Coun Peter Steen

Conservative group leader

IT had been my fervent hope that when I wrote about Covid19 in my last column until I could welcome its taming.

Unfortunately, the Second Wave has hit Rossendale with a mini Tsunami, disrupting education, employment and the hospitality sector.

However, I am aware through regular virtual briefings various Local Groups, Rossendale Primary Care Network, Rossendale Connect, a group that brings together a wide range of groups including the Council, are working together to coordinate the response and help minimise effects and disruption.

However, they can’t succeed if we, as individuals do not follow the guidelines.

Therefore, I would encourage residents to read updates and follow the guidelines, we can come out the other side safely.

On a political front I have concerns about the current situation.

In May of this year local elections were cancelled and if the country should be plunged into a combination of a bad flu season and an upswing in Covid19 it is quite feasible next year’s could be cancelled.

This is not a party political comment, but a concern on behalf of residents, because democracy denied is democracy diminished.

Furthermore, because all Council business is having to be carried out remotely communication and decision making can become fragmented.

Meetings have become somewhat of a lottery as they have to be conducted via the internet. Wi-Fi connections across the borough are not consistent, there is no guarantee participants can hear or be heard clearly thereby conflict over who said what or even the opportunity to speak and even make a vital contribution could be lost.

It had been hoped that suitable social distanced meetings could be arranged, but with the introduction of the “Rule of Six” (sounds like a title from a Sherlock Holmes novel) this has been squashed.

One other action that could interfere with local elections in 2021 is the anticipated Government White Paper on Local Government Devolution and Lancashire County Council’s Business Plan being accepted into the first tranche of counties accepted for application as Combined Authorities.

The theory behind the plan is that LCC would be wound up in its present form, the current Council would run for a further 12 months as a shadow authority before elections for new representatives in 2022.

It is envisaged the new authority would be run by an Elected Mayor and a Cabinet made up from representatives from the newly formed Unitary Authorities.

The perceived advantages are the powers that would be devolved from Westminster meaning they should be more relevant to the region than when they are decided by remote London based civil servants.

The main stumbling block is it means smaller Councils such as

Rossendale will be swallowed up into larger unitary authorities and it is the make-up of these that is causing concern.

It is anticipated that Rossendale would be in an East (Pennine) Lancashire Unitary along with Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley and Pendle.

Whilst the size of the Authority would give it more “clout” with the Combined Authority and Central Government the current authorities mentioned are high debt, low Council Tax base with high levels of child deprivation which a Unitary would take over responsibility from LCC.

We look as though we about to come under the influence of the old Chinese curse “May you live in interesting times”.

Finally, another casualty of Covid19 is the Annual Remembrance Parades. Since joining the Royal Air Force in 1966 I have paraded every year, somewhere in the World, in all weathers, including a tropical monsoon at the Kranje War Memorial, Singapore.

Whilst parades have been cancelled residents are encouraged to carry out their own acts of remembrance at the appropriate time.

This column was submitted on October 7.