to 37 councillors and to streamline the committee system.

“Now we know the size of the council we can turn our attention to the warding arrangements.  As we draw lines across the map of Fylde to create new wards our focus will be on equal representation and keeping communities together.  The consultation is open to all so I hope many residents and partner organisations will take an interest and put forward their own proposals.”

News release from the
Local Government Boundary Commission for England

A new pattern of wards is being developed for Fylde.

The Local Government Boundary Commission has decided that the number of councillors in Fylde should be 37. This is a change from the current council which has 51.

The Commission wants to hear what residents and organisations think about their local area. A 10-week consultation on the proposals will run until 5 April 2021.

Current wards in Fylde Borough Council

Credit: contains Ordnance Survey data (c) Crown copyright and database rights 2021

High resolution map available here

The Commission is the independent body that draws these boundaries. It is reviewing Fylde to make sure councillors represent about the same number of electors, and that ward arrangements help the council work effectively. It wants to be sure that its proposals reflect community ties and identities.

The Commission is interested in views on which communities should be part of the same ward. What facilities do people share, such as parks, leisure centres or schools and shopping areas? What issues do neighbouring communities face that they have in common, such as high numbers of visitors or heavy traffic? Have there been new housing or commercial developments that have changed the focus of communities? And are there roads, rivers, railways or other features that people believe form strong boundaries between neighbourhoods?

The Commission will use local views to help it draw up proposals for new ward boundaries. There will be a further round of consultation once the Commission has drawn up those proposals.

Launching the consultation Professor Colin Mellors, Chair of the Commission, said:

“We want people in Fylde to help us.

“We are starting to draw up new wards for Fylde. We want our proposals for new electoral arrangements to reflect communities. We also want them to be easy to understand and convenient for local people.

“Residents and local organisations can help us understand community ties and identities at this early stage of the process.

“It’s easy to get involved. Go to our website. Or you can e-mail or write to us.

“Just tell us what you think and give us some details why you think that. It’s really simple, so do get involved.”

The Commission has a dedicated section on its website where people can give their views: https://consultation.lgbce.org.uk/node/24729

People can also give their views by e-mail at reviews@lgbce.org.uk, and by post:

The Review Officer (Fylde)
LGBCE
PO Box 133
Blyth
NE24 9FE

The vision for Fylde Council’s ‘Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2020-2025’ is to work to prevent and relieve homelessness in Fylde, by providing homelessness services with our partners that are accessible, professional and make a difference.

The funding will be allocated to allow the continuation of the role of the Rapid Rehousing Officer and a Customer Services Housing Specialist.  The Rapid Rehousing Officer works with clients who have multiple complex needs and is currently funded to March 2022.  The Customer Services Housing Specialist role ensure all enquiries for homelessness and housing advice are picked up quickly.  An element of the funding will also be used to continue to support clients facing homelessness.

Cllr Tommy Threlfall, Chair of the Environment, Health and Housing Committee said: “At Fylde, we recognise that some of our clients may have more complex needs and require more involved support. We are very pleased to acquire funding which will enable us to continue to prevent and relieve homelessness in Fylde.”

Martin Gallagher, Store Manager, said:

“We are carefully monitoring the number of people coming into the store and have made it as safe an environment as possible.  In this latest lockdown we have noticed, again, that many of our more elderly customers are choosing to shop early or during quiet times.  Most people respect the restrictions with good humour, and we thank them for their patience.  My staff are doing a tremendous job in extremely difficult circumstances and I’m proud of my team for their forbearance.”

Council Leader, Cllr Karen Buckley, added:

“Sainsbury’s has always been a safe space in my experience, and I was delighted to meet Martin and to thank him and his staff for the way they have taken Covid security seriously.  Although lots of people have switched to ordering online there’s still a high demand for personal shopping and we rely upon our supermarkets to be a safe place to visit.”

“In the last two weeks our Environmental Health team have been tasked to visit all supermarkets and ‘express’ stores in Fylde to carry out an audit of their Covid compliance measures.  Most premises have picked up on the national message to do more and have really stepped up, which is good to see.”

Businesses can find out what guidance support is available in Fylde by visiting our dedicated business support web page here.

Significant flooding events were experienced at various locations across the Fylde Coast including Freckleton, Clifton, Newton, Kirkham, Elswick, Staining, Cropper Road, Moss side and Greenhalgh on the 10/11 August 2020 which flooded property, businesses, roads and other lands. Flooding also took place at Park View Playing fields on 28th September 2019. Following the last two weeks of heavy rain, Green Drive Golf Course and Green Drive woodland walk, Lytham Hall, Lytham YMCA, Bryning with Warton and extensive areas of agricultural land throughout the Borough.

In order to tackle the increasing flood concerns, the committee agreed to establish a working group made up of several councillors representing different committees and areas of the borough to ensure that a wider representation and points of view are considered.

The working group will take evidence from Lancashire County Council as the Lead Local Flood Authority, the Environment Agency, United Utilities, Flood Action Groups, householders, farmers and landowners together with senior officers from Fylde’s Planning, Environmental Protection and Technical Services teams.

The working group will develop a comprehensive set of recommendations and proposals to improve the way surface water management in Fylde is undertaken to reduce flooding in the future and to ensure that arrangements for dealing/responding to emergency flood incidents in Fylde are robust and effective to provide reassurance to members, residents and landowners.

The group met in early January 2021 and agreed to engage with residents, landowners and communities who have been affected by flooding to gain your views on the issue in the borough and how it has affected you, your home and/or your business.

A short survey has been created which can be accessed at this link and we would encourage you to fill out this survey as extensively as you can, and also share the details with anyone else who you know has been affected.

Chair of the Environment, Health and Housing Committee Cllr Tommy Threlfall said: “I would encourage anyone who has experienced flooding in Fylde to either their homes or businesses to take part in the survey. Having recently visited some affected properties it really is one of the worst things residents will experience and we are keen to make a difference to help anyone who has been affected by it.”

The delivery and the running of such an efficient and hard-working support network could not have been achieved without the help of a number of local community organisations, including the Council for Voluntary Services and Fylde Citizens Advice Bureau.  Thanks in particular to the CVS and CAB are recorded for their work with the Council on ensuring government funding reached the most vulnerable.  Thank you also to Fylde Foodbanks who have been unstinting in their support of vulnerable people throughout the pandemic.

Thank you also to all the other agencies and volunteers who have supported the work of the Fylde Community Hub during the pandemic.  Without the support of this network, the Hub would not have been able to support the residents of Fylde who needed us the most.

Cllr Thomas Threlfall, Chairman of the Environment, Health and Housing Committee said: “Our Hub is still available for anyone who may need it. We would urge anyone to share the contact details for the Hub with anyone who may need support. Also, I would like to personally thank all of the volunteers for their hard work and their efforts that go into ensuring the most vulnerable in our community have everything they need.”

The residents of Fylde have faced unprecedented challenges during the pandemic.  The support we have been able to offer our most vulnerable residents through our Community Hub would not have been possible without the support of our partner agencies, volunteers and members of staff.  To all those involved in the support programme, I sincerely thank you on behalf of the Council.

To provide some further insight for the support provided during the pandemic, approaching 5000 calls have been made to the community helpline requesting support.  Over 3000 households have been contacted either by telephone or letter and offered assistance.

Get in touch if you need help and don’t have the support of family or friends by either calling us on 01253 658448 or emailing us at listening@fylde.gov.uk. Our teams are here ready to offer support should you require it.

You can visit our Community Hub web page here for further information on how you can access support within Fylde.

The maximum award is £5,000 per organisation but a wide range of bids between £300 and £5,000 is encouraged

The partnership is keen to fund projects that:

• meet the immediate need of Wyre and Fylde residents who are struggling to afford food and essentials due to COVID-19
• provide advice and information to residents affected by COVID-19 to help them access longer term support they might need, such as benefits, debt advice or employment support
• provide emotional and mental health support
• help address social isolation
• demonstrate how significant numbers of residents most affected by COVID-19 will benefit from these funds and which geographical areas and issues are being addressed

Capital and revenue expenses may include:

• buying or replacing essential equipment e.g. if a food bank needs a fridge to expand storage capacity or a group need IT equipment to enable their beneficiaries to access on-line support groups
• supporting running costs for VCFSE activities
• food, clothing and essential supplies including sanitary products
• utility, rental and staffing costs

All successful organisations will need to produce an outcomes summary and funding should be spent by 31 March 2021.

What cannot be funded:

• Projects outside the district boundaries of Wyre and Fylde
• Any activity that does not assist the community response to the Coronavirus pandemic
• Statutory activities/requirements that either the Council or another public-sector organisation is responsible for delivering
• Alcoholic refreshments
• Projects that specifically benefit private businesses
• Political activities, lobbying or campaigning
• Retrospective requests for activities that have already taken place.

Applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis.  The application window for this round of funding will close on Monday 1^st February.

Successful applications so far are listed below; please use the contact details if it is something you may require assistance with:

For more information on the COVID Response Fund and to apply, visit: http://www.cvsbwf.org/covidgrants/

Access Control Measures

In Autumn of 2020, bollards were installed to prevent unauthorised access on Ramsgate Road Park and Blackpool Road North Playing Fields in St Annes. This necessary action took place after an illegal encampment was set up on these two parks for a number of days during the summer months.

The design and installation were modelled on a previous scheme at nearby at Frobisher Drive Park in St Annes.

A request from Councillors for similar measures to be installed at more Fylde Council managed parks including; Lima Road,  Beauclerk Road and Waddington Road has now been approved. These parks are felt to now be at further risk from unauthorised access due to other local parks having preventative measures in place.

Councillor Cheryl Little, Chair of the Tourism and Leisure Committee said: “Residents approached us with concerns regarding encroachment on their local parks and these measures are an efficient and effective way of ensuring security and safety”.

The wooden bollards due to be installed are extremely robust, with some additional lockable drop-down metal bollards being fitted to provide appropriate access for maintenance vehicles.

Ashton gardens lighting improvements and additions

Ashton Gardens is currently lit by a range of lighting units located throughout the area. The majority of the lighting units are columns with the main drive, war memorial and St George’s Road Lodge House illuminated by underground uplighters. Bollard lighting was originally installed as part of the restoration of Ashton Gardens in 2011, however sadly, these have been subsequently vandalised on numerous occasions.

A detailed survey of the park lighting was recently undertaken and as a result, the following work has proposed:

• 21 Lighting columns: installation of new internal wiring and cutouts to the lighting columns
• 17 Uplighters: Excavation of the in-ground uplights, isolation, IR testing and renewal if faulty
• 10 Bollard Lights: Renewal of vandalised bollards with a more robust, vandal resistant bollard
• Rose Garden: Introduction of new lighting
• St Georges Square side: Install new lighting to the footpath

Councillor Cheryl Little, Chair of the Tourism and Leisure Committee commented: “Ward members reported loss and lack of lighting therefore members were supportive of improvements to reduce anti-social behaviour, disorder and crime into a safe and healthy environment”.

Improvements to Children’s Play Areas

Fylde council own 17 children’s Play Areas throughout St, Anne’s, Ansdell and Lytham, with supplementary responsibility for 2 further play areas managed by Charitable Trusts at Lowther Gardens and Park View Playing Fields.

The parks service is responsible for the formal inspection, repair and record keeping of these play areas, and this service is also provided to the Town and Parish Councils under an Annual Service Level Agreement.

All items of play equipment and surfacing are inspected weekly in line with RoSPA guidance by qualified Fylde Council play inspectors, with an independent inspection being undertaken by Fylde Council’s insurance company, Zurich, once per year.

In addition to the ‘Play and Projects’ team resource, Fylde Council holds an operating budget to carry out repairs to the play equipment and surfacing. This budget is used for the replacement of ‘worn’ parts such as nuts, bolts, shackles, seats, panels and chains in addition to small repairs to rubber safety surfacing, fencing and furniture.

However, the Council does not hold a budget for the replacement of failing or decommissioned play equipment or safety surfacing. Play equipment, surfacing and associated items on the play areas are currently in various condition from excellent to poor. As a rough guide, the lifespan of rubber safety surface is around 10 – 15 years, with play equipment around 10-30 years dependant on type, location, material and public use.

Councillor Cheryl Little, Chair of the Tourism and Leisure Committee said:  “Fylde Council has been successful in recent years working with community groups in attracting external funding to improve play provision – this scheme will ensure long term sustainability of the boroughs formal play areas”.

The Council has previously been successful in working with community groups to attract external funding as well as diverting some S106 funding into play improvements and replacement. However, a long-term more sustainable approach is now required to address the gradual deterioration of the play facilities. Some remedial/replacement works are now required based on the most recent formal inspection information and the location of the priority works are listed below:

Waddington Road Park: Play safety surfacing

Promenade Gardens: Play safety surfacing

Mornington Park: Play equipment and play safety surfacing

South Park: Play equipment

Lansdowne Road Open Space: Play equipment, play safety surfacing, safety fencing

King George V Playing Fields: Play equipment, play safety surfacing, seating

The proposals are being put forward for consideration in the budget setting and will be determined at Budget Council on 4 March this year.

The Council is looking forward to improving these priority areas over the coming months, and hopes to have the improvement works complete as soon as possible to allow them to be used to their full potential whilst maintaining the safety of users at all times.

The proposed scheme has been split into 3 phases, to be undertaken over several years. This capital bid relates to phase 1 which includes improvement to the children’s play area, fenced sports area and sensory garden. Several public consultation exercises have been undertaken and a masterplan has been produced by the parks development team based on the consultation results. A detailed drainage survey has also been carried out.

The project is now at stage 7 of the 10-stage process for the community park’s development/improvement. The team have estimated the cost of phase 1 to be around £100,000. The team have submitted a funding bid to the Lancashire Environmental Fund for a £30,000 grant. The Parish Council will contribute £15,000 in addition to another £5,000 to be raised from other small external grants and community fundraising.

Ten stage process for the development/improvement

1. Set up a supporters group (Friends group with a constitution)
2. Apply to Fylde Council for officer support to assist with the project
3. Initial consultation with the group, local residents and users to produce a design brief based on community need.
4. Produce 3 concept drawings based on the design brief
5. Consult/agree/produce a final Masterplan for the scheme
6. Cost the project up in sections (Bill of Quantities and specifications)
7. Prepare a funding strategy
8. Tender and evaluation (with community)
9. Project Management
10. Open Event / Future use /Maintenance

Officers have been asked by the Parish Council and Friends of Newton Community Park, if they could make an application to Fylde Council for a £50,000 capital contribution towards the project in 2021/22.  This application is made on the condition that the community group raise £50,000 in match funding as described above. The result of the funding application to the Lancashire Environmental Fund will be known in April 2021. The Parish council and Friends of Newton Community Park understand and accept that the capital contribution of £50,000 from Fylde council will only be made available for this project if the match funding of £50,000 is secure by the Friends.

Councillor Cheryl Little, Chair of the Tourism and Leisure Committee said “Fylde Council are a champion in supporting community’s working together and I am delighted to see this project initiated. Newton & Clifton Parish Council and Friends of Newton Community Park have come together to work on a 10 stage development and improvement plan for this park and I look forward to seeing the project progress”.

The Additional Restrictions Grant Discretionary Award scheme aims to support small local businesses not eligible for the LRSG (Closed) scheme because they have not been mandated to close by the regulations, or do not have a business rates account. The scheme has one-off grants between £1,000 and £3,000, for small businesses, organisations or enterprises that are a priority in the Fylde economy and have been most adversely impacted by the COVID restrictions and measures.  Funds available for ARG grants are limited and the Council aims to support as many organisations as possible. The ARG Discretionary Award scheme will reopen to new applicants on Thursday 14 January in response to additional funding made available. Previous applicants to the ARG in November and December 2020 do not need to re-apply; the original application details will be used to assess a further award. The deadline for new applications is Friday 12 February 2021 at 4pm. 

Cllr Karen Buckley, Leader of Fylde Council said: “Every effort is being made to pay as many grants to eligible applicants as quickly as possible.  It is important that every local business gets the support required to come back strong after the pandemic.  The ARG discretionary scheme offers the opportunity to target small businesses and organisations that are vital and unique to the Fylde economy but are not eligible for the LRSG or top-up payments.  The objective is to award as much grant to as many businesses as possible.”

Full details of the eligibility criteria and conditions of all the available grant schemes are published on the Council’s webpage here and are updated as guidance is received from Government.

The event, which was sponsored by Easthams Solicitors, Ameon and Slater Gordon, raises money for the hospice, and this year raised a record £23,000.

Corporate Partnerships Manager, Janet Atkins, said: “Once again we are absolutely thrilled with how the weekend went. We were really lucky with the weather, and we had such wonderful volunteers who worked so hard, some over both the days, to collect Christmas trees from across the Fylde coast.

“Here at the hospice, we worked hard to make sure our volunteers were safe at all times, and we’re thankful to everyone who made a donation and organised a collection for having their trees outside their homes in good time for us to pick them up.

“Huge thanks goes to our sponsors, as well as to Blackpool Council and Fylde Council, whose help and organisation both in the run up to the event and over the weekend itself we just couldn’t do without – particularly Gareth Matthews from Fylde Council who, on top of organising the depot and base, also collected trees over the weekend.

“We are just overwhelmed with the support we have seen from our community, not only for our annual tree collection but throughout the whole pandemic. The fact that this has been our best year to date for donations shows that people living in Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde really are behind their local hospice. With their continued support, we can be there for everyone who needs us, through Covid and beyond.”

Leader of the Council, Cllr Karen Buckley commented: “I was delighted to join the volunteers over the weekend to fill our trailer with trees from addresses in and around Ansdell going back and forth to drop them off at North Beach Car Park in St Annes.  The residents were thrilled to be part of the scheme knowing that their donations were helping Trinity and their used trees were being recycled. Thanks to all the staff and volunteers for their support again this year.

“The Christmas trees collected will now be planted on St Annes beach as part of the ongoing sand dunes restoration project. The trees help reduce the erosion of the dunes that provide a unique habitat for many plants and animals and also act as an effective soft sea defence for the local community.”