Local elections Labour

IN recent years we have worked hard to maintain decent local services despite massive cuts in government funding, but it is the job of councils to do more than this.

Our main priority has been our town centres. Bacup and Rawtenstall have been transformed, work has now started in Haslingden, over the next five years the town will benefit from £2.2m of heritage lottery money.

Future plans include putting in place proposals to improve Waterfoot, and securing funding to improve the valley’s transport infrastructure to cut down on congestion across the borough.

The Council played a key role during the pandemic, by helping local businesses and supporting some of our most vulnerable residents.

We are now faced with new challenges - a cost of living and energy crisis unlike anything many of us have experienced before.

During the pandemic we worked with our food groups and food bank, citizens advice and the credit unions, to ensure that those struggling financially got the help they needed.

We are very limited in what we can do as a council to help with the cost of living crisis – but we can all take the opportunity on May 5 to send the Conservatives and the government a clear message.

We know that the vast majority of our council tax goes to the Tory controlled county council.

Despite endless promises from them, we know they do not do a good job here in Rossendale – just look at the state of our roads and pavements!

Despite local promises, Rossendale Conservative councillors put our council tax up to the maximum. We are paying far more and getting much less.

In Rossendale, we declared a climate emergency in 2019 and have started to work through a clear and targeted action plan that will make sure we become carbon neutral by 2030.

We have put £1m capital fund (over five years) in place to help valley community groups and businesses become eco friendly too.

Last year we pledged to plant a tree for every child in Rossendale - we have now planted over 7,000 trees, and will plant many more trees in 2023.

We have spoken to thousands of local residents over the last few weeks, and we know times are tough for a lot of people.

Vote Labour for a local council that will deliver for local people and to send a clear message to this Conservative Government.

Labour: David Hancock - Eden; Alyson Barnes - Goodshaw;

Neil Looker - Greenfield; Annie McMahon - Hareholme;

Thomas Belli - Helmshore; Michelle Smith - Irwell; Liz McInnes - Longholme; Jackie Oakes - Stacksteads; Mary Coogan - Whitewell; Ann Kenyon - Worsley.