Brian Essex

Conservative group leader

OPENNESS and transparency should be the basis of the relationship between the residents and electors of Rossendale and its local Council. All residents depend on the many services provided by our Council and in return taxes are levied. Councillors are elected to ensure that those taxes are spent wisely and for the greater good.

The Full Council held in July was billed as the single most important council meeting in the history of the Borough of Rossendale. It was to decide the future of the centre of Rawtenstall and implement the planning permission granted for new shops, flats, spa, cinema or hotel and decide how many millions of pounds to be borrowed.

At the Extraordinary meeting, where all press and residents were excluded, the original resolutions were withdrawn and it was decided to look at the whole project again. An all party working group was established to review the scheme, its finances and mix of development and ensure detailed due diligence was undertaken. I must thank the Labour leader of the council for supporting this move. I still have grave reservations over the millions to be borrowed and the viability of the hotel proposal.

I have to report that the working party has met three times – the first time on November 5 after I raised the question of ‘what is happening - when is it meeting?’ at a public meeting of the Cabinet. All these meetings are confidential and councillors are bound by those legal restrictions.

I have to thank, again, the leader and officers for their work on due diligence of the scheme to the best of their ability. This is a monumental development which if effectively delivered will be a blueprint for our other town centres of Bacup, Haslingden and Whitworth.

The whole scheme has been controversial since the old Valley Centre was purchased using money earmarked to building a new swimming pool for Haslingden. If you add the £3 million to buy and flatten the site to the cost of new roads and the Spinning Point development we reach a massive cost running into, my estimate £13 million and that excludes the cost of the bus station provided by Lancashire county council.

The Labour Leader of the Council will now bring the latest proposals to on the developments along Bank Street and Kay Street in Rawtenstall to the Full Council Meeting on Wednesday, December 12 starting at 5.30pm (PLEASE NOTE THE EARLIER STARTING TIME) and will be held in the Council Chamber at Futures Park, Bacup. If you come please remember the Leader will not accept questions on the night – write in with your question at least four days in advance.

I have made the strongest possible representations that members of the public and the press will have the right to attend the whole meeting, Blackburn with Darwen Council recently reversed their decision to hold a meeting in secret over a proposal to borrow millions to build a cinema in Blackburn town centre. An open meeting would be a signal that Rossendale Council is open for business and open and transparent in its relations with the people of Rossendale.