Jake Berry Rossendale MP

I KNOW that Boris Johnson’s announcement about the delay to the final release of lockdown will have come as blow to many of us across Rossendale.

I share the frustration and disappointment but the PM has been faced with an incredibly difficult choice. To go ahead and remove all restrictions even though there is a real possibility the virus could outrun the vaccines and many more deaths would occur. Or to give our NHS a few more crucial weeks to get those remaining jabs into the arms of those who need them.

I am hopeful the PM has made the right call and that by being cautious now we have the chance – in the next four weeks – to save many thousands of lives by vaccinating millions more.

We are already ramping up the vaccinations here in Rossendale, with extra clinics in Rawtenstall and Bacup. Once the adults have been overwhelmingly vaccinated we will be in a far stronger position to keep hospitalisations down, to live with this disease and complete our cautious but irreversible roadmap to freedom.

Last week I had a really positive meeting at the old Lancashire and Yorkshire Bank building on Market Street in Bacup. It’s a stunning historic building but had sadly fallen into disrepair becoming the centre of anti-social problems in the town centre.

Thanks to the work of Valley Heritage and the Architectural Heritage Fund together with Government grants from the High Street Heritage Funds, plans have now been agreed to restore the building to its former glory as well as delivering a new co-working space and new homes within the Grade II Listed building.

There was more good news for the Valley with my visit to Whitworth High School. Back in April it was confirmed the school would be completely rebuilt as part of the Government’s £1 billion School Rebuilding Programme, so it was good to catch up with Headteacher Mrs Middlemas.

The school have done a cracking job working with the Department of Education to agree the plans which will deliver an absolutely first-class facility for our local children.

I also had a useful catch up at Bacup Borough FC with the legend that is Brent Peters. The Euros might be grabbing all the football headlines but we should never forget how important our grassroots clubs, like Bacup are to our local communities.

Following the ill-judged proposals for a breakaway European Super League, I am pleased that the Government’s fan-led review, which was triggered in April 2021 and committed to in the 2019 Manifesto on which I was elected, will focus on the merits of an independent regulator and how fans can have an even greater oversight of the game.

Finally, political enthusiasts may have seen the latest proposals for new political boundaries that have been drawn up by the independent Boundary Commission for England.

Under their initial plans released last week, the Borough of Rossendale would be effectively split into 2 parts. Bacup, Stacksteads and Whitworth would be moved into a new ‘Burnley and Bacup’ seat, whilst the rest of Rossendale would be paired with Darwen and parts of Chorley in a new seat called ‘West Pennine Moors’. It’s important to note that these are only initial proposals from the Boundary Commission.

If you want to have your say please visit www. bcereviews.org.uk where you can view maps and full details of their plans.